QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer

Ordnance QF 3.7 inch mountain howitzer
A 3.7-inch QF mountain gun.
TypeMountain gun
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1917–Present
Used byNepal (The Nepalese Army still has 90-100 in Service)[when?][citation needed]
Wars
Production history
Produced1915–?
Specifications
Mass1,610 lb (730 kg)[2]
Barrel length3 ft 7.5 in (1.10 m)[2]

ShellSeparate-loading QF
94 x 92 mm R[3]
Shell weight20 lb (9.1 kg) HE, Shrapnel, Smoke, Star shell, HEAT
Calibre3.7 in (94 mm)
RecoilHydro-pneumatic, variable, 17.5–35 inch[2]
CarriageWheeled, split trail
Elevation−5° to +40°[2]
Traverse20° L & R[2]
Muzzle velocity973 ft/s (297 m/s)[2]
Maximum firing range5,900 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 British Indian Army first requested a modern mountain gun in 1906 to replace the BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun, which had been hastily developed after the Second Boer War, but had several shortcomings. In particular, the shell weight was seen as too light and the gun lacked any recoil absorber or recuperator, meaning the gun had to be relaid after every shell was fired. However, financial constraints delayed production of the 3.7-inch weapon until 1915. As a stop-gap, the barrel of the 10-pounder gun was mounted on an updated carriage to produce the 2.75 inch Mountain Gun.

First World War

Indian Army battery, probably 39th, at Jerusalem, December 1917

The 3.7-inch howitzer was first introduced in 1917, and was used in action in that year in the Mesopotamian Campaign (modern Iraq area).

The 22nd (Derajat) Indian Frontier Force mountain battery arrived in the East Africa campaign on 18 December 1916, when they relieved the 28th Battery which returned to India.[4] They appear to have re-equipped from the 10-pounder mountain gun to the 3.7-inch howitzer while in East Africa, and first used the new weapon in action in an attack on German positions at Medo, 11 April 1918.[5]

Interwar years

Indian gun crew firing, India, circa. 1930

The 3.7-inch howitzer superseded the 2.75-inch mountain gun following the First World War. It was used by mountain artillery regiments of the Royal Artillery and the Indian Artillery, and saw much service on the North West Frontier of India between the wars.

Second World War

In action in Burma, 3 November 1944

During the Second World War, the weapon equipped artillery units engaged in the North African Campaign (Tunisia), the Italian Campaign, the Kokoda Campaign, and Burma Campaign, and was also used in the Netherlands and Ruhr fighting in 1944–45 by units originally destined for mountain warfare in Greece. In the latter theatre, on occasion the gun was dismantled and manually hauled up to the upper floors of buildings to provide close support in urban fighting. A lightened version was used briefly by airborne formations. Several were supplied to the French Army after 1945; one is on display at the Vietnam Army Museum in Hanoi while another is displayed at the Zone 5 Military Museum, Danang. It was also used on Close Support versions of the A9 and A10 Cruiser Tanks in place of the standard 2 pounder, though mostly to fire smoke shells.

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 French forces during the First Indochina War[7] and by India during the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1965 and 1971.[8] The "Mujib Battery" of Bangladesh used this gun in 1971's Bangladesh Liberation War. They were provided by India to the Mukti Bahini.[citation needed]

Details

QF 3.7-inch howitzer left elevation diagram.

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 split trail, the first British weapon to do so, which allows firing at very high angles (a useful feature in mountainous terrain). It also has a large rectangular shield to protect the crew from small-arms fire, but this was often omitted to save weight. When it was first introduced, the howitzer had two wooden wheels and was light enough be towed by two horses. Later marks have pneumatic tyres and could be towed by any light vehicle, such as the Bren Carrier or jeep.

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

See also

Surviving examples

QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer at Bangladesh Military Museum used by "Mujib Battery" in 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Victory Day: Enrich knowledge through exploration". The Business Standard. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Hogg & Thurston 1972, p. 91
  3. ^ "78- MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  4. ^ Farndale 1988, p. 338
  5. ^ Farndale 1988, p. 351
  6. ^ British Artillery in the Second World War: The 3.7-inch howitzer
  7. ^ Windrow, Martin (20 September 2018). French Foreign Légionnaire vs Viet Minh Insurgent: North Vietnam 1948–52. Combat 36. Osprey Publishing. p. 36. ISBN 9781472828910.
  8. ^ Singh, Jagjit (1994). Indian Gunners at War: The Western Front-1971. Lancer International. pp. 48, 50. ISBN 978-1-897829-55-4.
  9. ^ Imperial War Museum (2013). "QF 3.7in Mountain Howitzer Mk I (ORD 137)". IWM Collections Search. Retrieved 10 March 2013.

