BL 8-inch howitzer Mk VI – VIII
| BL 8-inch howitzer Mk VI, VII, VIII | |
|---|---|
US-built version of Vickers BL 8-inch howitzer Mk 6 outside the War Museum in Helsinki, Finland | |
| Type | Heavy howitzer |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1916 – 1943 1940 – 1960s (Finland) |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | World War I World War II Continuation War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Vickers-Armstrongs |
| Designed | 1915 |
| Manufacturer | List of manufacturers
|
| Developed into | BL 7.2-inch howitzer Mk.I – IV |
| No. built |
|
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Mk VI: 19,200 lb (8,700 kg) Mk VIII: 20,048 lb (9,094 kg) |
| Barrel length | Mk VI: 9 ft 9 in (2.972 m) L/14.3 Mk VII, VIII: 11 ft 6 in (3.505 m) L/17.3 |
| Shell | HE |
| Shell weight | 200 lb (90.7 kg) |
| Calibre | 8-inch (203.2 mm) |
| Breech | Welin interrupted screw with Asbury mechanism |
| Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic recuperator, hydraulic buffer |
| Carriage | Wheeled, box trail |
| Elevation | Mk VI: −4° to 50° Mk VII, VIII: 0° to 45° |
| Traverse | 4° L & R |
| Muzzle velocity | Mk VI: 1,272 ft/s (388 m/s) Mk VII, VIII: 1,500 ft/s (457 m/s) |
| Maximum firing range | Mk VI: 10,400 yd (9,500 m) Mk VII, VIII: 12,400 yd (11,300 m) |
The BL 8-inch howitzer Marks VI, VII and VIII (6, 7 and 8) were a series of British artillery siege howitzers on mobile carriages of a new design introduced in World War I. They were designed by Vickers in Britain and produced by all four British artillery manufacturers but mainly by Armstrong and one American company. They were the equivalents of the German 21 cm Morser 16 and in British service were used similarly to the BL 9.2-inch howitzer but were quicker to manufacture and more mobile. They delivered a 200 lb (91 kg) shell to 12,300 yd (7.0 mi; 11.2 km). They had limited service in the British Army in World War II before being converted to the new 7.2 in (180 mm) calibre. They also equipped a small number of Australian and Canadian batteries in World War I and by the US Army in that war. They were used in small numbers by other European armies.