QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer - Revision history

HwaNormanby23: rework layout and fixed typos

2025-07-16T20:19:52Z

rework layout and fixed typos

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:49, 17 July 2025
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	\|part_length={{convert\|3\|ft\|7.5\|in\|m\|abbr=on\|sigfig=3}}<ref name=Hogg&Thurston1972page91/>		\|part_length={{convert\|3\|ft\|7.5\|in\|m\|abbr=on\|sigfig=3}}<ref name=Hogg&Thurston1972page91/>
	\|crew=		\|crew=
	\|cartridge=[[Glossary_of_British_ordnance_terms#Separate_QF\|Separate-loading QF]]<br>94 x 92 mm R<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.quarryhs.co.uk/ammotable10.html\|title=78- MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES\|website=www.quarryhs.co.uk\|access-date=2017-10-02}}</ref>		\|cartridge=[[Glossary_of_British_ordnance_terms#Separate_QF\|Separate-loading QF]]<br>94 x 92 mm R<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.quarryhs.co.uk/ammotable10.html\|title=78- MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES\|website=www.quarryhs.co.uk\|access-date=2017-10-02\|archive-date=13 August 2017\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813134712/http://www.quarryhs.co.uk/ammotable10.html\|url-status=dead}}</ref>
	\|cartridge_weight={{convert\|20\|lb\|kg\|abbr=on}} [[British ordnance terms#HE\|HE]], [[Shrapnel shell\|Shrapnel]], Smoke, [[Star shell]], [[HEAT]]		\|cartridge_weight={{convert\|20\|lb\|kg\|abbr=on}} [[British ordnance terms#HE\|HE]], [[Shrapnel shell\|Shrapnel]], Smoke, [[Star shell]], [[HEAT]]
	\|caliber= {{convert\|3.7\|in\|mm\|abbr=on}}		\|caliber= {{convert\|3.7\|in\|mm\|abbr=on}}
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	\|traverse=20° L & R<ref name=Hogg&Thurston1972page91/>		\|traverse=20° L & R<ref name=Hogg&Thurston1972page91/>
	}}		}}

	'''Ordnance, QF 3.7-inch howitzer''' is a [[mountain gun]], used by British and [[Commonwealth of Nations\|Commonwealth]] armies in the [[World War I\|First]] and [[World War II\|Second World Wars]], and between the wars.		'''Ordnance, QF 3.7-inch howitzer''' is a [[mountain gun]], used by British and [[Commonwealth of Nations\|Commonwealth]] armies in the [[World War I\|First]] and [[World War II\|Second World Wars]], and between the wars.

	==History==		==History==
	The [[British Indian Army]] first requested a modern [[mountain gun]] in 1906 to replace the [[BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun]], which had been hastily developed after the [[Second Boer War]], but had several shortcomings. In particular, the shell weight was seen as too light and the gun lacked any recoil absorber or [[British ordnance terms#Recuperator\|recuperator]], meaning the gun had to be relaid after every shell was fired. However, financial constraints delayed production of the 3.7-inch weapon until 1915. As a stop-gap, the barrel of the 10-pounder gun was mounted on an updated carriage to produce the [[2.75 inch Mountain Gun]].		The [[British Indian Army]] first requested a modern [[mountain gun]] in 1906 to replace the [[BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun]], which had been hastily developed after the [[Second Boer War]], but had several shortcomings. In particular, the shell weight was seen as too light, and the gun lacked any recoil absorber or [[British ordnance terms#Recuperator\|recuperator]], meaning the gun had to be relaid after every shell was fired. However, financial constraints delayed production of the 3.7-inch weapon until 1915. As a stop-gap, the barrel of the 10-pounder gun was mounted on an updated carriage to produce the [[2.75 inch Mountain Gun]].

	===First World War===		===First World War===
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	\|caption1 =QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer at [[Bangladesh Military Museum]] used by "Mujib Battery" in 1971 [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].		\|caption1 =QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer at [[Bangladesh Military Museum]] used by "Mujib Battery" in 1971 [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].
	}}		}}
	*[http://www.firepower.org.uk Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich, London]		*[http://www.firepower.org.uk Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich, London] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426223239/http://www.firepower.org.uk/ \|date=26 April 2016 }}
	*1942 Mk I Barrel on Mk II Carriage, at [[Imperial War Museum Duxford]], UK.<ref>{{cite web		*1942 Mk I Barrel on Mk II Carriage, at [[Imperial War Museum Duxford]], UK.<ref>{{cite web
	\|url=http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30025247		\|url=http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30025247
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	==External links==		==External links==
			{{Commons category\|QF 3.7 inch mountain howitzer}}
	* [http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/107972 Handbook of the Q.F., 3.7-inch Mountain Howitzer, Mark I, 1921.] Hosted online by State Library of Victoria, Australia		* [http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/107972 Handbook of the Q.F., 3.7-inch Mountain Howitzer, Mark I, 1921.] Hosted online by State Library of Victoria, Australia
	* [http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/109918 Gun Drill for 3.7-inch Q.F. Howitzer Mark I Carriage Mark I 1921,1923] Hosted online by State Library of Victoria, Australia		* [http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/109918 Gun Drill for 3.7-inch Q.F. Howitzer Mark I Carriage Mark I 1921,1923] Hosted online by State Library of Victoria, Australia

