Whose Name We Share

108 The Guns of 103 Quick Fire 4.5in Howitzer The QF series came in reaction to the Boer War, where the British were humbled by their opponent’s Krupp Howitzers. They sought to address the technological chink in their armour, so at the outbreak of the war 192 guns had been produced, 39 going to Imperial Forces. Manufacturing was shared between Coventry Ordnance Works as the primary manufacturer with Royal Ordnane Factory Woolwich assisting. There would be more than 3,100 guns produced by the end of the war. Beginning its service in the Australian Imperial Force in 1916, the QF 4.5in Howtizer would see action across all fronts of the First World War. This Howitzer’s 114mm shell outclassed the German 105mm and represented the largest calibre of the British QF ordnance. The QF 4.5in Howitzer featured an axial recoil system that prevented the horizontally sliding breech block from striking the ground at high angles and was sprung back by a hydro pneumatic recuperator. The maximum recoil length was one meter when fired in direct fire settings, and only twenty inches when fired at forty five degree angles. The Howitzer was designed to be towed by up to six horses on a limber and could be fitted with sand wheels depending on the terrain. With a rate of 4 rounds per minute and a range of 6km, these Howitzers were high end pieces capable of putting out rounds at 310m/s with semi-fixed ammunition.