- 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 acalibre 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 inWorld 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.
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