British Ordnance QF 18 pdr

The 18-pounder was the standard British Army field gun of the World War I era.

History

Introduced along with the smaller but otherwise similar 13-pounder in 1904, the 18-pounder was found in use on all fronts during the war. Put into reserve during the inter-war era, some were converted into the famed 25 Pounder design, while many others were re-activated for training or coastal defence.

The original design, officially known as the Ordinance Quick Firing 18-pounder Mark I, was quickly replaced in production by the "rationalized" Mark II for better mass production. Experiments led to Mark III that was not produced. Mark I and II guns were still in use in the post-war era, and some even saw combat in the Far East in WWII.

The major variant was the Mark IV, which started testing in 1916 and reached the battlefield in 1918. The new "Ashbury breech" allowed for higher rates of fire. In 1926 some of these were experimentally fitted on a tracked vehicle as self-propelled artillery, but the resulting Mark V was not used operationally. In the early 1930s many of the surviving Mk.IV's were converted into 25-pounders, while earlier weapons were not bothered with.

See also

• Artillery
• List of artillery