9.2 inch Howitzer Mk 2

9.2 inch Howitzer

The numbers of 9.2 inch Howitzer Mk 2 in service in 1939 were few and some of these were left behind in France. It was obviously useless in modern, mobile war taking 12 hours to bring in to action. So they were emplaced on the south east coast as anti-invasion defences. The 9.2 inch Howitzer Mk 2 was not declared obsolete until August 1945 although there is little evidence of it being used, even for training after mid 1942.

Transportation

Load 1 – Steel tyred transport wagon on wooden spoked wheelsHowitzer – weight 6.55 tons
Load 2 – Steel tyred transport wagon on wooden spoked wheelsCarriage body & cradle – weight 6.6 tons
Load 3 – Steel tyred transport wagon on wooden spoked wheelsCarriage bed & earth box – weight 5.6 tons

Data

Weight of Gun & Breech Mechanism9,576 lbs
Total Length170.51 inches
Length of Bore159.16 inches
Rifling56 grooves, uniform right hand 1/25
Breech MechanismAsbury interrupted screw, percussion fired
Elevation+15° to +50° (0° loading angle)
Traverse30° right & left
Recoil SystemHydropneumatic variable, 20 to 44 inches
Weight in Action36,288 lbs plus 11 tons of earth in front box

Performance

With standard 290 lb HE Shell
Muzzle Velocity1,600 feet/second
Maximum Range13,935 yards

Ammunition

Separate loading, bag charge
Shell, High Explosive, Mk 17ANose fuzed, non-streamlined, Amatol or TNT filled
Percussion FuzesNos 101B, 106E, 119 or 231
Propelling ChargeNormal – divided into 5 charge zones, 20¼ lbs of Cordite
Super – single non-divisible bag, 28¾ lbs of Cordite
The Royal Artillery 1939-45