BL 60-pounder gun
| Company type | Heavy field artillery |
|---|---|
| Industry | Military artillery |
| Founded | 1903–1905 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Heavy field gun (5 inch / 127 mm calibre) |
The Ordnance BL 60-pounder[lower-alpha 1] was a British heavy field artillery piece with a calibre of five inches (127 mm), developed between 1903 and 1905 to fulfill a role that had been partially covered by the temporary QF 4.7 inch gun Mk I - IV. Engineered for both horse-drawn and mechanised towing, it saw extensive deployment across major theatres during the First World War. The gun continued to be used by British and Dominion forces during the interwar years, remaining in frontline units within British and South African batteries until it was replaced by the BL 4.5-inch medium field gun in 1942.
Origin and Use
The Boers' proficient deployment of modern heavy field artillery during the Second Boer War (1899–1902) surprised European militaries, including the British forces. Their artillery's mobility and extended range were particularly notable. Although Britain employed some heavy guns in this conflict, it was under improvised arrangements. Following the 1900 capture of Pretoria, Lord Roberts—commander-in-chief in South Africa and an artillery specialist—outlined the ideal heavy field gun specifications: a firing range of 10,000 yards, a weight not exceeding 4 tons when positioned behind the team, and the largest feasible shell size. Consequently, London’s Ordnance Committee commissioned experimental weapons, testing three prototypes.
In 1902, the Heavy Battery Committee was established, consisting of officers experienced in heavy and siege artillery from the South African campaign and chaired by Colonel Perrott, who had led the Siege Train there. Their initial report in early 1903 rejected both the 4.7-inch gun (120 mm), previously used in South Africa, and the 30-pounder employed in India, citing insufficient firepower. Among the three trialed guns, only Armstrong’s design was accepted; however, all three carriage designs were dismissed. The committee sought new carriage designs that would facilitate easier handling by detachments. Trials conducted in 1904 with a revised design—including both horse-drawn and mechanized towing methods—prompted further modifications. By 1905, the design for what became known as the BL 60 pounder was approved, despite exceeding the weight target by half a ton.
In 1900, the Secretary of State for War announced an initiative to equip Volunteer Position Batteries with 4.7-inch guns and praised their qualities—though these claims were known within the army to be somewhat exaggerated. Despite ongoing development of the 60 pounder, Parliament authorized equipping 60 Volunteer batteries with 4.7-inch guns during 1902 and 1903. While this weapon had several drawbacks as field artillery, it had captured public interest. In 1903, a heavy brigade of the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed by converting three siege companies equipped with 4.7-inch guns; a second brigade followed in 1904 from three additional RGA companies. These regular army brigades formed part of corps-level artillery but relied on less-than-ideal equipment.
Throughout the First World War, the 60 pounder gun saw widespread service across multiple theaters and eventually supplanted the 4.7-inch guns. At war’s outset, each infantry division included one heavy battery RGA armed with four guns. By 1916 on the Western Front, these batteries were expanded to six guns each. Around this period, heavy batteries were removed from divisional structures and instead organized into Heavy Artillery Groups comprising multiple batteries of varied types. Following World War I, these guns equipped medium brigades that later became regiments.
Production
By the start of hostilities in 1914, a total of 41 guns had been manufactured, with thirteen located in Canada and India respectively. Armstrong served as the principal manufacturer, while Vickers and the Ordnance Factory at Woolwich also produced complete gun carriages and mountings. Numerous other firms contributed major components such as barrels. Overall wartime production reached 1,773 barrels and 1,397 carriages.
Description
General characteristics
The 60-pounder functioned as a heavy field artillery piece, often classified as a "gun of position," capable of being towed by either horse teams or motorized vehicles. It featured a rapid-firing recoil mechanism, ensuring the carriage remained stationary during discharge. The barrel consisted of a wire-wound tube encased in a jacket and was equipped with a screw-type breech. Ammunition was loaded separately, with shells and bagged cartridges handled independently. Its lower carriage utilized a box trail design. The gun was engineered for single-operator laying, with both elevation and traverse controls and sights positioned on the left side.
The original Mark I model incorporated a recoil system housed in two tubes mounted above the barrel, employing a hydraulic buffer combined with a hydro-spring recuperator to return the barrel to firing alignment. Conversely, the Mark II variant utilized a hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism located beneath the barrel.
