Brian Young
GRUSON’S GUN CARRIAGE 1:12 SCALE

Brian Young’s latest model is this German gun carriage by Hermann Gruson, dating from around 1884, in 1:12 scale. These were originally called fahrbare Panzerlafette (movable armour carriage) later shortened to Fahrpanzer (mobile armour) and later Panzer with the arrival of the tank.

It was a 5.3cm Gruson quick-fire gun which used a quick breach and combined shell and cartridge. It was operated by two gunners. The gun itself had an elevation of -5° to +10°, and could fire 1.75kg shells at a maximum rate of 30 a minute.

The Fahrpanzer was in use from 1890, originally to be used in the German border fortresses. The Fahrpanzer were used in special concrete trenches with 60cm narrow gauge railway, to allow quick movement of these mobile turrets. They were held in shelter when not in direct combat, being wheeled forward to their combat position when the actual assault began. It could also be moved along the roads on a special horse carriage - the subject of Brian’s model.