In the 4.7-inch field gun, model of 1906, America took to France
a weapon all her own. It was a proven gun, too. There were 60 of
these in actual service when we got into the war. The 4.7-inch
guns, with their grater range and power, promised to be
particularly useful for destroying the enemy’s 77-millimeter
guns.
The carriage model of the 1906 for the 4.7-inch gun is of the
long recoil type, the recoil being 70 inches in length. The recoil
is checked by a hydraulic cylinder, and a system of springs
thereupon returns the gun to the firing position. The gun’s
maximum elevation is 15 degrees, at which elevation, with a
90-pound projectile, the gun has a range of 7,260 meters, or 4
½ miles. With a 45-poundd projectile a range of 8,750
meters, or nearly 5 ½ miles was possible. It is possible to
increase this range to about 10,000 meters, or well over 6 miles,
by depressing the trail into a hole, a practice often adopted on
the field to obtain greater range. The total weight of the gun with
its limber is about 9,800 pounds.
Late in December, 1917 the Studebaker Corporation was given an
order for 500 of these guns.
The actual cannon for the 4.7-inch units where made by several
companies including Watervliet Arsenal and the Northwestern
Ordnance Co.
The above information is from an article I found on the web from
a book called America’s Munitions.
