BL 60 Pounder Gun

The BL 60 pounder gun (Ordnance BL 60-pdr) was a heavy field gun, which was in service with the British Army between 1905 and 1944. It was the main field artillery piece of the British Expeditionary Force during World War I, as it was employed at Ypres, the Somme, Gallipoli, and other major battlefields. During World War II, it would be used in Europe and North Africa. In all, 1,756 60-pdr guns were built. During the war, an alteration in the shape of the shell extended the gun range from 10,300 yards to 12,300 yards.

The BL 60 pounder gun had been designed in 1903 and approved for service in 1905 as the Mk I. On the outbreak of WW1, a new Mk II carriage was designed. Although the new design was quicker and easier to produce, it added an extra ton to the equipment weight. However, when it was found that if the barrel could be disconnected from the recuperator and slid back to its recoil position when moving, lighter wheels and axle could be used. This is how the Mark III was developed.

Specifications

Type: heavy field gun

Weight: 4 tons

Caliber: 127-mm (5 inches)

Barrel Length: 4.67 m (15 ft, 4 in) in Mk II

Ammunition Type: separate loading BL

Recoil: hydro-pneumatic

Elevation: -4 to +35 degrees (Mk.II)

Traverse: 4 degrees

Muzzle Velocity: 650 m/s (2,130 ft/s)

Maximum Range: 12,300 yards (9,400 m)

Below, the BL 60 pounder gun (Mk II) in action, in Tobruk, North Africa, 1941.

Below, the Ordnance BL 60-pdr, Mk I, in WW1.