Australian War Memorial
A brief piece of footage showing an Australian artillery piece in action during confrontation. (1:54 min - BW - Silent) [AWM F03688]
Text description
[Soldiers hurry into a large gun placement near the jungle. Most of the soldiers are shirtless. A soldier peers into a sight and adjusts it by turning a lever. In a dark cramped room, a soldier passes a large shell up through a ceiling hatch. Soldiers pass the shell down a line. It is loaded into an 105mm gun. A soldier yanks a control. As the gun fires, the barrel slams backwards. Soldiers quickly reload it. A soldier grabs pointed shells from a rack and passes them along. On the gun, a soldier flicks up a lever, then moves away. Billowing smoke, the gun fires. A soldier quickly lowers the lever and the gun is reloaded.
Soldiers carry shells from the gun and return them to the rack. A soldier winds a lever. The gun barrel is raised. Water is poured on the muzzle. It flows through the holes curving around the muzzle's sides. Soldiers slide a long staff in and out of the barrel. Water dribbles out. A man removes a section of the barrel. A soldier continues cleaning the barrel.
As a helicopter takes off, a soldier loops a cable around the large gun and its trailer. The helicopter lifts the gun into the air. It dangles from a cable. A soldier bends both arms back and forth toward his head. The helicopter lowers the gun to the ground, releases the cable, then flies higher. The helicopter lands. A soldier passes rifles from the helicopter. Crates and bundles are passed down to soldiers and quickly carried away. Soldiers wheel a large gun up a ramp and onto the back of a truck. Soldiers chain it securely to the truck's tray.]