BL 12 inch Railway Howitzer

Infobox Weapon
name= Ordnance BL 12 inch Howitzer Mk I, III, V on truck, railway


caption=12 inch howitzer Mk. I on railway mounting, 1916
origin= UK
type=siege howitzer
is_artillery=yes
is_ranged=yes
is_bladed=
is_explosive=yes
is_UK=yes
service= 1916 - 1940
used_by=UK
wars=First World War
designer=
design_date=
manufacturer=Elswick Ordnance Company
unit_cost=
production_date=
number=81
variants=Mk I, III, V
spec_label=
weight=
length=
part_length=144.5 inch (Mk I)
207.6 inch (MK III, V)Hogg & Thurston 1972, page 179, 183, 187]
width=
height=
diameter=
crew=
cartridge=HE convert|750|lb|abbr=on
caliber=12 inch (305 mm)
action=
rate=
velocity=1175 ft/s (Mk I); 1468 ft/s (Mk III & V); Hogg & Thurston 1972, page 179, 183, 187]
range=11,132 yds (MK I); 15,000 yds (Mk III); 14,350 yds (MK V)
feed=
sights=
breech=
recoil=
carriage=
elevation=40° - 65° (Mk I & III); 20° - 65° (Mk V)
traverse=20° L & R (Mk I & III); 120° L & R (Mk V)Hogg & Thurston 1972, page 179, 183, 187]
filling=
filling_weight=83lb 3oz (37.96 kg) Amatol
detonation=
yield=The Ordnance BL 12 inch howitzer on truck, railway was developed following the success of the 9.2 inch siege howitzer.

Design and development

The Mk I was introduced from March 1916, followed by a longer-barrelled Mk III with a heavier breech to balance the gun.

Mk V, dating from July 1917, had the recuperator below the barrel, a lighter breech with the gun balanced by the redesgned recoil system and altered gun positioning on the cradle.Hogg & Thurston 1972, page 186] Mk V also relocated the loading platform from the railway wagon to the revolving gun mounting, which now allowed 120° of traverse, and by overhanging the opposite side provided crew access when the gun fired to the side (90° traverse) and also helped to balance it.Hogg & Thurston 1972, page 186]

It was a similar but different weapon to the 12 inch siege howitzers Mk II and IV, which were directly scaled-up and nearly identical versions of the 9.2 inch siege howitzer.

Combat service

They served on the Western Front in World War I, usually in 2-gun batteries, operated by the Royal Garrison Artillery.

Mk III and MK V were deployed for the home defence of Great Britain in World War II.

Notes

References

*Dale Clarke, "British Artillery 1914-1919. Heavy Artillery". Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2005
*I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914-1918. London: Ian Allan, 1972.

See also

*List of artillery#Railway artillery

urviving examples

External links