Ladysmith was the most vulnerable of the three towns. Man-packed mortars lack the range or hitting power of gun-artillery. The final curtain fell last night on the Royal Tournament - a showcase of Britain's military power and prowess since 1880. And now, ten years after it disappeared from national view along with the dear old Royal Tournament, the race is about to return to the big stage in front of both the Queen and the television cameras. They were not well-paid. A 'lucky' 50 would be selected and subjected to six months of intensive training before the Royal Tournament itself. Each gun crew then engages the enemy with three rounds.\r\rThe second section is the run back. A similar "Command" Field Gun, is still being run by civilians as Wellington College (cadet-size) and Portsmouth Action Field Gun (full-size). In September the decision to despatch more than 10,000 troops to South Africa from home and abroad was made in London. In the final stage, the "Run Home", men, guns and limbers passed back through the hole in the home wall and then the teams "hook up and pull for home". Sailors had to move the guns inland from the coast to Ladysmith so formed teams and raced the guns . The limber is run back and hooked to the gun then every member of the crew strains to accelerate the gear over the finish line. 'One or two men might think "Hmmm?" Each set of kit weighs the same as a family car and each gun must be put together, taken apart and dragged up and down an 83-yard course, blasting off six shots in the process. 'I once scraped all the skin off my knees, but I got to the finish line - which was the main thing.'. The men of the Naval Brigade removed six guns from their warships and placed them on hastily-constructed gun carriages. In the company of 18 men with old-fashioned nicknames (Shorty, Nobby) and old-fashioned attitudes ('if you get hurt, you moan about it later'), I am reminded what makes the Forces tick. This was considered to be an easy jump for an ordinary man. In 1903, a party from HMS Excellent introduced an obstacle into their display. It's just another reason why the Field Gun is still revered as the ultimate sporting discipline within the Navy. The Fastest Time Cup is awarded to the crew who achieves the fastest out, back and home in one run. however, if you know any of it is incorrect, please let me know, and I'll rectify it! Field guns also lack a specialized purpose, such as anti-tank or coastal artillery. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*American Reacts to The Royal Naval Field Gun Competition, royal naval field gun competition, royal navy, royal, naval, field, gun, competition, fleet competition, fleet, devonport, portsmouth, royal naval field gun, toughest competition, Eclectic Beard Gaming and Reactions, gaming channel, reaction channel, gaming, reactions, The gun is run to the end of the track, turned and stopped. 1st Retire, 2nd Wheel Every year since 1907, the naval base at HMS Collingwood in Hampshire staged its own version of the Field Gun competition called the Brickwoods Trophy. Both wheels are shifted. Unfortunately in the memories of all field gunners and supporters 1999 proved to be one of the saddest years of their lives. In 1992, the services decided that they could no longer free the 2,500 personnel needed to run the show for its traditional three weeks and the tournament was cut to a fortnight, stripping it of financial viability. The guns and limbers were then dismantled and carried to the top of a ramp on the "home side" of a 28-foot (8.5m) "chasm". USPSA competitor, Any questions please email him at [emailprotected]. The origins of Royal Navy Field Gun lay in 1899, in the Second Boer War, and in particular the epic 119-day Siege of Ladysmith. Later as Commander Scott he was instrumental in conceiving the idea of field gun competitions, the first as early as 1900. The Royal Marines set a new record in 1924 of 1 min 24.4 secs. Field guns are incredibly heavy and moving them is dangerous work. The guns are raced from the start position down the sides of the arena and manhandled over a five foot wall. 1907 - the first competition was held, two crews of eighteen, coming from Portsmouth, Devonport and Chatham, competed at each afternoon performance (a display similar to the original was put on for each evening performance), as follows: The two Ramps were placed 7 6 apart, and the men had to pass the gun and limber over the chasm without the use of any other appliances! The record for the fastest run at the Royal Tournament was set by Devonport in 1999, the competition's final year, with 80.86 seconds for the "Run Out", 58.65 seconds for the "Run Back" and 20.92 seconds for the "Run Home", an aggregate of 2 minutes, 40.43 seconds.[4]. In 1971 Brickwood's business was acquired by London-based brewers Whitbread & Co Ltd: Why would anyone want to do it? To an outsider, this brutal event raises several questions. The origins of the field gun competition lie in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Royal Navy Field Gun. Play it now! The British forces were quickly overwhelmed and forced back to the towns of Mafeking, Kimberley and Ladysmith, which were then besieged. Crews were permitted to use wires, ropes, spars etc to traverse the obstacle. The average time for the Run Home was 21 seconds. The second part of the competition (the "Run Back") involved the crews taking all their equipment back over the 5-foot (1.5m) enemy wall and then back across the chasm. The record was lowered to 1 minute 19.40 seconds by HMS Daedalus in 1988. The highlight of the concluding day of the last tournament was the final running of the renowned Royal Navy field gun competition. The Aggregate Time Challenge Cup is awarded to the crew who has the lowest aggregate official time over the 16 competition runs; the record is held by Devonport at 39 minutes 20.34 and the trophy is now held by Devonport. The guns are then taken round the arena at the double and advance in close order, reversing twice in close order, they then wheel into the centre and salute.. The top brass also viewed it as a drain on everdwindling manpower. The competition simulates the drill which would have been undertaken to bring a naval field gun into action during the march to Ladysmith. It is all done in just over a minute. