howdy from Africa

[Don Krag]

Just wanted to say howdy! We never got a chance to go cannon-spotting in Johannesburg and there doesn't seem to be much in the line of cannon in the DRC!!! Tensions are a bit high in parts right now, so some activities are temporarily suspended, but I still have internet, so I figured I'd log on and say good evening.

I did get lots of good pics out at Ft Churchill in NV the week before I left for the Congo, though. Pics of the ordinance rifles and all the restored limbrs and such. I'll get a page or two up when I get back in the states in July.

[seacoastartillery]

     Don,   It's nice of you to let us know what's going on.  You have become quite the globe trotter lately.  We are looking forward to your Ft. Churchill pics and the pics of your progress on that unique Indian, from India, wheeled carriage mortar.  We remember the field test of the tube related to Terry's BINGO Mortar Firing Contest.  Six Inch mortars firing flaming flower pots are hard to forget!

Regards,

Tracy and Mike

[Don Krag]

I'l be moving back to Houston/Katy when i get back, but finishing out the standing mortr is my #1 project...so i can get it on a trailer for transport and have it look cool going down the road.

I had to go to a workshop area today since one of our crates is *STILL* impounded in Johannesburg. They had a graveyard of old mining equipment. In it were som old hydraulic cylinders 8.5" ID x 4.5" walls, about 6-8' long. Came frome huge rock crushers. Now those would make for some cool bowling ball cannons. I gave up trying to explain the concept to my Swahili driver, though. I think the French security guy understood, but he's Foreign Legion "alumni".

I love Africa. Seriously, I love it here. DD, I'm going stowaway in your luggage next time you come here. Hah! The amount of scrap here and scale of things you find laying around is incredible. Dom, you would love it. Half square km areas of plate steel items. You could make dictator mounts forever!!!

One of our teams got forceably removed at gunpoint from an area, but I've had no problems, even in the "problm areas". Een the Brits commented they've never seen anyone "make friends" with a whole village and still be smiling after getting lost in true jungle/brush land and swarmed by some sort of black flies that came en masse from the butt of a dead goat. Not much worse than some places in TX. It's just cool being here.

Rumor has it, there's some artillery around being used by locals for counter weights at checkpoints for booms. Leftover from Leopold days. There's alot lost in translation though. My Swahili is actually better than my French!

[dan610324]

try to find them , in that climate they could be in great shape

[Don Krag]

Turns out they were using large (4-6") mill balls to fill the boom counter weights. The locals assumed they were cannonballs. Hah! Hmmm....some of those 10 foot long hydraulic cylinders had about a 6" ID. Plenty of charcoal and sulfur around, too.

I did find a neat picture of some seacoast artillery in Ghana from back in the slave-trade days. When I run across a scanner, I'll scan it and post it.

We locked in a second contract, which I'll be project manager for, so I'll definitely be coming back over either the end of August- early Oct, or mid Sept-end of Oct. I'll try and set it up so I have a bit more time in South Africa to see the sights and maybe get over to Durban for a cannon shoot. .

[Double D]

Don,

I don't know what the status of Cannon shooting is in SA any more.  The one company that was importing  Black Powder no longer  brings it in.  Blackpowder is no longer available in SA.  There is a synthetic that they are going to try. 

The club shoots the first Sunday of Every month. I will give you the contact info if you actually get to go down to Durban.  You won't regret it.