"Nine-inch long-barreled guns" : Lyn MacDonald "Sommme&#34

[RodB]

Private Baverstock of the 1st Canterbury Battalion was moving up to the line about 10th September 1916 in prepartion for the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. They bivouaced "on the Hill above Fricourt". He describes "Down below us there were several nine-inch long-barrelled guns and on the opposite slope between Fricourt and Mametz Wood were a long line of six-inch Howitzers... The nine-inch monsters just below our bivouacs erupted from time to time in groups of four and the detonation was so terrific that it hurt horribly".

Is he in fact referring to 6-inch Mk VII naval guns in service as field guns ? Being naval guns, and much heavier and longer than an equivalent calibre field gun, would they have looked like a nine-inch field gun to him ? He is at pains to identify them as guns rather than howitzers.

Anybody know what battery this would have been ?

thanks

Rod

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Private Baverstock of the 1st Canterbury Battalion was moving up to the line about 10th September 1916 in prepartion for the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. They bivouaced "on the Hill above Fricourt". He describes "Down below us there were several nine-inch long-barrelled guns

Rod

Rod,

Could they have been 9.2 inch Howitzers which were used at Fricourt ? as shown in the attached photograph.

Regards,

LF

[Stoppage Drill]

The 9.2 was my first thought, but you wouldn't call them "long barrelled" would you ?

[centurion]

The 9.2 was my first thought, but you wouldn't call them "long barrelled" would you ?

Possibly the Mk II which had a barrel of 156.16 inch which is 37.66 inch longer than the Mk I (121.5 inch) so long might be a relative term to distinguish the two.Marks ie MkI a short 9-inch Mk II a long 9 inch

[RodB]

Mk II 9.2-inch howitzer only arrived at the end of 1916.