At first, the 60-pounder employed tangent sights mounted on a rocking bar, calibrated for ranges up to 10,400 yards and elevations reaching 22 degrees; the rear sight included a deflection scale. Prior to World War I, these were replaced by oscillating (reciprocating) sights utilizing the older No 5 sighting telescope (12x magnification) on either Sight Oscillating BL 60 pr Mk I or II models. These incorporated a sight clinometer, range scale, and a deflection drum for the telescope. Subsequently, this setup was superseded by the No 3 carrier fitted with the No 7 dial sight.
Mk I gun paired with Mk I carriage
The initial 1904 design for both gun and carriage allowed the barrel and recoil assembly to slide rearward along the carriage during transport (meaning the breech shifted toward the trail's end). This feature aimed to balance weight distribution between the two wheels of the gun carriage and those of the limber towing it, thereby reducing load on any single wheel. The cradle mechanism was complex to manufacture. The Mk I carriage employed standard field artillery wheels made of wood spokes with iron tires.
By February 1915, production and maintenance demands during wartime prompted a simplification in barrel construction, leading to updated versions designated Mk I* and Mk I**.
Mk I gun mounted on Mk II carriage
In response to wartime manufacturing efficiencies, the Mk II carriage eliminated the retractable feature for travel mode present in earlier versions. This change shifted more weight from the limber onto the carriage wheels themselves during movement—resulting in most of the load being borne by the gun carriage wheels rather than those of the limber—and increased overall weight by approximately one ton. To manage this added mass, steel traction engine wheels measuring about 5 feet in diameter and 1 foot in width replaced wooden wheels. The heavier tractor wheels necessitated substituting horses with Holt artillery tractors for towing purposes. Early in 1917, additional improvements were introduced including new braking systems, redesigned cradles, and updated calibrating sights.
Mk I gun mounted on Mk III carriage
The added mass from the traction engine wheels complicated handling in muddy terrain. In June 1916, General Haig, commander of the BEF, requested reverting to the lighter Mk I carriage. Although this was not feasible, a simplified method of retracting the gun on its carriage for transit was reinstated by detaching the barrel from the recoil mechanism and securing it in the recoiled position on the trail. This adjustment lowered the weight by 9 long hundredweight (457 kg). Wooden spoked wheels were also brought back into use. This configuration became known as the Mk III carriage, or Mk II* when applied to modified Mk II carriages.
Mk II gun mounted on Mk IV carriage
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Introduced in 1918, the Mk II gun featured an extended barrel and a new box trail carriage that allowed an increased elevation up to 35 degrees. It incorporated cut-off gear designed to automatically shorten recoil length from 54 to 24 inches as elevation increased, a hydro-pneumatic recoil system positioned beneath the barrel, and a single-motion Asbury breech. Arriving too late for First World War deployment, it was effectively a redesigned weapon. This gun was one of two models compatible with transport by the tracked Gun Carrier Mark I.
Interwar period
Following World War I, heavy artillery categories—including siege weapons—were reclassified as medium, heavy, and super-heavy, terms applied both to the guns themselves and to battery and brigade designations. The 60 pounder was officially categorized as medium caliber. While these classifications appeared in wartime documents, they were not used in formal battery titles during the conflict.
The 60 pounder largely remained unchanged except for modifications to its carriage facilitating mechanization and updated sighting equipment. The Mk IVR carriage featured wooden wheels fitted with solid rubber tires, whereas the subsequent Mk IVP carriage was equipped with metal wheels, pneumatic tires, and suitable braking systems. South Africa developed its own carriage variant based on the Mk I, replacing wooden wheels with pneumatic-tyred two-wheel bogies.
Sight equipment evolved to calibrating types, initially adopting the No 9 Carrier designed for the No 7 Dial Sight. This carrier included a muzzle velocity correction scale and an elevating arc beneath the sight mount, fitted with selectable range scales tailored to different ammunition types. Later, the No 14 carrier was introduced—a Probert pattern calibrating sight featuring a double-sided range scale plate showing an 8 CRH shell full charge range (13,700 yards) and reduced charge Mk IXC range (8,300 yards) on one side; the reverse side displayed data for a 56 lb shell (15,200 yards).
During the 1930s, some carriages were adapted to accommodate the new 4.5 inch (114 mm) BL ordnance, resulting in "BL 4.5-inch gun Mk 1 on Carriage 60 pr Mark IV and IVP," which gradually replaced the original 60-pounder guns.
Second World War
Although the 60-pounder was removed from frontline deployment in 1941, it continued to be utilized for training purposes until 1944. It was succeeded by the medium artillery pieces, namely the BL 4.5-inch and BL 5.5-inch guns.
