Ordnance QF 13 pounder
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| Ordnance QF 13 pounder | |
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 QF 13 pdr gun at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa |
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| Type | Light field gun |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1904 - present (UK) |
| Used by | British Empire |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Number built | 416[1] |
| Variants | Mk I, Mk II |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | Barrel & breech 685 pounds (311 kg); Total 2,236 pounds (1,014 kg)[2] |
| Barrel length | Bore 68.92 inches (1.751 m); Total 73.26 inches (1.861 m)[2] |
| Crew | 9[2] |
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| Shell | QF fixed round 12.5 pounds (5.67 kg) Shrapnel, later HE |
| Calibre | 3-inch (76.2 mm) |
| Recoil | Hydro-spring, constant, 41 inches (1,040 mm)[2] |
| Carriage | wheeled, pole trail |
| Elevation | -5° - 16°[2] |
| Traverse | 4° L & R[2] |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,675 feet per second (511 m/s)[2] |
| Maximum range | 5,900 yards (5,390 m)[1] |
The Ordnance QF 13-pounder quick-firing field gun was the standard equipment of the British Royal Horse Artillery at the outbreak of World War I.
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[edit] History
It was developed as a response to combat experience gained in the Boer War and entered service in 1904, replacing the Ehrhard QF 15 pounder and BL 12 pounder 6 cwt. It was intended as a rapid-firing and highly-mobile yet reasonably powerful field gun for Royal Horse Artillery batteries attached to Cavalry divisions, which were expected to be engaged in mobile open warfare.
The original Mk I barrel was wire wound.[2] Later Mk II barrels had a tapered inner A tube [1] which was pressed into the outer tube.
It saw action most famously at the Battle of Le Cateau in August 1914 as the British Expeditionary Force retreated from Mons.
It was used to great effect by "L" Bty, Royal Horse Artillery in its famous defensive action on September 1 1914 at Néry, France, for which 3 Victoria Crosses were awarded. The medals and No. 6 gun involved in this action are exhibited at the Imperial War Museum, London.
From late 1914, when the Western Front settled into trench warfare, the 13-pounder was found to be too light to be truly effective against prepared defensive positions. As a result, it was increasingly supplanted by the 18-pounder.
As the war progressed, however, the increasing air activity created a requirement for a medium anti-aircraft gun. Redundant 13-pounders were slightly modified to become "Ordnance QF 13 pdr Mk III" and mounted on high-angle mounts to produce what became known as the 13 pounder 6 cwt anti-aircraft gun.
For combat purposes the gun is long obsolete, yet it remains in service with the King's Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery for ceremonial and salute purposes.[1]
[edit] Ammunition
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234 balls, 41/lb[2] |
Shell contained 9oz 4dr (262 gm) Amatol explosive (white area). Cartridge held 1 lb 3.9 oz (536 gm) Cordite propellant (simulated with bundle of cut string)[2] |
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b c d Dale Clarke, British Artillery 1914-1919. Field Army Artillery. Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2004
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914-1918. published by Ian Allan, London, 1972. page 58
[edit] See also
- Edward Kinder Bradbury
- George Thomas Dorrell
- David Nelson
- List of artillery#Towed howitzers and field guns
[edit] Surviving examples
- The Néry Gun at Imperial War Museum Victoria Cross and George Cross Gallery, London
- Ammunition wagon of L Battery, at Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England
- No. 4 gun of E Battery RHA, which fired the first British round of WWI on the Western Front. At Imperial War Museum, Manchester
- Canadian War Museum, Ottawa
- Musee des Abris, Albert, France. (Mk. 2)
[edit] External links
- The Néry Gun at Imperial War Museum Victoria Cross and George Cross Gallery
- Per Finsted, The Affair at Néry, 1 September 1914. With map, illustrations and photographs of gun and ammunition wagon
- Chris Baker, The British artillery weapons of 1914-1918
