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Guns around the Waikato
See also Artillery in the Waikato
Paeroa, Hauraki PlainsThis M101 105-mm stands outside the Paeroa RSA. Click to enlarge.
OtorohangaThe Otorohanga Guns. (another Mike Subritzky adventure) Entering Otorohanga township from the North one can sight a small stone monument to those from the town who gave their lives during the First and Second World Wars. The monument and associated memorial park is situated on the corner of State Highway 3 and Kakmutu Street. On either side of the monument are captured field pieces from the First World War. The first equipment (the larger of the two) is an odd designed Krupp field piece displaying Turkish cypher and markings. This field piece is in remarkable condition, being minus its wooden wheels and a horizontal sliding breech ring. From my limited understanding of cradles, carriages and recoil systems this gun appeared to be minus any form of recoil system. The tube was quite simply attached to the cradle and trails. Using my 'Gunner' calibrated eyeball and fingers I estimate that the overall length of the tube from breech ring to muzzle was 60"; and the calibre of the gun itself was about 4". My son Danny (late of 161 Battery) climbed all over the gun in an attempt to identify it and finally found a talley plate beneath the muzzle which read as follows: FRIED. KRUPP ESSBA R. Nn60 ............................ The second equipment was some kind of mine thrower. It was a fairly substantial type of 'thing', complete with a small trail and metal wheels. It was in reasonable condition, although it had suffered some weather damage. We found no markings whatever but the tube length was about 15" and the calibre was about 3". It was one of those days when you said to your mate "If only Wally Ruffell was here". ............................
Te AwamutuRBL 12-pr Armstrong in Municipal Museum, Roche Street. This gun took part in the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s.
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