First World War
During the First World War, the 60-pounder Mk I guns were organized into "Heavy Batteries" under the command of the Royal Garrison Artillery. Their primary role was conducting counter-battery fire, aimed at neutralizing or destroying enemy artillery positions. At the war’s outset, each infantry division of the BEF was allocated a single battery consisting of four guns where available—initially limited to Regular divisions 1 through 6—while other divisions operated with the outdated QF 4.7-inch gun. From early 1915 onwards, control of the 60-pounder batteries shifted from divisional to Army level. As additional 60-pounders were introduced, the older 4.7-inch guns were gradually phased out.
Though some authors, including General Farndale, occasionally described the 60-pounders as "medium" artillery, their official designation during the First World War remained as heavy guns.
Starting from 30 June 1916, following Major-General Noel Birch's recommendations, heavy batteries were expanded to six guns each to enhance firepower concentration on the Western Front while reducing administrative complexity associated with managing a larger number of smaller batteries. In contrast, batteries deployed in secondary theatres generally retained their original four-gun configurations.
The Mk I variant of the gun fired an initial shell weighing 60 lb (27.3 kg) with a 2 c.r.h. design reaching a range of approximately 10,300 yards (9.4 km). Later, it fired a more aerodynamically efficient shell with an 8 c.r.h., extending its range to about 12,300 yards (11,200 m). Weighing around 4.4 tonnes, each gun required a team of eight horses for towing under normal conditions, with up to twelve horses employed when terrain was difficult. Toward the end of the war, mechanical traction using Holt Tractors and motor lorries increasingly replaced horse-drawn transport.
By war’s end, no batteries were stationed within the United Kingdom itself. The BEF maintained seventy-four batteries on the Western Front, with additional deployments including three in Italy, eleven in Macedonia, seven in Palestine, and four in Mesopotamia. Furthermore, two Canadian batteries operated on the Western Front and were the only other units equipped with this weapon system. A total of 456 guns served on the Western Front while over 110 were deployed across other theatres outside Britain.
Post–First World War
The 60-pounder continued in service throughout the interwar years and saw action in Russia during 1919 as well as in Mesopotamia between 1920 and 1921.
During the Second World War, these guns were employed by medium regiments within the BEF in France and North Africa; they were also used by South African artillery forces in East Africa and by an Australian battery (1/12th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery) at Tobruk. The weapon’s final combat deployment occurred in the Western Desert. Nineteen guns were lost with the BEF in France, while British inventories were projected to reach approximately 134 pieces by August 1940, most of which had been refurbished or repaired.
US Service
Soon after the Armistice, Britain extended an offer to the United States for 200 60-pounder guns to fulfill remaining contractual commitments, mainly as a substitute for additional 9.2-inch howitzers. This proposal was accepted by the US. The majority of these artillery pieces were Mark I models manufactured by the Elswick Ordnance Company. Their procurement was documented in the US Army Ordnance Department's May 1920 Handbook of Artillery:[1]
"The United States acquired several batteries of 5-inch 60-pounder guns along with all necessary support vehicles from Great Britain. These items are entirely of British design and construction, including the Gun, Mark I mounted on a carriage, Mark II; the gun carriage limber, Mark II; the ammunition wagon, Mark II; and the ammunition wagon limber, Mark II."
The manual features an image showing a Mk I gun mounted on a Mk II carriage equipped with traction-engine wheels characteristic of the Mk II carriage. Additionally, a diagram illustrates the gun positioned for travel with its weight balanced over the carriage, typical for Mk II mounts. Although these carriages were originally fitted with poles and hardware for horse-drawn transport, they could be adapted by replacing these with a tractor hitch.[1]
A limited number of guns delivered to the US prior to the Armistice for testing had Mark I carriages; however, most were equipped with Mark II carriages. Deliveries included 200 guns in January 1919 and approximately 67,000 rounds of ammunition by June 1919. By June 1931, when the Secretary of War recommended their disposal via donation as war memorials, most remained unused. At that time, 197 guns were still available. Despite many being scrapped during World War II drives, more than thirty examples remained exhibited in the United States during the 2010s.[2]
Ammunition
At the outset of World War I, the ammunition distribution for the 60-pounder was approximately 70% shrapnel and 30% high-explosive (HE) shells. The standard shell featured a ballistic coefficient of 2 CRH, but in 1917 an improved shell with an 8 CRH rating was introduced.
