BL 8 inch Howitzer
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| BL 8 inch Howitzer | |
|---|---|
| Type | howitzer |
| Place of origin | UK |
| Service history | |
| In service | to 1943 |
| Wars | World War I, World War II |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3.4 tonnes |
| Barrel length | 17.3 |
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| Shell | HE |
| Caliber | 8 in (203 mm) |
| Recoil | Muzzle-brake |
| Muzzle velocity | 457 m/s |
The BL 8-Inch howitzer was a British artillery piece of the First and Second World Wars.
The 8 inch was a common gun during the Great War. By the start of World War II some were still in use and were used in France in May to June 1940. After the Fall of France, remaining guns were used for training only. The advent of the BL 7.2-Inch howitzer meant that they had all been cannibalized for their mounts by 1942. With no guns left they were not surprisingly declared obsolete by July 1943. At that point the 8 inch howitzer dropped from the service of the British Army until in the Cold war artillery units were equipped with the M110 self-propelled howitzer with an 8 inch gun that was a descendant of some World War I guns that were supplied to the US.
| 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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