The Ordnance QF 4.5-inch howitzer was a British, 114.3-mm artillery piece fielded by the British Expeditionary Force during World War I & II. Introduced in 1908, it would be massively produced, with a total of 3,359 pieces built, and it would become the standard field howitzer of the British, Australian, and New Zealander Army. It was also used by both the British and Imperial Czarist forces during the Russian Civil War, which ensued the 1917 October Revolution. During WWII, in June 1940, when the Germans had invaded France, many QF 4.5-inch howitzers employed by the BEF were lost to the Wehrmacht. During the same armed conflict, it was also fielded by the British and Commonwealth forces deployed in East Africa fighting against the Italian Army. The letters 'QF' stands for quick firing.
Technical Description
The QF 4.5-inch howitzer was designed as a replacement to the Ordnance BL 5-inch howitzer, which had been fielded by the British Empire during the Second Boer War. The new artillery piece had a faster rate of fire and it was also easier to mount, charge, and fire as it employed a 16-kg (35-lb), High Explosive shell. Mounted on the gun cradle, the 5-ft (1.5-m) long barrel was fitted with a horizontal sliding block breech, which consisted of a steel block that slid into a rectangular recess in the breech ring before firing. The howitzer carriage was conceived to be towed behind a two-wheeled cart by a team of six horses. The gun was fitted with a limited traverse saddle, which supported the elevation system and shield. It was fitted with hydro-pneumatic recoil system, which allowed the barrel to slide back to its position after firing.
Specifications
Type: field howitzer
Weight: 1,370 kg (3,010-lb)
Caliber: 114.3-mm (4.5 inches)
Length: 2.7 m (9 feet)
Barrel Length: 1.5 m (5 feet)
Recoil System: hydro-pneumatic
Breech Type: horizontal sliding block
Elevation: -5° to +45°
Traverse: 3° left and right
Shell: 16 kg (35-lb)
Rate of Fire: 4 rounds per minute
Muzzle Velocity: 308 m/s
Maximum Range: 6,200 m (6,800 yards)
Crew: 6
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| Above, Australian soldiers operating the QF 4.5-inch howitzer during the Battle of the Somme, WWI. |
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| The howitzer on exhibition in the War Museum, Canberra, Australia. |
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| The horizontal sliding block type breech employed on the QF 4.5-inch. |