Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/62/1 - October 1916 - Part 1

AWM38

Official History,

1914-18 War:  Records of C E W Bean,

Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number:  3DRL606/62/1
Title:  Diary, October 1916

Discusses howitzers and artillery and refers to

Sir Keith Murdoch and the Dardanelles

Commission.
AWM38-3DRL606/62/1

ON HER MAJESTY’S SERVICE
AWM38

3DRL 606 Item 62 [1]
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL

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Diary No 62. 

This diary is in a fragile state!

ill-fitting cover, pages loose etc.

Placed in this envelope for safekeeping

[[Amc?]] AA 339

If not delivered within 7 days, return to
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
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Original.
DIARY NO. 62.

AWM38
3DRL 606 ITEM 62 [1] 

DIARIES AND NOTES OF C.E.W. BEAN

CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914-1918

THE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms
of gift to the Australian War Memorial.  But, apart from these terms, I wish the following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every
reader and writer who may use them.
These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be
true.  The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what
was then in the writer's mind. Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep; 

also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so - but it does not 

follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when

discovered.  Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.

These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what 

their author, at the time of writing, believed.  Further, he cannot, of course, vouch  

for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded.  But he

did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had 

seen or otherwise taken part in the events.  The constant falsity of second-hand 

evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed 

upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that 

those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true.  All 

second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.

16 Sept., 1946.

C.E.W. BEAN.

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL

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1

18

Repulse [shorthand]
Triple guns

Enormous    Fire protection for seamen

canteen 

baths

hot air

[shorthand] 

Hand drawn diagram – see original document

Repulse

Warspite   62

14+4

Campania & split funnels

3 months german have been at 15 17

fired better [shorthand]. A battle [shorthand] pattern are

[shorthand ]. We cannot spot a [shorthand ]

we possibly

can get there within 48 hours.

from Turk we cannot see which new ships are lost

there is

Warspite vessel short gunnel are [shorthand]

24 [shorthand]

Marlboro gun situation at 17 km

oil

Navy does not under rate germans.

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2

it is dangerous stuff. The 

Germans & we are both after

a good delay action fuse

- to delay the burst until

they are deep down inside

/ ship - but neither have
a perfect shell yet.

Aug Oct 20. (written at time & so
out of place).

From Furness Abbey Hotel,

in Vickers cars, to Barrow.

Saw model of 1887 Nordenfelt

submarine, & of K class submarine

cruiser ordered - a steamer of 40,000

tons. wh left here 6 weeks ago

for her delivery trials. 24 km.

to accompany the battleship. Two funnels

wh let fold 2. 4 in guns

& an aeroplane gun.

Howitzer shop. New since

war before order

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3

was one heavy How. in 3 months.

Nov 1 9.2 How every day; 91

of them in last 92 days. Just finishing
they are just finishing
[* 6 .in*] lot of 225. Of 6 in hows 208 gone to date

8 ordered yesty for Russia to be
shipped tonight - most urgent (i.e. 216)

Had to put different compositn in

their buffers for Russia - so

delayed a few hours. Go off

tonight in xx train with official

from Ministry of Munitions

on train.

[*9.2*]

9.2 Hows - 225 in first order first order 

New lot of 28 will then be gone
on with - after that, 75 in

another lot; improved guns 

in new lot - higher charge &

10,000 yds range against 8000.

This gun is most commonly

manufacd now.

[*8 in*]

Then into 8 in How shop.

This is a new improved gun,

8500 yds range - it is the

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4

heaviest gun on wheels. The 

9.2 has to be taken off carriage

for moving, but 8 in is simply

dragged abt on its own wheels

Has a 90 degrees traverse - 45 each

way (is this possible? or did I 

mis understand it - surely it

wd topple its wheels over).

[620 hows in all bn supplied so far, I think

tt ws / figure]

208 6in hows already in 

France. These beginning to wear

out - stood 3000 to 4000 shots - much

more than expected. War

office has arranged for extra

guns to be made to replace 

these - Circulation is set up,

new guns for replacement

going to France, old guns

always returning to Eng

& being refitted & going out

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5

again.  The first of the 6 in

guns were only turned out

12 months ago. 4 have

previously bn sent by Vickers

to Russia.

Contract for these guns is

sublet - as new other firms

make parts. They are

assembled in outside places;

brought to Vickers. Vickers

test them and finish them off.

As many as 24 in one week

finished.

Cost of 6 in how:  abt £5000 - £6000

               9.2 ₤9 000 to ₤10 000

Then we come to

Evidently 6 in was the how. till

lately but now the 8 in & 9.2 are

 taking its place as the main heavy

gun . I 

Then we came to the 12 in

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6

how. wh goes on a heavy

steel mounting but not on

a rly truck necessarily. The

gun is lifted off and packs on its

transport for removal

The present 12in how is

Mk IV & has for 3000 to 4000

yds more range than the

previous pattern - i.e. will

throw 12000 to 14 000 yds.

The first plans for the

modern heavy hows were

delivered in Sept 1914. The

first gun ws ready for testing

in Feb. 1915. Continuous

orders were not given delivered till

Sept 1916.

The works have just

abt reached their

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maximum speed - they

expect to continue it for

a year.

18 pdr. This interested me bec.

I know how vitally important

this gun is to infantry in the

field.

They are just finishing

an order of 866 field guns

at Vickers - last 10 now in.

They were turning out 30 a wk

at one time.

They will now go on  to a

new type with "air

recuperators" like the French

75 - not springs like ours. 

250 of these have bn ordered.

Also they are getting the old guns

field guns in France - 2000 of them -

fitted in turn with air buffers

instead of steel the springs. The

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8

Lancaster Notes

Nov [shorthand]

over 100,000 per wk

9.2. 60 [shorthand]

This stand are the more [shorthand]

60pdr 6 in     9.2 

wks. 6516 1128   4012

(new shop)     300 increase a week 

to 7500

Hope to get

10,000

(managed by Vickers)

[[Aqr]] last July were paying 21/6

for 18 pdr shell

brought back to 12/6

Cost accts from 10 factories to manufacture

every month.

 

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women ₤1 at least

up to ₤2.05 premium

men ₤2/5 in some places - up to

₤4.

Hand drawn diagram – see original document

←soldered & pegged

Filling. Spread personnel when in similar stands

3000 [shorthand]

2000 men

52. [shorthand]

25 order sund.

3½ days mentioned held

work I believe is to be done

at the bases in France -

Vickers will ship the cylinders

over there -

So our field guns are being

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brought into rivalry with the 75.

All this does give one great hopes -

tho' I daresay they are short of

explosives, for Gretna Green, the

great new ∧Govt factory is concentrating

on explosives at first & leaving

other things till later. 

Then we come to 15in xxxx 

guns & a huge turret for the

Ramillies. There is a splinter

shield now put round the barrel

o / gun itself inside the turret

to prevent splinters getting

thro the gun port in / armour.

There are also 18 in guns

being made somewhere for

some ships - prob. the Furious

Courageous and other "Hush ships"

huge unarmoured cruisers

not unlike the Repulse & Renown