RML 2.5-inch mountain gun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ordnance RML 2.5-inch mountain gun |
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Sikh gunners assembling the gun, circa. 1895
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| Type | Mountain gun |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1879–1918 |
| Used by | British Empire British Raj Romania |
| Wars | Second Boer War World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Colonel le Mesurier, RA |
| Designed | 1877 |
| Manufacturer | Royal Gun Factory |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 800 pounds (363 kg) total |
| Length | 69 inches (1,750 mm) |
| Barrel length | 66 inches (1,680 mm) |
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| Shell | 7 pounds 6 ounces (3.35 kg) (Shrapnel) 8 pounds 2 ounces (3.69 kg) (Ring) |
| Calibre | 2.5 inches (63.5 mm) |
| Action | RML |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,436 feet per second (438 m/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 3,300 yards (3,018 m) (shrapnel) 4,000 yards (3,658 m) (ring) |
The Ordnance RML 2.5-inch mountain gun was a special type of cannon used by the British Army in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was designed to be carried in pieces by soldiers or mules, making it perfect for fighting in mountains or rough areas. This gun was mostly used by the Indian Army.
Contents
History of the Mountain Gun
This gun was created to be a stronger version of an older mountain gun, the RML 7-pounder Mountain Gun. Even though it fired a shell that weighed about 7 pounds, its official name was the 2.5-inch RML gun.
In 1877, a military officer named Colonel Frederick Le Mesurier came up with an idea for a gun that could be taken apart. It would split into two main pieces that could be screwed together. A company called Elswick Ordnance made 12 of these guns. They were tested in Afghanistan in 1879 and worked well. After that, a slightly different version was made and put into service.
The gun was a rifled muzzle-loader. This means it had grooves inside the barrel (rifling) to make the shell spin, and the shell was loaded from the front (muzzle). The gun and its stand were designed to break down into four parts: the barrel, the breech (back part), and two wheels. This made it easy for two mules or several soldiers to carry it. Because the barrel and breech were screwed together, it was often called a "screw gun."
The Gun in the Second Boer War
The 2.5-inch mountain gun was used during the Second Boer War (1899–1902) in South Africa. It was used on its regular mountain stand, but also on larger wheeled stands for better movement.
One big problem with the gun during this war was that it still used old-fashioned gunpowder to fire its shells. When fired, gunpowder created a large white cloud of smoke. This made the gunners easy targets for enemy soldiers, especially since the gun had no shield to protect them.
Because of these issues, the gun was not very effective. It was replaced by a newer gun, the BL 10-pounder Mountain Gun, starting in 1901.
The Gun in World War I
Even though it was an older design, some of these guns were brought back into service during World War I. About 4 to 6 of them were used by British forces in the campaign in German East Africa starting in 1916.
The country of Romania also bought 36 of these guns between 1883 and 1884. They called them "63 mm Armstrong mountain guns model 1883." These were Romania's first guns made for mountain fighting. Even though they were old, Romania still used them in World War I. This was because they didn't have enough modern mountain guns, and much of the fighting was in mountains. By 1918, only 16 of these guns were still in use in Romania.
Where to See Surviving Guns
You can still see some of these historic guns today:
- A restored gun is on display at Firepower, the Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich, London.
- Two guns are displayed at Fort Charles in Port Royal, Jamaica.
- Three guns are at the Fort Klapperkop Military Museum in Pretoria, South Africa. Two are on field carriages, and one is on a mountain carriage.
- One gun is at the National Military Museum, Romania in Bucharest.
- Two guns guard the tomb of Avram Iancu in Țebea, Romania.
- Two guns are displayed outside Peleș Castle in Romania.
In Literature
This special gun was even written about in a poem! The famous writer Rudyard Kipling described it in his poem "Screw-Guns".
See also
- List of mountain artillery
