British 6inch Gun

[George Moore]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Cliff

The short answer is yes.

The 'Howitzer, BL, 6 inch, 26 cwt' (to use the short form or ... 'Ordnance BL 6 inch 26 cwt Howitzer Mk.1 on Carriage Mks 1 or 1(P) or 1(R) or 1(PA) or 1(P)(Aust)' to use the long forms.)

Small number held in Aust prior to the war. Wartime holdings delivered direct from the UK, others from the Middle East, so the ones in the image may well have ended up in Australia.

Superseded by the 5.5 inch BL Howitzer, which remained in service post war.


Mike C

Interesting,
I did quite a bit of research on the gun for the master for the Resicast kit.
I'm intrigued by your ref 1(P) Aust. So there was an Oz version, can you enlighten me on the changes there may have been.
I have details from the 1919, 1924 and 1937 manuals ex Firepower Museum at Woolwich. I know the carriage remained the same pretty much throughout with changes to the towing eye, from a cast eye, then a short attachment bolted through the existin eye, later a whole new assembly and longer towing bar.
Wheels were another issue, spoked artillery type, then fitted with "shoes" and again a wider "ring" of felloes bolted to the wheel rim, others had a solid rubber tyre fitted to the original spoked wheel. Pneumatic tyres fitted to inter-war guns had a "Martin Parry" type adaptor to the axletree, then late guns had a revised axle to use the 13.50 x 20 tyres.
Interwar on those with the solid rubber tyre, and some fitted with the wider "ring" also had a central brake drum.
I am slowly gathering info in the hope of writing a small article on thge gun for a modelling magazine.

George.