The BL 9.2-inch Mk I–VII guns[note 2] were a family of early British heavy breechloading naval and coast defence guns in service from 1881 to the end of World War I. They were originally designed to use the old gunpowder propellants.
British 9.2 inch guns originated from a request by the Admiralty in 1879 for a gun comparable to Krupp's 24 cm (9.45 inch) gun at the time. The Admiralty submitted its request to the Committee on Ordnance, which was considering returning to breech-loading artillery after Britain's brief return to muzzle-loaders in the 1860s and 1870s. A new breech-loading gun with a 9.2-inch (234 mm) bore, firing a 380-pound projectile was calculated to be suitable.[4] A total of 19 Mk I and Mk II guns of 26 calibres were made starting in 1881, but after lengthy delays and modifications they proved unsatisfactory and none made it to sea.
Mk III – Mk VIIedit
The 31.5 calibres versions, Mk III through to Mk VII became the first to be mounted on ships and deployed in general service.
Most Mk IV guns and some Mk VI guns were used in coast defences.
In the mid-to-late 1880s successful trials were carried out with RML 9-inch coast-defence guns firing at high angles in order to test the effectiveness of plunging fire on decks of ships. When surplus BL 9.2 inch Mk IV and Mk VI guns became available in the 1890s they were likewise adapted to high-angle carriages, with their obsolete 3-motion breech mechanisms replaced by modern continuous-motion patterns to allow faster loading. Locations included Hawkins Battery near Plymouth and Gibraltar.[5]
The elevation of up to 45° meant that the shell was at risk of slipping back after being rammed forward as only the copper driving band held the shell in place in a BL gun, and they had not been designed to operate at such high angles. The solution adopted was to develop a special high-angle reduced-charge cartridge with a hollow up the centre, through which the gunner inserted a 1+1⁄4-inch-diameter (32 mm) stick about 40 inches long made of beech wood, to prevent the projectile from slipping back before firing. A "light" 290-pound (130 kg) shell was used for high-angle firing, rather than the standard 380-pound (170 kg) shell.[6]
In the late 19th century to early 20th century five Mk IV coast-defence guns were installed at Singapore : two at Fort Connaught on Blakang Mati, one at Fort Siloso on Sentosa Island and two at Fort Pasir Panjang on Singapore Island.[7] Two of these remain at Fort Siloso.
From 1915 onwards Elswick adapted a small number of Mk III, Mk IV and Mk VI guns, and mounted them on railway truck mountings for service on the Western Front in France and Belgium.[8]
Australian serviceedit
In the late 1880s and early 1890s the Australian colonies between them ordered 10 barrels and nine carriages for BL 9.2 inch Mk VI 'counter bombardment' disappearing guns:[9]
New South Wales : Three went to protect Sydney Harbour, plus an extra barrel. Of these, one went to Ben Buckler Gun Battery, one to Signal Hill Battery, and one to Steel Point Battery. The barrel of the gun that had been installed at Signal Hill Battery survives on public display at the Royal Australian Artillery Museum at North Fort, North Head. The gun and carriage of the Ben Buckler gun were unearthed in 1984 and await restoration.
South Australia : In 1888, South Australia purchased two guns for what was to be Fort Glenelg to protect Adelaide, South Australia. However, the residents of Glenelg, concerned that they might become a military target, were able to block construction of the Fort and so the guns were never installed. The British government bought them back in 1915.[10][11]
2 Mk IV guns at Fort Siloso, Sentosa Island, Singapore
EOC Mk VII gun No. 7318 dated 1881, originally mounted at Signal Hill, Vaucluse at , North Head, Sydney, Australia
A previously buried disappearing gun at Ben Buckler, Sydney, awaiting restoration 31 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
One Mark I located in Port Royal, Jamaica, on the shores at Fort Charles. Stamped with Mark I 9.2 inch 22 ton gun lying next to its battery and Powder House. Taken out of service after the 1907 earthquake.
^10,000 yards refers to naval mountings which had limited elevation : Text book of gunnery, 1902. Coast and rail mountings allowed greater elevation and hence range.
^i.e. Marks 1 to 7. Britain denoted marks (models) of ordnance using Roman numerals until after World War II.
Referencesedit
^ abcText Book of Gunnery 1902, Table XII Page 336
^380 lb shell, with 164 lb brown prism powder or 53½ lb cordite propellant size 30. Text Book of Gunnery 1902. 175 lb brown powder is quoted for the Mk V gun in Text Book of Gunnery 1887.
^Treatise on Ammunition 10th Edition, published 1915. Pages 77, 142. High-angle cartridges were 44lb 12 oz or 16 lb 1 oz cordite MD, firing a 290-pound shell.
^"The Gun Museum. 9.2-inch BL guns". Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
^David Spethman, "The Garrison Guns of Australia 1788–1962", published by Ron H Mortensen, Inala, QLD 2008. ISBN978-0-9775990-8-0
^P.A. Richardson, 1987, Fort Glenelg: The Fort that Never was, University of Adelaide.