Following the war, a lighter 56-pound shell with a higher ballistic coefficient of 10 CRH and an effective range of up to 15,200 yards was developed. However, this shell contained less than two-thirds of the HE content compared to various 60-pound shells and was roughly three inches shorter.[3]
Shrapnel loads also varied, with bullet weights resulting in between 35 and 41 bullets per pound and total bullet counts ranging from 616 in the Mk ID to as many as 992 in the Mk I variant.[3]
Chemical shells were employed with the 60-pounder guns; however, smoke and incendiary rounds were not used.
First World War Ammunition
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Image gallery
Museum collections
- Imperial War Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Royal Canadian Artillery Museum, Shilo, Manitoba, Canada
- Polish Army Museum, Warsaw, Poland
- Virginia War Museum, Newport News, Virginia, United States
- National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Missouri, United States
- Historical Military Museum of Cartagena, Spain
- Robben Island Museum, Robben Island, South Africa
Additional extant examples in the United States
- Crystal Springs Cemetery, Benton Harbor, Michigan
- At Sloan Park entrance in Bloomingdale, New Jersey stands a Mk I field gun
- Positioned on the grounds of the Old Customs House in Cairo, Illinois
- Veterans Memorial Park in Clarion, Pennsylvania (Mk II)
- Clayton Cemetery, Clayton, Indiana
- Fort Devens, Massachusetts
- Wythougan Park in Knox, Indiana serves as a World War I memorial featuring one of these guns
- Maywood, Illinois location
- State Street Park at State Street and East Center Street in Medina, New York; manufactured by Elswick Ordnance Company (Newcastle upon Tyne) in 1916 and restored in 2019
- Oglesby, Illinois site
- Cemetery grounds in Rittman, Ohio
- Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2210 in Sainte Genevieve, Missouri
- Terrace Park in Springfield, South Dakota hosts a Mk I gun
- Cannon Park at the heart of Wabasha, Minnesota displays a Mk II field gun
- Outside Auburn Veterans Memorial Hall in Auburn, California
- Bowling Green Park in Horicon, Wisconsin features a Mk I on a Mk II chassis
See also
Notes and references
- ↑ "BL" indicates the British convention of naming field guns approximately by the weight of their standard shell.
Bibliography
- "History of the Ministry of Munitions", 1922. Volume X: The Supply of Munitions. Reprinted facsimile by Imperial War Museum and Naval & Military Press, 2008. ISBN 1-84734-884-X
- Clarke, Dale (2004). British Artillery 1914–1919: Field Army Artillery. New Vanguard 94. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-688-7.
- Nigel F Evans, Ordnance B.L. 60 pr Gun Mks 2 & 2* on Carriage 60 pr Mk 4P
- General Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. Western Front 1914–18. London: Royal Artillery Institution, 1986 ISBN 1-870114-00-0
- Major-General Sir John Headlam, The History of the Royal Artillery – from the Indian Mutiny to the Great War, Volume II 1899–1914, 1934. Facsimile reprint by Naval and Military Press, 2005. ISBN 978-1-84574-043-6
- Hogg, Ian V. (1989). Allied Artillery of World War One. Ramsbury: The Crowood Press. ISBN 1-86126-104-7.
- I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914–1918. London: Ian Allan, 1972
- Handbook of Artillery: Including Mobile, Anti-Aircraft and Trench Materiel, 1920. United States Army Ordnance Dept. May 1920 – via Internet Archive.
- Major General BP Hughes, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery – Between the Wars 1919–39. London: Brassey's, 1992. ISBN 978-0-08-040984-9
- War Office (1907). Handbook for the 60-Pr B.L. Gun, Mark I (Land Service). London: His Majesty's Stationery Office.
- War Office (1921). Handbook of the B.L. 60-Pr., Marks II & II* Guns on Mark IV Field Carriage: Land Service. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office.
External links
- Handbook for the 60-Pr BL Gun, Mark I (Land Service) 1909; Excerpts from Handbook for the 60-Pr BL Gun, Mark I (Land Service) 1907 at State Library of Victoria
- 60-pr B.L. Gun Section Gun Drill, 1912 at State Library of Victoria
- Handbook of the B.L. 60-pr, Marks II and II* Guns on Mark IV Field Carriage: Land Service, 1921 at State Library of Victoria
- Gun Drill for 60-pounder B.L. Gun Marks II and II* Carriages Mark IV, 1923 at State Library of Victoria
- Photograph showing Mk. 2 gun mounted on carriage Mk 4R with solid rubber tyres at Nigel Evans’ website – scroll to page bottom for photo link (external site)
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