page_title: BL 9.2-inch howitzer
section_title: Mark II
hierarchical_section_title: BL 9.2-inch howitzer / History / Mark II
caption_attribution_description: Photograph of components of 9.2 inch howitzer on transport wagons.
context_page_description: The Ordnance BL 9.2-inch howitzer was a heavy siege howitzer that formed the principal counter-battery equipment of British forces in France in World War I. It equipped a substantial number of siege batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery. It remained in service until about the middle of World War II.
context_section_description: The Mk I's range was relatively limited and in June 1916 the senior Artillery commander in France, Major General Birch, requested among other artillery improvements an increase in range to 15,000 yards (14,000 m) "even if an increase of the weight of the equipment is entailed". This resulted in the Mark II gun in December 1916, with a heavier maximum propellant charge, a longer barrel and an increased range of 13,935 yards (12,742 m). However, combat experience showed the higher-velocity Mk II barrel had a reduced life, estimated at 3,500 rounds. The average barrel life of a Mk I gun was estimated from combat experience to be 6,000 rounds.
caption: Transport (L-R) of barrel, bed, cradle & body
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