What is this Lunette from then?

[Gordon_M]

Just picked this up. It was bought from Thomson and Doxey in Southport, north of England, about twenty years back and that owner couldn't find a use for it.






... it's about 18" long, 8" wide, and 7" high, weighs no less than 50lbs, maybe as much as 60. Mounts on four 3/4" holes on 4" by 4" centres, and has " ORD-D 76899 " cast onto the bottom ? face.

I'd guess from the mounting lugs on the rear face that they slot into either very thick plate or armour.

Only thing I could come up with would be for some sort of big towed artillery piece, but it could be for a plain trailer, so I'm posting this here.

Any ideas? Closest match I can find is the M7 G221 type towbar for Directors, Searchlight, and Smoke Generator trailer, which is visually similar but seems to mount differently.

[Bill_Wolf]

Gordon,

I agree with the artillery assumption.

Below is a couple of pictures of the hitch and mounting of the G221 family. They are similar but your new prize is different.

The only other guess would be something that is pulled by some type of ground tug. Most trailer side rings I have seen are height adjustable. Some of the Navy and AAF ground equipment had fixed height as it was always towed by the same type of tug/tractor equipment. Such as the Bomber engine hoist/crane.

This certainly is a puzzle that needs to be solved.

Bill

[Gordon_M]

Thanks Bill, ceratainly a family resemblance in the hitch type, but not the same, as you say.

The big locating lugs on the front of the hitch suggest to me that it locks into thick plate to stop the hitch from twisting, but at 18" it isn't long enough to be a whole towbar.

Hmm, still thinking.

Gordon

[dr deuce]

M5 Bomb Trailer. I have 2

[Gordon_M]

Thanks Steve,

now should I weld it to something or should I go out a nd try to find a cheap M5 with no lunette?

Gordon

[dr deuce]

Find an M5...


BTW: If you look at the "elevation mechanism" on my BT #2, and you happen to have a BT manual, you will see that this is different from the two types shown in the manual.

Originally I thought it was a civy mod, but I have seen a picture of another one like it and it looks too professional to be a mod.