World War II Database

Country of Origin	United Kingdom
Type	Field Gun
Caliber	114.000 mm
Length	2.700 m
Barrel Length	1.500 m
Weight	1493.000 kg
Ammunition Weight	15.90 kg
Rate of Fire	4 rounds/min
Range	6.400 km
Muzzle Velocity	308 m/s

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseIn 1902, the British Army was in need of a modern howitzer. Although the purchase of Krupp weapons were discussed, the selection committee ultimately chose the design developed by a joint venture by several armament manufacturers in Coventry, England, United Kingdom in 1905. Tests began in 1906, and in 1908 these new field guns, now designated Ordnance QF 4.5 inch Howitzer, were deployed to active units. 182 were built by the start of WW1, and production numbers would increase to 3,384 by the end of the war; they saw widespread use during WW1. When WW2 began in Europe, these 4.5-inch howitzers were still in service with the British Expeditionary Force in France. During the German invasion of France, 96 of them were destroyed or captured, thus by the summer of 1940, only about 450 of them were still in service, about 370 of which were with the British Army while the others served with Commonwealth forces. These howitzers would see combat in North Africa with British and Australian troops, in Syria with Australian troops, in East Africa with Indian and South African troops, and in Malaya with British troops. The final actions involving Ordnance QF 4.5 inch Howitzer field guns were probably the combat in Malaya and Singapore. Surviving guns were removed from frontline units in 1943; all guns were removed from service by 1944 when the ammunition stocks ran out.

These Ordnance QF 4.5 inch Howitzer weapons also equipped non-British and non-Commonwealth forces. The Russians employed about 400 of them during WW1. Ireland operated a small number of them starting in 1925. During the Winter War which began in late 1939, 24 of these weapons were sent by the British to Finland, where they were designated "114 H/18"; Finnish forces would obtain 30 more examples in Jul 1940 from Spain.

Source: Wikipedia ww2dbase

Last Major Revision: Feb 2012

Photographs

See all 8 photographs of Ordnance QF 4.5 inch Howitzer Field Gun

Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this article with your friends:  Facebook  Reddit  Twitter Stay updated with WW2DB:  RSS Feeds

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
	Your email will not be published
Comment Type	General comment/question Additional information about this page Looking for more information on this topic Looking for information about my relative
Your Comments
	Submit

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.