BL 9.2 inch gun Mk I - VII
Encyclopedia
The BL 9.2 inch guns Mk I - Mk VII were a family of early British heavy breechloading naval and coast defence guns in service from 1881 to the end of World War I
. They were originally designed to use the old gunpowder propellants.
Guns equipped the following ships :
In the mid-to-late 1880s successful trials were carried out with RML 9-inch coast-defence guns firing at high angles in order to test the effectiveness of plunging fire on decks of ships. When surplus BL 9.2 inch Mk IV and Mk VI guns became available in the 1890s they were likewise adapted to high-angle carriages, with their obsolete 3-motion breech mechanisms replaced by modern continuous-motion patterns to allow faster loading. Locations included Plymouth and Gibraltar.
The elevation of up to 45° meant that the shell was at risk of slipping back after being rammed forward; only the copper driving band held the shell in place in a BL gun, and they had not been designed to operate at such high angles. The solution adopted was to develop a special high-angle reduced-charge cartridge with a hollow up the centre, through which the gunner inserted a 1+1/4 in stick about 40 inches long made of beech wood, to prevent the projectile from slipping back before firing. A "light" 290 pounds (131.5 kg) shell was used for high-angle firing, rather than the standard 380 pounds (172.4 kg) shell..
In the late 19th century to early 20th century five Mk IV coast-defence guns were installed at Singapore : two at Fort Connaught on Blakang Mati, one at Fort Siloso
on Sentosa Island and two at Fort Pasir Panjang
on Singapore Island. Two of these remain at Fort Siloso.
From 1915 onwards Elswick adapted a small number of Mk III, Mk IV and Mk VI guns, and mounted them on railway truck mountings for service on the Western Front
in France and Belgium.
s :
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. They were originally designed to use the old gunpowder propellants.
Mk I and II
British 9.2 inch guns originated from a request by the Admiralty in 1879 for a gun comparable to Krupp's 24 cm (9.45 inch) gun at the time. The Admiralty submitted its request to the Committee on Ordnance, which was considering returning to breech-loading artillery after Britain's brief return to muzzle-loaders in the 1860s and 1870s. A new breech-loading gun with a 9.2 inches (233.7 mm) bore firing a 380-pound projectile was calculated to be suitable. A total of 19 Mk I and Mk II guns of 26 calibres were made starting in 1881, but after lengthy delays and modifications still proved unsatisfactory; none made it to sea.Mk IIII - Mk VII
The 31.5 calibres versions, Mk III through to Mk VII became the first to be mounted on ships and deployed in general service.Naval service
- Imperieuse class armoured cruisersImperieuse class cruiserThe Imperieuse class cruiser was a class of two armoured cruisers launched between 1883 and 1884 for the Royal Navy.-History:In an 1886 magazine article, Sir Edward Reed complained that these ships did not deserve to be called "armoured", as they were not armoured at bow or stern, only along the...
launched in 1883 : Mk III - Orlando class armoured cruisersOrlando class cruiserThe Orlando-class was a seven ship class of Royal Navy armoured cruisers completed between 1888 and 1889.- Building Programme :On 2 December 1884, the Secretary to the Admiralty stated, "The present Board have been gradually developing, and, as I would venture to say, in an effective manner, our...
launched 1886 : Mk V & VI - Blake class protected cruisersBlake class cruiserThe Blake class was a two-ship class of first-class protected cruiser built around 1890 for the Royal Navy.-Service:The two ships were obsolete by the outbreak of the First World War, and served as depot ships...
launched 1889 : Mk VI - Edgar class protected cruisersEdgar class cruiserThe Edgar-class was a nine-ship class of protected cruiser built around 1891 for the Royal Navy.-Design:Crescent and Royal Arthur were built to a slightly modified design with a raised forecastle and a pair of 6 inch guns replacing the forward 9.2 inch gun, and are sometimes considered a...
launched 1890 : Mk VI - HMS AlexandraHMS Alexandra (1875)HMS Alexandra was a central battery ironclad of the Victorian Royal Navy, whose seagoing career was from 1877 to 1900. She spent much of her career as a flagship, and took part in operations to deter Russian aggression against Turkey in 1878 and the bombardment of Alexandria in 1882.-Background:At...
as re-gunned in 1891 - HMS RupertHMS Rupert (1872)HMS Rupert was a battleship of the Victorian Royal Navy, whose principal weapon was designed to be her ram.-Design:She was similar in design to , but unlike her carried a revolving turret similar to that carried in...
as re-gunned in 1892 - M15 class monitorsM15 class monitorThe M15-class comprised fourteen monitors of the Royal Navy, all built and launched during 1915.- Design :The ships of this class were ordered in March, 1915, as part of the Emergency War Programme of ship construction...