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article

2023-09-07T15:19:49Z

Created a new article

New page

{{Infobox weapon
|name=Ordnance QF 3.7 inch mountain howitzer
| image= QF 3-7inch mountain howitzer duxford.JPG
|caption=A 3.7-inch QF mountain gun.
|type= [[Mountain gun]]
|service= 1917–Present
|wars={{plainlist|
*[[World War I|First World War]]
*[[World War II|Second World War]]
*[[First Arab-Israeli War]]
*[[First Indochina War]]
*[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
*[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
*[[Bangladesh Liberation War]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Victory Day: Enrich knowledge through exploration |url=https://tbsnews.net/bangladesh/victory-day/victory-day-enrich-knowledge-through-exploration-172579 |work=The Business Standard |date=16 December 2020 |access-date=2021-02-18}}</ref>{{better source needed|reason=This citation smacks of citogenesis. Did the newspaper verify, or just parrot Wikipedia? Surely WP:MILMOS#SOURCES exist, or at least cite museum signage.|date=February 2021}}
}}
|designer=
|number=
|length=
|width=
|height=
|diameter=
|action=
| image_size = 300
|origin=[[United Kingdom]]
|is_ranged=
|is_artillery=yes
|is_UK=yes
|used_by= [[Nepal]] (The Nepalese Army still has 90-100 in Service){{when|date=November 2018}}{{cn|date=November 2018}}
|design_date=
|manufacturer=
|unit_cost=
|production_date= 1915–?
|variants=
|weight={{convert|1,610|lb|kg|abbr=on}}<ref name=Hogg&Thurston1972page91/>
|part_length={{convert|3|ft|7.5|in|m|abbr=on|sigfig=3}}<ref name=Hogg&Thurston1972page91/>
|crew=
|cartridge=[[Glossary_of_British_ordnance_terms#Separate_QF|Separate-loading QF]]<br>94 x 92 mm R<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.quarryhs.co.uk/ammotable10.html|title=78- MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES|website=www.quarryhs.co.uk|access-date=2017-10-02}}</ref>
|cartridge_weight={{convert|20|lb|kg|abbr=on}} [[British ordnance terms#HE|HE]], [[Shrapnel shell|Shrapnel]], Smoke, [[Star shell]], [[HEAT]]
|caliber= {{convert|3.7|in|mm|abbr=on}}
|rate=
|velocity={{convert|973|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}<ref name=Hogg&Thurston1972page91/>
|range=
|max_range={{convert|5,900|yd|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=Hogg&Thurston1972page91/>
|feed=
|sights=
|breech=
|recoil=[[British ordnance terms#Hydro-pneumatic|Hydro-pneumatic]], variable, 17.5–35 inch<ref name=Hogg&Thurston1972page91/>
|carriage=Wheeled, [[Gun carriage#Modern gun carriages|split trail]]
|elevation=−5° to +40°<ref name=Hogg&Thurston1972page91>Hogg & Thurston 1972, p. 91</ref>
|traverse=20° L & R<ref name=Hogg&Thurston1972page91/>
}}
'''Ordnance, QF 3.7-inch howitzer''' is a [[mountain gun]], used by British and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] armies in the [[World War I|First]] and [[World War II|Second World Wars]], and between the wars.

==History==
The [[British Indian Army]] first requested a modern [[mountain gun]] in 1906 to replace the [[BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun]], which had been hastily developed after the [[Second Boer War]], but had several shortcomings. In particular, the shell weight was seen as too light and the gun lacked any recoil absorber or [[British ordnance terms#Recuperator|recuperator]], meaning the gun had to be relaid after every shell was fired. However, financial constraints delayed production of the 3.7-inch weapon until 1915. As a stop-gap, the barrel of the 10-pounder gun was mounted on an updated carriage to produce the [[2.75 inch Mountain Gun]].

===First World War===
[[File:Indian Army QF 3.7 inch gun battery Jerusalem 1917.jpg|thumb|left|Indian Army battery, probably 39th, at Jerusalem, December 1917]]
The 3.7-inch howitzer was first introduced in 1917, and was used in action in that year in the [[Mesopotamian Campaign]] (modern Iraq area).

