QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer
Ordnance QF 3.7 inch mountain howitzer | |
---|---|
Type | Mountain gun |
Place of origin | United Kingdom |
Service history | |
In service | 1917–Present |
Used by | Nepal (The Nepalese Army still has 90-100 in Service)[when?][citation needed] |
Wars |
|
Production history | |
Produced | 1915–? |
Specifications | |
Mass | 1,610 lb (730 kg) Hydro-pneumatic, variable, 17.5–35 inch[2] |
Carriage | Wheeled, split trail |
Elevation | −5° to +40°[2] |
Traverse | 20° L & R[2] |
Muzzle velocity | 973 ft/s (297 m/s)[2] |
Maximum firing range | 5,900 yd (5,400 m)[2] |
Ordnance, QF 3.7-inch howitzer is a mountain gun, used by British and Commonwealth armies in the First and Second World Wars, and between the wars.
History
The
First World War
The 3.7-inch howitzer was first introduced in 1917, and was used in action in that year in the
The
Interwar years
The 3.7-inch howitzer superseded the 2.75-inch mountain gun following the
Second World War
During the
During the war the gun, and its ammunition, were also manufactured in other Commonwealth countries, including South Africa, by the ISCOR (Iron and Steel Corporation of South Africa), and India. South Africa also produced modified versions of the gun.[6]
The gun was finally declared obsolete by the British Army in 1960, although it had not seen service since 1945.
Post War
After the war, the gun was used by
Details
The weapon was designed to be broken into eight mule loads, for transport over difficult terrain. The heaviest single section is the interrupted screw breech, which weighs 247 pounds (112 kg). Given an open gun position, a practised crew could have the guns unloaded from the mules, reassembled and deployed ready for action in about two minutes. 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 has a
The propellant casing had five "charge zones", but HE was restricted to no more than "charge four", to prevent premature detonation of the shell. The Australian Army did employ charge five in Papua New Guinea in emergencies – the gun crews referred to it as "O'Hara's charge".
Ammunition
-
8 oz 9 dramcartridge
-
Mark IHEshell
-
Mark I gas shell
See also
Surviving examples
- Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich, London
- 1942 Mk I Barrel on Mk II Carriage, at Imperial War Museum Duxford, UK.[9]
- Bangladesh Military Museum, Dhaka
- Israel Defense Forces History Museum (Batey ha-Osef Museum), Tel Aviv
- Army Memorial Museum, Waiouru, New Zealand
- Vietnam Army Museum, Hanoi
- Zone 5 Military Museum, Danang
- 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)
Notes and references
- ^ "Victory Day: Enrich knowledge through exploration". The Business Standard. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hogg & Thurston 1972, p. 91
- ^ "78- MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ Farndale 1988, p. 338
- ^ Farndale 1988, p. 351
- ^ British Artillery in the Second World War: The 3.7-inch howitzer
- ISBN 9781472828910.
- ISBN 978-1-897829-55-4.
- ^ Imperial War Museum (2013). "QF 3.7in Mountain Howitzer Mk I (ORD 137)". IWM Collections Search. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-1-870114-05-9.
- ISBN 978-0-7110-0381-1.
- ISBN 978-0-642-89688-9.
External links
- Handbook of the Q.F., 3.7-inch Mountain Howitzer, Mark I, 1921. Hosted online by State Library of Victoria, Australia
- Gun Drill for 3.7-inch Q.F. Howitzer Mark I Carriage Mark I 1921,1923 Hosted online by State Library of Victoria, Australia
- W L Ruffel, QF 3.7-inch howitzer
- British Artillery in World War 2, Data Sheet - Ordnance, Q.F. 3.7-inch Howitzer
- ra39-45.pwp
- 3.7-inch mountain howitzer at Landships