^. Archived from the original on 24 October 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2009.
Bibliographyedit
Text Book of Gunnery, 1887. LONDON : PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, BY HARRISON AND SONS, ST. MARTIN'S LANE Archived 4 December 2012 at archive.today
Text Book of Gunnery, 1902. LONDON : PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, BY HARRISON AND SONS, ST. MARTIN'S LANE Archived 12 July 2012 at archive.today
Treatise on Ammunition, 10th Edition 1915. War Office, UK. Facsimile reprint published by Imperial War Museum and Naval & Military Press, 2003. ISBN1-8434-2560-2
Hogg, I.V. and Thurston, L.F. (1972). British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914–1918. Ian Allan, London. ISBN0-7110-0381-5
Tony DiGiulian, British 9.2"/31.5 (23.4 cm) Marks III to VII
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to BL 9.2 inch gun Mk I - VII.
Video : Demonstration of breech operation
"Instructions for 9.2-inch Breech Loading Armstrong Gun, and Automatic Barbette Centre Pivot Mounting" instructions for 25.5 calibre Armstrong gun, apparently as supplied to Australian colonies. From National Archives of Australia
Tony DiGiulian, Britain 9.2"/26 (23.4 cm) Mark I 9.2"/26 (23.4 cm) Mark II
December 20, 2023
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The BL 9 2 inch Mk I VII guns note 2 were a family of early British heavy breechloading naval and coast defence guns in service from 1881 to the end of World War I They were originally designed to use the old gunpowder propellants Ordnance BL 9 2 inch Mk I VII gunMk VI gun on disappearing mounting at Ben Buckler Gun Battery SydneyTypeNaval gunCoast defence gunPlace of originUnited KingdomService historyIn service1881 1918Used byRoyal NavyAustralian coloniesWarsWorld War IProduction historyVariantsMk I VIISpecificationsMassMk I amp II 20 tons barrel amp breechMk III 24 tons Mk V VII 22 tons 1 Barrel lengthMk I amp II 230 inches 5 842 mm bore amp chamber 25 calibres Mk III VII 290 inches 7 366 mm 31 5 calibres 1 Shell380 pounds 172 37 kg 1 290 pounds 131 54 kg High angle guns 2 Calibre9 2 inch 233 7 mm Muzzle velocity2 065 feet per second 629 m s 3 Maximum firing range10 000 yards 9 100 m note 1 Contents 1 History 1 1 Mk I and II 1 2 Mk III Mk VII 2 Naval service 3 Coast defence gun 4 World War I railway gun 5 Australian service 6 Ammunition 7 Surviving examples 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 Bibliography 12 External linksHistory editMk I and II edit British 9 2 inch guns originated from a request by the Admiralty in 1879 for a gun comparable to Krupp s 24 cm 9 45 inch gun at the time The Admiralty submitted its request to the Committee on Ordnance which was considering returning to breech loading artillery after Britain s brief return to muzzle loaders in the 1860s and 1870s A new breech loading gun with a 9 2 inch 234 mm bore firing a 380 pound projectile was calculated to be suitable 4 A total of 19 Mk I and Mk II guns of 26 calibres were made starting in 1881 but after lengthy delays and modifications they proved unsatisfactory and none made it to sea Mk III Mk VII edit The 31 5 calibres versions Mk III through to Mk VII became the first to be mounted on ships and deployed in general service Naval service edit nbsp Training drill 1890s nbsp Forward gun on HMS Australia 1893Guns equipped the following ships Imperieuse class armoured cruisers launched in 1883 Mk III Orlando class armoured cruisers launched 1886 Mk V amp VI Blake class protected cruisers launched 1889 Mk VI Edgar class protected cruisers launched 1890 Mk VI HMS Alexandra as re gunned in 1891 HMS Rupert as re gunned in 1892 M15 class monitors M19 M28 launched 1915 Mk VI guns from Edgar class cruisers Coast defence gun editMost Mk IV guns and some Mk VI guns were used in coast defences In the mid to late 1880s successful trials were carried out with RML 9 inch coast defence guns firing at high angles in order to test the effectiveness of plunging fire on decks of ships When surplus BL 9 2 inch Mk IV and Mk VI guns became available in the 1890s they were likewise adapted to high angle carriages with their obsolete 3 motion breech mechanisms replaced by modern continuous motion patterns to allow faster loading Locations included Hawkins Battery near Plymouth and Gibraltar 5 The elevation of up to 45 meant that the shell was at risk of slipping back after being rammed forward as only the copper driving band held the shell in place in a BL gun and they had not been designed to operate at such high angles The solution adopted was to develop a special high angle reduced charge cartridge with a hollow up the centre through which the gunner inserted a 1 1 4 inch diameter 32 mm stick about 40 inches long made of beech wood to prevent the projectile from slipping back before firing A light 290 pound 130 kg shell was used for high angle firing rather than the standard 380 pound 