The [[22nd Derajat Mountain Battery (Frontier Force)|22nd (Derajat) Indian Frontier Force mountain battery]] arrived in the [[East African Campaign (World War I)|East Africa campaign]] on 18 December 1916, when they relieved the 28th Battery which returned to India.<ref>Farndale 1988, p. 338</ref> They appear to have re-equipped from the 10-pounder mountain gun to the 3.7-inch howitzer while in East Africa, and first used the new weapon in action in an attack on German positions at Medo, 11 April 1918.<ref>Farndale 1988, p. 351</ref>

{{clear|left}}

===Interwar years===
[[File:3.7inchHowitzersFiringIndia1930.jpg|thumb|left|Indian gun crew firing, India, circa. 1930]]
The 3.7-inch howitzer superseded the 2.75-inch mountain gun following the [[World War I|First World War]]. It was used by mountain artillery regiments of the [[Royal Artillery]] and the [[Royal Indian Artillery|Indian Artillery]], and saw much service on the [[North-West Frontier (military history)#1919.E2.80.931939 .28between the wars.29|North West Frontier]] of India between the wars.
{{clear left}}

===Second World War===
[[File:3.7inchHowitzerInActionMawlu3November1944.jpg|thumb|left|In action in Burma, 3 November 1944]]
During the [[World War II|Second World War]], the weapon equipped artillery units engaged in the [[North African Campaign]] ([[Tunisia]]), the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign]], the [[Kokoda Campaign]], and [[Burma Campaign]], and was also used in the Netherlands and [[Ruhr]] fighting in 1944–45 by units originally destined for mountain warfare in Greece. In the latter theatre, on occasion the gun was dismantled and manually hauled up to the upper floors of buildings to provide close support in urban fighting. A lightened version was used briefly by [[Airborne forces|airborne]] formations. Several were supplied to the French Army after 1945; one is on display at the Vietnam Army Museum in Hanoi while another is displayed at the [[Zone 5 Military Museum, Danang]]. It was also used on Close Support versions of the [[Cruiser Mk I|A9]] and [[Cruiser Mk II|A10]] Cruiser Tanks in place of the standard [[Ordnance QF 2-pounder|2 pounder]], though mostly to fire smoke shells.

During the war the gun, and its ammunition, were also manufactured in other Commonwealth countries, including South Africa, by the ISCOR (Iron and Steel Corporation of South Africa), and India. South Africa also produced modified versions of the gun.<ref name=BA>[http://nigelef.tripod.com/37inchowsheet.htm British Artillery in the Second World War: The 3.7-inch howitzer]</ref>

The gun was finally declared obsolete by the British Army in 1960, although it had not seen service since 1945.
{{clear|left}}

=== Post War ===
After the war, the gun was used by [[French Far East Expeditionary Corps|French forces]] during the [[First Indochina War]]<ref name="Viet Minh">{{cite book|title=French Foreign Légionnaire vs Viet Minh Insurgent: North Vietnam 1948–52|series=Combat 36|first=Martin |last=Windrow|date=20 Sep 2018|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=9781472828910|page=36}}</ref> and by [[India]] during the [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts|Indo-Pakistani wars]] [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|of 1965]] and [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|1971]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Jagjit |year=1994 |title=Indian Gunners at War: The Western Front-1971 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LF9PLnU0zA4C&q=3.7+inch |publisher=Lancer International |pages=48, 50 |isbn=978-1-897829-55-4}}</ref> The "Mujib Battery" of [[Bangladesh]] used this gun in 1971's [[Bangladesh Liberation War]]. They were provided by [[India]] to the [[Mukti Bahini]].{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

==Details==
[[File:QF 3.7 inch howitzer left elevation diagram 1921.jpg|thumb|QF 3.7-inch howitzer left elevation diagram.]]
The weapon was designed to be broken into eight mule loads, for transport over difficult terrain. The heaviest single section is the [[interrupted screw]] breech, which weighs {{convert|247|lb|kg}}. Given an open gun position, a practised crew could have the guns unloaded from the mules, reassembled and deployed ready for action in about two minutes. The 3.7-inch howitzer's adjustable suspension system allowed it to be deployed on almost any position, even those too uneven or with too steep a gradient to allow field artillery to be sited. The process of removing the howitzer from a position and reloading it onto the gun mules involved much more lifting and securing loads than deploying it, but could be accomplished in three minutes in favourable conditions.

