BL 7.2-inch howitzer

The BL 7.2-inch howitzer was a heavy artillery piece used by the British Army throughout the Second World War.

History

In 1940 the British Army concluded that the only heavy howitzer available to it, the First World War-era BL 8-inch howitzer, had insufficient range for the conditions of the Second World War. As a stopgap the decision was made to re-line the barrels to a smaller calibre and develop a new range of ammunition to achieve the desired ranges.

Marks I–IV

The 8-inch barrels were re-lined to 7.2 inches (183 mm) and the old carriages were retained although the original steel rimmed wheels were replaced with new pneumatic balloon-tyre wheels, as was consistent with the motorisation of the British Army. The new four-charge ammunition increased the range to 16,900 yd (15,500 m), but when fired at full charge the recoil caused the weapon to rear violently and jump backwards. To help counter this, two wedge shaped ramps were placed behind the wheels although the gun could sometimes still jump over them, presenting a hazard to crews. Marks I–IV differed only in the original 8-inch barrel used and the type of conversion; some barrels and carriages were also supplied from US First World War stocks.

Mark V

In 1944 several 7.2-inch barrels were placed in the US Carriage M1 used by the 155 mm Long Tom already in use by the British Army, becoming the BL 7.2-inch howitzer Mk V. Few Mk Vs were produced and it was never issued to batteries, as it was apparent that the Carriage M1 was capable of accepting greater recoil forces.

Mark 6

The BL 7.2-inch howitzer Mk 6 (there was a shift from Roman numerals) retained the Carriage M1 of the Mk V but had a new 7.2-inch 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) longer barrel than previous marks and a fifth charge was added to the ammunition. The longer barrel and extra charge provided an increase in range to 19,600 yd (17,900 m) and the new carriage also provided a far more stable platform, greatly increasing accuracy.