Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

Pre 1914, 2nd Anglo Boer War, Western Australia, Kings Park, Boer War Trophy Gun

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Overview

Digital copy of photograph showing 75 mm QF Krupp manufactured trophy gun from the 2nd Anglo Boer war in front of the Fallen Soldiers / Boer War Memorial in Kings Park

Historical information

The guns of the two South African Boer Republics were superior to those being used at the time by the British Army. At the beginning of the war, British Artillery was frequently outranged by Boer Artillery, and British gunners were surprised at the way in which the Boers moved their heavy guns about the countryside.
Boer Artillery consisted of a mixture of obsolete guns and the latest that Europe had to offer. There were several different types in use. and by October 1901 the British had captured as many as 21 different models. In addition, numbers were increased by guns captured from the British Army.
Guns were used in typical Boer fashion. They were usually deployed individually. They were seldom organised in batteries and, more often than not, they were simply used as long range rifles. There was little co-ordination between guns, and this made the concentration of fire on specific targets very nearly impossible.
Cover was used skillfully, and the Boers made the most of the superior range. They would hold their fire until the enemy had been lured into an ambush. Their guns did not normally require an escort, as they would be withdrawn if the enemy got too close. The Boers were reluctant to risk their guns in the open. Being outnumbered 4:1 by the British Artillery, this caution was understandable.
Krupp guns are identifiable by their horizontal sliding block breech systems, in preference to the interrupted screw system. The sliding block method is in use to this day in modern QF equipment. As the sliding breech does not provide as effective a gas seal as the interrupted screw, a cartridge case is used to help in obturation, i.e. to prevent the escape of gases to the rear. The sliding breech system allows a rapid rate of fie.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-57-309

Contextual Information

Original image from the Collection of the Royal Australian Artillery Historical Society of Western Australia

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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