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. As a result, Captain Percy Scott of HMS TERRIBLE was tasked with producing plans for the mounting of two 4.7 guns for use ashore. Most of the tournament's 10-strong permanent staff now face redundancy. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. In addition two five-foot walls were rigged at the ends of the arena. Devonport v Fleet Air Arm at the Royal Tournament, Earls Court, July 1988 the ships company for their part in the saving of Ladysmith. The Naval Brigade transported guns over difficult terrain and brought them into action against the Boers. The Royal Tournament relocated for the final time in 1950 when it moved to the larger venue of Earls Court. During this march the guns were in action many times and, on one occasion when the wheel of one of the carriages collapsed, a 12 pounder was carried by the Blue Jackets over two miles to come into action at the top of a hill. Backstage the Devonport crew should have been celebrating their New World Record and their overall success but they felt as if there was no celebrating to be done. Three Commands, Devonport, Fleet Air Arm and Portsmouth currently have associations made up of past members of their Command Field Gun Crews, since its demise in 1999 and a heritage centre and museum at Crownhill Fort, Plymouth is maintained and run by Devonport Field Gun Association. (The procedure adopted in the event of damage to the gun wheels). Audiences are held spellbound as the three commands from Portsmouth, Devonport and Fleet Air Arm do battle in a twice daily race that see two teams of 18 men take a gun and limber that dates back to the last century and weighing over a ton, plus associated equipment over a five foot wall, across a twenty-eight foot wide chasm, through a four foot high by two foot wide hole and bring the equipment into action, to engage the enemy and fire three rounds. At this time the winners' shields transferred to the new mounting, although not in the same order as they had appeared on the previous stand. American Reacts to The Royal Naval Field Gun CompetitionOriginal Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32s4qCCFnmk#RoyalNaval #FieldGun #ReactionTo Support t. Night Vision & Thermal Aficionado With few exceptions, even the largest siege weapons had become mobile by road or rail by the start of World War I, and evolution after that point tended to be towards smaller weapons with increased mobility. Crews from Portsmouth, Devonport, Chatham and Fleet Air Arm competed at The Court until 1960 when the Chatham Crew withdrew from the competition. Posted by. To excel at this sport, team members need the explosive speed of a cheeta, the strength of a weightlifter, and the precision of a ballerina. Less than 24 hours later at 6 p.m. on the 26th October, the mountings were built and the guns dispatched together with four 12-pounders in HMS POWERFUL to Durban. No one is hurt (if they were, they would probably keep quiet). In 1900 following the relief of Ladysmith during the South African campaign, Seaman from HMS Powerful brought a 4.7 inch gun into the arena at the Tournament. The clock was stopped as the teams crossed back over the start line. They owed their salvation, in part, to 280 Royal Navy sailors, even though Ladysmith is 100 miles inland. The M107 was used extensively in the Vietnam War and proved effective in artillery duels with the North Vietnamese forces. Brickwood maintained a close interest in the competition over the years. Although the chasm was reduced to 28ft the competition remained fundamentally the same throughout the interwar years. The "Brickwoods" trophy itself is a reproduction in silver of a 12-pounder field gun and a gun crew of seven sailors. In 1907, the Royal Navy staged the first Inter Command Field Gun Competition at the Tournament. The race was continued on the return journey, the team first crossing the original starting line being awarded one point; the team which secured the biggest number of points throughout the run of the Tournament. 'These guys are giving up three-and-a-half hours a day, six days a week for eight weeks and they are utterly dedicated,' he says proudly, adding that the 'guys' also include a woman. Once all the crew and equipment were back on the home side of the chasm, the wire and traveller were dismantled and three more rounds were fired in a rear guard action. Gridiron March and Half-Batteries brought into action. . It's an obsession which has cost him the middle finger on his right hand - 'a training incident, one of those things'. As soon as the last man of each gun crew - nicknamed the flying angel - is across the chasm, the rig is collapsed, and three rounds are fired in a rearguard action. The crews continued to the end of the arena and fired one round. Although the chasm was reduced to 28ft the competition remained fundamentally the same throughout the interwar years. The Royal Navy's field gun competition is a contest between teams from various Royal Navy commands, in which teams of sailors compete to transport a field gun and its equipment over and through a series of obstacles in the shortest time. Since that year it has become customary to say that the Inter-port Field Gun Competition at the Royal Tournament is in commemoration of what Lambtons men of the Powerful achieved in saving the town of Ladysmith. The guns went into action on arrival and soon silenced the Boer guns. Each crew then fires three rounds to end the "Run Out". The