M19 - M28 launched 1915 : Mk VI guns from Edgar class cruisersEdgar class cruiserThe Edgar-class was a nine-ship class of protected cruiser built around 1891 for the Royal Navy.-Design:Crescent and Royal Arthur were built to a slightly modified design with a raised forecastle and a pair of 6 inch guns replacing the forward 9.2 inch gun, and are sometimes considered a...
.
Coast defence gun
Most Mk IV guns and some Mk VI guns were used in coast defences.In the mid-to-late 1880s successful trials were carried out with RML 9-inch coast-defence guns firing at high angles in order to test the effectiveness of plunging fire on decks of ships. When surplus BL 9.2 inch Mk IV and Mk VI guns became available in the 1890s they were likewise adapted to high-angle carriages, with their obsolete 3-motion breech mechanisms replaced by modern continuous-motion patterns to allow faster loading. Locations included Plymouth and Gibraltar.
The elevation of up to 45° meant that the shell was at risk of slipping back after being rammed forward; only the copper driving band held the shell in place in a BL gun, and they had not been designed to operate at such high angles. The solution adopted was to develop a special high-angle reduced-charge cartridge with a hollow up the centre, through which the gunner inserted a 1+1/4 in stick about 40 inches long made of beech wood, to prevent the projectile from slipping back before firing. A "light" 290 pounds (131.5 kg) shell was used for high-angle firing, rather than the standard 380 pounds (172.4 kg) shell..
In the late 19th century to early 20th century five Mk IV coast-defence guns were installed at Singapore : two at Fort Connaught on Blakang Mati, one at Fort Siloso
Fort Siloso
Fort Siloso is the sole restored coastal gun battery from the twelve such batteries which made up "Fortress Singapore" at the start of World War II...
on Sentosa Island and two at Fort Pasir Panjang
Fort Pasir Panjang
Fort Pasir Panjang or Labrador Battery is located within the lush Labrador Park at the southern tip of Singapore island. It was one of the 11 coastal artillery forts built by the British in the 19th century to defend the western passageway into Keppel Harbour against piracy and foreign naval powers...
on Singapore Island. Two of these remain at Fort Siloso.
World War I railway gun
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in France and Belgium.
Australian service
In the late 1880s and early 1890s the Australian colonies between them ordered 10 barrels and nine carriages for BL 9.2 inch Mk VI 'counter bombardment' disappearing gunDisappearing gun
A disappearing gun is a type of heavy artillery for which the gun carriage enabled the gun to rotate backwards and down into a pit protected by a wall or a bunker after it was fired...
s :
- New South Wales : Three went to protect Sydney Harbor, plus an extra barrel. Of these, one went to Ben Buckler Gun Battery, one to Signal Hill BatterySignal Hill BatteryThe Signal Hill Battery was constructed in 1892-3 at Watsons Bay and is adjacent to the Signal Hill Lighthouse on Old South Head Road.-History and description:...
, and one to Steel Point Battery. The barrel of the gun that had been installed at Signal Hill Battery survives on public display at the Royal Australian Artillery Museum at North Fort, North Head. The gun and carriage of the Ben Buckler gun were unearthed in 1984 and await restoration. - Victoria : Four guns went to Victoria to protect Port Philip, with two going to Fort NepeanFort NepeanFort Nepean is a former defensive facility occupying part of Point Nepean, Victoria, Australia. It was part of a network of fortifications, commanded from Fort Queenscliff, protecting the narrow entrance to Port Phillip.- Background :...
and two going to Fort QueenscliffFort QueenscliffFort Queenscliff, in Victoria, Australia, dates from 1860 when an open battery was constructed on Shortland's Bluff to defend the entrance to Port Phillip. The Fort, which underwent major redevelopment in the late 1870s and 1880s, became the headquarters for an extensive chain of forts around Port...
. - South Australia : In 1888, South Australia purchased two guns for what was to be Fort Glenelg to protect Adelaide, South Australia. However, the residents of Glenelg, concerned that they might become a military target, were able to block construction of the Fort and so the guns were never installed. The British government bought them back in 1915.
Surviving examples
- 2 Mk IV guns at Fort Siloso, Sentosa Island, Singapore
- EOC Mk VII gun No. 7318 dated 1881, originally mounted at Signal Hill, Vaucluse at Royal Australian Artillery National Museum, North Head, Sydney, Australia
- A previously buried disappearing gun at Ben Buckler, Sydney, awaiting restoration