The QF 2.95-inch mountain gun was the designation given by the British to a

Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public i ...

75 mm calibre gun. It was originally produced for the Egyptian Army. It was taken into British service in the late 19th century to provide the 'movable armament' at some

coaling station Fuelling stations, also known as coaling stations, are repositories of fuel (initially coal and later oil) that have been located to service commercial and naval vessels. Today, the term "coaling station" can also refer to coal storage and feedi ...

s. Also known as 'The Millimetre Gun', it was used by the

West African Frontier Force The West African Frontier Force (WAFF) was a multi-battalion field force, formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia. In 1928, it received royal recognitio ...

in several theatres in Africa 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 ...

. It was also used by United States and Philippines.

Service history

The weapon could be broken down and carried by 4 horses or mules, or in British use in Africa by men. According to the , the separable gun-carriage was designed by

Trevor Dawson Commander Sir Arthur Trevor Dawson, 1st Baronet (1 May 1866 – 19 May 1931) was an English businessman who served as managing director of the armaments giant Vickers from 1906 to 1931. Early life and naval career Dawson was born in Dalkeith Ho ...

and George Thomas Buckham.

British service

The weapon was not adopted by the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

or the

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- ...

, which used the BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun and later the BL 2.75-inch Mountain Gun, but it was used from 1900 by the defence forces of some British African colonies as part of the

Royal West African Frontier Force The West African Frontier Force (WAFF) was a multi-battalion field force, formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia. In 1928, it received royal recognitio ...

(WAFF). The officers and most NCOs were British, and the gunners, gun carriers and some NCOs were African. As part of the British Empire these units became part of the British war effort in

. Thirty guns were originally supplied to West Africa (

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

, Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast and

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

). Guns involved in the West Africa campaign were used by the Sierra Leone Company

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) ...

(6 guns), Gold Coast Battery WAFF (6 guns), 1st and 2nd Nigerian Battery WAFF (6 guns each). The guns seem to have been fielded in small numbers as stockade breakers during the

War of the Golden Stool The War of the Golden Stool, also known as the Yaa Asantewaa War, the Third Ashanti Expedition, the Ashanti Uprising, or variations thereof, was a campaign in 1900 during the series of conflicts between the United Kingdom and the Ashanti Empire ...

, as The Ashanti Campaign of 1900 mentions their presence and details their correct tactical usage as follows: "''Vickers, Sons, & Maxim's 75-millimetre mountain gun will breach any stockade in from three to six rounds; it is therefore most essential for this gun to be kept well up in front, and as soon as the scouts have located a frontal stockade, the gun should be mounted, run up to the front, and take up a position where either the top or bottom of the stockade can be seen. While fire is being opened with the gun, a company should be deployed to either flank, to a sufficient depth in the bush to outflank the ends of the stockade''." Guns of the Gold Coast Battery fired the first British Empire artillery rounds of World War I, in the attack on Khra in

Togoland Togoland was a German Empire protectorate in West Africa from 1884 to 1914, encompassing what is now the nation of Togo and most of what is now the Volta Region of Ghana, approximately 90,400 km2 (29,867 sq mi) in size. During the period kn ...

on 22 August 1914. The gun was also used in the East Africa campaign, originally a section of the Gold Coast Battery, and from December 1916 the 1st Nigerian Battery. In one action, Corporal Awudo Kano and five Nigerian gunners stayed by their gun during the British attack near

Melong (; sa, ādarśa, darpaṇa, italic=yes) is a Tibetan term that means "mirror", "looking glass". The is a symbol, divine attribute, and quality of the enlightened mindstream or . Meaning and significance The mirror is an ancient symbol thr ...

Kamerun Kamerun was an African colony of the German Empire from 1884 to 1916 in the region of today's Republic of Cameroon. Kamerun also included northern parts of Gabon and the Congo with western parts of the Central African Republic, southwestern ...

, 4 March 1915. Their officer was wounded and the infantry forced to retire, but though isolated they refused to abandon the officer or their guns, and continued firing until relieved.

US service

The US purchased 12 guns in 1899 and used them in the Philippine–American War (otherwise known as the Philippine Insurrection). By 30 June 1904 another 120 guns were purchased. Carriages and pack saddles were manufactured at Watertown and Rock Island. It was also used in

World War II 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 opposing ...

by US and Philippine forces defending against the Japanese invasion. Approximately 50 were issued to the Filipino Army artillery regiments. The US Army Philippine Division had one battalion of the 23rd Artillery ( Philippine Scouts) equipped with the 2.95 in mountain gun.

Ammunition

British ammunition

The British "Treatise on Ammunition" of 1915 stated that available rounds were Shrapnel (203 bullets), Case shot (330 bullets), Star shell and the Double common shell of 18 lb (exploding charge of 14 oz "P" mixture – gunpowder).

US ammunition

According to the US manual of 1916 the "Double explosive" shell was no longer in US use.

Gallery

Pack Howitzer2.jpg, QF2.95inchMountainGun3.jpg, QF2.95inchMountainGunDiagram.jpg, QF2.95inchMountainGunMule.jpg, QF 2.95-inch Vickers-Maxim mountain gun.jpg, Illustration from Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary

Surviving examples

* A British example is on display at US Army Ordnance Museum, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, USA * HM

Royal Armouries The Royal Armouries is the United Kingdom's national collection of arms and armour. Originally an important part of England's military organization, it became the United Kingdom's oldest museum, originally housed in the Tower of London from ...

Fort Nelson, Fareham, Hampshire, UK * At the Military Museum in Bogota, Colombia * U.S. Army Artillery Museum, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, USA

Notes and references

Bibliography

* Dale Clarke, ''British Artillery 1914–1919. Field Army Artillery''. Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2004] * Major-General Sir John Headlam, ''The History of the Royal Artillery : From the Indian Mutiny to the Great War, Volume II (1899–1914)''. Woolwich ngland: Royal Artillery Institution, 1937. Facsimile reprint by Naval and Military Press 2004. * General Sir Martin Farndale, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery : Forgotten Fronts and the Home Base 1914–18''. London: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988. * I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, ''British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914–1918''. London: Ian Allan, 1972. * US Army Ordnance Dept
Handbook of the 2.95-inch Mountain Gun Matériel and Pack Outfit. 1912, updated 1916
* Louis Morton, "The Fall of the Philippines". United States Army Center of Military History, 1953.

External links

Handbook for the 2.95inch q.f. mountain gun, mark I mule equipment. 1906
from State Library of Victoria
1908 (provisional) Drill Regulations for mountain Artillery
US Army Manual provided online by University of California and www.archive.org * 2.95-Inch Vickers-Maxim Mountain Gun Matériel. in https://archive.org/details/handbookofartill00unitrich" Handbook of Artillery : including mobile, anti-aircraft and trench matériel (1920)"] United States. Army. Ordnance Dept May 1920. provided online by University of California and www.archive.org
Diagram, photographs, video & data
at Victorian Forts and Artillery website
photo of a 2.95-inch shell casing at big-ordnance.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:QF 02.95-inch Mountain Gun Artillery of the United States World War I artillery of the United States World War I artillery of the United Kingdom Mountain artillery World War I mountain artillery 75 mm artillery Vickers Weapons of the Philippine Army