Royal Ordnance L9
British demolition gun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Royal Ordnance 165mm L9 Demolition Gun, initially called Ordnance BL 6.5" Mk I, is a British short-barrelled 165 mm (6.5 in) gun used for combat engineering, particularly the demolition of defences.
PlaceoforiginUnited Kingdom
ManufacturerRoyal Ordnance Factories
Shell weight29 kg (64 lb)
Calibre165 mm (6.5 in)
| Royal Ordnance L9 | |
|---|---|
Centurion AVRE 165 | |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Royal Ordnance Factories |
| Specifications | |
| Shell weight | 29 kg (64 lb) |
| Calibre | 165 mm (6.5 in) |
The gun is capable of firing a 29 kg (64 lb) High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) demolition projectile distances up to 2,400 m (2,600 yd).[1] The HESH shell contains 18 kg (40 lb) of C-4 explosive.[2]
The L9 gun was mounted on Royal Engineers AVRE versions of the Churchill and Centurion tanks after the Second World War.
The gun's primary purpose is the clearing of obstacles such as walls, fences, roadblocks or bunkers, and the destruction of buildings.[3]
Variants
- L9A1: improved version
- M135: American version, used on M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle, variant of the M60 tank.[4]