6 inch 26 cwt howitzer
This gun replaced the 6 inch 25 cwt and 6 inch 30 cwt guns, which were clearly outclassed by the German heavy howitzer, the 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 13. The development of the gun took place in the first half of 1915, with it entering service in late 1915. The gun proved to be an exceptionally important artillery weapon for the British Empire due to its near-ideal combination of power and mobility (taking WWI into account, of course).
Although originally intended for mortar traction, by 1916 it had been adapted for motor traction. The originally wooden iron-plated wheels of the lafette were replaced by iron wheels coated with hard rubber at the end of the war. As late as 1916 it was still customary to coat the wheels with so-called girdles, which greatly improved the passability in wet terrain. The gun was used extensively during World War I, with a total of 22.4 million rounds fired on the Western Front alone.
In the inter-war period, the wheels of the howitzer were again replaced with modern tyred wheels (6inch 26cwt howitzer Mk.1 on Carriage Mk.1P). The gun was also used extensively during World War II. Although it was gradually replaced by the BL 5.5inch Medium Gun from 1942 onwards, it was used on the Asian battlefields (Burma) until the end of the war. After the end of the war, the weapon was officially scrapped due to obsolescence.
Several pieces were captured by France and Germany. The latter put these weapons into service under the designation FH-412(e).
Basic data:
Caliber: 6-inch (152.4 mm)
Number of pieces produced: 3633
Weight: 4.2 tonnes
Length: 6.58 m
Barrel length: 2.224 m
Width: 2.1 m
Crew: 10 men
Shell weight: Shell HE, smoke 45.36 kg; post-war ammunition 39.01 kg
Slide: adjustable hydro-pneumatic
Elevation: 0° - 45°
Rate of fire: 2 rounds per minute
muzzle velocity: 430 m/s
Range: 8,700 m - 10,400 m (with new ammunition after the war)
source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6_inch_26cwt_howitzer
http://riv.co.nz/rnza/hist/local/bl6in.htm
This gun replaced the 6 inch 25 cwt and 6 inch 30 cwt guns, which were clearly outclassed by the German heavy howitzer, the 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 13. The development of the gun took place in the first half of 1915, with it entering service in late 1915. The gun proved to be an exceptionally important artillery weapon for the British Empire due to its near-ideal combination of power and mobility (taking WWI into account, of course).
Although originally intended for mortar traction, by 1916 it had been adapted for motor traction. The originally wooden iron-plated wheels of the lafette were replaced by iron wheels coated with hard rubber at the end of the war. As late as 1916 it was still customary to coat the wheels with so-called girdles, which greatly improved the passability in wet terrain. The gun was used extensively during World War I, with a total of 22.4 million rounds fired on the Western Front alone.
In the inter-war period, the wheels of the howitzer were again replaced with modern tyred wheels (6inch 26cwt howitzer Mk.1 on Carriage Mk.1P). The gun was also used extensively during World War II. Although it was gradually replaced by the BL 5.5inch Medium Gun from 1942 onwards, it was used on the Asian battlefields (Burma) until the end of the war. After the end of the war, the weapon was officially scrapped due to obsolescence.
Several pieces were captured by France and Germany. The latter put these weapons into service under the designation FH-412(e).
Basic data:
Caliber: 6-inch (152.4 mm)
Number of pieces produced: 3633
Weight: 4.2 tonnes
Length: 6.58 m
Barrel length: 2.224 m
Width: 2.1 m
Crew: 10 men
Shell weight: Shell HE, smoke 45.36 kg; post-war ammunition 39.01 kg
Slide: adjustable hydro-pneumatic
Elevation: 0° - 45°
Rate of fire: 2 rounds per minute
muzzle velocity: 430 m/s
Range: 8,700 m - 10,400 m (with new ammunition after the war)
source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6_inch_26cwt_howitzer
http://riv.co.nz/rnza/hist/local/bl6in.htm