60-Pounder BL Mk I Field Gun

[David]

the Cannon itself

The 60-pounder was one of the most modern guns used by the British at the outset World War One. It had been introduced in 1904, after bitter experience during the Boer War had showed the British the need for a heavy, long-range support weapon. The design was pretty standard, except that the gun and cradle could be pulled back onto the box trail, to distribute the weight more evenly during transport. The 127mm gun could shoot a 27.3kg shell (shrapnel or HE) some 9.4km. The Divisional Heavy Batteries were armed with the 60-pounder. The performance of the 60-pounder was also improved over the years. This was done mainly by using better munitions, e.g. more aerodynamically shaped shell. This improved the range up to 11.2km. (In 1916 a new barrel was designed, that was both longer and could be elevated more. This was the Mk II. The alterations made the gun heavier, but increased the range even more, now up til 14.1km. This model did however not see service in World War One.) Also both the carriage and especially the wheels were altered during the war, improving the maneuverability of a pretty heavy gun. (it's weight was 4.47 tons.) The general soundness of the design is showed by the fact that it was used well into World War Two.

60-pounder walk-around