GERMAN CANNON

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 239, 3 July 1919, Page 4

GERMAN CANNON

DISPLAY AT THE TOWN HALL. Some hundreds of people viewed tho German cannon ex Wainmna which woro placed for exhibition purposes ontsido the Town Hall in Lower Cuba Street yesterday afternoon. Some eight pieces of field artillery, very rusty ..and showing tho ravages of war very plainly, were "parked" on cither side of the main entrance. They are 77mm. field guns, made by Fra. (Fraulein) Juupp, and in onecase tho name "Berta" is neatly painted on the shield, but whether that was done by a German as a compliment to the female head of tho Krupp firm or in derision by one of its captors has not been clearly established. Only one of the field pieces appears to be intact. That is a neat, wcll-ba.'.anced gun, captured bv the Ist Battalion of the Otugo Kegimeiit on July 28, 1917. It still retains a certain dignity in appearance, too', in its coat of grey paint. Most of tho other guns may be classified as "rusty ironmongery" past war service. Each "of them is fitted with a powerful spring to tnko the recoil, and tho only marked difference in the models is that in some instances the spring chamber extends to a point almost ilush with thu muzzle, whilst in others the barrel of tho cannon is clear of all encumbrances for a space of over two feet from the muzzle. They all bear tho "wounds nt war." In one case tho shield is pierced in three places, either by bullets or shrapnel, one of the apertures being a yawning gap evidently torn in the toughened stetf. by shrapnel. In another case a shot has just hit tho outside edge of one of the heavy steel tyres, and carved a groove in several'of the spokes. In another the elevating gear lias been, put out of order by a stray shot. Thera are in all twenty-nine guns to be exhibited in Wellington, probably until after the peace celebration. They include one big G-inch gun, which will probably be located on the asphalt rrserve opposite the King's Theatre, where there is ample space, and tho gun can be viewed with equal convenience from all quarters,