A plaque by the field gun states: "Dedicated to the memory of all the men and women from Westminster who have served their country in time of war and peace." A flagpole proudly bearing the American flag is located nearby.
Also located in the Town Common is a nice gazebo. Located adjacent to the Town Common is the historic town pound (
visit link) and a marker identifying the site of the First Meeting House for the town.
U.S. Army 3 Inch - Model 1902 Field Gun
This gun is an American design and is American manufactured.
It is a 3 Inch [ 75mm equivalent - but not 75mm size ] gun designed to fire at a distance and not a howitzer designed to fire at a higher angle which produces a plunging effect.
It was placed in the American inventory in 1902, and while there are breech design changes in Models of 1904 and 1905, which reduced the weight, which was accomplished by reducing the thickness of the barrel on the outside, they are little changed from the 1902 Model / version.
In the official records they are classified all as M1902, but individually identified as M1902, M1904, or M1905.
All three, the M1902, M1904, & M1905 were mounted on the M1902 carriage.
Model of 1902 = 181 Manufactured
Model of 1904 = 40 “
Model of 1905 = 340 “
This gun was considered a substitute for the 75mm gun and used for training purposes during the First World War.
Thus, as strange as it sounds, this is the 1905 Version of the Model 1902, 3 Inch Field Gun.
It fired a 18 pound 12 ounce shell out to a range of 8,500 yards
Reference:
Ordnance Department Document No. 2033
Revised [Version] June 5, 1917
Handbook of the 3-Inch Gun Materiel
Model of 1902
U.S. Army Field Artillery Weapons, 1866-1918
Author: Konrad F. Scherier, Jr.
Journal: Military Collector & Historian
Publisher: Company of Military Historians
1968
United States Army Infantry Museum
Fort Benning, Georgia
This information is presented to give a casual viewer information on this gun.
The specifications of this weapon differ between sources and often contradict each