No Comment

[Ralph A]

None needed.

[Guest Darrell]

[peter monahan]

That's gonna leave a mark!

[Paul L Murphy]

Of course the other possibility is that the two guys in the photo are both 3 feet tall

[Josef Rietveld]

Of course the other possibility is that the two guys in the photo are both 3 feet tall

Sorry Paul, you are completly wrong. This to guys belong to the mysterous two tengu-regiments, (tengu = goblin) of the imperial japanese army raised in 1942. the tengus were created from very very small japanese soldiers that came from the alpine areas around the socalled japanese alps (Hidaka Sanmyaku). The main city there is Toyama, the highest mountain is the Yariga (3 180 mtrs.) This goblin-soldiers were combined in 1942 and transfered early 1943 to northern china to face the kuomindang-army. the had a special task: the chinese tactic in rough area was similar to that of the vietcong later in the 1960is. the chinese forces hid in a tunnel-system and practised some kind of hit-and-run-tactic. therefore the tengus have been raised as trouble-shooter. the soldier with the large gun is an socalled tai-pikachu (big thunderbolt). his task is the first shot in the hidden tunnels.

the foto shows the monument for the tengus in toyama

regards haynau

[AndrewK]

I believe it is called a "gimble gun" or something along those lines. I can't remember exactly. I saw a couple in a US presidential museum which had an impressive artillery room. It took three men to fire one if I remember correctly. Sorry, that's all I recall.

[Chris Boonzaier]

None needed.

Nope... but one word comes to find........ Freudian....

[AndrewK]

Some more information, apparently this type of gun was called a "gingal." Other spellings include gingall and jingal. They were used in east Asia, particularly China and India, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It could be fired with 2 or 3 people or it could be mounted for firing by a simgle person. I highly doubt that this was issued to the soldies in the photo. It was more likely picked up while campaigning in China.

There are two of these on display in the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio.

[Ralph A]

I've seen pictures of them in use, in tidewater South Carolina. For duck and goose hunting. Bag your yearly limit with one shot.