BL 12 inch Howitzer

BL 12 inch Howitzer

Infobox Weapon
name= BL 12 inch Howitzer


caption=12 inch Howitzer Mk IV manned by Newfoundlanders, UK, 1942
origin= UK
type= heavy siege howitzer
is_ranged=
is_artillery=yes
is_UK=yes
service=1916 - 1945
used_by= UK and Commonwealth
wars=World War I, World War II
designer=Vickers
design_date=
manufacturer=
unit_cost=
production_date=
number=14 (Mk II); 43 (Mk IV)
variants=Mk II, Mk IV
weight=
length=
part_length=160 inch (Mk II)
207.6 inch (Mk IV)Hogg & Thurston 1972, page 181, 184]
width=
height=
diameter=
crew=
cartridge=HE convert|750|lb|kg|sigfig=5
caliber=convert|12|in|mm|sigfig=4
action=
rate=
velocity=
range=
max_range=convert|11340|yd|m (Mk II)
convert|14350|yd|m (Mk IV)
feed=
sights=
breech=
recoil=hydropneumatic, variable
carriage=siege carriage
elevation=
traverse=
The Ordnance BL 12 inch howitzer was a scaled-up version of the successful 9.2 inch siege howitzer.

History

Following the success of their BL 9.2 inch Howitzer, Vickers designed an almost identical version scaled up to a calibre of 12 inch, the Mk II entering service on the Western Front in August 1916. [Hogg & Thurston 1972, Page 180. 8 complete equipments are reported as arriving in August 1916 and being in action in France shortly afterwards.]

It was similar but unrelated to the 12 inch railway howitzers Mk I, III and V produced by the Elswick Ordnance Company at the same time.

The Mk IV was a more powerful version with longer barrel produced from 1917.

Later models were used for British home defence in World War II.

Combat use

As with other large calibre weapons, it was operated by the Royal Garrison Artillery in World War I.

The 12 inch was dismantled and transported in 6 loads mounted on traction engine wheels. It was then reassembled on its static siege mounting on top of a steel "holdfast", with 22 tons of earth in a box sitting on the front of the holdfast in front of the gun, to counteract the kick of firing.

urviving examples

ee also

*List of artillery#Siege howitzers and guns

Notes

References

*Dale Clarke, "British Artillery 1914-1919. Heavy Artillery". Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2005 ISBN 9781841767888
*I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914-1918. London: Ian Allan, 1972.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk 6 - 8 — Infobox Weapon caption=US built version of Vickers BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk 6 outside the War Museum in Helsinki, Finland name=BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk VI, VII, VIII target=general origin= UK is artillery=yes is UK=yes is ranged=yes used by=UK AUS FIN… …   Wikipedia

  • BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk 1 — 5 Allgemeine Angaben Militärische Bezeichnung …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk 1 - 5 — Infobox Weapon name= BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk V caption=8 inch Howitzer Mk V near Carnoy, Battle of Albert, July 1916 origin= UK type=heavy howitzer is ranged= is bladed= is explosive= is artillery=yes is vehicle= is missile= is UK=yes service=1915… …   Wikipedia

  • BL 5 inch Howitzer — Infobox Weapon name= Ordnance BL 5 inch Howitzer caption=Territorial Force gunners with howitzer in camp pre WWI origin= UK type= Field howitzer is artillery=yes is ranged=yes is bladed= is explosive=yes is UK=yes service= 1895 1919 used by=UK… …   Wikipedia

  • BL 15 inch Howitzer — Infobox Weapon name=BL 15 inch Howitzer Mk I caption=In action at Englebelmer Wood, Somme, 7 August 1916 origin= UK type=heavy siege howitzer is ranged= is artillery=yes is UK= service=1915 1918 used by= UK and Commonwealth wars=World War I… …   Wikipedia

  • BL 8 inch Howitzer — can refer to either of two types of British heavy gun:*BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk 1 5 *BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk 6 8 …   Wikipedia

  • Ordnance QF 3 inch howitzer — was a howitzer fitted to British tanks of the Second World War so they could fire a HE shell in close support of infantry. It was used to equip the British Infantry tanks: Matilda II, Churchill tank Mk I, and the cruiser tank Crusader (65 rounds) …   Wikipedia

  • BL 9.2 inch Howitzer — Infobox Weapon name= BL 9.2 inch Howitzer caption=Australian gunners of 55th Siege Artillery Battery about to load their convert|9.2|in|mm|sigfig=3 howitzer, Western Front, circa. July 1916. origin= UK type= heavy siege howitzer is ranged= is… …   Wikipedia

  • QF 4.5 inch Howitzer — Infobox Weapon name= Ordnance QF 4.5 inch Howitzer caption=Camouflaged British 4.5 inch field howitzer on the Western Front, probably 1917 origin= UK type= Field howitzer is artillery=yes is ranged=yes is bladed= is explosive=yes is UK=yes… …   Wikipedia

  • BL 5.4 inch Howitzer — Infobox Weapon name= Ordnance BL 5.4 inch Howitzer caption= origin= UK type= Field howitzer is artillery=yes is ranged=yes is bladed= is explosive=yes is UK=yes service= 1895 1919 used by= wars=Second Boer War First World War designer= design… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”