Retrokit's 1/72 B.L. 15inch Siege Howitzer Mk.1

This, the heaviest gun of the British Artillery during WW1, was privately developed by the Coventry Ordnance Works in 1914-15. It was, essentially, a scaled­up version of the then very successful 9.2inch Siege Howitzer. Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admirality, became interested in the project, sent the first gun to France to be used by the Naval Brigade. He also gave the order to build eleven more of these howitzers, with the intention of sending these to the Marines contingent over there. And of the 12 guns built, at least 10 were sent to France (one was sent to Gallipoli but could not be landed).

In 1916 the guns were handed over to the Army, which were less than enthusiastic over these behemoths: "In view of the poor range achieved it is considered that these weapons are a waste of money and material". The range was the big problem: the gun could throw a 635kg heavy shell (muzzle velocity 341m/sec) only 9.87km, and often it was not considered worth all the labour and time it took to move and emplace these very heavy guns, that were transported in nine separate loads, and that weighed no less than 94 tons emplaced! (Also, the lack of shield, and the fact that it had to be used fairly close to the front line, made it vulnerable to counter-battery fire.) But the effect of these huge shells were of course devastating, and 25.332 of them were fired throughout the war, and it was used in all the big Battles from the Loos, over the Somme and Paschendaele to the final attacks of 1918. The 15inch Siege Howitzer were declared obsolete shortly after the war.

The kit comes packed in a white cardboard box typical of Retrokit's new kits, with all the parts wrapped in sealed plastic. The kit proper is done in light yellow resin, and consists of some 60+ parts. (Included is also a small brass chain, to be used in the shell hoisting device.) This is, in other words, a very ambitious and detailed kit.

The moulding is absolutely top notch, sharp and clean with almost no flash, definitely en par with the very best in the business, like Al.By or 5 Star. (Also, the moulding stubs are not too big.) And this despite that many of the parts are very, very delicate indeed. For instance, the small lifting lugs of the main carriage are all hollow! And very frail: I broke tow of them when I unpacked the kit. Beware. You will have to handle some of these parts like they were a piece of art, which they in one sense are! (See the pics on the left.) 

This kit is - as far as I can see - very realistic in both its big and small details, and most accurate. Also, one of my old gripes regarding Artillery models in this scale, is that vital parts are often missing. Not se here. You get a complete, functional model of a real gun. Also, Retrokit has made the decision to show the model in deployed position, with the big base box already buried into the ground, which is the only way to do it really. (It really cries out for men serving it: we will certainly see this one in Dioramas in Modelling Conventions the coming year!)

The kit comes with a very fine plan, that both gives you a history of the gun, and instructions how to assemble it. The last part is of course essential, as this is a complex kit.

You can get this kit directly from Retrokit, from 7th Company or from Tracks & Troops.
 

This is a stunning kit, certainly one of the best 1/72 Artillery kits that money can buy. Again: in quality it can be compared to the finest things done by Al.By or 5 Star, and will build into a very impressive model. I find it hard to fault. A must for anyone interested in the Great War or in Artillery!