Ordnance QF 3-inch howitzer "3in Howitzer Ordnance Quick Firing"
Mk I Churchill tank with hull-mounted 3-inch howitzer on exercises on Salisbury Plain, January 1942
Type	Howitzer
Place of origin	UK
Service history
Used by	British tanks
Wars	Second World War
Production history
Variants	Mark I, Mark IA
Specifications
Mass	226 lb (103 kg)
Length	78.2 in (1.99 m)
Barrel length	75 in (1.9 m)

Calibre	3 inches (76.2mm)
Muzzle velocity	600 feet per second (180 m/s)
Effective firing range	2,000 yards (1,800 m)

Ordnance QF 3 inch howitzer was a howitzer fitted to British cruiser and infantry type tanks of the Second World War so they could fire a smoke shell in "close support" of other tanks or infantry. HE shells were also available.

Earlier British tanks were fitted with a 3.7 in howitzer, based on the QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer.

Use

The doctrine covering the CS tanks was to "smoke parts of the enemy force" and so isolate them from the battle^[1] so the gun tanks could deal with the remainder with a local, if temporary, numerical advantage^[2]

While on most tanks the howitzer replaced the turret armament, on the early marks of the Churchill tank, the howitzer was fitted in the front of the hull which, although it allowed the tank to retain its main gun, limited the range and arc of fire.

Usage

Matilda II Mark III CS, equipped at the HQ level, & by the Australians in the South Pacific^[3]
Churchill tank Mk I - mounted low in the front hull - with associated narrowed arc of fire - as supplement to its turret mounted 2-pdr gun. A few Churchill Mk IICS were produced with the howitzer in the turret and the 2pdr in hull.
Valentine tank Mk IIICS - a few produced in New Zealand by taking the howitzer from Matilda II Mk IVCS tanks
Covenanter tanks - a few of various marks were fitted with the howitzer.^[4]
Crusader Mk I CS and Mk II CS versions were equipped<^[5] (65 rounds)

A few Close Support versions of the Tetrarch light tank.^[6]

A field artillery version seems to have been developed or under development in 1941^[a]

Later in the war a larger QF 95 mm howitzer was employed for the same purpose.

Specification

Calibre: 3 in (76.2 mm)
Length of barrel ("tube"): 75 in (1,900 mm) (25 calibres)
Overall length: 78.2 in (1,990 mm)
Weight: 256 pounds (116 kg)^[6]
Muzzle velocity: 600 to 700 ft/s (180 to 210 m/s)
Ammunition
- Cartridge: 76.2x134R
- Smoke: 13+1⁄4 lb (6.0 kg) shot weight
- HE: 13+7⁄8 lb (6.3 kg) shot weight ^[6]
Range 2,000 to 2,500 yards (1,800 to 2,300 m)

Notes

References

External links

British Commonwealth artillery of World War II

British Commonwealth artillery of World War II
Tank guns	QF 2-pounder QF 3-pounder QF 6-pounder QF 75 mm QF 3-inch howitzer QF 17-pounder 77 mm HV QF 95 mm howitzer
Anti-tank guns	QF 2-pounder QF 6-pounder QF 17-pounder
Field guns and howitzers	75 mm Gun M1917 QF 18-pounder 25-pounder Gun-Howitzer 25-pounder Short QF 4.5-inch howitzer
Medium and heavy guns and howitzers	BL 4.5-inch medium field gun BL 60-pounder gun BL 5.5-inch medium gun BL 6-inch howitzer BL 6-inch gun Mk XIX 155 mm Long Tom BL 7.2-inch howitzer BL 8-inch howitzer BL 9.2-inch howitzer 240 mm howitzer M1
Mountain guns	75mm Pack howitzer M1 3.7-inch mountain howitzer
Mortars	SBML 2-inch mortar ML 3-inch mortar ML 4.2-inch mortar
Anti-aircraft weapons	Z Battery 20 mm Oerlikon 20 mm Polsten QF 1½-pounder Mk III QF 2-pounder naval gun Bofors 40 mm QF 3-inch QF 3.7-inch QF 4.5-inch Mk II QF 5.25-inch Mk II
Coast defence	QF 6-pounder 10 cwt QF 12-pounder QF 4.7-inch Mk I–IV BL 6-inch Mk VII & Mk XXIV BL 7.5-inch Mk VI BL 8-inch Mk VIII BL 9.2-inch Mk X BL 14-inch Mk VII BL 15-inch Mk I
Railway artillery	BL 9.2-inch Mk XIII railway gun BL 12-inch Mk V railway howitzer BL 13.5-inch Mk V railway gun BL 18-inch railway howitzer