WW2 Trebuchet

[tigercat]

Iraqi forces besieging the beleagured forces at RAF Habbaniya were suprised when small aircraft bombs began falling on there positions fused to explode on contact despite there being no aircraft in the sky. This was down to the brainchild of one of Churchill's Wizard. The Improvised Field Artillery piece mark IV (trebuchet)

Plans were drawn up to give home guard units there own artillery that could be created locally from easily acessible non strategic  materials. Ammunituon could be Mills Bombs , adapted Molotov cocktails or just scrap iron and rocks.

The plans were forwarded to the various outposts of the Empire pushed by Brigadier Gubbins who saw their possible uses in irregular warfare. The plans were handy when the RAF station came under siege and having at their disposal base workshops they quickly rustled up an entire battery of the Trebuchet.

     

[Maverick]

An interesting concept.  With modern (read WW2) materials, one could suggest a better range and accuracy than the original and certainly an effective area weapon at least.  Reload speed might be an issue, however.

Regards,

Mav

[Rheged]

Desmond Baguely's book "The High Citadel" describes such a Weapon of Medieval Distruction, hurling oil drums of burning kerosene  at the bad guys. It also has  an old DC3 and a few Sabres in the story

[tigercat]

Maybe they could have built a floating-arm trebuchet

[arkon]

with modern (wwII) gas n deisil engines you could sharply reduce reload time by using them to haul the arm back in to firing position

[pyro-manic]

Ballistas as well - use torsion bar suspension components from written-off tanks?