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Sunday, June 13, 2010

HaT Gatling Gun


The HaT Gatling gun. The Gatling gun was first used in the American Civil War and was an American invention. They were not used much in combat by American troops, but were in the inventory in various configurations for about fifty years.

This is a British version, but other than the magazine, not much different from those used by the American Army. This gun could be used with Airfix WWI Americans to make pretty good US Army troops for the Spanish American War.


Turn the crank and let the bullets fly.


Here the heliograph man stands ready to send a message. Well, kneels ready to send a message.



A heliograph can send a message for thirty miles or more, instant communication, long before radio.

4 comments:

Peeler said...

It's a very nice and useful set. They also doa Naval Div set, with Nordfelt gunx3, and foot figures too. I'm well impressed with the Hat range.
Regards,
Peeler

Bob G. said...

Bunkermeister:
makes me wonder what they did when they fouhgt on a CLOUDY day, or were otherwise impaired with battlefield smoke?
Signal flag, anyone?

The Young Oligarch said...

The set is definitely modelled on the Royal Artillery batteries using this weapon at Ulundi in the Zulu War . Its sister set , using Gardner Guns , is therefore v. useful as Naval shore parties also served Gatling guns in Zululand .

Photographs via Google-

http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&source=imghp&q=gatling+zulu&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

Heliographs were in general use with British forces until (at least) the First World War , proving themselves especially in South Africa , in the Zulu and Boer Wars .
I have a photograph of RSF signallers using both a heliograph and signal flags around 1906 , so both appear to have been standard issue .

Isn't pedantry grand ?

Mike Bunkermeister Creek said...

I will post a few photos of the Naval set soon.

Signal flags, and lights at night, or bad weather, but the sun is much better, when it works. Of course, radio does not work all the time either!

Thanks for the links TYO!

Pendantry is fun!