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wingsofwrath — Mountain Watch
Published: 2010-02-12 15:50:06 +0000 UTC; Views: 5407; Favourites: 49; Downloads: 76
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Description
Three of the five Marbanian troops manning the Jokmal Relay Station, on the Marban-Tambr border, relaxing.The weapon in the background is an Anti-Aircraft "DUKA" recoilless cannon and the contraption to the right a mixed optical range-finder and acoustic detector.
Related to my upcomic comic "Inner Space", this picture is part of an ongoing experiment to develop new drawing techniques - in this case adding a depth to the colour using photo realistic textures- as well as "concept art" for weapons, uniforms and place setting.
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Comments: 5
Thanks, glad you think so!
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Interesting (but excellent) idea of combining the acoustic mirror with the range-finder. Has radar yet to make an appearance/still pretty new or do they just have an older system, being up in a field position?
To tell the truth, the DUKA looks more like a drum fed anti-tank rifle then a recoilless rifle design especially with the stock and all. I presume the barrel operates on some kind of improved hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism that negates most of it's recoil?
One final, random, thought. How're they connected to battery HQ or any other gun positions? Are the other guns just off screen or do they use some communications system we just aren't seeing in this shot? Either way, I do rather like your work.
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Although the principle of radiating electromagnetic waves is known in this world, it is used for communications rather than aircraft detection. In fact, the "Jokmal Relay Station" this A/A post is tasked with guarding is exactly that - a communications relay similar to the real life Wardenclyffe Tower.
The WW2 German DUKA prototype was a way to mount a high calibre cannon on an aircraft by counteracting some of the recoil. My design stays true to this principle, but adapts it to the light anti-aircraft role by adding characteristics from other similar weapons, especially the T9/M4 37mm Autocannon that was used during WW2 in both the Bell P39 Aircobra and as deck guns for PT boats (note the oddly shaped magazine). The barrel does indeed have hydro-pneumatic shock absorbers in addition to the vents (the grey cylinder visible just under the barrel) but even so, there is sufficient recoil left to cycle the action and to warrant the need of a shoulder stock to help with aiming. The magazine is a rather odd design, needing an electric motor to operate it, and thus suffers from reliability problems.
By the time the events in the graphic novel will take place though, both the cannon and the detection gear will be somewhat obsolete, although still serviceable.
The AA battery contains two autocannons in identical horseshoe gun pits and is situated on the top of an earlier mountain fort that is guarding the pass and border checkpoint just above the town of Jokmal, in the Marbanian Empire.
As designed, the strongpoint was to be an unasailable artillery position mounting both direct and indirect fire weaponry under armoured cupolas, but lacked any anti aircraft defences because airpower was not yet a concern.
The original garrison was in excess of 200 men and the whole complex was theoretically designed to operate autonomously for a period of several months, being equipped with it's own generator, air ventilation plant and wire and optical telegraph as well as ample supplies of food and it's own well.
At a later date the communication Relay was constructed and, logically,
there was talk of updating the fort's defences to include anti-aircraft capabilities. Unfortunately, the plans were stuck in "development hell" for an extended period of time and the start of the actual construction work coincided with the waking of the nearby volcano Mt. Chimkiru and the abandonement of the border town of Jokmal.
Initially, the fort had been abandoned as well, with only the communications array being tended by a two man civilian crew running 24 hour shifts, but current mounting tension with the neighbouring nation of Tambria led to the reopening of the reinforced position as a "watch post" by hurriedly mounting two autocannons and assigning 15 men on permanent duty.
They are, of course, in full communication with Headquarters (both by way of the relay and by using the old fort's wire telegraph)and reinforcements can be dispatched in a matter of hours, but the current standing orders are to fall back in case of any determined attack, because the Marbanian government is banking on advance notice from their spies of any troop concentration in the area.
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