BL 6-inch 26 cwt howitzer

History

World War I

The howitzer was developed to replace the obsolescent 6 inch 25 cwt and 6-inch 30 cwt howitzers which were outclassed by German artillery such as the 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 13. Design began in January 1915, the first proof-firing occurred on 30 July 1915 and it entered service in late 1915. Its combination of firepower, range and mobility (for its day) made it one of the British Empire's most important weapons in World War I.

It was originally towed by horses but from 1916 onwards was commonly towed by the FWD 4 wheel drive 3-ton lorry as heavy field artillery. The wooden spoked wheels could be fitted with "girdles" for work in mud or sand to prevent them sinking. Towards the end of the war solid rubber tyres were fitted over the iron tyres on the wheel rims, giving the rims a heavier appearance. The howitzers fired 22.4 million rounds on the Western Front.

Interwar years

During the interwar period, the wooden spoked wheels of the Carriage Mk I were augmented with rubber tyres, these modified carriages were designated Carriage Mk IR. Later on, the carriages received modern steel wheels and pneumatic tyres, designated Carriage Mk IP.

World War II

During World War II, its use was restricted after 1942 when the replacement BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun came into use but it was reintroduced in Burma due to a number of premature detonations in the 5.5 in guns. After 1942, it remained in use in the Far East (mainly Burma) until the end of the war in 1945, when it was declared obsolete.

During the German conquest across Europe, German troops captured many howitzers from multiple countries. These captured examples received the designation 15.2 cm s.FH. 407(h) (Dutch howitzers), 15.2 cm s.FH. 410(b) (Belgian howitzers), 15.2 cm s.FH. 412(e) (British howitzers), 15.2 cm s.FH. 412(f) (French howitzers),Mistakenly attributed to the French Army. 15.2 cm s.FH. 412(i) (Italian howitzers), 15.2 cm s.FH. 444(r) (Soviet howitzers).

Variants

Gun variants:

• Mark I – Only variant produced Carriage variants:
• Mark I – Wooden wheels
• Mark IR – Wooden wheels, rubber tyres
• Mark IP – Steel wheels, pneumatic tyres

Surviving examples

• Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich, London
• Army Memorial Museum, Waiouru, New Zealand
• Royal Australian Artillery Museum, North Head, Sydney, Australia
• Museo della guerra (War Museum), Rovereto (Italy)
• South Africa : The Imperial Government presented 6 howitzers to the Union of South Africa after World War I and the six South African Heavy Artillery Memorials were designed, commissioned and paid for by the South African Heavy Artillery Association to honour their fallen Comrades-in-Arms : Memorial to 71st (Transvaal) Siege Battery at Johannesburg Zoo (restored); 72nd (Griqualand West) Siege Battery at Clyde N Terry Museum, Kimberley; 73rd (Cape) Siege Battery at Company Gardens, Cape Town; 74th (Eastern Province) Siege Battery at National Museum, Bloemfontein (Restoration is about to begin, May 2009); 75th (Natal) Siege Battery, Warriors' Gate MOTH Shellhole, Old Fort Road, Durban; 125th (Transvaal) Siege Battery near the Union Buildings, Pretoria. These guns are being restored by the Gunner's Association of South Africa
• National Museum of Military History, Saxonwold, Johannesburg, South Africa
• The Central Museum of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, Shilo Manitoba
• Barrack Green Armouries, Belonging to and restored by 3rd Field Regt.(The Loyal Company), Saint John, New Brunswick

Ammunition

British

World War I

Projectiles used in World War I weighed 100 lb. A lighter 86 lb long-range projectile was introduced in November 1918, too late to see service in the war File:BL 6-inch 26 cwt howitzer 4 lb 11.5 oz cordite MD or RDB cartridge Mark II diagrams.jpg|4lb 11½oz cordite cartridge File:6-inch BL or QF Mk XIIA common pointed artillery shell diagram.jpg|Common pointed 100lb shell Mark XIIA File:BL 6 inch 26 cwt howitzer chemical shell light Mk VIII diagram.jpg|100lb chemical shell Mark VIII File:BL 6 inch 26 cwt howitzer high explosive light shell Mark XVI diagram.jpg|High explosive 100lb shell Mark XVI

World War II

Notes

References

Bibliography

• Dale Clarke, British Artillery 1914-1919. Heavy Artillery. Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2005
• General Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. Western Front 1914-18. London: Royal Artillery Institution, 1986.
• I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914-1918. London: Ian Allan, 1972.

References

1. Clarke page 37 quotes 9,500 and {{convert. 11,400. yd. 9,800. yd. c.r.h.]] shell, with a range of {{convert. 12,500. yd. c.r.h.]] shell. The longer ranges were obtained with the {{convert. 86. lb. c.r.h.]] shell with an augmenting ("Super") charge.
2. Hogg & Thurston 1972, Page 126-127
3. Clarke 2005, page 37
4. "6 inch 26 cwt Howitzer".