The Ordnance BL 10 pounder mountain gun was developed as a BL successor to the RML 2.5 inch screw gun which was outclassed in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

History

This breech-loading gun was an improvement on the

muzzle-loading A muzzleloader is any firearm into which the projectile and the propellant charge is loaded from the muzzle of the gun (i.e., from the forward, open end of the gun's barrel). This is distinct from the modern (higher tech and harder to make) desig ...

screw gun but still lacked any recoil absorber or

recuperator A recuperator is a special purpose counter-flow energy recovery heat exchanger positioned within the supply and exhaust air streams of an air handling system, or in the exhaust gases of an industrial process, in order to recover the waste heat. ...

mechanism. It could be dismantled into 4 loads of approximately for transport, typically by mule. It was originally manufactured without a Gun shield, but these were made and fitted locally during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

e.g. at Nairobi in 1914 for the East Africa campaign, also at Suez in 1915 for the Gallipoli campaign. It was eventually replaced by the

BL 2.75 inch Mountain Gun The Ordnance BL 2.75-inch mountain gun was a screw gun designed for and used by the Indian Mountain Artillery into World War I. Description The gun was an improved version of the 1901 BL 10-pounder mountain gun. The new 1911 version improved on ...

from 1914 onwards but was still the main mountain gun in service when

began.

Combat service

British mountain guns were operated by men of the

Royal Garrison Artillery The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) ...

World War I

Guns of the 26th Mountain Battery of the Indian Army were the first British Empire artillery to open fire in the Middle East in

, on 26 January 1915, Qantara (Kantara), against the Turkish advance towards the Suez Canal.Farndale 1988 The gun was used notably in the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915 by two

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

units, the

21st (Kohat) Mountain Battery (Frontier Force) The 21st Kohat Mountain Battery (Frontier Force) was an artillery unit of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1851 as the No. 2 Horse or Punjab Light Field Battery, Punjab Irregular Force. It became the 21st Kohat Mountain Battery (Frontier ...

and

26th (Jacobs) Mountain Battery The 26th Jacob's Mountain Battery was an artillery unit of the British Indian Army. The battery can trace its origins back to Golandauze Battalion (1826). In 1843 it became the 10th Company Golandauze Battalion of Bombay Foot Artillery, and becam ...

of the 7th Indian Mountain Brigade with 6 guns each at Anzac, and by the Scottish

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry ...

unit, the 4th Highland (Mountain) Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery (Argyllshire and Ross & Cromarty Batteries with 4 guns each) at Helles and then Suvla. The 21st Battery was granted the title "Royal" in 1922 for its actions including Gallipoli, unique for an artillery battery. 10pounderMountainGunPostcardSergtPaterson

10pounderMountainGunPostcardSergtPaterson

There is some evidence that the Turkish defenders on Gallipoli were also using the 10 pounder, bought prewar from New Zealand, as the ANZACs discovered 10 pounder shell bodies fired at them made in India which were not from their own guns. In the East Africa campaign, the following Indian batteries used the 10 pounder with distinction in constant action :- *

27th Mountain Battery 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...

(6 guns), part of the

Indian Expeditionary Force C The British Indian Army, Indian Army during World War I was involved World War I. Over one million Indian troops served overseas, of whom 62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. In total at least 74,187 Indian soldiers died during the war. ...

, from 27 August 1914 to 2 January 1918. * 28th Mountain Battery with 6 guns arrived with

Indian Expeditionary Force B The Indian Army during World War I was involved World War I. Over one million Indian troops served overseas, of whom 62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. In total at least 74,187 Indian soldiers died during the war. In World War I the ...

from 30 October 1914, returned to India December 1916. 28th Battery's first engagement occurred with the guns tied to the deck of HM Transport ship Bharata, firing in support of the unsuccessful British attempt to capture Tanga on 3 & 4 November 1914. Gunner Mehr Khan was awarded the Indian Distinguished Service Medal and Subadar-Major Nur Allam was awarded the Order of British India for their actions in 28th Battery defending Jasin on 18 January 1915. *1st Kashmir (4 guns) arrived 5 December 1916, returned to India 2 February 1918. Between them the 1st and 27th were awarded 2 Order Of British India, 1 Indian Distinguished Service Medal, 7 Meritorious Service Medals, 12 Mentioned in Despatches. * 24th Hazara Mountain Battery (Frontier Force) served in East Africa from 26 April 1917, taking up the 6 guns left by 28th Battery. A typical extract from their War Diary reads : "Ndundwala 2nd July 1917... one section came into action and fired 87 rounds shrapnel at enemy holding river crossing place at range 750 yards. Forward observer reported three direct hits on his breastworks. Sniping continued" 19 August 1917 : "constructed an emplacement within 150 yards of enemy... tubes which were dated 1901 are very bad and several misfires occurred... during last 15 days fired 548 shrapnel, 35 common and 4 star shells at average range of 1,000 yards". They returned to India in November 1918. *

22nd (Derajat) Mountain Battery (Frontier Force) The 2nd Derajat Mountain Battery (Frontier Force) was an artillery battery in the British Indian Army. The battery was raised in 1851, from disbanded Sikh artillerymen following the Second Sikh War. In 1857, one detachment saw service against mu ...

arrived in the East Africa campaign on 18 December 1916, when they relieved the 28th Battery which returned to India. They appear to have initially used 10 pounders and re-equipped with howitzers some time later, as Farndale reports they first used their howitzers in action in the attack on German positions at Medo, 11 April 1918.Farndale 1988, page 351 They returned to India in November 1918. The gun was also used in the Palestine campaign.

Surviving examples

*A restored gun is on display at th
Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich, London

Notes and references

Bibliography

* Dale Clarke
British Artillery 1914–1919. Field Army Artillery. Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2004
* General Sir Martin Farndale, "History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. The Forgotten Fronts and the Home Base, 1914–18". London : The Royal Artillery Institution, 1988. * I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914–1918. London:Ian Allan, 1972.
1970s Command Magazine SCREW GUN article with rare photos and art work

External links

Handbook for 10 – pr. jointed B. L. gun, mule equipment, 1902
at State Library of Victoria
Handbook for 10 – pr. jointed B. L. gun, mule equipment, 1904
at State Library of Victoria

from Victorian Forts and Artillery website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bl 10 Pounder Mountain Gun Artillery of the United Kingdom World War I artillery of the United Kingdom Mountain artillery World War I mountain artillery 70 mm artillery