Artillery Piece

[ColynB]

Hi Guys

Well, it is a few months since I graced this Forum. I have been involved in various firings of various guns.

Do any of the experts here have any knowledge of the following inscription?

"FCM HAVRE 75mm Sme CANET M.1885"

This is on the Barrels of two guns that have been located in the Chevonnes Battery Museum at the Cape Town Waterfront. The Breech Blocks are missing but the guns are in extremely good condition and according to rumours are possibly the only two examples left in the world.

I will post a couple of pics soonest

[Drone_pilot]

all i can find is this.

Click me (http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:Td2NpKn88_0J:www.capeofgoodhope.org/houtbay/cannon/news12.pdf+%22Sme+CANET%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk)

I was recently requested to find a secure temporary home for two 75mm iron BL mountain guns.
These guns are engraved “ FCM HAVRE 75mm Sme CANET M.1885 “. Once again, through
very little research and much assistance, I determined that these are extremely rare mountain guns of
European origin. Mr Canet was the design engineer for Schneider Arms of Le Creusot where the well
known Schneider -Canet gun system originated and where the famous SA “Long Toms” were made.
The problem with the two guns being identified is that they bear only the name of Canet and do not
conform to the Schneider - Canet system.
Nuno Rubim, a serious student of Portuguese artillery, reliably informs me that the Canet mountain
guns were quickly superseded by recoil absorbing models and that the Canet guns were sent out to
the colonies for use as secondary armament at far flung garrisons. Most of the Canet guns were used
by the Portuguese and guess where they sent them - Southern Angola! I am sure that Coen Brits had
a hand in these two guns appearing in SA.

[ColynB]

Hi

The same two guns. They are currently in the foyer of the recently opened Chevonnes Battery. In the Cape Town Waterfront. Maj Willem Steenkamp was asking today if there is anything that can be done about either locating at least one breech block, or finding information on having one engineered.

They have been removed without any damage so it was obviously to disarm them, so logic dictates that they MUST be somewhere.

[ColynB]

Hi

Here are some photographs of the guns.



http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg133/MIBISA/MorrisMinorAnniversary5thApril20080.jpg


http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg133/MIBISA/MorrisMinorAnniversary5thApril20-1.jpg


http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg133/MIBISA/MorrisMinorAnniversary5thApril20-2.jpg


http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg133/MIBISA/MorrisMinorAnniversary5thApril20-3.jpg