60 pounder
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 60 Pounder MK II | |
|---|---|
 A 60-pounder at full recoil. In action at Cape Helles during the Battle of Gallipoli, June 1915. |
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| Type | medium field gun |
| Place of origin | UK |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1918 - 1944 |
| Used by | UK and Commonwealth |
| Wars | WWI, WWII |
| Production history | |
| Number built | ? |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 5,400 |
| Barrel length | 37 |
| Crew | ? |
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| Shell | HE |
| Caliber | 127 mm |
| Carriage | Wheeled, fixed trail |
| Rate of fire | ? |
| Muzzle velocity | 648 |
| Effective range | 15 km |
The British 60-pounder was a medium 5 inch (127 mm) howitzer designed in 1904. The 60-pounder was the mainstay of British medium artillery during the First World War, being operated by batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery and used mainly for counter-battery fire. It could fire a 60 lb (27.3 kg) shell 10,300 yards (9.4 km). Weighing 4.4 tonnes, the 60-pounder required a team of 12 horses to move it. The Mark II that came in from 1918 was modified with a new carriage and breech which added another tonne to the gun's all-up weight such that it could only be towed by a caterpillar tractor. The gun was one of two types that could be carried by the Gun Carrier Mark I.
The 60-pounder remained in use by the British Army until 1944, though its last combat action was in the Western Desert.
[edit] See also
| British and Commonwealth artillery of World War II | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Tank & anti-tank guns
Field, Medium and Heavy guns
Mountain guns
Anti-aircraft guns
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