6 
A frame B , supported in rear by tlie elevating screw 0, is attached to the axle, 
and is arranged by means of the collar b and two pivots cc to admit of slight 
lateral movements. The detail of this is shown in Pig. 2 (obtained from an 
article in Die Kriegswaffen), where the wheel I) affects the lateral adjustment. 
Tig. 2. 
The trunnions rest in two cradles T) (Fig, 1) which can recoil on the upper 
surface of the frame B. The breech is furnished with a batten a which slides 
on the rear part of the frame, and is attached to the axle by the hydraulic brake 
JB and the spiral screw F. When the gun has recoiled it is arrested, and the 
spiral screw cannot bring it back to the firing position until the arrangement is 
released by a lever. The General proposes to abolish the trunnions and sub¬ 
stitute the arrangement associated with heavy guns, and in addition to the 
hydraulic brake, &c., he advocates the brake produced in 1889 by the Gebriider 
Gawron at Stettin. This brake reposes on the principle of the compressor gear 
long since abandoned by our Navy and the French Navy. The compression is 
arranged in two series of alternate circular sectors, one fixed to the axle, the 
other to the nave. Such an arrangement would be very liable to become useless 
through the accumulation of dirt and rust. 
The General, who has not yet made his carriage, asserts with amusing con¬ 
fidence that his brake will bring the recoil down to half a metre on favourable 
ground, and that incontestably one metre will be the maximum recoil under 
unfavourable circumstances. Now the energy of recoil of the Wille gun can be 
shown by an easy calculation to be 13*86 foot-tons, whereas that of the German 
field gun of 1873—78, which the General selects for comparison, is only 5*3 foot- 
tons—ratio 1 : 2*6. If we divide these energies by the weights of the respective 
carriages we find in the first case 1*3 foot-tons per cwt., and in the second case 
*46 foot-ton—ratio 1 : 2*8. 
Captain Modi gives the recoil energy of the British 12-pr. of 7 cwt. as 2473 
kg., which is equal to 8 foot-tons—or yy foot-ton per cwt. of carriage. The 
data at my command are : — 
Weight of gun 7 cwt., or 356 kg. 
„ „ projectile 12 lbs., or 5 T 5 T kg. 
„ „ charge 4 lbs., or 1^- kg. 
Muzzle velocity 1720 f.s., or 524 m.s. 
2g = 64*4 feet =19*6 metres. 
With these figures I calculate that the recoil energy is 1593 kg., or 5*14 
foot-tons. The discrepancy is so considerable that Captain Moch must have 
dealt with different figures. 
