| Gun, 105mm, Field, L118 |
Arguably the most famous L118 Light Gun, in use as the One O'Clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle | | Type | Towed howitzer | | Place of origin | United Kingdom | | Service history | | Used by | British Army | | Production history | | Designer | Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment | | Manufacturer | BAE Systems Land and Armaments | | Specifications | | Weight | 1858 kg | | Length | 8.8 m | | Width | 1.78 m | | Height | 2.13 m |
| | Caliber | 105 mm | | Elevation | -100 to 1250 mils | | Traverse | 6400 mils on its platform and 100 mils left or right | | Rate of fire | 6-8 rounds per minute | | Maximum range | 17,200 m | The L118 Light Gun is a 105 mm towed howitzer, originally produced for the British Army in the 1970s and widely exported since, including to the United States, where a modified version is known as the M119A1. The proper name for it is "Gun, 105mm, Field, L118" but it almost always just called "the Light Gun". Image File history File links One_OClock_Gun. ...
The castle dominates the Edinburgh skyline as seen here from Princes Street Gardens Edinburgh Castle is an ancient fortress which, from its position atop Castle Rock, dominates the sky-line of the city of Edinburgh, and is Scotlands most famous (and most visited) landmark. ...
19th century 12 pounder (5 kg) mountain howitzer displayed by the National Park Service at Fort Laramie in Wyoming, USA A howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at trajectories with...
The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...
BAE Systems Land & Armaments was created on June 24, 2005, following the completion of BAE Systems acquisition of United Defense and its merger with BAE Systems Land Systems. ...
The word calibre (British English) or caliber (American English) designates the interior diameter of a tube or the exterior diameter of a wire or rod. ...
In ballistics, the elevation is the angle between the horizontal plane and the direction of the barrel of a gun, mortar or heavy artillery. ...
(for paintball markers also)Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific weapon can fire or launch its projectiles. ...
19th century 12 pounder (5 kg) mountain howitzer displayed by the National Park Service at Fort Laramie in Wyoming, USA A howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at trajectories with...
The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...
A M119 Howitzer being fired as part of an exercise near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan The M119 A1 Howitzer is a lightweight howitzer used by the United States Army. ...
History
Development From about 1960 until the mid-1970s, the British Army used the 105 mm Pack Howitzer L5 with L10 ordnance (OTO Melara Mod 56) as its light artillery weapon, variously replacing 75 mm How, 4.2 inch mortar and 25 pdr in some eight regular artillery regiments. It fired the US M1 type ammunition (called 105 mm How in UK). This widely-used howitzer was originally designed in Italy for the Alpini, and was light enough to be lifted by Westland Wessex helicopters or towed by Land Rovers. However, it lacked range (making it potentially vulnerable to counter-battery fire), was not notably robust, had poor sights and was not entirely popular although its light weight and compact size were redeeming features. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...
The OTO-Melara Mod 56 is an Italian 105 mm pack howitzer designed by OTO-Melara. ...
The Alpini are a highly decorated elite infantry corps of the Italian Army. ...
Museum exhibit Westland Wessex The Westland Wessex is a turbine-powered version of the Sikorsky S-58 Choctaw, developed under license by Westland Aircraft, initially for the Royal Navy, but later for the RAF. The Wessex was built at Westlands factory at Yeovil in Somerset. ...
Land Rover was the name of one of the first British civilian all-terrain utility vehicles, first produced by Rover in 1947. ...
Its replacement, the Light Gun, was designed by the government Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (RARDE), Fort Halstead, Kent, during the late 1960s. Its basis was the 105 mm Fd Mk 2 ammunition family designed for the L13 ordnance of the Gun Equipment 105 mm L109 (better known as Abbot self-propelled gun). General Characteristics FV 433 Field Artillery, Self-Propelled (Abbot) Length: (gun forward) 5. ...
This ammunition uses electrical instead of percussion primers and provides greater lethality and range than the US M1-type ammunition. It is an entirely different design to the US M1 type ammunition and the two are not interchangeable, although 105 mm Fd Mk 1 uses the M1 shell, which is shorter with less HE than the 105 mm Fd Mk 2 design. There has never been any indication that L118 has used 105 mm Fd Mk 1 ammunition although it is theoretically possible if aeroballistic data were produced for it. Look up he in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
The L118 uses the L19 ordnance on the L17 carriage. The L19 ordnance is slightly shorter than the L13 used by Abbot and hence has slightly less maximum range.
Original production was by Royal Ordnance Factory, Nottingham (Government owned) which has since been incorporated into BAE Systems Land and Armaments. Royal Ordnance was the state-run arms manufacturer in the United Kingdom which was privatised in 1984 and sold off by the government to British Aerospace (BAe) in 1987. ...
