Removable Field Gun Sights?

[armchairgeneral]

Hi,

I am building a British artillery gun limber towing an 18pdr in 28mm produced by Wargames Foundry. The gun doesn’t come with a gun sight so I am considering scratch building one however it occurred to me given the rough treatment towed guns seemed to undergo from footage I have seen, I just wondered if the gun sight would have been removed during transit as it had glass components?

[Valerik]

~ however it occurred to me given the rough treatment towed guns seemed to undergo from footage I have seen, I just wondered if the gun sight would have been removed during transit as it had glass components?

Almost certainly.

My own empirical knowledge relates to US field artillery, mounted & horse, with briefer service as foot artillery manning forts, beginning in 1846 moving through the War Between The States.

This was a transitional period where the tools of the gunner's trade evolved from being used ON the piece, then removed, as they had for centuries, to being mounted directly TO barrel, yet detachable, for preservation.  

The front sights were fixed, rear sights had bases or mounts cast on or screwed to the barrel. The gunner carried his piece's adjustable rear sight, mounted it to take aim, then removed for firing, and traveling. 

Then, as now, sights are precision instruments.  They are no more delicate than they need to be, are robust enough for field service, 'private proof' to a certain degree, yet worth protecting when not in immediate use. 

Given the absence or inefficiency of sprung carriages, I would be very much surprised to see sights mounted during any horsedrawn or off road movement.  Outside of Hollywood that is.

Any active serving gunners willing to confirm that the practice of removing the sights during movement? 

Valerik

"Artillery adds dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl."
 Frederick II of Prussia

[armchairgeneral]

Thanks for your reply. That seems to be the consensus view.

[tin shed gamer]

Yep its in the manual,not to is a chargable offence ,Without it the gun's in trouble.I picked up a couple of disk's stuffed full of pdf's of book's , manuals,and photographs.It seemed like a good idea at the time, (if I'm honest its one of the few things I looked at before I used the disks as bookmarks.)I used them to do my field guns,limbers,and emplacements.
Mark.

[armchairgeneral]

Thanks Mark. This has saved me a job