| BL 9.2-inch howitzer | |
|---|---|
 Australian Battery of 9.2 inch Mark I howitzers in action at Fricourt during the Battle of the Somme, August 1916. | |
| Type | Heavy siege howitzer |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1914–1919 |
| Used by | United Kingdom Australia Canada United States Belgium Russian Empire[1] |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Mk I: Coventry Ordnance Works Mk II: Vickers |
| Designed | 1913 |
| Manufacturer | Vickers, Bethlehem Steel |
| Produced | 1914–1918 |
| No. built | All Mks equivalent to 632 complete equipments plus 43 ordnances[2] (UK contracts) |
| Variants | Mk I, Mk II |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Mk II Body, cradle & ordnance only 5 tons 17 cwt[3] |
| Barrel length | 10 ft 1 in (3 m) (Mk I) 13 ft 3 in (4 m) (Mk II)[3] |
| Shell | HE 290 lb (130 kg) |
| Caliber | 9.2-inch (233.7 mm) |
| Breech | Welin breech block with Smith-Asbury mechanism |
| Recoil | Variable Hydro-pneumatic 23-40 inches (MK I) 20-44 inches (MK II) |
| Carriage | Siege carriage |
| Elevation | 15°–55° (Mk I) 15°–50° (Mk II)[4] |
| Traverse | 30° L & R |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,187 ft/s (362 m/s) (Mk I) 1,600 ft/s (490 m/s) (Mk II)[5] |
| Maximum firing range | 10,060 yd (9,200 m) (Mk. I) 13,935 yd (12,742 m) (Mk. II)[4] |
The Ordnance BL 9.2-inch howitzer was a heavy siege howitzer that formed the principal counter-battery equipment of British forces in France in World War I. It equipped a substantial number of siege batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery. During World War II a limited number were used in the Battle of France, with the remainder being kept in the United Kingdom.
- ^ Official History of the Ministry of Munitions Vol X The Supply of Munitions Part 1 Guns, Chap V The Manufacture and repair of Guns, Sect V Supply of the Main Types (g) 9.2-in Howitzer
- ^ Official History of the Ministry of Munitions Vol X The Supply of Munitions Part 1 Guns, Appendix Deliveries to Service of Guns and Carriages from Aug 1914 to Dec 1918 (a) New Guns and Carriages
- ^ a b Handbook for the B.L. 9.2-inch Mks I & II Howitzers on Mks I & II Carriages (Land Service 1931
- ^ a b Hogg & Thurston 1972, pp. 161, 162
- ^ Hogg & Thurston 1972, pp. 161, 162 quote 1,600 ft/s (490 m/s) for Mk II in WWI British service. US Army manual May 1920 quotes 1,500 ft/s (460 m/s) Mk II, pp. 295, 303.
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