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QF 4.5 inch Howitzer
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The Ordnance QF 4.5 inch Howitzer was the standard British Empire field howitzer of The First World War.
QF stands for "Quick Firing". In British use this referred to the usage of a brass cartridge case to hold and load the propellant charge, hence facilitating loading, with the cartridge case providing obturation, or sealing the chamber, and hence allowing use of a fast-operating sliding block breech for the first time in British artillery.
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Encyclopedia
The Ordnance QF 4.5 inch Howitzer was the standard British Empire field howitzer of The First World War.
QF stands for "Quick Firing". In British use this referred to the usage of a brass cartridge case to hold and load the propellant charge, hence facilitating loading, with the cartridge case providing obturation, or sealing the chamber, and hence allowing use of a fast-operating sliding block breech for the first time in British artillery. This weapon was the largest calibre of British QF field artillery ordnance.
History
The 4.5 was designed following lessons learned in the Second Boer War (1899-1902), to replace the BL 5 inch Howitzer.
The Mark I was introduced officially in 1909 and the Mark II, with a reduced twist in the rifling (from 1:15 to 1:20), was introduced in 1917.
From the 1920s the carriage was upgraded. First to Mk 1R (solid rubber tyres) then to Mk 1P (new wheels, axles, brakes and pneumatic tyres) for vehicle towing. The similarly wheeled No 26 artillery trailer was introduced to replace the limber. A new streamlined shell (HE Mk 1D) was also introduced to increase maximum range from 6600 yards of the older 3C.R.H. (Calibres Radius Head) models to 7300 yards.
It and the 18 pounder field gun were superseded during the Second World War by the Ordnance QF 25 pounder gun-howitzer.
Combat service
British Empire service
The QF 4.5 served throughout the Great War, principally with the Royal Field Artillery, beginning with 182 guns in 1914, with 3,177 more produced during the war.
At the beginning of the First World War a Brigade of three 6-gun howitzer batteries was part of each British Infantry Division. In February 1917 Divisional artilleries were consolidated into two field brigades each with three batteries (A, B, C) of 18 pounder guns and one battery (D) of 4.5-inch howitzers. The balance were formed into Army Field Brigades with the same organisation.
Following experience gained in the Battle of the Somme in Summer 1916, its role on the Western Front was defined in January 1917 as "neutralising guns with gas shell, for bombarding weaker defences, enfilading communications trenches, for barrage work, especially at night, and for wire cutting in such places which the field guns could not reach".
During advances such as at Messines in June 1917 the gun was typically employed in "standing barrages" of HE on the enemy forward positions ahead of the 18 pounders' creeping barrage, and gas shelling following bombardments.
A notable action was fought with 2 guns by a section of D Battery, 276 Brigade RFA, in stopping the German counter-attack at Little Priel Farm, S.E. of Epéhy, during the Battle of Cambrai on 30 November 1917. Sergeant C.E. Gourley was awarded the Victoria Cross for leading this action.
There were 984 guns in service on the Western Front at the armistice and 25,326,276 rounds had been fired.
4.5-howitzers were also used by British batteries in the campaigns in Gallipoli, the Balkans, Palestine, Italy and Mesopotamia.
In 1919 small numbers were used in the successful 3rd Afghan War and Waziristan Campaign.
The last operational use of 4.5 by the British Army was probably in late 1941 or early 1942 in Malaya.
Irish service
It is worth noting that the QF 4.5 survived in use with the Irish Army until the 1960s. They were fired by the FCA (An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil - Local Defence Force) on the Glen of Imaal firing range, County Wicklow circa 1976. Some retired examples exist today, such as those preserved at Collins Barracks, Cork.
Finnish service
Britain supplied 24 howitzers to Finland for use in the Winter War of 1939-1940. Finland obtained 30 more from Spain in July 1940 and all guns were used in the Continuation War of 1941-1944. It was designated 114 H/18 in Finnish service. Some of the guns were used in the BT-42 self-propelled artillery piece.
Extended specification
- Gun
- overall length: 5 ft 10 in
- bore length: 60 inches
- weight: 972 lb (Mk1), 1,021 lb (Mk2) including breech
- Rifling: PPS 32 grooves
- Twist: 1 in 20-15 increasing twist (Mk I)
1 in 20 uniform twist (Mk II) - Breech: horizontal sliding block
- Carriage
- weight: 27 cwt (1,372 kg) total weight
- Width: 6 ft 9 inches
- recoil: 40 inches (0° elevation) 20 inches (45° elevation)
- Elevation: -5° to +45°
- Traverse: 3° right and left
- Gunshield:
- Ammunition
- "Shell HE" Mk 12 to 16 - 4.3 lb Amatol or TNT filled. Minor differences between marks
- "Shell Smoke Bursting" Mk 3 to 11 - White phosphorus filled
- "Shell Smoke Base Ejection" Mk 1 - Hexachloroethane/Zinc filled
- "Shell Star" Mk 3 - Star unit & parachute with Fuze Time & Percussion No 221
- Shell weight: 35 lbs
- Propellant charge: 5 parts, from .4 to 1 lb loaded into a 3.4 inch long brass case
Ammunition
| | | | | | | Mk I cartridge case showing arrangement of cordite rings around central core. One or more rings were removed for shorter ranges. | WWI shrapnel shell on display at
Contained 492 balls, 35/lb | No. 82 Fuze for shrapnel shell, WWI | WWI Mk V high explosive shell on display at . Red band indicates it has been filled. Green band indicates it is filled with amatol or trotyl (TNT) Contained 4lb 10oz (2.09 kg) explosive | No. 101 E Fuze for HE shell, WWI | Smoke round, 1915 | Chemical shell, 1943 |
See also
Surviving examples
- Collins Barracks, Cork, Ireland
- , North Head, Sydney, Australia
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External links
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