This 28" long bronze working model came with a little plaque, once attached, with text in French. Yes if I had the time I'd type it all up and feed it into a robot translator, but I think many of our members are fairly competent in French, so if you could help?
As near as I can make out, it says something along the lines of: For my France, I am the invincible rampart For the Germans (Boches), I am maddening terror I thunder, I spit, I ring from all sides I defend those passing, it is my mission of honor. Apparently it is an inscription from the marble base of a bronze monument in Amiens. The script say "soixante-quinzes", which translates as 75. Perhaps something to do with the Franco-Prussian war? Here's the Amiens reference, which really doesn't make much sense to me: http://www.forgottenbooks.com/readb...re_Recueil_Mensuel_Illustre_de_1200077520/141 De ma France je suis l'invincible rempart Et des Boches je suis l'at"olante terreur Je tonne, je cache, fauche de toute part.. ... Je d"fends quils pa-isent; c'est ma mission [d'honneur, tel est le quatrain qui se peut lire, grav"tions actuelles, telles quelles se pr"sensur plaque, sur le socle en marbre sculpt", d'un bronze d"cor" portant pour titre: * Notre yj en miniature ", "dit" par bien des fois, n'est qu'un "ternel recomFlinois-Trouille, a Amiens.
Thanks much. I should have explained that the "French 75" was one of the most famous weapons in history, used by both France and US against Germany in WWI. The text seems to be one of them talking, or kind of like a tribute to the accomplishments of the weapon in hands of skilled gun crews. The US used it until early in WWII, changing only the carriage in the 1930s to run on rubber tires in place of spoked wooden wheels. There will be loads of info on the web about the weapon, which in the US Army was known as "75mm Gun, Model 1897."
The company will get it all lubricated and adjusted so all the parts move just as they were designed to do then maybe we'll get a crew of toy soldiers to emplacement it properly and "fire" it at the imaginary Boches, all recorded on video for you-tube of course!
Shhhh! You'll have the local SPCW chapter picketing in front of your place today if you're not careful!
Might I offer another translation? For France I am the impenetrable barrier. To the Huns I am the seeds of terror. I thunder, I spit, scything everywhere. I will not let them pass. It is my honourable duty. Vincent PS good luck with the watermelons
This particular type of field gun became famous in WWI, there should be lots on web under "French 75."