BL 7.2 inch Howitzer Mk.I

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BL 7.2 inch Howitzer Mk.I
7.2-inch howitzer of 51st Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery, France, 2 September 1944
Type	Howitzer
Place of origin	United Kingdom

The BL 7.2 inch Howitzer Mk.I and subsequent marks were a series of heavy artillery pieces designed by the United Kingdom at the start of World War II. The 7.2 inch (183 mm) was not a new design, but instead a re-lined version of the 8 inch (203 mm) howitzers dating from World War I. The weapons were a stop-gap measure to meet the urgent need for heavy artillery faced by the Allies early in World War II.

However, they managed to preform relatively well, and were kept in service by the British until the end of the war, in their AGRA Units as parts of "Heavy" regiments to provide heavy fire support for British and Commonwealth troops.

[edit] See also

• List of artillery

British and Commonwealth artillery of World War II

Tank & anti-tank guns QF 2 pounder | QF 6 pounder | OQF 75 mm (tank only) | QF 17 pounder | 77 mm HV (tank only) Field, Medium and Heavy guns QF 18 pounder | 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer | QF 4.5 inch Howitzer | 25 pounder Gun-Howitzer Australian 25 pounder Short | BL 60 pounder gun | 4.5 inch Medium Field Gun 5.5 inch Medium Gun | 6 inch Howitzer | 7.2 inch Howitzer | 8 inch Howitzer | 9.2 inch gun Mountain guns 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer Anti-aircraft guns 20 mm Oerlikon | 20 mm Polsten | 40 mm Bofors | QF 3 inch | QF 3.7 inch