BAE Systems Land & Armaments was created on June 24, 2005, following the completion of BAE Systems acquisition of United Defense and its merger with BAE Systems Land Systems. ...
In Service Light Gun first entered service with the British Army in 1975. The new weapon was heavier than its predecessor, but new, more capable helicopters such as the Puma and Westland Sea King, which could carry the new weapon, were also entering service at the same time. The Aerospatiale Puma is a medium-sized twin-engined transport/utility helicopter originally manufactured by Aerospatiale of France. ...
For the original Viking use of the name, see Sea-King. ...
However, a new vehicle, the Land Rover 101 Forward Control (Land Rover, One Ton) was designed as the prime mover in the field for the Light Gun and the Rapier air-defence missile launcher. Since the end of the 1990s, the British Army has been using Pinzgauer ATVs as their gun tractors. In arctic service, and elsewhere, the gun is towed by the Hägglunds Bv 206 and is fitted with skis when over snow. A Land Rover 101 Forward Control with the radio-vehicle body The Land Rover 101 Forward Control was a vehicle produced by Land Rover for the British Army. ...
For the philosophical/theological concept of a prime mover (that is, a self-existent being that is the ultimate cause or mover of all things), see cosmological argument. ...
Pinzgauer is a high mobility all-terrain 4x4 and 6x6 military utility vehicle manufactured in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom, by Automotive Technik (ATL). ...
The term All-Terrain Vehicle or ATV is used in a general sense to describe any of a number of small open motorized buggies and tricycles designed for off-road use. ...
US Marines in a Norwegian Bv 206 travelling through snow Diagram of the Bv 206 This tracked vehicle, a Swedish Hägglunds Bv206, achieves low ground pressure through full-length, wide rubber tracks and a lightweight body. ...
In 1982, the Light Gun saw intense use in the Falklands War. Five batteries (30 guns) were deployed to the Falkland Islands. During the final phases of the battles around Port Stanley, these guns were firing up to 400 rounds per gun per day, mostly at "Charge Super" i.e. the most powerful propellant charge for which they were designed. They were a significant factor in the British victory. Since that time British forces have used it in the Balkans, Sierra Leone, Iraq and Afghanistan. Combatants Argentina United Kingdom Commanders Presidente Leopoldo Galtieri Vice Admiral Juan Lombardo Brigadier General Ernesto Crespo Brigade General Mario Menéndez Prime minister Margaret Thatcher Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse Rear-Admiral Sandy Woodward Major General Jeremy Moore Casualties 649 killed 1,068 wounded 11,313 taken prisoner 75 fixed wing...
From the air Port Stanley, also known as Stanley (briefly renamed Puerto Argentino during the Argentine occupation in the Falklands War), is the capital and only town in the Falkland Islands, located on the isle of East Falkland. ...
At present, the British Army deploys the Light Gun with 29 Commando Regiment RA, 7 Parachute Regiment RHA and 40 Field Regiment RA. These units support Marine Commando, Air Assault or Light formations. Other regular batteries are temporarily converted to the Light Gun from the AS90 self-propelled gun as necessary for operations. 29 Commando Regiment is the Commando trained unit of the British Armys Royal Artillery Regiment. ...
Tactical Recognition Flash of the Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, generally known as the Royal Artillery (RA), is, despite its name, a corps of the British Army. ...
The Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) is a corps in the British Army. ...
AS90 Braveheart The AS-90 (Braveheart) is an armoured fighting vehicle used by the British Army. ...
Three regiments of the Territorial Army (100 Regt. RA(V), 103 (Lancastrian Artillery Volunteers) Regt. RA(V) and 105 Regt. RA(V)) are also equipped with the Light Gun. The Honourable Artillery Company, 104 Regt. RA(V) and other units use the Light Gun for ceremonial purposes. The Territorial Army (TA) is the principal reserve force of the British Army, the land armed forces of the United Kingdom, and composed mostly of part-time soldiers paid at the same rate, while engaged on military activities, as their Regular equivalents. ...
This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...
103rd (Lancastrian Artillery Volunteers) Regiment Royal Artillery provide reinforcements for units using the 105 mm L118 Light Gun and the AS90. ...
105th Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) The Scottish & Ulster Gunners is a British Territorial Army (TA) Regiment of the Royal Artillery. ...
Armorial bearings of the HAC, granted in 1821 The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior[2] in the Territorial Army [3] . // The HAC can trace its history as far back as 1296, but it received a Royal Charter...
104th Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) is a regiment of the British Territorial Army formed on 1 April 1967. ...
Those University Officer Training Corps with "Gun Troops" train with the L118. The Officers Training Corps (OTC) is a part of the British Army that provides military training to students at British universities. ...