Bibliography

Read other articles:

Taoist temple in Yunnan, China This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Golden Temple Park – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Entrance gate to the Golden Temple The Golden Temple Park, or Jindian Park (simplified Chinese:

Hong Kong politician and lawyer In this Hong Kong name, the surname is Lau. In accordance with Hong Kong custom, the Western-style name is Miriam Lau and the Chinese-style name is Lau Kin-yee. Miriam Lau Kin-yeeGBS OBE JP劉健儀Chairwoman of the Liberal PartyIn office8 September 2008 – 9 September 2012Preceded byJames TienSucceeded byVincent Fang (acting)Member of the Legislative Council of Hong KongIn office2 July 1998 – 16 July 2012Preceded byNew parliamentSu...

Pakistan movement leader SirAbdullah HaroonBornAbdullah Haroon (Urdu: عبداللہ ہارون)1872 (1872)Karachi, British IndiaDied27 April 1942(1942-04-27) (aged 69–70)Karachi, British IndiaNationalityIndianKnown forPolitics (Pakistan Movement leader), PhilanthropySpouseLady Abdullah HaroonChildrenYusuf Haroon, Mahmoud Haroon, and Zeenat Haroon Rashid Sir Abdullah Haroon (1 January 1872 – 27 April 1942) (Urdu: عبداللہ ہارون) (also spelled Seth Haji Sir Ab...

Untuk desa kecil di Nusa Tenggara Barat, lihat Labuhan Bajo, Utan, Sumbawa. Labuan BajoKelurahanNegara IndonesiaProvinsiNusa Tenggara TimurKabupatenManggarai BaratKecamatanKomodoKodepos86754Kode Kemendagri53.15.05.1025 Kode BPS5315010025 Luas13,79 km²Jumlah penduduk6.973 jiwa (2021)[1]Kepadatan506 jiwa/km² Labuan Bajo merupakan salah satu kelurahan yang berada di Kecamatan Komodo, Kabupaten Manggarai Barat, Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia. Labuan Bajo juga merupakan pus...

French chemist Joseph Louis ProustBornJoseph Louis Proust(1754-09-26)26 September 1754Angers, FranceDied5 July 1826(1826-07-05) (aged 71)Angers, FranceOccupationChemist Joseph Louis Proust (26 September 1754 – 5 July 1826) was a French chemist. He was best known for his discovery of the law of definite proportions in 1794, stating that chemical compounds always combine in constant proportions.[1] Life Joseph L. Proust was born on September 26, 1754, in Angers, France. His fathe...

Isla Cristina Gemeente in Spanje    Situering Autonome regio Andalusië Provincie Huelva Coördinaten 37° 12′ NB, 7° 19′ WL Algemeen Oppervlakte 49 km² Inwoners (1 januari 2016) 21.165 (432 inw./km²) Provincie- engemeentecode 21.042 http://www.islacristina.org/ Portaal    Spanje Isla Cristina, gezien vanop de houten loopbrug naar het strand (Puente de la Gola) Isla Cristina is een gemeente in de Spaanse provincie Huelva in de regio Andalusië met een o...

Marie Cavallier Princesa de Dinamarca Información personalNombre completo María Ágata Odile CavallierTratamiento Su Alteza RealOtros títulos Condesa de MonpezatNacimiento 6 de febrero de 1976 (47 años) París, FranciaReligión Iglesia de Dinamarca (Antes del matrimonio: Católica)Residencia París, FranciaFamiliaCasa real Monpezat(por matrimonio)Padre Alain CavallierMadre Françoise GrassiotCónyuge Joaquín de Dinamarca (matr. 2008)Hijos Conde Enrique Condesa Atenea Escudo...

Гірська річка у Карпатах Гірська річка на Кавказі . Гірська́ рі́чка — річка, що протікає переважно в горах, в вузькій, глибокій долині з крутими берегами і кам'янистим руслом, загромадженим уламками гірських порід. Для гірських річок характерні великі похили і швидкіс�...

2012 studio album by JK FleshPosthumanStudio album by JK FleshReleased7 May 2012RecordedAvalanche StudiosGenreElectro-industrialindustrial hip hop[1]industrial metaldubstep[2][3]Length55:46 (original release)87:11 (Posthuman+)Label3BY3ProducerJustin BroadrickJK Flesh chronology Posthuman(2012) Worship Is the Cleansing of the Imagination(2012) Posthuman is the debut studio album by JK Flesh, a solo moniker of English musician Justin Broadrick, and was released o...

Artikel ini tidak memiliki referensi atau sumber tepercaya sehingga isinya tidak bisa dipastikan. Tolong bantu perbaiki artikel ini dengan menambahkan referensi yang layak. Tulisan tanpa sumber dapat dipertanyakan dan dihapus sewaktu-waktu.Cari sumber: Menes, Pandeglang – berita · surat kabar · buku · cendekiawan · JSTOR MenesKecamatanNegara IndonesiaProvinsiBantenKabupatenPandeglangPopulasi • Total36,766 jiwa (2.017)[1] jiwaKo...

