Image: 12-inch-M1897-Firing

Description: This remarkable image shows the moment of firing of a 12-inch breech-loading gun, M1895, on a M1897 disappearing carriage. The soldier in the foreground has just pulled the long firing lanyard, which can be seen stretching up to the breechlock of the gun. The gun is "in battery", raised just above the edge of the parapet of the gun position. The crew member on the catwalk at the upper left of the gun is looking through the optical telescopic gun sight. On the left in the group of crew members can be seen the talker (wearing a headset), who passes firing data from the Range Section of the battery to the man on the gun sight. The file for this image was provided by the Coast Defense Study Group and was edited for Wikipedia by cropping and straightening the original, as well as by adjusting brightness, contrast and sharpening.
Title: 12-inch-M1897-Firing
Credit: Digital file provided by the Coast Defense Study Group.
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No