BL 15 inch Howitzer
Encyclopedia
The Ordnance BL 15 inch howitzer was developed by the Coventry Ordnance Works
late in 1914 in response to the success of its design of the 9.2 inch siege howitzer
.
, with 1 gun per battery. One gun was sent to Gallipoli but not used there. They were later transferred to the British Army
It operated successfully where it was needed to destroy deep fortifications on the Western Front, but was limited by its relatively short range compared to other modern siege howitzers. The size and weight made it difficult to move and emplace. No further development occurred after the first batch of 12, and instead Britain continued to develop and produce the 12 inch Howitzer
and 12 inch Railway Howitzer
.
Coventry Ordnance Works
Coventry Ordnance Works was a British manufacturer of heavy guns, particularly naval artillery. The firm was based in the English city of Coventry.-History:...
late in 1914 in response to the success of its design of the 9.2 inch siege howitzer
BL 9.2 inch Howitzer
The Ordnance BL 9.2 inch howitzer was the principal counter-battery equipment of British forces in France in World War I. It equipped a substantial number of siege batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery...
.
History and use
The weapon was operated by Royal Marine Artillery detachments of the Naval BrigadeNaval Brigade
A Naval Brigade is a body of sailors serving in a ground combat role to augment land forces.-Royal Navy:Within the Royal Navy, a Naval Brigade is a large temporary detachment of Royal Marines and of seamen from the Royal Navy formed to undertake operations on shore, particularly during the mid- to...
, with 1 gun per battery. One gun was sent to Gallipoli but not used there. They were later transferred to the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
It operated successfully where it was needed to destroy deep fortifications on the Western Front, but was limited by its relatively short range compared to other modern siege howitzers. The size and weight made it difficult to move and emplace. No further development occurred after the first batch of 12, and instead Britain continued to develop and produce the 12 inch Howitzer
BL 12 inch Howitzer
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 a calibre of 12 inch, the Mk II entering service on the Western...
and 12 inch Railway Howitzer
BL 12 inch Railway Howitzer
The Ordnance BL 12 inch howitzer on truck, railway was developed following the success of the 9.2 inch siege howitzer. It was similar but unrelated to the 12 inch siege howitzers Mk II and IV.-Mark I:Mk I was introduced from March 1916...
.
See also
- Škoda 380 mm Model 1916 howitzer38 cm Belagerungshaubitze M 16The 38 cm Belagerungshaubitze M 16 was a superheavy siege howitzer used by Austria-Hungary during World War I.-History and Design:Two howitzers were initially ordered and both 'Barbara' and 'Gudrun', as they were nicknamed, were delivered in time to participate in the South Tyrol offensive of May...
Austro-Hungarian equivalent - List of siege artillery