| BL 15-inch howitzer Mk I | |
|---|---|
 In action at Englebelmer Wood, Somme, 7 August 1916 | |
| Type | Heavy siege howitzer |
| Place of origin |
 United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1915 - 1918 |
| Used by | UK and Commonwealth |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Coventry Ordnance Works[1] |
| Designed | 1914 |
| Manufacturer | Coventry Ordnance Works |
| No. built | 12 |
| Variants | Mk I |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 94 tons |
|
| |
| Shell | HE 1,450 lb (657.7 kg)[2] |
| Calibre | 15 inches (381.0 mm) |
| Breech | Welin interrupted screw |
| Recoil | Hydro-spring 31 inches (790 mm) constant[3] |
| Carriage | siege carriage |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,117 ft/s (340 m/s)[3] |
| Maximum firing range | 10,795 yd (9,871 m)[3] |
The Ordnance BL 15-inch howitzer was developed by the Coventry Ordnance Works late in 1914 in response to the success of its design of the 9.2-inch siege howitzer.
History and use[]
The weapon was operated by Royal Marine Artillery detachments of the Naval Brigade, with 1 gun per battery. One gun was sent to Gallipoli but not used there. They were later transferred to the British Army
It operated successfully where it was needed to destroy deep fortifications on the Western Front, but was limited by its relatively short range compared to other modern siege howitzers. The size and weight made it difficult to move and emplace. No further development occurred after the first batch of 12, and instead Britain continued to develop and produce the 12-inch howitzer and 12-inch railway howitzer.
Image gallery[]
See also[]
Weapons of comparable role, performance and era[]
- Škoda 380 mm Model 1916 howitzer Austro-Hungarian equivalent
Notes and references[]
Bibliography[]
- Dale Clarke, British Artillery 1914-1919. Heavy Artillery. Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2005
- I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914-1918. London: Ian Allan, 1972. ISBN 978-0-7110-0381-1
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to BL 15 inch Howitzer. |
- Film clip showing Royal Marine Artillery crew loading and firing the howitzer during the Battle of the Somme
- BL 15 inch Siege Howitzer at Landships
The original article can be found at BL 15-inch howitzer and the edit history here.