Major points to the first right answer:

Periscope?

Surely not a periscope for looking over tall hedges...

Dang,..Snubbie quick on the draw..

hearing aid

Some sort of antenna.

Dunce-hat alignment rig.

That was fast. WWI German for Artillery Observers




OK, here's another many may not remember:

a museum?

The Atomic Cannon. IIRC, that photos was taken at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.

Ed

Both are early versions of colonoscopy equipment.

Qtip
Soli Deo Gloria!

Yes, it is the Atomic Cannon, but for quite a while now it has resided at the Field Artillery Museum, Ft. Sill in Lawton, OK. I took the pictures a couple of months ago.

If you are ever anywhere near, go there. The place is absolutely amazing, probably over 100 exhibits outside and many more inside.

Just for grins:

16th century breech loader:


88mm FLAK


Nebelwerfer


JB-2 Loon

I was gonna say Atomic Cannon, but then I looked at the truck and it looked much newer, so I second guessed myself.

Very cool, they look well cared for considering they're outside exhibits. Looks like a fun trip.

Restoration is ongoing, some are not as nice, but they continue to work on them. The building is very new.

Lots of stuff I'd never heard of or had forgotten about, including a cannon meant to be fired from the back of a mule. It didn't work out so well...

Kevin, apparently those are not the original trucks which were wrecked in the 60's, good spot.

http://www.army.mil/article/45311/atomic-annie-on-the-move

Civil war observation platform.

You probably only got one shot before your cannon took off to the next county.

Also known as the now defunct "Rodeo Gun"...

I think it killed the mule. 1 shot and no transportation to next shot sight.

I thought that atomic cannon was one of these.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/155_mm_Long_Tom

No doubt another design from the drafting tables of the Acme company. Supplying anvils and floor safes to coyotes worldwide for over 60 years!

A workmate/friend was a crewman on one of the atomic cannons. His life expecancy was something like 30 minutes in event of war. Better than straight infantry, but not as good as some other background jobs. He is gone now, so I cannot plumb him for any stories, or show him any pics. I have heard that the range of the shell was something like 17 miles, with a lethal radius of 20 of 25.

Wasn't the atomic cannon called the "Davy Crockett"?

crows nest....

A lodge brother was on the atomic cannon shots ( and other Nevada testing ).
He tells stories of facing 180 degrees from the shot, covering his closed eyes with his hands, and Still seeing the bones in his hands!

I remember those...have seen them as a kid on military bases...also built a few models of them as a kid...

"Long Tom"

Thought that had to be Ft Sill... I did basic there....it looked sort of familiar...Lord knows I ate enough mud doing pushups there for 8 weeks straight...If we weren't marching for 30 miles or running for 5 miles...3 times a day....

They had mud when you were at Ft. Sill? Wow, that was a rare year.

Kaywoodie, I'm no expert, but I think the Davy Crockett was a shorter ranged recoiless weapon.

Davy Crockett looked like a huge bazooka on legs.


Heres my daughter "aiming" a long tom about 12 years ago.

Me too! If it was made after 1940, I'm pretty clueless!

No! Totally different deal! Got a friend that was #1 man on a 3 man crew.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_%28nuclear_device%29

Atomic Annie??

Correct.
The original 'Atomic Annie' is the one at Fort Sill.

You've been to Fort Sill.

Thanks! I had my atomic delivery devices all mixed up!!!