13-pounder

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The 13-pounder quick-firing field gun was the standard equipment of the British Royal Horse Artillery at the outbreak of World War I. It was developed as a response to combat experience gained in the Boer War and entered service in 1904.

It saw action most famously at the Battle of Le Cateau in August 1914 as the British Expeditionary Force retreated from Mons. From late 1914, when the Western Front settled into trench warfare, the 13-pounder was found to be too light to be truly effective against prepared defensive positions. As a result, it was increasingly supplanted by the 18-pounder.

As the war progressed, however, the increasing air activity created a requirement for a medium anti-aircraft gun. Redundant 13-pounders were fitted to high-angle mounts to produce the 3-inch anti-aircraft gun. This remained in service until 1940. When the BEF was evacuated from France, in May and June that year, RA batteries were forced to abandon their 3-inch guns, re-equipping with 3.7-inch guns after their return to the UK.

External links

http://www.1914-1918.net/arms_tactics/art_weapons.htm

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