Birch gun

Infobox Weapon
name= Birch Gun Mk II


caption=
origin=UK
type=self-propelled gun
is_vehicle=yes
is_UK=yes
crew= 6
length= 5.80 m
width= 2.40 m
height= 2.30 m
weight= 12,100 kg (26,500 lb)
armour= 6 mm (0.24 inch) Steel
primary_armament= 1 x 75 mm (2.95 inch) Gun
secondary_armament= n/a
engine= 1 x Armstrong Siddeley 8 cylinder petrol engine
engine_power= 90 hp (67 kW)
suspension= Bogie
speed= 45 km/h
pw_ratio= ?
vehicle_range= 192 km (119 miles)

The Birch Gun was the world's first really practical self-propelled artillery gun, built at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich in 1925. The gun was never highly regarded by the British High Command, purely for prejudicial beliefs and political pressure rather than any real lack of abilityFact|date=June 2007. Named after General Sir Noel Birch, who was Master General of Ordnance at the time, the Birch gun had real potential. It was built upon a Vickers medium tank chassis and mated originally with the 18 pdr (83.8 mm) then with a 75 mm field gun. The project was abandoned in 1928 after political pressure killed off any plans to complete the third version of this weapon.

Armament

The armament for the original Birch Gun consisted of a Ordnance QF 18 pounder field gun (3.3 inch, 84 mm). [ [http://www.landships.freeservers.com/british_18pdr.htm Detail photos of the British 18-pounder 18 pdr QF Field Gun ] ] This was changed to the 75 mm gun on the Birch gun Mk II and from then on was able to be fired either at ground targets or in the air-defence role, being given a much higher rate of elevation to be fired at enemy aircraft.

Powerplant

The Armstrong Siddeley engine was modestly powerful being only 8 cylinders it could manage 90 hp for a mild 45 km/h top-speed however, for its time (late 1920s) it was quite fast.

Use

The Birch gun was tested as part of the Experimental Mechanised Force in the 1920s. The Force undertook various experiments in mechanized warfare combining tanks and infantry with their own transport.

The composition of the force was:
*reconnaissance group with tankettes and armoured cars,
*battalion of 48 Vickers medium tanks,
*motorised machine gun battalion,
*mechanised artillery regiment- the Birch guns formed one battery of it
*motorised field engineer company.

References

External links

* [http://riv.co.nz/rnza/hist/gun/mech2b.htm Self-Propelled Field and Medium Guns]