170 kg shell 6 In the late 19th century to early 20th century five Mk IV coast defence guns were installed at Singapore two at Fort Connaught on Blakang Mati one at Fort Siloso on Sentosa Island and two at Fort Pasir Panjang on Singapore Island 7 Two of these remain at Fort Siloso World War I railway gun editMain article BL 9 2 inch Railway Gun nbsp HMS Iron Duke a Mk III or Mk VI gun in action at Maricourt Battle of the Somme September 1916From 1915 onwards Elswick adapted a small number of Mk III Mk IV and Mk VI guns and mounted them on railway truck mountings for service on the Western Front in France and Belgium 8 Australian service editIn the late 1880s and early 1890s the Australian colonies between them ordered 10 barrels and nine carriages for BL 9 2 inch Mk VI counter bombardment disappearing guns 9 New South Wales Three went to protect Sydney Harbour plus an extra barrel Of these one went to Ben Buckler Gun Battery one to Signal Hill Battery and one to Steel Point Battery The barrel of the gun that had been installed at Signal Hill Battery survives on public display at the Royal Australian Artillery Museum at North Fort North Head The gun and carriage of the Ben Buckler gun were unearthed in 1984 and await restoration Victoria Four guns went to Victoria to protect Port Phillip with two going to Fort Nepean and two going to Fort Queenscliff South Australia In 1888 South Australia purchased two guns for what was to be Fort Glenelg to protect Adelaide South Australia However the residents of Glenelg concerned that they might become a military target were able to block construction of the Fort and so the guns were never installed The British government bought them back in 1915 10 11 Ammunition edit nbsp Ammunition for early Armstrong 25 calibres gun nbsp Palliser shell nbsp Boxer shrapnel shellSurviving examples edit2 Mk IV guns at Fort Siloso Sentosa Island Singapore EOC Mk VII gun No 7318 dated 1881 originally mounted at Signal Hill Vaucluse at Royal Australian Artillery National Museum North Head Sydney Australia A previously buried disappearing gun at Ben Buckler Sydney awaiting restoration Archived 31 December 2007 at the Wayback MachineOne Mark I located in Port Royal Jamaica on the shores at Fort Charles Stamped with Mark I 9 2 inch 22 ton gun lying next to its battery and Powder House Taken out of service after the 1907 earthquake See also editList of naval gunsNotes edit 10 000 yards refers to naval mountings which had limited elevation Text book of gunnery 1902 Coast and rail mountings allowed greater elevation and hence range i e Marks 1 to 7 Britain denoted marks models of ordnance using Roman numerals until after World War II References edit a b c Text Book of Gunnery 1902 Table XII Page 336 Treatise on Ammunition 10th Edition 1915 380 lb shell with 164 lb brown prism powder or 53 lb cordite propellant size 30 Text Book of Gunnery 1902 175 lb brown powder is quoted for the Mk V gun in Text Book of Gunnery 1887 Hogg amp Thurston 1972 page 164 Hogg amp Thurston 1972 page 167 Treatise on Ammunition 10th Edition published 1915 Pages 77 142 High angle cartridges were 44lb 12 oz or 16 lb 1 oz cordite MD firing a 290 pound shell The Gun Museum 9 2 inch BL guns Archived from the original on 11 January 2010 Retrieved 15 July 2010 Hogg amp Thurston 1972 page 168 170 David Spethman The Garrison Guns of Australia 1788 1962 published by Ron H Mortensen Inala QLD 2008 ISBN 978 0 9775990 8 0 P A Richardson 1987 Fort Glenelg The Fort that Never was University of Adelaide Heritage Branch Website Online Database Archived from the original on 24 October 2008 Retrieved 18 January 2009 Bibliography editText Book of Gunnery 1887 LONDON PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY S STATIONERY OFFICE BY HARRISON AND SONS ST MARTIN S LANE Archived 4 December 2012 at archive today Text Book of Gunnery 1902 LONDON PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY S STATIONERY OFFICE BY HARRISON AND SONS ST MARTIN S LANE Archived 12 July 2012 at archive today Treatise on Ammunition 10th Edition 1915 War Office UK Facsimile reprint published by Imperial War Museum and Naval amp Military Press 2003 ISBN 1 8434 2560 2 Hogg I V and Thurston L F 1972 British Artillery Weapons amp Ammunition 1914 1918 Ian Allan London ISBN 0 7110 0381 5 Tony DiGiulian British 9 2 31 5 23 4 cm Marks III to VIIExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to BL 9 2 inch gun Mk I VII Video Demonstration of breech operation Instructions for 9 2 inch Breech Loading Armstrong Gun and Automatic Barbette Centre Pivot Mounting instructions for 25 5 calibre Armstrong gun apparently as supplied to Australian colonies From National Archives of Australia Tony DiGiulian Britain 9 2 26 23 4 cm Mark I 9 2 26 23 4 cm Mark II Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title BL 9 2 inch Mk I VII naval gun amp oldid 1107998087, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
