BL 12 inch Howitzer
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| BL 12 inch Howitzer | |
|---|---|
 12 inch Howitzer Mk IV manned by Newfoundlanders, UK, 1942 |
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| Type | heavy siege howitzer |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1916 - 1945 |
| Used by | UK and Commonwealth |
| Wars | World War I, World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Vickers |
| Number built | 14 (Mk II); 43 (Mk IV) |
| Variants | Mk II, Mk IV |
| Specifications | |
| Barrel length | 160 inch (Mk II) 207.6 inch (Mk IV)[1] |
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| Shell | HE 750 pounds (340.19 kg) |
| Calibre | 12 inches (304.8 mm) |
| Recoil | hydropneumatic, variable |
| Carriage | siege carriage |
| Maximum range | 11,340 yards (10,370 m) (Mk II) 14,350 yards (13,120 m) (Mk IV)[1] |
The Ordnance BL 12 inch howitzer was a scaled-up version of the successful 9.2 inch siege howitzer.
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[edit] 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 1916.
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.
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[edit] 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.
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[edit] Surviving examples
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] 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.
