Melbourne Tank Museum Auction – Artillery Pieces

This listing of artillery (excluding ammunition and tools etc) has been compiled from the Auction Catalogue and the separately published Sale Results Summary. The descriptions and comments shown are from these sources exclusively. So don’t blame us for where they are a little bit threadbare!!!!

Prices shown are BEFORE addition of premiums and GST (Australian Goods & Services Tax of 10%).

Image Lot Description Sub
Lot
Price
($AUD)
Comment
47 World War 1 150mm Howitzer 12,430 Max. Range: 8.5km Elevation: -0°+45°
  48 L5 105mm PAK Howitzer 10,170 As used in the Vietnam War.
50 37mm Anti-tank Gun. 11,300
  62 Bofors 40mm Single Mk.Vll Gun 5,933 As used on RAN Corvettes.
66 Two-pounder Mk.IXA Anti-Tank Gun 16,385
68 20mm AA HB Mk.1 Cannon with Oerlikon 4,520 Oerlikon gun fitted on a circular metal turntable mounting circa early 1940s.
72 Oerlikon 20mm Cannon 3,955 Circa 1940s. This lot will not be released to the buyer without production of a licence that allows he/she to own a Category E firearm.
73 Oerlikon 20mm Cannon 3,673 Circa 1940s. This lot will not be released to the buyer without production of a licence that allows he/she to own a Category E firearm.
74 Two Bofors Gun Boxes 34
116 Incomplete World War 1 six inch Howitzer frame 85 Possibly used for training purposes.
136 37mm Anti-tank gun barrel and shell. (2) 2,034
137 2-Pounder Anti-tank Gun barrel and shell 2,486 Barrel 218cm long. (2)
138 40mm high explosive Bofors anti-tank gun barrel and shell. 735
139 25-Pounder Howitzer gun barrel and shell. 452
142 105mm HE anti-tank gun barrel and two shells. 142 NA NOTE: We assume that the barrel and shells were auctioned separately, hence the breakdown into sublots.
142A 791 The Catalogue described the barrel and shells as one lot, but the Sale Results Summary gives a price for only one lot.
  144 WW2 3.7-inch Mk.2 Anti-Aircraft Gun 33,900 Manufacturer Maribyrnong Ordnance Factory, Australia to British design. Max Range 12.5km, Elevation 80°
147 Barrel from a A Q.F. 40mm gun Mk.ll 509
149 WW1 77mm Field Gun 1,469 Manufactured by Krupp.
150 40mm L60 Bofors Anti-Aircraft Gun 10,735
151 120mm L4 Mobat Recoilless Anti-Tank Gun 5,368
154 25-Pounder Mk.2 Field Gun Howitzer 12,430
156 2-inch mortar in original wooden box. 1,808 This lot will not be released to the buyer without production of a valid Class E firearms certificate.
  157 6-pounder Anti-Tank Gun 19,210 Manufactured by General Motors-Holden in Australia, British design.
159 4.2-inch muzzle loading mortar with a reproduction barrel. 3,390 NOTE: We assume that the mortar and reproduction barrel were auctioned separately, hence the breakdown into sub-lots.
159A 452 The Catalogue described the mortar and reproduction barrel as one lot, but the Sale Results Summary gives two sub-lots.
161 3-inch muzzle loading mortar 2,938 This lot will not be released to the buyer without production of a licence that allows he/she to own a Category E firearm.
162 17-Pounder Mk.2 Anti-Tank Gun, Shell and Breech Block 12,430 Manufacturer Maribyrnong Ordnance Factory, Australia to British design.
163 4.2-inch Muzzle Loading Mortar NA Manufacturer: Royal Ordnance Factory, UK, some Australian made and a quantity of ammunition crates. (a lot)
164 2-inch Mortar 678 Tube damaged, boxed. This lot will not be released to the buyer without production of a licence that allows he/she to own a Category E firearm.
  165 5.5-inch Breech Loading Howitzer 14,973
  168 6-inch Breech Loading Howitzer 28,250 Manufactured by Royal Ordnance Factory, UK. Muzzle Velocity: 405m/s
169 18-Pounder Field Gun Mk.II 24,860
174 2-Pounder gun 6,498 Unrestored.
175 18-Pounder Mk.IV Gun 10,170 Circa 1919, unrestored.
176 WW1 German 75mm Minenwerfer trench mortar 9,040 Unrestored.
177 18/25-Pounder gun 6,215 Circa 1919, the barrel damaged by an explosive charge used to deactivate the weapon. Unrestored.
178 25-Pounder Short Field Howitzer 6,215 As used in New Guinea WW2 unrestored.
179 18-Pounder Gun 5,650 Unrestored.
235 Ceremonial 25-Pounder Field Gun 5,085 Used for funerals of V.I.P. servicemen.
241 Two Ammunition Limbers one used for towing and transporting a 4.5-inch Howitzer gun and ammunition; the other for the same purpose for an 18-pounder gun and ammunition circa World War 1. 241 4,520 These limbers would have been pulled by six or eight horses.
241A 1,130 These limbers would have been pulled by six or eight horses.
  256 Twin 40mm Bofors Naval Gun (image background, right) 5,650 This gun is believed to have originated from HMAS Sydney II. NB:The previous comment was sourced from the auction catalogue. However, as AMMS member Glen Porter notes, HMAS Sydney II was the WWII light cruiser lost in an action with the German Raider Kormoran on the 19th of November 1941. It is doubtful if any twin Bofors were produced at this time and certain that none were carried by HMAS Sydney II. Far more likely is that it came from HMAS Sydney III, the Colossus class carrier which definitely did carry the mounts. Many thanks to Glen for this info! See? Someone IS reading this stuff closely!!
  257 25-Pounder Gun (image foreground,left) 5,085
  264 Twin 4-inch Naval Gun 5,933 This gun is believed to have originated from HMAS Quadrant