Ordnance QF 18 pounder
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| QF 18 pounder (Mark IV) | |
|---|---|
 A late-model 18-pounder being used for training in 1938 |
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| Type | field gun |
| Place of origin | UK |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1918 - 1942 |
| Used by | British Empire |
| Wars | WW1 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 1.282 tonnes |
| Barrel length | 29.7 |
| Crew | ? |
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| Shell | HE, Gas, Shrapnel HE shell 18.5 lb, including case 23 lb |
| Calibre | 3.3 inch, 84 mm |
| Carriage | wheeled, fixed trail, |
| Rate of fire | 30 rpm (max), 10 rpm practical |
| Muzzle velocity | ? |
| Effective range | 9,300 yards, 8.5 km |
The 18-pounder Gun was the larger of the standard British Army field guns of the Great War era. It remained in service through the interwar period but was replaced during the Second World War.
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[edit] History
Introduced along with the smaller but otherwise similar 13-pounder in 1904, the 18-pounder was found in use on all fronts during the war. Put into reserve during the inter-war era, some were converted into the famed 25 Pounder design, while many others were re-activated for training or coastal defence.
The original design, officially known as the Ordnance Quick Firing 18-pounder Mark I, was quickly replaced in production by the "rationalized" Mark II for better mass production. Experiments led to Mark III that was not produced. Mark I and II guns were still in use in the post-war era, and some even saw combat in the Far East in WWII.
The major variant was the Mark IV, which started testing in 1916 and reached the battlefield in 1918. The new "Ashbury breech" allowed for higher rates of fire. In 1926, some of these were experimentally fitted on a tracked vehicle as self-propelled artillery, but the resulting Mark V was not used operationally. In the early 1930s many of the surviving Mk. IV's were converted into 25-pounders, while earlier weapons were not bothered with.
[edit] Combat use
During the First world war, the 18 pounder was operated by the Royal Field Artillery along with the 13-pounder.
The 18 pdr was used by the BEF in 1940, briefly in North Africa, and in the Far East until replaced by the QF 25 pounder.
[edit] Extended specification
- Gun
- Length: 9 ft 6 in
- weight: 9 cwt
- Rifling: 18 grooves
- Twist: 1 in 30
- Carriage
- weight: 24 cwt
- Width: 6 ft 3 in
- recoil: 41 in
- Elevation: -5 to +16 degrees
- Gunshield: proof against shrapnel and rifle fire (500 yds)
- Limber
- Capacity: 24 shells
- weight: 14 cwt
- Ammunition
- Shrapnel: 364 balls, 41 balls to pound
- Round length: (Shell and case) 22 in
[edit] See also
| British and Commonwealth artillery of World War II | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Tank & anti-tank guns
Field, Medium and Heavy guns
Mountain guns
Anti-aircraft guns
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