BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun

Infobox Weapon
name=Ordnance BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun


caption=Indian Army 10 pounder mountain gun, East Africa, World War I
origin=flagcountry|United Kingdom
type=Mountain gun
is_artillery=yes
is_ranged=yes
is_bladed=
is_explosive=yes
is_UK=yes
service= 1901 - 1918
used_by=flagcountry|United Kingdom
wars=World War I
designer=
design_date=
manufacturer=
unit_cost=
production_date=
number=
variants=MK I
spec_label=
weight=Breech convert|207|lb|kg|sigfig=3
Barrel convert|197|lb|kg|sigfig=4
Total convert|874|lb|sigfig=4
length=
part_length=Bore convert|72.435|in|m|sigfig=3
Total convert|76.42|in|m|sigfig=3
width=
height=
diameter=
crew=
cartridge=Shrapnel convert|10|lb|kg|sigfig=3
caliber= convert|2.75|in|mm|sigfig=3
action=Breech Loading with separate shell and charge
rate=
velocity=convert|1289|ft/s|m/s|sigfig=3
range=convert|3700|yd|m|sigfig=4 (Time Fuze)
convert|6000|yd|m|sigfig=4 (Percussion fuze)Hogg & Thurston 1972, page 41]
feed=
sights=
breech=
recoil=none
carriage=wheeled, box trail
elevation=-15° - 25°
traverse=0°
filling=
filling_weight=
detonation=
yield=The Ordnance BL 10 pounder mountain gun was developed as a BL successor to the RML 2.5 inch screw gun which was outclassed in the Second Boer War.

History

The gun was an improvement on the convert|2.5|in|mm|sigfig=3 screw gun but still lacked any recoil absorber or recuperator mechanism. It could be dismantled into 4 loads of approximately convert|200|lb|kg|sigfig=3 for transport, typically by mule.

It was originally manufactured without a gun shield, but these were made and fitted locally during World War I e.g. at Nairobi in 1914 for the East Africa campaign, also at Suez in 1915 for the Gallipoli campaign.

It was eventually replaced by the 2.75 inch Mountain Gun from 1914 onwards but was still the main mountain gun in service when World War I began.

Combat service

British mountain guns were operated by men of the Royal Garrison Artillery.

World War I

Guns of the 26th Mountain Battery of the Indian Army were the first British Empire artillery to open fire in the Middle East in World War I, on 26th January 1915, Qantara (Kantara), against the Turkish advance towards the Suez Canal.Farndale 1988]

The gun was used notably in the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915 by Indian Army 21st (Kohat) and 26th (Jacob's) batteries of the 7th Indian Mountain Brigade with 6 guns each at Anzac, and by Scottish Territorial Force (1/4th Highland Mountain Brigade) Argyllshire and Ross & Cromarty Batteries with 4 guns each at Helles and then Suvla. The 21st Battery was granted the title "Royal" in 1922 for its actions including Gallipoli, unique for an artillery battery.

There is some evidence that the Turkish defenders on Gallipoli were also using the 10 pounder, bought prewar from New Zealand, as the British discovered 10 pounder shell bodies fired at them made in India which were not from their own guns. [Major A. C. Fergusson 21 (Kohat) Mountain Battery, writing in 1916. Reprinted in "The Gallipolian" No.85 - Winter 1997]

In the East Africa campaign, the following Indian batteries used the 10 pounder with distinction in constant action :-
*27th Indian Mountain Battery (6 guns), part of the Indian Expeditionary Force "C", from 27 August 1914 to 2 January 1918.
*28th Indian Mountain Battery with 6 guns arrived with Indian Expeditionary Force "B" from 30 October 1914, returned to India December 1916. 28th Battery's first engagement occurred with the guns tied to the deck of HM Transport ship Bharata, firing in support of the unsuccessful British attempt to capture Tanga on 3 & 4 November 1914. [Farndale 1988, page 307-309] Gunner Mehr Khan was awarded the Indian Distinguished Service Medal and Subadar-Major Nur Allam was awarded the Order of British India for their actions in 28th Battery defending Jasin on 18 January 1915. [Farndale 1988, page 313-314]
*1st Kashmir (4 guns) arrived 5 December 1916, returned to India 2 February 1918. Between them the 1st and 27th were awarded 2 Order Of British India, 1 Indian Distinguished Service Medal, 7 Meritorious Service Medals, 12 Mentioned in Despatches. [Farndale, page 351]
*24th (Hazara) Indian Mountain Battery served in East Africa from 26 April 1917, taking up the 6 guns left by 28th Battery. [Farndale 1988, page 344] A typical extract from their War Diary reads : "Ndundwala 2nd July 1917... one section came into action and fired 87 rounds shrapnel at enemy holding river crossing place at range 750 yards. Forward observer reported three direct hits on his breastworks. Sniping continued" 19th August 1917 : "constructed an emplacement within 150 yards of enemy... tubes which were dated 1901 are very bad and several misfires occurred... during last 15 days fired 548 shrapnel, 35 common and 4 star shells at average range of 1,000 yards". [Farndale 1988, page 345, 346] They returned to India in November 1918.
*22nd (Derajat) Indian Frontier Force mountain battery arrived in the East Africa campaign on 18 December 1916, when they relieved the 28th Battery which returned to India. [Farndale 1988, page 338] They appear to have initially used 10 pounders and re-equipped with convert|3.7|in|mm|sigfig=3 howitzers some time later, as Farndale reports they first used their convert|3.7|in|mm|sigfig=3 howitzers in action in the attack on German positions at Medo, 11 April 1918. [Farndale 1988, page 351] They returned to India in November 1918.

The gun was also used in the Palestine campaign.

Notes

References

*Dale Clarke, [http://www.ospreypublishing.com/title_detail.php/title=S6887 British Artillery 1914-1919. Field Army Artillery. Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2004]
*General Sir Martin Farndale, [http://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Royal-Regiment-Artillery-M-Farndale/dp/1870114051 "History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. The Forgotten Fronts and the Home Base, 1914-18". London : The Royal Artillery Institution, 1988] .
*I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914-1918. London:Ian Allan, 1972
* [http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/hybenamon/public%20albums/LAND/SCREW%20GUNS/ 1970s Command Magazine SCREW GUN article with rare photos and art work]

See also

*List of artillery#Infantry and mountain guns

urviving examples

*A restored gun is on display at the [http://www.firepower.org.uk Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich, London]

External links