The 9.2in Howitzer Mk2 (also shown as MkII) was a weapons platform based upon the WW1 ‘siege’ weapon used by the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA); the 9.2in Howitzer Mk1. The Mk2 was first developed in December 1916 and was meant as an upgrade to the Mk1, first used in combat in France in 1914.
The main change between the Mk1 and Mk2 was the extension of the barrel, which only slightly increased the weapons range. The earth box, a box secured to the front of the weapon filled with soil & earth which helped to reduce the weapons vertical recoil, also saw an increase in size, as the larger barrel meant the Mk2 also had a larger recoil.
The 9.2in Howitzer Mk2 was a very large and immobile weapons platform. It was normally transported on older steel tyred transport wagons, with three separate carriages: the howitzer (6.55tons), carriage body & cradle (6.6tons) and the carriage bed & empty earth box (5.6tons). It took nearly 12 hours to fully set up after transport. Unsurprisingly, this lack of mobility was the weapons downfall during the Battle of France, and nearly all the 9.2in Howitzers sent across the Channel with the Heavy Regiments of the BEF were lost.
The remainder of the 9.2in Howitzer Mk2 were then emplaced on the Southern Coast as anti-invasion defences and never saw service in any other theatre with the Royal Artillery during WW2. The 9.2in Howitzer Mk 2 was not declared obsolete until August 1945, although there is very little evidence of it being used, even for training, after late 1942.
Data
The following values have been converted into metric measurements from the original sources, which used imperial measurements, unless otherwise stated.
9.2in Howitzer Mk2
| Calibre | 233.6mm (9.2in) |
| Weight of Gun & Breech Mechanism | 4.34tons |
| Weight in Action | 16.46tons (plus 11tons in the earth box) |
| Total Length | 4.33m |
| Rifling | 56 grooves, uniform right hand 1/25 |
| Breech mechanism | Asbury interrupted screw, percussion fired |
| Elevation | +15° to +50° (0° loading angle) |
| Traverse | 30° (right and left) |
| Recoil System | Hydro-pneumatic variable, 20in to 44in |
Performance
These values are based upon the weapon firing a standard 132kg HE Shell (reference Ammunition).
The 9.2in Howitzer Mk2 used either a Normal or Super charge to fire the weapon and propel the shell. The Normal charge contained five smaller charge zones and contained approximately 9.2kg of Cordite, while the Super charge was a single charge bag holding 13kg of Cordite. Using a different charge gave the weapon varied performance, although only the maximum values are known.
| Muzzle Velocity | 487 metres/second |
| Range | 12.74km |
Ammunition
Shell, HE, Mk17A
This shell was nose-fused and non-streamline and it was filled with either Amatol or TNT.
| Total Weight | 132kg |
| Weight of TNT | Not known |
| Fuse Types | 101B / 106E / 119 / 231 |
Page last updated 07/11/25.