2.75 inch Mountain Gun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ordnance BL 2.75 inch mountain gun | |
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 Men of the 4th (Highland) Mountain Brigade with 2.75-inch (70 mm) mountain gun, Kamberli, Salonika front, June 1918. Contributed by Mike Morrison |
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| Type | Mountain artillery |
| Place of origin | India/UK |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1914 - 1919 |
| Used by |  United Kingdom India |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Number built | 183 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 586 kg (1292 lb) |
| Barrel length | 72.5 inch |
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| Shell | separate loading BL, 5.67 kg (12.5 lb) |
| Caliber | 70 mm |
| Recoil | Hydro-spring, constant, 38 inches |
| Carriage | wheeled,single pole trail |
| Elevation | -15° - 22° |
| Traverse | 4° L & R |
| Muzzle velocity | 1290 ft/s |
| Maximum range | 5,600 yds (shrapnel; 5,800 yds (HE) |
The Ordnance BL 2.75 inch Mountain Gun was a screw gun designed for and used by the Indian Mountain Artillery into World War I.
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[edit] Description
The gun was an improved version of the 1901 BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun.
The new 1911 version improved on the 1901 gun with a new pole trail, recoil buffer, recuperator and gunshield, and increased shell weight from 10 to 12.5 lb (5.7 kg). It was a screw gun design, where the barrel could be separated into two parts via a screw joint. This allowed for the gun to have a heavier barrel, but still be broken into smaller portions for transport by mule teams. This was important for a weapon designed to be used in mountainous and rough terrain, or where adequate vehicle and horse transport was not readily available. The weapon could be carried by 6 mules or towed.
[edit] Service History
The gun was adopted in 1911 and began entering service in 1914.
The weapon served primarily with the Indian Mountain Artillery in the northwest portion of British Indian territory (on what is now the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan) and participated in British-led military action in that theatre.
It also served in Mesopotamia and the Salonika front during World War I.
It was superseded at the end of World War I by the 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer.
[edit] Ammunition
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[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and References
- Dale Clarke, British Artillery 1914-1919. Field Army Artillery. Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2004
- Hogg, Ian; 2000; Twentieth Century Artillery; Amber Books, Ltd., ISBN 1-58663-299-X
- I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition. London: Ian Allan, 1972
