3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer
Encyclopedia
The Ordnance QF 3.7 Inch Mountain Howitzer was an artillery
weapon, used by British
and Commonwealth
armies in World War I
and World War II
, and between the wars.
first requested a modern mountain gun
in 1906 to replace the BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun
, which had been hastily developed after Second Boer War
, but itself had several shortcomings. In particular, the shell weight was seen as too light and the gun lacked any recoil absorber or recuperator, meaning the gun had to be relaid after every shell was fired. However, financial constraints delayed production of the 3.7 inch weapon until 1915. (As a stop-gap, the barrel of the 10 pounder gun was mounted on an updated carriage to produce the 2.75 inch Mountain Gun
.
The 3.7 inch Howitzer was first introduced in 1917, and was used in action in that year in Mesopotamia
.
The 22nd (Derajat) Indian Frontier Force mountain battery arrived in the East Africa campaign
on 18 December 1916, when they relieved the 28th Battery which returned to India. They appear to have re-equipped from the 10 pounder Mountain Gun to the 3.7 inch Howitzer while in East Africa, and first used the new weapon in action in an attack on German positions at Medo, 11 April 1918.
The 3.7 inch Howitzer superseded the 2.75 inch Mountain Gun following World War I
. It was used by Mountain Artillery Regiments of the Royal Artillery
and the (British) Indian Army, and saw much service on the North West Frontier of India between the wars.
During World War II, the weapon equipped artillery units engaged in in the North African Campaign
(Tunisia
), the Italian Campaign
and Burma Campaign
, and it was also used in the Netherlands and Ruhr
fighting in 1944-45 by units originally destined for mountain warfare in Greece. A lightened version was used briefly by Airborne
formations. At least one example was supplied to the French Army after 1945; it was captured by the Viet Minh and is on display at the Vietnam Army Museum in Hanoi.
The gun was finally declared obsolete by the British Army in 1960, although it had not seen service since 1945.
breech, which weighed 247 pounds (112 kg). Given an open gun position, a practiced crew could have the guns unloaded from the mules, reassembled and deployed ready for action in barely two minutes. However, the 3.7 inch Howitzer's adjustable suspension system allowed it to be deployed on almost any position, even those too uneven or with too steep a gradient to allow field artillery to be sited. The process of removing the Howitzer from a position and reloading it onto the gun mules involved much more lifting and securing loads than deploying it, but could be accomplished in three minutes in favourable conditions.
The Howitzer had a split trail, the first British weapon to do so, which allowed firing at very high angles (a useful feature in mountainous terrain). It also had a large rectangular shield to protect the crew from small-arms fire, but this was often omitted to save weight. When it was first introduced, the Howitzer had two wooden wheels and was light enough be towed by two horses. Later marks had pneumatic tyres and could be towed by any light vehicle, such as the Bren Carrier or jeep
.
The propellant casing had five "charge zones", but HE was restricted to no more than Charge 4, to prevent premature detonation of the shell.
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
weapon, used by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
armies in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and between the wars.
History
The Indian ArmyBritish Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
first requested a modern mountain gun
Mountain gun
Mountain guns are artillery pieces designed for use in mountain warfare and areas where usual wheeled transport is not possible. They are similar to infantry support guns, and are generally capable of being broken down into smaller loads .Due to their ability to be broken down into smaller...
in 1906 to replace the BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun
BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun
The Ordnance BL 10 pounder mountain gun was developed as a BL successor to the RML 2.5 inch screw gun which was outclassed in the Second Boer War.-History:...
, which had been hastily developed after Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, but itself had several shortcomings. In particular, the shell weight was seen as too light and the gun lacked any recoil absorber or recuperator, meaning the gun had to be relaid after every shell was fired. However, financial constraints delayed production of the 3.7 inch weapon until 1915. (As a stop-gap, the barrel of the 10 pounder gun was mounted on an updated carriage to produce the 2.75 inch Mountain Gun
2.75 inch Mountain Gun
The Ordnance BL 2.75 inch Mountain Gun was a screw gun designed for and used by the Indian Mountain Artillery into World War I.-Description:The gun was an improved version of the 1901 BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun....
.
World War I
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
.
The 22nd (Derajat) Indian Frontier Force mountain battery arrived in the East Africa campaign
East African Campaign (World War I)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles and guerrilla actions which started in German East Africa and ultimately affected portions of Mozambique, Northern Rhodesia, British East Africa, Uganda, and the Belgian Congo. The campaign was effectively ended in November 1917...
on 18 December 1916, when they relieved the 28th Battery which returned to India. They appear to have re-equipped from the 10 pounder Mountain Gun to the 3.7 inch Howitzer while in East Africa, and first used the new weapon in action in an attack on German positions at Medo, 11 April 1918.
Interwar years
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It was used by Mountain Artillery Regiments of the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
and the (British) Indian Army, and saw much service on the North West Frontier of India between the wars.
World War II
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
(Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
), the Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
and Burma Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
, and it was also used in the Netherlands and Ruhr
Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine.-Description:The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet...
fighting in 1944-45 by units originally destined for mountain warfare in Greece. A lightened version was used briefly by Airborne
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
formations. At least one example was supplied to the French Army after 1945; it was captured by the Viet Minh and is on display at the Vietnam Army Museum in Hanoi.
The gun was finally declared obsolete by the British Army in 1960, although it had not seen service since 1945.
Details
The weapon was designed to be broken into eight mule loads, for transport over difficult terrain. The heaviest single section was the interrupted screwInterrupted screw
An interrupted screw or interrupted thread is a mechanical device typically used in the breech of artillery guns. It was invented circa 1845....
breech, which weighed 247 pounds (112 kg). Given an open gun position, a practiced crew could have the guns unloaded from the mules, reassembled and deployed ready for action in barely two minutes. However, the 3.7 inch Howitzer's adjustable suspension system allowed it to be deployed on almost any position, even those too uneven or with too steep a gradient to allow field artillery to be sited. The process of removing the Howitzer from a position and reloading it onto the gun mules involved much more lifting and securing loads than deploying it, but could be accomplished in three minutes in favourable conditions.
The Howitzer had a split trail, the first British weapon to do so, which allowed firing at very high angles (a useful feature in mountainous terrain). It also had a large rectangular shield to protect the crew from small-arms fire, but this was often omitted to save weight. When it was first introduced, the Howitzer had two wooden wheels and was light enough be towed by two horses. Later marks had pneumatic tyres and could be towed by any light vehicle, such as the Bren Carrier or jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
.
The propellant casing had five "charge zones", but HE was restricted to no more than Charge 4, to prevent premature detonation of the shell.
Surviving examples
- Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich, London
- 1942 Mk I Barrel on Mk II Carriage, at Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England
- Israel Defense Forces History Museum (Batey ha-Osef Museum), Tel Aviv
- Army Memorial Museum, Waiouru, New Zealand
- Vietnam Army Museum, Hanoi
- The War Museum of Athens
- Example at GEM Homes, Johannesburg South Africa, to be restored shortly (pictures to follow)
- Example at Lenz Military Base, Johannesburg, South Africa, to be restored soon. (pictures to follow)
- Outside the Military Police Brigade HQ at Camp Cropper Iraq. (as of Jun 2008)