American marine technology company Deep Ocean Exploration and Research redirects here. For the research journal, see Deep Sea Research. For the topic, see oceanography and deep-sea exploration. Deep Ocean Exploration and ResearchFounded1992FounderSylvia EarleHeadquartersAlameda, CaliforniaKey peopleLiz Taylor (Pres/CEO)Ian Griffiths (Ops)Tony Lawson (Engr)Websitedoermarine.com DOER Marine (Deep Ocean Exploration and Research)[1] is a marine technology company established in 1992 by oc...

Philippine revolution battle (1896) This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (December 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Battle of NoveletaPart of the Philippine RevolutionMemorial stone commemorating the battleDateAugust 30, 1896LocationNoveleta, Cavite, PhilippinesResult Filipino victoryBe...

José Ramón Tuero del Prado Director general de Deportes del Principado de Asturias junio de 2012-enero de 2019 Concejal del Ayuntamiento de Gijón junio de 2007-junio de 2012enero de 2019-actualidad Alcalde de Mansilla de las Mulas 1999-2003 Información personalNacimiento 19 de marzo de 1971España España, GijónNacionalidad EspañolaInformación profesionalOcupación políticoPartido político PSOE[editar datos en Wikidata] José Ramón Tuero del Prado (Gijón, 19 de marzo...

Deutsch-haitianische Beziehungen Deutschland Haiti Deutschland Haiti Die deutsch-haitianischen Beziehungen gehen auf die Zeit vor der Unabhängigkeit des Landes zurück. Sie waren im 19. Jahrhundert vom Handel geprägt. Im 20. Jahrhundert verloren sie durch politische Entwicklungen sowohl in Deutschland als auch in Haiti an Bedeutung.[1] Es bestehen diplomatische Beziehungen und beide Länder haben Botschafter ausgetauscht. Haiti ist kein Partnerland der deutschen Entwicklungszusammen...

Levantamiento de pesas en los Juegos del Pacífico 2019 XVI Juegos del Pacífico Localización Apia SamoaParticipantes • Países • Deportistas 17Eventos 30CeremoniasApertura 9 de julio de 2019Clausura 13 de julio de 2019Cronología Puerto Moresby 2015 Honiara 2023 [editar datos en Wikidata] El Levantamiento de pesas en los Juegos del Pacífico 2019 se llevó a cabo del 9 al 13 de julio en el Falaeta Sports Complex en Apia, Samoa.[1]​[2]​...

此條目部分链接不符合格式手冊規範。跨語言链接及章節標題等處的链接可能需要清理。 (2015年12月13日)請協助改善此條目。參見WP:LINKSTYLE、WP:MOSIW以了解細節。突出显示跨语言链接可以便于检查。 這個條目是西班牙職業網球運動員拉斐爾·納達爾的運動生涯統計。 決賽次數 總述 級別 冠軍 亞軍 總計 贏球率 單打 大滿貫 22 8 30 0.73 年終總決賽 0 2 2 0 ATP 1000大師賽 36 17 53 0.68 奧...

Artikel ini tidak memiliki referensi atau sumber tepercaya sehingga isinya tidak bisa dipastikan. Tolong bantu perbaiki artikel ini dengan menambahkan referensi yang layak. Tulisan tanpa sumber dapat dipertanyakan dan dihapus sewaktu-waktu.Cari sumber: Daftar kata serapan dari bahasa Yunani dalam bahasa Indonesia – berita · surat kabar · buku · cendekiawan · JSTOR Artikel ini perlu dikembangkan agar dapat memenuhi kriteria sebagai entri Wikipedia.Bantu...

Questa voce sull'argomento nuotatori cinesi è solo un abbozzo. Contribuisci a migliorarla secondo le convenzioni di Wikipedia. Segui i suggerimenti del progetto di riferimento. He Cihong Nazionalità  Cina Altezza 172 cm Peso 69 kg Nuoto Specialità Dorso Palmarès Competizione Ori Argenti Bronzi Mondiali di nuoto 3 0 0 Mondiali in vasca corta 2 1 0 Per maggiori dettagli vedi qui   Modifica dati su Wikidata · Manuale He Cihong[1] (劉 黎敏T, Hé CíhongP; 6 giu...

Chinese archaeologist (1910–1985) In this Chinese name, the family name is Xia. Xia NaiChinese夏鼐TranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinXià NàiWade–GilesShiah Nae Xia Nai夏鼐Xia Nai in 1935Born1910 (1910)Wenzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaDied1985 (aged 74–75)Occupation(s)Archaeologist, professor, social scientistAcademic backgroundEducationTsinghua UniversityUniversity College LondonAcademic advisorsLi JiAcademic workDisciplineArchaeology, Egyptology, economic history, so...

Ethnic group in Canada This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Australian Canadians – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Ethnic group Australian CanadiansTotal population46,765(by ancestry, 2021 Census)[1]Regions with significa...