Ordnance BLC 15 pounder

The Ordnance BLC 15 pounder gun (BLC stood for BL Converted) was a modernised version of the obsolete BL 15 pounder 7 cwt gun, incorporating a recoil and recuperator mechanism above the barrel and modified quicker-opening breech. It was developed to provide Territorial Force artillery brigades with a reasonably modern field gun without incurring the expense of equipping them with the modern 18 pounder. It is the gun which writers usually mean by "15 pounder gun" in World War I, but can be confused with the earlier Ordnance QF 15 pounder which fired the same shell.

History

Many modifications were made to the old 15 pounder barrels to adapt them to a new carriage with a recoil buffer and recuperator above the barrel similar to the modern 13 pounder design. Previously the barrels had been mounted directly on the carriage by trunnions. Now the barrel was suspended from a forged-steel inverted U-shaped cradle which had trunnions to attach it to the carriage. The trunnions, sight brackets and elevating gear attachment lugs were removed from the barrel. The radial T-vent hole on top was plugged, holes in the jacket passing through the trunnion centres were sealed with screwed steel plugs, and the holes in the hood for fitting tangent sights were plugged with white metal alloy.

The 3-motion breech was replaced by a single-motion interrupted screw breech which had an axial T vent running through it into the chamber, designed to take a T friction tube.

The new firing mechanism involved a new "push" type T friction tube which was inserted into the axial breech vent. The crosspiece of the T was positioned pointing upwards. A long layer's guard was added to the left side of the cradle projecting behind the breech. A spring-loaded firing handle was built into the layer's guard. When cocked by pulling back and then released, it sprang forward and struck a firing lever on the breech, which translated the forward motion to a downward motion and propelled a firing plunger into the T of the friction tube which in turn ignited the cordite propellant charge.

Combat service

The weapon was used by British Territorial Force and New Army, and Canadian, infantry divisions in all theatres of World War I until replaced by the 18 pounder from 1916 onwards.

10th Battery of the Royal Canadian Field Artillery (RCFA), equipped with 4 guns, fought a notable action in the evening of 22 April 1915 north of St Julien to hold the left of the British line where the German infantry was breaking through following their gas attack on the first day of the Second Battle of Ypres.^[3] Hence when skillfully utilised in the role it was intended for - against troops in the open - the gun was still effective despite being obsolete. Where infantry avoided being caught in the open the guns were of limited use due to their light shell.

After they became redundant, from late 1916 some were retained in fixed positions on the Western Front as anti-tank guns, freeing up modern guns for their usual duties.^[4]

Number 1 15 Pounder Camel Battery RGA (today's 21 (Air Assault) Battery) served with 6 guns with the Indian Expeditionary Force in the Aden hinterland from 1915–1918 during the South Arabia campaign, to defend the important port at Aden against any Turkish advance. In July 1915 actions were fought in initially losing and then regaining the British advanced post at Sheik Othman controlling the water supply to Aden.^[5] Sgt Curtis was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for saving his gun in these actions^[6] (presumably the first, in which 2 guns were lost). The Camel Battery was present when the British captured Hatum in January 1918.

Ammunition

See also

• 7.7 cm FK 96 n.A. : German equivalent
• 3-inch M1902 field gun : US equivalent
• List of field guns

Surviving examples

• Royal Australian Artillery Museum, North Head, Sydney, Australia

Notes and references

1. ^ Clarke 2004, page 37. 536 were supplied to Territorial Force brigades. Clarke states that 50 were supplied to Italy during WWI, presumably out of the above as they were replaced by 18 pounders.
2. ^ ^{a b} Hogg and Thurston 1972, Page 75
3. ^ Farndale 1986, page 95
4. ^ Clarke 2004, Page 13
5. ^ Farndale 1988, Page 357
6. ^ 21 (Air Assault) Battery - History

Bibliography

• Dale Clarke, British Artillery 1914-1919. Field Army Artillery. Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2004 ISBN 1 84176 688 7
• Mark Connelly, The British Campaign in Aden, 1914-1918. Journal of the Centre for First World War Studies, 2:1 (2005) 65–96.
• General Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. Western Front 1914-18. London: Royal Artillery Institution, 1986 ISBN 1 870114 00 0
• General Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery : Forgotten Fronts and the Home Base 1914-18. London:The Royal Artillery Institution, 1988. ISBN 1 870114 05 1
• I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914-1918. London: Ian Allan, 1972

External links