WW1 Framed Photo of American Battery E of the 11th Field Artillery firing the last shot of WW1

Here on offer is a WW1 period framed photo of the American Battery E of the 11th Field Artillery, firing "Calamity Jane" with the last official artillery shot of WW1.

The glass fronted image has been held in place with black tape around the edges and has a hand written label on the back that reads:

The Last Round Fired WWI
Calamity Jane, the last gun fired on the American Fronts during WWI, and Lt. H. F. Phillips, who fired it.
Official time: 10:59:59 11 Nov.1918
(Gun Nr.2, Battery E, 11th Field Artillery U.S.A.)


The history behind this photo relates to the fact that at the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day, of the eleventh month of 1918, World War I was officially over. Word of the armistice had come down hours before, so there was time for some ceremony to be planned around this unceremonious atrocity of the last four years.

For most American soldiers, all that was left to do now was fire a few more shots, dodge any incoming rounds, keep an eye on your watch, and wait.

For Battery E of the 11th Field Artillery, however, things would be different. They would fight until the very end, as they had been selected to fire the “official” final American shot of The Great War. Exactly why they were chosen is lost to history, but it could be because they also fired the first artillery shot on November 6 on an important German railway hub at Metz-Sedan in the Meuse-Argonne campaign, but that’s just a guess.

The gun selected for the honour was a 155mm Schneider, serial number 3125, nicknamed “Calamity Jane.” She would fire the final shot at 10:59:59 from her position east of the town of Beaufort.

It measures 9.6” (24.5cm) by 7.6” (19.5cm) and weighs 290g.

Please see my pictures for the details of the condition, which complement this description.

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Code: 51492