BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk 1 - 5
Encyclopedia
The BL 8-Inch Howitzer Mark I through to Mark V (1 to 5) were a British improvisation developed early in the First World War
to provide heavy artillery
. It used shortened and bored-out barrels from various redundant naval 6-inch guns.
It bore no relation to the later 8 inch howitzer of the First World War, the Vickers 8 inch Mark VI to VIII howitzers which succeeded it.
The Mark I - V had many relatively minor differences in the carriages and trails and Mk IV, Mk VI
and QF Mk II 6-inch naval gun barrels were used. However, the ballistic characteristics, propellant charges and shells used were similar for all Mks I - V. They are easily identified by their short thick barrel and twin recoil buffer
s above the barrel.
Mks I - IV were no longer repaired from Summer 1917 onwards.
They were operated by siege batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery
(RGA). Holt caterpillar tractors
were used to tow them into position.
Mks I - V were limited by a short range and high weight, being 4-5 tons heavier than the succeeding Mk VI which was designed as a howitzer and hence had a much lighter barrel.
The improvised nature of the design led to failures such as premature explosion and unreliability in action, and difficulties of maintenance in workshops. There were also early quality-control problems with British mass production of ammunition in 1915 and early 1916 : "the 8-inch fuses failed so often that the battlefield was littered with unexploded 8-inch shells".
Despite their shortcomings they were generally considered a success :
They remained in use on the Western Front
throughout the First World War as Britain's need for heavy artillery increased and was never fully met by production of modern equipment.
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...
to provide heavy artillery
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...
. It used shortened and bored-out barrels from various redundant naval 6-inch guns.
It bore no relation to the later 8 inch howitzer of the First World War, the Vickers 8 inch Mark VI to VIII howitzers which succeeded it.
History
The weapon entered service in February 1915.The Mark I - V had many relatively minor differences in the carriages and trails and Mk IV, Mk VI
BL 6 inch gun Mk I - VI
The BL 6 inch guns Marks II, III, IV and VI were the second and subsequent generations of British 6-inch breechloading naval guns, designed by the Royal Gun Factory following the first 6-inch breechloader, the relatively unsuccessful BL 6 inch 80 pounder gun designed by Elswick Ordnance. They...
and QF Mk II 6-inch naval gun barrels were used. However, the ballistic characteristics, propellant charges and shells used were similar for all Mks I - V. They are easily identified by their short thick barrel and twin recoil buffer
Recoil buffer
A recoil buffer is a factory-installed or aftermarket component of firearms which serves to reduce the velocity and/or cushion the impact of recoilling parts of a firearm.-Design:...
s above the barrel.
Mks I - IV were no longer repaired from Summer 1917 onwards.
Combat use
Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery was an arm of the Royal Artillery that was originally tasked with manning the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division, and the guns of the siege...
(RGA). Holt caterpillar tractors
Holt tractor
The Holt tractors were a range of caterpillar tractors built by the Holt Manufacturing Company, which was named after Benjamin Holt- Military Use :...
were used to tow them into position.
Mks I - V were limited by a short range and high weight, being 4-5 tons heavier than the succeeding Mk VI which was designed as a howitzer and hence had a much lighter barrel.
The improvised nature of the design led to failures such as premature explosion and unreliability in action, and difficulties of maintenance in workshops. There were also early quality-control problems with British mass production of ammunition in 1915 and early 1916 : "the 8-inch fuses failed so often that the battlefield was littered with unexploded 8-inch shells".
Despite their shortcomings they were generally considered a success :
"They were monstrous things and extremely heavy, but the machinery of the guns was very simple and that's why they did so extremely well and didn't give nearly as much trouble as some of the more complicated guns that came to appear later on. One was the very first to be made and it was marked, 'Eight-inch Howitzer No. 1 Mark I' so we called that gun, 'The Original'. It was marvellously accurate". Second Lieutenant Montague Cleeve, 36th Siege Artillery Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery.
They remained in use on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
throughout the First World War as Britain's need for heavy artillery increased and was never fully met by production of modern equipment.
See also
- 21 cm Mörser 1021 cm Mörser 10The 21 cm Mörser 10 was a heavy howitzer used by Germany in World War I. It replaced the obsolete 21 cm Mörser 99 that lacked a recoil system. For transport it broke down into two loads. Some howitzers were fitted with a gun shield during the war. As it was also intended for siege use a...
Approximate German equivalent - BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk 6 - 8 British successor
- List of howitzers