Friday, December 28, 2012

Photo finish

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Here's a parting shot to ring out the old year.


Over hill, over dale...





bouncing and jouncing down a country road...




rattling window panes...




Battery B 4th US artillery thunders into position.




Pioneers hastily remove rails to allow passage of the limbers and guns.




Freed from the constraints of the road...




the limbers and riders burst out onto the fields.




The battery commander indicates the direction of fire




and the guns are man-handled into position




While the elevation and deflection are being adjusted on one of the guns...




a second gun is sponged and the projectile is brought forth from the limber...




while a third has the projectile rammed home.




The firing lanyard is drawn taut, and at the order "FIRE!"...




the lanyard is abruptly drawn back...




unleashing fire and thunder  from the gun.




shells hurtle down-range as...




dumb-struck rebels await their fate.

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Soldier on into 2013!

Mannie

9 comments:

Archduke Piccolo said...

A nice little narrative in pictures. I was a bit worried about the dude standing behind the wheel with another about to pull the lanyard...
Cheers, and all the best for the New Year!
Ion

Mannie Gentile said...

Archduke,

Fear not, a nod from the man with the lanyard will cause the man with the thumbstall to step away from danger.

Thanks for stopping by.

Mannie

DW@CWBA said...

I love these posts. BTW, you need a pissed off farmer figure. They don't like having their fences ruined without compensation.

Have a great New Year!

Drew

Sam Wise said...

Good story!
I like the setting and the figures are perfectly used!

Fat Cat Hatcheter said...

That's some toxic second-hand cotton wool smoke!

Fat Cat Hatcheter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Collector said...

Good to see you back

Phil said...

Very nice pictures and story!
Phil.

pylgrym said...

Beautifully done. Familiar figures from my childhood reinforced with new poses constituting a narrative any redleg would be proud to own!
Signed, a veteran of the 1-181 Bn,
196th Bde FA, TNArNG:
Operations Desert Shield/Storm, 1990/91,
.
pEEgEE