Ordnance QF 3 inch howitzer
| Ordnance QF 3-inch howitzer | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Howitzer |
| Service history | |
| Used by | British tanks |
| Wars | Second World War |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 226 lb (103 kg) |
| Length | 78.2 in (199 cm) |
| Barrel length | 75 in (190 cm) |
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| Caliber | 3 inches |
| Muzzle velocity | 600 feet per second (180 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 2,000 yards (1,800 m) |
Ordnance QF 3 inch howitzer was a howitzer fitted to British tanks of the Second World War so they could fire a HE shell in "close support" of infantry.
It was used to equip the British Infantry tanks: Matilda II, Churchill tank Mk I, Valentine tank (New Zealand only), the cruiser tank Crusader (65 rounds), as well as the few Close Support versions of the Tetrarch light tank.
A field artillery version seems to have been developed or under development in 1941, its ammunition codes are listed in Field Service Pocket Book, Pamphlet No. 9a, dated 29 October 1941. The ammunition is listed in BOTH the anti-tank and field artillery sections.
Later in the war a larger 95 mm howitzer was employed for the same purpose.
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