The Irish Army trains with both L118 and L119 weapons, currently towing them into action behind 4 tonne trucks. The introduction of medium-lift capacity helicopters into the Air Corps means that in future the guns may be flown into and out of action.
Design The Light Gun appears to owe a number of its features to the QF 25 pounder, unsurprisingly since RARDE was the successor to the Design Department, Woolwich. Among these features are its vertically-sliding block breech, and a box trail instead of a split trail; a traversing platform is usually used with it. Its comparatively light weight is also attributed to the nature of the steel used in the carriage and ordnance, and other weight-reducing features including its narrow wheelbase. Ordnance QF 25 pounder Type gun-howitzer Nationality UK Era World War II Target general use + anti-tank History Date of design 1930s Production period Number built Service duration 1930s to 1967 Operators War service Specifications Carriage Fixed trail Calibre 3. ...
When being towed in the unfolded position, the A-Frame is fitted to the front transom in order to support the elevating mass. A recent modification makes it possible to keep the gun in this position indefinitely at speeds up to 40 mph. For long distance transport, cleaning and storage, the barrel is reversed and clamped to the end of the trail.
The 105 mm Fd Mk 2 ammunition has two propelling cartridges and a blank cartridge (for saluting purposes). The normal cartridge has 5 propellant zones (Charges 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5). A supplementary Charge 4½ is also available for high angle fire to improve charge overlap between charges 4 and 5. It is peculiar to Light Gun and was not used with Abbot. A separate "Charge Super" cartridge is used for firing to maximum range.
Both Charge 5 and Charge Super project beyond the end of the metal cartridge case. Unlike the M1 ammunition, which is 'semi fixed' and loaded as a complete round, 105 mm Fd is 'separate'; the shell is loaded and rammed by hand then the cartridge is loaded. By the time L118 entered service sub-zones A and B originally used with Abbot had been replaced by a spoiler to reduce the minimum range at high angle fire when this was required.
The 105 mm Fd Mk 2 projectiles are the same as used with Abbot, apart from the current introduction of a new HE shell. This is slightly longer than current shells, uses insensitive plastic bonded explosive and provides significantly greater leathality. The supplier claims its lethality is on a par with 155 mm HE M107. A base-bleed HE shell, maximum range reportedly 21 - 22 km, was developed in the late 1990s but has not entered service.
When first introduced in the British Royal Artillery, the L7 or L7A1 dial sight and its carrier, incorporating an integral elevation scale and internal lighting powered by Trilux nuclear light sources, was used to aim the gun for indirect fire. Since Light Gun entered service after the introduction of Field Artillery Computer Equipment (FACE) it never, unlike Abbot, had gun rules. Therefore it has a single Quadrant Elevation scale. These indirect fire sights are now only used in recruit training.
In the field, the British Army's L118 guns are now fitted with the Artillery Pointing System (APS)LINAPS. This is a self-contained system that uses a ring laser gyro for azimuth determination and an electronic clinometer for elevation. It also includes navigation facilities for self-survey. All this can be used anywhere in the world to lay the gun without external references.
During the early 1990s all UK L118 were fitted with a Muzzle Velocity Measuring Device (MVMD), a radar, and its power supply. Currently MVMD and APS are being more tightly coupled to reduce electrical power requirements. An upgraded APS may also perform some ballistic calculation functions including muzzle velocity prediction using Kaman filters or a neural network.
The guns also have a direct fire telescope and were originally issued with a night telescope using image intensification.
Variants
L119 There is a version of the Light Gun, known as the L119, which has a different barrel (the slightly shorter L20 ordnance with a percussion firing mechanism) for firing the widely used US M1 type ammunition (UK 105 mm How). In British service this was only used for training at the Royal School of Artillery while stocks of 105 mm How ammunition lasted. It is also popular with many export customers who still rely on M1 ammunition.
M119A1 -
The L119 was further modified and produced under licence for adoption by the United States Army. A M119 Howitzer being fired as part of an exercise near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan The M119 A1 Howitzer is a lightweight howitzer used by the United States Army. ...
Other Variants During the 1970s a third variant, with the L21 ordnance, was developed and prototypes produced. This was for Switzerland and used Swiss pattern 105 mm ammunition. It did not enter service.
The Indian 105 mm light gun appears to share many features with the UK equipment. In the late 1960s India introduced the Value Engineered Abbot variant with the 105 mm Fd ammunition.
Exports The Light Gun, either L118, L119 or carriages with both ordnances, has been exported to: Production facilities have been established in Australia (for Australian and New Zealand), where it is called the 'Hamel Gun', and the US as M119A1. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...
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