The howitzer has a [[Gun carriage#Modern gun carriages|split trail]], the first British weapon to do so, which allows firing at very high angles (a useful feature in mountainous terrain). It also has a large rectangular shield to protect the crew from small-arms fire, but this was often omitted to save weight. When it was first introduced, the howitzer had two wooden wheels and was light enough be towed by two horses. Later marks have pneumatic tyres and could be towed by any light vehicle, such as the [[Bren Carrier]] or [[jeep]].

The propellant casing had five "charge zones", but HE was restricted to no more than "charge four", to prevent premature detonation of the shell. The Australian Army did employ charge five in Papua New Guinea in emergencies – the gun crews referred to it as "O'Hara's charge".

==Ammunition==
<gallery>
File:QF 3.7 inch mountain howitzer cartridge 8 oz 9 drams cordite MD or RDB size 3.75 diagrams.jpg|8 oz 9 dram [[cordite]] [[British ordnance terms#Cartridge|cartridge]]
File:QF 3.7 inch mountain howitzer shrapnel shell diagram.jpg|[[Shrapnel shell]]
File:QF 3.7 inch mountain howitzer HE shell Mark I diagram.jpg|Mark I [[:en:British ordnance terms#HE|HE]] shell
File:QF 3.7 inch mountain howitzer gas shell Mark I diagram.jpg|Mark I gas shell
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[List of mountain artillery]]

==Surviving examples==
{{Multiple image
|align =
|direction = vertical
|width = 220
|image1 = Bangladesh Military Museum - 3.7 inch howitzer (03).jpg
|caption1 =QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer at [[Bangladesh Military Museum]] used by "Mujib Battery" in 1971 [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].
}}
*[http://www.firepower.org.uk Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich, London]
*1942 Mk I Barrel on Mk II Carriage, at [[Imperial War Museum Duxford]], UK.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30025247
|title=QF 3.7in Mountain Howitzer Mk I (ORD 137)
|year=2013
|work=IWM Collections Search
|author=Imperial War Museum
|access-date=10 March 2013}}</ref>
*[[Bangladesh Military Museum]], [[Dhaka]]
*[[Israel Defense Forces History Museum]] (Batey ha-Osef Museum), [[Tel Aviv]]
*[http://www.armymuseum.co.nz/ Army Memorial Museum, Waiouru, New Zealand]
*Vietnam Army Museum, Hanoi
*[[Zone 5 Military Museum, Danang]]
*The [[War Museum of Athens]]
*Example at GEM Homes, Johannesburg South Africa, to be restored shortly (pictures to follow)
*Example at Lenz Military Base, Johannesburg, South Africa, to be restored soon. (pictures to follow)
*Outside the Military Police Brigade HQ at Camp Cropper Iraq. (as of Jun 2008)

==Notes and references==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book| last=Farndale| first=General Sir Martin| author-link=Martin Farndale| title=History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. The Forgotten Fronts and the Home Base, 1914-18| location=London| publisher=The Royal Artillery Institution| year=1988| isbn=978-1-870114-05-9}}
* {{cite book| last1=Hogg| first1=Ian V.| author-link1=Ian V. Hogg| last2=Thurston| first2=L.F. |title=British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914 – 1918| location=London| publisher=Ian Allan| year=1972| isbn=978-0-7110-0381-1}}
* {{cite book| last=Gower| first=S. N.| author-link=Steve Gower|title=Guns of the Regiment| location=Canberra| publisher=Australian War Memorial| year=1981| isbn=978-0-642-89688-9}}

==External links==

* [http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/107972 Handbook of the Q.F., 3.7-inch Mountain Howitzer, Mark I, 1921.] Hosted online by State Library of Victoria, Australia
* [http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/109918 Gun Drill for 3.7-inch Q.F. Howitzer Mark I Carriage Mark I 1921,1923] Hosted online by State Library of Victoria, Australia
*[http://riv.co.nz/rnza/hist/local/qf37in.htm W L Ruffel, QF 3.7-inch howitzer]
*[http://nigelef.tripod.com/37inchowsheet.htm British Artillery in World War 2, Data Sheet - Ordnance, Q.F. 3.7-inch Howitzer]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090219124649/http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/guns/ ra39-45.pwp]
*[http://www.landships.info/landships/artillery_articles.html?load=/landships/artillery_articles/3_75_Mountain_Gun.html 3.7-inch mountain howitzer at Landships]

{{GreatWarBritishWeapons}}
{{WWIIBritishCommGuns}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:QF 03.7 inch mountain howitzer}}
[[Category:World War I howitzers]]
[[Category:World War I artillery of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:World War II artillery of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Mountain artillery]]
[[Category:World War I mountain artillery]]
[[Category:World War II mountain artillery]]
[[Category:94 mm artillery]]