Ordnance QF 3 inch howitzer was a

howitzer A howitzer () is a long- ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like ot ...

fitted to British

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

and

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

type tanks of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

so they could fire a

smoke shell A shell, in a military context, is a projectile whose payload contains an explosive, incendiary, or other chemical filling. Originally it was called a bombshell, but "shell" has come to be unambiguous in a military context. Modern usage ...

in "close support" of other tanks or infantry. HE shells were also available. Earlier British tanks were fitted with a 3.7 in howitzer.

Use

The doctrine covering the CS tanks was to "smoke parts of the enemy force" and so isolate them from the battle so the gun tanks could deal with the remainder with a local, if temporary, numerical advantage While on most tanks the howitzer replaced the turret armament, on the early marks of the Churchill tank, the howitzer was fitted in the front of the hull which, although it allowed the tank to retain its main gun, limited the range and arc of fire.

Usage

Matilda II The Infantry Tank Mark II, best known as the Matilda, was a British infantry tank of the Second World War.Jentz, p. 11. The design began as the A12 specification in 1936, as a gun-armed counterpart to the first British infantry tank, the machin ...

Mark III CS, equipped at the HQ level, & by the Australians in the South PacificFletcher, p. 12. *

Churchill tank The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV (A22) Churchill was a British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple bogies, its ability to climb steep slopes, a ...

Mk I - mounted low in the front hull - with associated narrowed arc of fire - as supplement to its turret mounted 2-pdr gun. A few Churchill Mk IICS were produced with the howitzer in the turret and the 2pdr in hull. *

Valentine tank The Tank, Infantry, Mk III, Valentine was an infantry tank produced in the United Kingdom during World War II. More than 8,000 of the type were produced in eleven marks, plus various specialised variants, accounting for approximately a quarter ...

Mk IIICS - a few produced in New Zealand by taking the howitzer from Matilda II Mk IVCS tanks *

Covenanter tank The Cruiser tank Mk V or A13 Mk III Covenanter was a British cruiser tank of the Second World War. The Covenanter was the first cruiser tank design to be given a name. Designed by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway as a better-armoured re ...

s - a few of various marks were fitted with the howitzer. * Crusader Mk I CS and Mk II CS versions were equipped< (65 rounds) A few Close Support versions of the Tetrarch light tank. A field artillery version seems to have been developed or under development in 1941 Later in the war a larger QF 95 mm howitzer was employed for the same purpose.

Specification

*Calibre: *Length of barrel ("tube"): (25 calibres) *Overall length: *Weight: *Muzzle velocity: *Ammunition **Cartridge: 76.2x134R **Smoke: shot weight **HE: shot weight *Range

Notes

References

* *.

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20081013131302/http://www.wwiitanks.co.uk/tankdata/1940-Britain-Matilda-InfTankMkIIMatildaIIICS.html {{DEFAULTSORT:QF 03 inch howitzer World War II artillery of the United Kingdom World War II tank guns 76 mm artillery Tank guns of the United Kingdom