Re: Arty

Adrian Johnson wrote:

> >To reiterate, now with all the words in place <g>: I don't know of
> > any wheeled *SP* howitzers larger than 155mm, but there are 
> > numerous 155mm wheeled SP howitzer types.
> 
> My copy of the Jane's AFV Recognition Handbook (second edition, 
> 1992 copyright) has a picture of the Iraqi "Al Fao" self 
> propelled gun. It is a  210mm wheeled sp arty piece.

Thanks!

A 1992 edition? Typical :-( The Al Fao isn't mentioned in the 1989-90
Jane's Armour and Artillery, and the 1993-94 edition only says: 
"... As far as it is known, none of these entered production or service
with
the Iraqi Army and none were captured during the 1991 Middle East
conflict. 
	Details of these three systems were given in Jane's Armour and
Artillery 1992-93 on the following pages:
...
Al Fao 210 mm (6x6) SPG page 572"

We don't have the 1992-93 edition :-( The 1995-96 and 1999-2000
editions don't mention it either.

> In case you don't have a copy handy ;-), 

Not the recognition guide, no... not even the source material for the
1992
edition of it. Only for the years before and after :-(

> it looks a LOT like the
> South African wheeled sp arty (Armscor G6 155mm SPH).  

Doesn't surprise me. Indeed, given Dr. Bull's (or was it Ball's? I
always
misspell his name :-( ) involvement in the design of South Africa's
long-range artillery as well as in Iraq's war efforts, I'd suspect that
the
same people designed both vehicles - if the Al Fao wasn't built on a
reinforced G6 hull, which would have been the fastest way to go.

Later,

Oerjan Ohlson
oerjan.ohlson@telia.com

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
- Hen3ry