Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms Space By Flag By Year By Tag

Ordnance BL 5.5-inch

1941 COLD WAR KOREAN WAR WORLD WAR 2

Rule BL 5.5 Inch Story

During World War I, British and Commonwealth artillery regiments relied on their proven BL 6" 26 Cwt series midfield howitzers. The guns were large 152.4 caliber systems, weighed 8,100 pounds, and required 10 personnel to manage them. The gun fires high-explosive incendiary and gas rounds at a maximum rate of 2 rounds per minute at 9,500 yards.

Several manufacturers joined forces to provide the armed forces with some 3,633 prototypes, and the weapon remained in service until 1945, the last year of World War II.

By 1939, however, guns had become more or less an obsolete option from a bygone era. Because of this, the British Army is looking for a capable but comprehensive modern replacement and has put forward new requirements for a medium-range field gun with extended capabilities.

Design work followed and a prototype was successfully tested to produce a new weapon - the 140mm "BL 5.5" Medium Gun". The weapon was delivered to British artillery in mid-1941 - Britain had declared war on Hitler's Germany on 3 September 1939, and the last successful fight for survival was in the summer of 1940 at the Battle of Britain.

Serial production of the field gun from 1941 to 1945, it provided British and Allied field forces with a much-needed blow against Axis power wherever they encountered it.

The design of the BL 5. 5 is very traditional for artillery systems. Essentially, this weapon consists of several key components that are forged into a beautiful tool of war. The weapon consists of a breeched barrel, a frame and a frame. Then the other key components are the gunners needed, and the tractor needed to transport the weapon from one location to another.

The barrel mechanism is linked to a hydropneumatic recoil system to counteract the violent force of the exiting shell. The crew manages loading and reloading via the Welin breech mechanism. The gun sat on a two-wheeled wagon with its legs either put together for transport or separated while firing.

The main gun elevation angle ranges from -5 degrees to +45 degrees, and the lateral direction is limited to 30 degrees left and right. Additionally, the rifle group must physically rotate the entire system in a specific direction before firing. A trained crew can fire about 2 rounds per minute.

A full battery consists of 10 people, several of whom are only needed to manage large shells.

The BL 5.5 is licensed to fire two different sized projectiles - an 82-pounder and a 100-pounder. The 82-pounder had a muzzle velocity of 1,950 feet per second and a range of up to 18,000 yards. By comparison, a 100-pounder shell has a muzzle velocity of 1,675 feet per second and a maximum range of 16,200 yards.

The original projectile design was a 100-pound variant, as the 82-pound shell was not introduced until 1944. Lighter grenades have an increased charge for extended range, or branch out into smoke, flare, and chemical bombs to further extend their tactical range.

BL 5. The 5 series saw extensive combat service with British and Commonwealth forces during World War II, including operations at the massive Battle of El Alamein. This was demonstrated again in the coming Korean War in the early 1950s, when UN troops confronted North Korea, China and the Soviet Union - culminating in an unstable truce.

Other operations included use in the Borneo conflict (1962-1966), while non-British combat use of the weapon extended to the civil war in North Yemen (1962-1970) and the civil war in Angola (1975-2002).

In addition to service with the British Army, the BL 5.5 series also had a longer lifespan in the Commonwealth Army - Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa all use this type as a front-line gun. It continued to be operated by the armed forces of Myanmar, France, Iraq, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Poland and Portugal in the postwar years.

In the end only four production brands of the BL 5.5 were adopted, and only the Mk 3 played a role in WWII - the Mk 4 followed in the postwar years.

For the British Army, the BL 5.5 was eventually replaced by the modern FH-70/L121 155mm series when it entered service in 1978. The UK therefore discontinued it in 1980, while the Australians followed suit in 1984 - although they opted for the American M198 as a replacement.