Ordnance BL 12-inch (Rail)

History

Large-caliber artillery was commonplace in World War I (1914-1918) due to the proliferation of tight defensive structures upon which all sides relied. Siege warfare is still active, and these massive creations are used to rout enemy troops and smash buildings, preventing their reuse in the long run.

Like the Germans, the British developed several types of railroad artillery, with large-caliber artillery systems carried by sophisticated railroad infrastructure provided by France, Belgium, and elsewhere. One of them became the 12-inch BL Railroad Howitzer - and an indirect fire system, which has been in use since 1916. 81 of these firearms were produced in the service of war for three different but related brands - Mark I, Mark III and Mark V (Mark II and Mark V designate firearms developed for British Wartime Homeland Defence) .

The design and manufacture of these units belongs to the Elswick Ordnance Company (EOC) (which will eventually be named under the Armstrong Whitworth brand at a later date).

The 12-inch howitzer fires 750-pound 305-mm high-explosive (HE) shells at speeds ranging from 1,175 to 1,468 feet per second, depending on the type of gun used. Effective range up to 15,000 yards (again, depending on model). As complete systems, they require significant human and rail resources to function, but their battlefield lethality is unmatched.

Artillery caused more deaths and damage to tanks in war than any other weapon used.

The three designs are slightly different: the Mark I appeared in March 1916 with a shorter barrel than its sister, while the heat exchanger/spout cylinder was mounted above the barrel assembly. The Mark III was followed by a heavier breech section to counter the inherently violent force and improve the basic balance of the weapon. In July 1917, the Mark V arrived, moving the recoverer under the barrel for more natural placement and less breech weight. To compensate for this, an integrated crew platform was added that rotates with the gun platform and provides a 120-degree traverse. The BL 12" Railroad Howitzer was operated by members of the Royal Garrison Artillery during the war - which ended with the armistice in November 1918.

After the war, many were abandoned.

Their official British Army name is "Ordnance BL 12 inch Howitzer on Truck, Railway". There is also a drag-and-drop version, described in a separate entry on this website.

Spec Ordnance BL 12" (rail)

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on the ammunition carrier.

Changes