The Field Cannon in Front of the Victoria Street Armouries
The field gun in front of the armoury was manufactured by the Krupp Company. Krupp had a long history in Germany and was involved in steel production. It was originally involved in peace-time endeavours, including the first seamless railway wheels (Krupp's logo is 3 wheels over-lapped). Krupp's steel works were put to use as an arms manufacturer after the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). This brought more capital to the company and it began to grow. Krupp was instrumental in the manufacturing of equipment for the German Empire during the First World War (1914-1918). However prior to and during the War, Krupp had also manufactured weapons for the United States, Russia, Belgium, Turkey and even Great Britain.[1] The Krupp Manufacturing Company designed and built such famous guns as "The Paris Gun" (used to shell Paris from Germany, 122 km/75 miles), Big Bertha (named after the female owner of Krupp) and, later, the impressive 80cm Gustav and Dora, railway gun used in World War Two. The company still exists but has joined with Thyssen to become ThyssenKrupp and still manufactures steel products.[2]
CANNON IN FRONT OF ARMOURY ON VICTORIA AVENUE
The type of cannon in the front of the armoury is called a 10cm K17 or Kanone M1917 (referred to as the K17 hereafter). 10cm refers to the diameter, or calibre, of the barrel, however, the calibre is actually 10.5cm. The gun was developed as an improvement on the 10cm Kanone 1914 (referred to as the K14 hereafter) as the German government required a field piece that could shoot farther.[3] In order to increase the range and the accuracy of the gun. Thus, the length of the barrel was increased from 3.6m or 12 feet with the K14, to 4.7m or 15.5 feet with the K17. The result was a gun that could shoot 16km rather than 13km.[4] The government wanted to place the larger gun on the same size carriage as the smaller gun providing issues with transportation as the gun needed to be partly disassembled in order to move it. The K14 weighed 2800kg (6204lbs) and the K17 3200kg (7040lbs) so the horses needed to tow the K17; in two pieces, however, this required that the gun be disassembled, moved and then reassembled.
The K17 had a complex sighting system as well as the dual elevation mechanism of the K14, and was more difficult to manufacture and move around the battlefield. The German government had begun to look back to the Kanone 1904s due to their ease of use and manufacture. Krupp decided to change the sighting system of the K17, removed both the dual elevation mechanism (where the two wheels at the left of the breech are) and the variable recoil mechanism for a standard one. This saved much weight, time and complexity,[5] and these changes cut enough weight that the gun could be moved whole. The gun at the armoury was an earlier model, however, and would have been moved in two pieces. We know this because the wheels for the dual elevation mechanism are still there and because the cannon has the serial number 39, indicating that it was manufactured early.
A gun of this type could be given many roles, yet not all were effective. If the complex sighting mechanism and dual elevation mechanism of the K14 were removed, the gun could be used as an anti-aircraft weapon; however, it did not excel in this. Due to its long range, one of the main roles ofthe K17 was that of counter-artillery fire. The K17 also performed well as a counter-personnel weapon. The role of the gun could be altered through the use of different artillery shells. Many of these guns were not dismantled as demanded by the Treaty of Versailles and were used again during World War Two.[6]
HOW IT GOT HERE.
According to the War Trophies Commission, the gun in front of the Armoury was captured on September 27, 1918 by the 3rd Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The gun was captured between Cambrai and Arras near the town of Marquion in north-western France near the Belgian border.[7]
This information corresponds with the Allied final push called the Hundred Days Offensive, or the "Great Battle", of which the Battle of Amiens was part.[8] Amiens is to the south-west of the road between Arras and Cambrai. The goal of initial Battle of Amiens was to move the salient from the city; however, the Allies were able to push the Germans back, resulting in the end of the First World War. The large operation began August 8, 1918, and ended October 9. The Battle of Cambrai, which was part of this larger operation, was fought along the road going between Arras and Cambrai September 27- October 2, 1918. The communities of Marquion and Raillencourt lie on the road closer to Cambrai. The 3rd Battalion, which was then part of the First Canadian Division, was stationed around Marquion during this battle.[9] This may validate that the gun was captured by the 3rd Battalion.
