DMS rear deck gun

[Andre Chissel]

Dear all,

I hopefully have attached two photos one purporting to be the loading of the deck gun onto the Cameronia in 1939 and the other definitively of the deck gun on board the Cameronia in 1939 or early 1940. However, the big 'tube' at the rear of the gun above the breech has disappeared in the later image. What was the tube and was it routinely removed please ?

Thank you

Andre

[Keith at Tregenna]

Hello Andre,

Missed your post earlier.

Just a quick hello from myself,
hope all the answers required
come along soon.

Regards,

Keith.

[Doc Vernon]

Dont know too much on those Guns but would think it was a Tube that carried the Basic Weapon Guide that could later be Re Attached to the Top of the Gun.??
Cheers

[Keith at Tregenna]

Thanks Doc.

I did wonder if it was something to do with the safety,
stability etc of lifting.

Yours sounds more practical.

Keith.

[robpage]

Looking at Wikipedia , deck gun , they show a similar arrangement , I am going to suggest it is a recoil reducing gas tube , to reduce the force on the mountings , similar to what happens in an automatic shot gun

[Andre Chissel]

If it was recoil reducing, it suggests it was not meant to be removed and was in fact integral to the rest of the weapon. It suggests that the image claiming to be the fitting pf the gun to the Cameronia was probably incorrect and it was an image of a different gun being fitted to a different ship ?

[Captain Kong]

It could be a container filled with the relevant parts when it is assembled on deck.
I did a Gunnery Course at HMS EXCELLENT , Whale Island, Ports mouth in 1950, and we used those guns there.

[robpage]

Looking at the fact that you remove the cap you need a PIN spanner I'm not convinced that is already used spare part tube also if you was carrying spare parts that would be square at both ends for maximum space I've looked at quite a few pictures of these some carry the canister mounted when the action stage some don't have them so I believe it's under do with the design of the gun and a particular manufacturer

[Andre Chissel]

Hi everyone,

I am actually researching convoy KMF-5 (my dad was involved) and two troopships were torpedoed the Cameronia (Ju-88) and the Strathallan (U-562) in the convoy. Interestingly, I have photos of the Strathallan with a deck gun with that tube on it (a photo of the entire ship) and a photo from the Strathallan website showing just the deck gun with no tube on top. I actually dismissed that photograph as incorrect as it did not 'look' like the same gun, but when I saw that alamy photo purporting to be of the loading of the deck gun with a tube on it onto the Cameronia , I began to have second thoughts - hence this post. Thinking about it, I believe that it is unreasonable to believe that a photo of a deck gun of the Strathallan on the Strathallan website is unlikely to be incorrect and my dismissing it initially was a mixture of arrogance and ignorance on my part. I am beginning to believe that this tube was indeed removable from the posts received thus far but I wish someone could 'plant the flag' rather than let it hover above the ground in a speculative manner ! Should I post this on an artillery website do you think ? Any suggestions anyone ?

Many thanks for the interest btw !

Andre

[Doc Vernon]

I this is the same site presume it is its a really good one and has so many Pictures as well as information
Thanks
Gallery - The Strathallan Story

strathgun_med_jpg.jpg Just one of many Pics on the site!

Just of interest
https://www.britishpathe.com/video/l...llan-at-barrow


https://www.expressandstar.com/news/...d-75-years-on/