United Kingdom

4.5 inch QF Howitzer

After all the unexpected setbacks suffered by the British in the Boer War gunmakers were asked to submit new designs for a Field Howitzer, and the one done by the Coventry Ordnance Works was chosen.  The new QF (Quick Fire) howitzer entered service in 1909, replacing the old 5inch BL howitzer. In 1914 the British 4.5inch (114mm) Field Howitzer was perhaps the best piece in its class in the world. (It's only competitor then was the German 98/09, which had comparable prestanda in all fields but one: the British piece out-ranged it. The British gun also had a slightly better elevation capability.) It weighed 1.368kg deployed and fired a 15.9kg HE shell to a maximum range of 7.5km. The design was simple and reliable. Over three thousand had been built by the end of the Great War; New Zealand, Canada and Australia all received some. Also, in 1916 400 were sent to a hard-pressed Russia. The howitzer actually stayed in service until 1944 as a training weapon, but didn't see action after the 25-pounder had replaced both it and the 18-pounder in field regiments. My model is the Matador Models 1/76 scale white metal kit somewhat modified and detailed. (But it is a pretty good artillery kit.)   Click on the thumbnails to see more views of this model:

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