names of the winners of the trophy are engraved on small shields up to and including 1961 and plates for winners since 1962. The track is 85 yards long, which means a total run of 170 yards. In 2011 HM Naval Base Portsmouth set a new record of 1 min 17.78 seconds. Royal Tournament Programme Collection - Richard Thompson, The Story of the Royal Tournament - Lt. Col. P. L. Binns, The Brickwoods Trophy - Whitbread Historian. Both wheels are shifted. This year Devonport broke the world record when they recorded a near faultless run of 2 minutes 40.43. The Naval Brigade were soon in action against the Boer artillery; their long range guns were so effective in countering the enemy batteries and holding them at bay that it was not long before Captain Scott was being asked to provide another brigade. I have managed to gather the above information from a number of sources. With a 5-foot wall at either end of the arena, the course and conditions remained virtually the same until the end of the competition in 1999. Displays of field gun drill continued in subsequent years. Only two crews run during each performance. Since about the start of World War II, the term has been applied to long-range artillery pieces that fire at a relatively low angle, as opposed to howitzers which can fire at higher angles. The event originates from guns being run cross treacherous terrain during the siege of Ladysmith during the Boer War. And after just a few minutes in their company - during which I tweak a hamstring and nearly get run over - I conclude that Woolers was, as usual, spot on. The race has not been seen since the Royal Tournament ended a decade ago. The average time for the Run Out was 85 seconds. ), - 1948 - 1957 - 1970 - 1975 - 1981 - 1984 - 1986 - 1987 - 1997 -. Before 1999 this record was held by Portsmouth and had stood for 15 years. This was exceeded in seven subsequent years and eventually in 1938 HMS Excellent achieved 1 minute 13.40 seconds. There have been many changes to the competition. In fact, win or lose, they made not a bean. However it is not just this year that records have been set and then broken. The second part of the competition (the Run Back) involved the crews taking all their equipment back over the 5-foot (1.5m) enemy wall and then back across the chasm. The field gun competition also referred to as Gun Run or the Gun Run was held annually at the Royal Tournament in London from 1907 to 1999, and was contested by teams from the Royal Navy. The wheels are quick disconnect as well as the barrel. The second part of the competition (the "Run Back") involved the crews taking all their equipment back over the 5ft enemy wall and then back across the chasm. 9-pounder and 12-pounder guns were used in the displays. You have big blokes who do the heaving and lighter ones who do the dashing. Two gun crews of eighteen men from the commands of Portsmouth, Devonport and Chatham took part in the first competition. However, instead of checking on the collapsing sheer legs and passing on the outside of them he went through the middle. There are 34 possible penalties. The team and equipment then passed through a hole in the "enemy wall" at the end of the arena. A further number of guns were landed and transported overland by the Naval Brigade to relieve Ladysmith. Nowadays runs in less than three are fairly commonplace. 'My rank doesn't matter here,' says Jules. This was considered to be an easy jump for an ordinary man. For the final part of the journey, sailors from the Naval Brigade manhandled the guns over very difficult terrain. It's just another reason why the Field Gun is still revered as the ultimate. The Sunday Express Plate, which in the past has been called various other names, is awarded to the crew that incurs the least number of penalty points over the competition. The Inter-Command Challenge Cup is awarded to the crew gaining the highest number of points over the fortnight, and this record is held by Fleet Air Arm for gaining the maximum 32 points in 1966 and the trophy is now held by Devonport for gaining 29 points. 1906 - on the 17th May, the Royal Naval and Military Tournament moved to and opened at Olympia, and the men from both establishments (Excellent and Victory), in a combined display, took the guns over no less than two walls and two bridges. This is called: Out, Back and Home. The race is set up with some basic obstacles. The trophy left Portsmouth Command for the first time in 1978 as a result of HMS Fisgard's win. It looks like the cannon is setup purely for this race. Upon their entry the newcomers won the Aggregate Time Challenge Cup as well as the Fastest Time Cup. The Naval Brigade transported guns over difficult terrain and brought them into action against the Boers. Next week, the 30,000 visitors to the Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo - including most of the Royal Family and celebrities from Coldplay's Chris Martin to Alan Titchmarsh - will watch two 18-strong teams of the Royal Navy's finest crashing around the main arena and performing a series of Formula One-style pit stops with a Victorian cannon. Two crews competed at each afternoon performance. In the Royal Navy, nothing beats winning the Field Gun.'. The crews are awarded 2 points for a win, 1 and a half for a tie, 1 for a defeat, and 0 for a disqualification or a run taking over 4 minutes to complete. This proved most popular and the Navys contribution continued as part of the Tournament, which moved to Olympia in 1906. The "Brickwoods" Field Gun competition also started in 1907 after the Brickwoods Brewery donated a magnificent Trophy to the Royal Navy. When the crew from HMS POWERFUL returned to this country they ran a 4.7 gun through the arena at the Agricultural Hall at Islington in the 1900 Royal Military Tournament and were greeted with wild enthusiasm by the public attending.
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