| BL 6 inch 26 cwt Howitzer | |
|---|---|
 A 6 inch 26 cwt on World War II pneumatic tyres at the Royal Artillery Museum. | |
| Type | Medium howitzer |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1916 to 1945 |
| Used by | United Kingdom Canada Union of South Africa Australia New Zealand Italy Netherlands Belgium Greece Russian Empire Portugal Estonian Republic |
| Wars | World War I World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Vickers |
| Designed | 1915 |
| Manufacturer | Vickers, Beardmore, Coventry Ordnance Works, Woolwich Ordnance Factory, Midvale Steel Company |
| Produced | 1915 - ? |
| No. built | 3,633 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Barrel: 2,856 lb (1,295 kg) Total: 8,142 lb (3,693 kg)[1] |
| Length | 21 ft 7 in (6.58 m) |
| Barrel length | Bore: 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Total: 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) L/13.3 |
| Width | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Crew | 10 |
| Shell | Gas Incendiary High explosive |
| Shell weight | WWI: 100 pounds (45.4 kg) WWII: 86 pounds (39.0 kg) |
| Calibre | 6 in (152.4 mm) |
| Breech | Welin screw |
| Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic, variable |
| Carriage | Box trail |
| Elevation | 0° to +45° |
| Traverse | 4° L & R |
| Rate of fire | Max: 2 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | Max: 1,400 ft/s (430 m/s) |
| Maximum firing range | WWI 100 pounds (45.4 kg) shell : 9,500 yards (8,700 m) WWII 86 pounds (39.0 kg) shell : 11,400 yards (10,400 m)[2] |
| Sights | Calibrating (1930s) & reciprocating |
The Ordnance BL 6 inch 26cwt howitzer was a British howitzer used during World War I and World War II. The qualifier "26cwt" refers to the weight of the barrel and breech together which weighed 26 long hundredweight (1.3 t).
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Hogg&Thurston1972Page126-127was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Clarke page 37 quotes 9,500 and 11,400 yd (10,400 m); General Farndale page 129-130 quotes a range of 9,800 yd (9,000 m) for the WWI 2 c.r.h. shell, with a range of 12,500 yd (11,400 m) for the later 5/10 c.r.h. shell. The longer ranges were obtained with the 86 lb (39 kg) Mk 2D 5/10 c.r.h. shell with an augmenting ("Super") charge.