The 75mm gun has now been hoisted up and secured on braces so that the underside can be cleaned and scraped.
O.B. Edens had to use a torch to cut away the welded plug over the gunner's scope opening on the right side of the gun shield.
O.B. also cleaned the grease coating the gun breech and removed the breech block. Volunteer Don Moriarty noted the information stamped into the breech in two different locations. At the top of the breech it reads: GUN 75mm M3 NO 49014 • ORD DEPT USA • OLDSMOBILE DIV GM 1944 • 893 LBS INSP ABQ. Right above the bore it reads: TUBE NO 51112 • OLDSMOBILE DIV • G.M. CO • GUN 75mm M3.
Here O.B. uses a sander to remove paint from the breech.
Don Moriarty also discovered some .30 cal. artifacts hiding in the hull venitlator.
The artifacts consist of one complete shell casing, unfired, stamped LC 43, one ruptured casing with primer missing also stamped LC 43, one ruptured casing, unfired, stamped DEN 44 and two unfired bullets.