Artillery

Both of the World Wars were artillery wars. Artillery dominated the battlefields and inflicted more casualties than almost any other weapon. This particular gun, the Quick Firing 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer was a late production model made for the Indian Army in 1944. It was ideal for deployment in the jungles and hills of Burma. Originally introduced in 1915 as a replacement for the 10-pounder jointed gun, it was designed to be broken down into several loads for transport by mule. Given an open gun position, a practiced crew could have the gun unloaded from the mules, reassembled and deployed ready for action in two minutes.

Although officially designated as the Mountain Howitzer it was always known as the Pack Howitzer. It was the first British gun to have a split trail carriage that allowed firing at high angles, an ideal feature in mountainous areas. It fired a shrapnel shell to a maximum range of 5,900 yards or a high explosive shell to 4,500 yards.