Birch gun
Encyclopedia
The Birch Gun was the world's first practical self-propelled artillery
gun, built at the Royal Arsenal
, Woolwich
in 1925. The gun was never highly regarded by the British High Command, purely for prejudicial beliefs and political pressure rather than any real lack of ability. Named after General Sir Noel Birch
, who was Master General of Ordnance at the time, the Birch gun had real potential. It was built upon a Vickers medium tank
chassis and mated originally with the 18 pdr (83.8 mm) then with a 75 mm field gun. The project was abandoned in 1928 after political pressure killed off any plans to complete the third version of this weapon.
field gun (3.3 inch, 84 mm). This was changed to the 75 mm gun on the Birch gun Mk II and from then on was able to be fired either at ground targets or in the air-defence role, being given a much higher rate of elevation to be fired at enemy aircraft.(Source?)
engine was modestly powerful being only 8 cylinders it could manage 90 hp for a mild 45 km/h top-speed however, for its time (late 1920s) it was quite fast.
, and the Sexton (artillery)
.
Two Mark III Birch Guns were produced, but never issued to serving unit. These had the guns mounted in revolving barbette-style turrets that increased crew protection but reduced the guns' elevation, so capping their effective range.
combining tanks and infantry with their own transport.
The composition of the force was:
Self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery vehicles are combat vehicles armed with artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery...
gun, built at the Royal Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
, Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
in 1925. The gun was never highly regarded by the British High Command, purely for prejudicial beliefs and political pressure rather than any real lack of ability. Named after General Sir Noel Birch
Noel Birch
General Sir James Frederick Noel Birch KCB KCMG was a British Cavalry Officer during the Second Boer War and World War I and subsequently Master-General of the Ordnance...
, who was Master General of Ordnance at the time, the Birch gun had real potential. It was built upon a Vickers medium tank
Vickers Medium Mark II
The Vickers Medium Mark II was a British tank built by Vickers in the Inter-war period.The Medium Mark II, derived from the Vickers Medium Mark I, was developed to replace the last of the Medium Mark Cs still in use. Production and rebuilding ran from 1925 until 1934. The tank was phased out of...
chassis and mated originally with the 18 pdr (83.8 mm) then with a 75 mm field gun. The project was abandoned in 1928 after political pressure killed off any plans to complete the third version of this weapon.
Armament
The armament for the original Birch Gun consisted of a Ordnance QF 18 pounderOrdnance QF 18 pounder
The Ordnance QF 18 pounder, or simply 18-pounder Gun, was the standard British Army field gun of the World War I era. It formed the backbone of the Royal Field Artillery during the war, and was produced in large numbers. It was also used by British and Commonwealth Forces in all the main theatres,...
field gun (3.3 inch, 84 mm). This was changed to the 75 mm gun on the Birch gun Mk II and from then on was able to be fired either at ground targets or in the air-defence role, being given a much higher rate of elevation to be fired at enemy aircraft.(Source?)
Powerplant
The Armstrong SiddeleyArmstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley was a British engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury motor cars and aircraft engines.-Siddeley Autocars:...
engine was modestly powerful being only 8 cylinders it could manage 90 hp for a mild 45 km/h top-speed however, for its time (late 1920s) it was quite fast.
Production Variants
The initial prototype, the Mark I, made its first appearance in January 1925 and spent the next year undergoing trilas and taking part in manoeuvres, mainly with 28 Battery, 9th Field Brigade, Royal Artillery. The lone Mark I was transferred to 20 Battery, 9th Field Brigade RA, who then took delivery of three Mark II Birch Guns in July 1926, followed by a fourth gun in September. This brought the battery strength to five guns, which participated in various field exercises as part of the Experimental Mechanised Force and it successor, the Experimental Armoured Force which was dispersed in February 1929. All five guns were finally withdrawn in June/July 1931, effectively ending the British Army's experiments with tracked self-propelled guns until the advent of various hurriedly improvised WWII vehicles, such as the Bishop (artillery)Bishop (artillery)
The Bishop was a British self-propelled artillery vehicle based on the Valentine tank. A result of a rushed attempt to create a self-propelled gun armed with the 25 Pounder gun-howitzer, the vehicle had numerous problems, was produced in limited numbers and was soon replaced by better...
, and the Sexton (artillery)
Sexton (artillery)
The 25pdr SP, tracked, Sexton was a self-propelled artillery vehicle of World War II, based on an American tank hull design, built by Canada for the British Army, and associated Commonwealth forces, and some of the other Allies....
.
Two Mark III Birch Guns were produced, but never issued to serving unit. These had the guns mounted in revolving barbette-style turrets that increased crew protection but reduced the guns' elevation, so capping their effective range.
Use
The Birch gun was tested as part of the Experimental Mechanised Force in the 1920s. The Force undertook various experiments in mechanized warfareMechanized Warfare
Mechanized Warfare is the sixth studio album released by American power metal band Jag Panzer, released in 2001. This album is more progressive than the band's previous work...
combining tanks and infantry with their own transport.
The composition of the force was:
- reconnaissanceReconnaissanceReconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
group with tanketteTanketteA tankette is a tracked combat vehicle resembling a small tank roughly the size of a car, mainly intended for light infantry support or reconnaissance. Colloquially it may also simply mean a "small tank"....
s and armoured cars, - battalionBattalionA battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of 48 Vickers medium tanks, - motorised machine gunMachine gunA machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
battalion, - mechanised artilleryArtilleryOriginally 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...
regimentRegimentA regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
- the Birch guns formed one battery of it - motorised field engineerRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
company.