| Ordnance QF 12 pounder 8 cwt | |
|---|---|
 Royal Navy gun and crew, late 1890s | |
| Type | Light field gun |
| Place of origin |
 United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| Used by | British Empire |
| Wars |
Second Boer War World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designed | circa. 1894 |
| Specifications | |
| Barrel length | 84 inch bore (28 calibres)[1] |
|
| |
| Shell | Separate QF, 12.5 pounds (5.67 kg) Shrapnel, Common Lyddite |
| Calibre | 3-inch (76.2 mm) |
| Carriage | Wheeled, box trail |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,585 feet per second (483 m/s)[2] |
| Maximum firing range | 5,100 yards (4,660 m)[2] |
The Ordnance QF 12 pounder 8 cwt was a Royal Navy "landing gun" intended for navy use ashore. "8 cwt" refers to the weight of the gun and breech, approximately 8 cwt = 8 x 112 lb (51 kg) = 896 lb. This was how the British often differentiated between guns of the same calibre or weight of shell. This gun had a short barrel and was of relatively low power compared to the 12 pounders of 12 and 18 cwt, although it fired the same shells.
History[]
The Navy eventually replaced the gun with the 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer.[3]
Combat use[]
Second Boer War[]
The gun was used in the early stages of the Second Boer War in Natal.[4]
World War I[]
Guns were employed on land in the West Africa campaign.
Also employed in the East Africa campaign ("Logan's Battery" 6th Field Battery, 2 guns, towed first by Hupmobile cars and then REO lorries).[5] This gun was briefly used in the Battle of Gallipoli, as the Navy had supplies of ammunition for it when the army was short of ammunition for its own guns. Several guns were landed in July 1915 and operated from frontline trenches.[3]
Surviving examples[]
There is a Surviving example held & maintained at Devonport Field Gun Association Heritage Centre & Museum at Crownhill Fort, Plymouth.Access to view can be got through their web site http://www.devonport-command-fieldgun.co.uk
See also[]
- This cannon is the type used in the famous British Royal Navy Field Gun Runs.
In popular culture[]
- The RN Field Gun may be seen 'in action' in the 1957 film "Yangtse Incident", when a group of these guns was used on the banks of the River Orwell to depict Chinese PLA gun batteries on the North bank of the Yangtze, which fired on HMS Amethyst as she steamed up to Nanking in April 1949.
Notes and references[]
Bibliography[]
- Text Book of Gunnery, 1902. LONDON : PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, BY HARRISON AND SONS, ST. MARTIN'S LANE
- Dale Clarke, British Artillery 1914-1919. Field Army Artillery. Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2004 ISBN 1-84176-688-7
- General Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery : Forgotten Fronts and the Home Base 1914-18. Royal Artillery Institution, London, 1988. ISBN 1-870114-05-1
- Major Darrell Hall, "Guns in South Africa 1899-1902 Part III and IV" The South African Military History Society Military History Journal - Vol 2 No 2, December 1971
- Major Darrell Hall, "THE NAVAL GUNS IN NATAL 1899-1902" The South African Military History Society Military History Journal - Vol 4 No 3, June 1978
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to QF 12 pounder 8 cwt. |
- YouTube Running with 3/4 Soddin Ton! RN team practice with QF 12 pdr for Navy Gun Run
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The original article can be found at Ordnance QF 12-pounder 8 cwt and the edit history here.