The 3 Battalion was comprised of men from Toronto, Ontario. Initially, on August 6, 1914, there were 1123 troops and 42 officers within the Battalion.[10] The unit fought at Ypres, St. Julien, the Somme, Flers-Courcelette, Vimy, Hill 70, Passchendaele, the Hindenburg Line and Amiens and Cambrai.
According to Passion & Compassion there are few guns of this type remaining. This is only one other in Canada, in Ottawa, and 6 elsewhere. There is also a K14 in Niagara-on-the-Lake at Butler's Barracks. 12
Addendum: It has been brought to our attention by a concerned and valued reader that this article, originally written and shared in 2010 to discuss the artillery piece in front of the Armoury building, fails to identify the Krupp family’s connection to the Nazis and the horrors committed under their regime. For our oversight, and failure to do our due diligence, we sincerely apologize. We are always grateful for feedback from our readers, and are committed to do better as we continue to learn and move forward.
To learn more about this subject and the trial of United States v. Alfried Krupp, please visit the Holocaust Museum’s website at:
Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group. "War Trophy Allocation List: Excel Document"
Accessed October 29, 2010.CEF Study Group Home Page
— "3rd Battalion" Accessed October 30, 2010. CEF Study Group Home Page
Hogg, Ian. Twentieth-Century Artillery. Toronto: Prospero Books, 2000.
Hill, Roland H. "The Triumph of the Allies". Canada and the Great War. Volume 5. Toronto:
United Publishers of Canada, 1920. 126-171.
Lovett Artillery. "10cm Kanone 1917." Accessed November 1, 2010.
Nasmith, Colonel George G. "From Amiens to Mons with the Canadians". Canada's Sons in the
World War. Toronto: John C. Winston, 1919. 134-170.
Passion & Compassion 1914-1918. "Database of WW1 Surviving Artillery" Accessed October
30, 2010. Database of First World War Surviving Artillery
ThyssenKrupp. Accessed November 1, 2010. Thyssen Krupp Homepage .
Called the 10 cm K 17 (Kanone M1917)
Calibre- 105 cm
Serial Number- 39
Captured by- 3 Battalion
Date captured- September 27,1918
Place Captured- Near Cambrai-Arras Road near Marquion and Raillencourt
Allotted to- Niagara Falls *as with all War Trophies, the field gun is still owned by the Canadian Federal Government but held in trust by the Municipalities.*
Nationality- German
Gun-Length -15.5 feet
Elevation- -2° - 45°
Shell Type- 18kg or 41 lbs. High Explosive
Muzzle Velocity- 650m/sec (2340km/h) or 2133 ft./sec (2 miles/sec) or Mach 2 (jet)
Range -14 km or 8.7 miles from the armoury placement we could hit Brock University, Queenston, Niagara College Glendale Campus, Navy Island and Martin's Fantasy Island.
[1] "Database of Surviving Artillery," Passion and Compassion, accessed October 30, 2010,
http://www.passioncompassion1418.com/Canons/english
[2] "ThyssenKrupp Home", ThyssenKrupp, accessed November 1, 2010, ThyssenKrupp Home Page .
[3] "Database of Surviving Artillery."
[5] "10cm Kanone 1917," Lovett Artillery, accessed November 1, 2010,
http://www.lovettartillery.com/10cm
[7] "War Trophy Allocation List: Excel Document" Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group, accessed October 29,
2010, War Trophy Allocation for Canada .
[8] Roland H. Hill, "The Triumph of the Allies" Canada and the Great War. Vol. 5. (Toronto: United Publishers of
Canada, 1920), 126-17.
[9] Col. George G. Nasmith, "From Amiens to Mons with the Canadians," Canada's Sons in the World War. Volume
2. (Toronto: John C. Winston, 1919), 152-153.
[10] "3rd Battalion," Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group, accessed October 30,2010,