BL howitzer railgun Profile and Models
"Boche Buster" and its crew pose for a photogaph at Ashbury station during World War 2. ©Public Domain
|
The BL 18-inch railway howitzer was developed during World War 1, but did not actually enter service until 1920. Five guns and two complete pieces of equipment on railway wagons were produced but they were never fired in action, being stored after WW1. In 1940, "Boche Buster" was mounted on a railway chassis and was deployed on the Elham to Canterbury line as a coastal defence system. However, the guns range was insufficent to cross the channel and it therefore never fired in action. |
|
|
Type of Vehicle |
Railgun |
|
Builder |
Elswick Ordnance Company |
|
Build Date |
1906 - 1907 |
|
Total Built |
5 |
|
Operators |
Railway Operating Division (WW1) War Department (WW2) |
|
Main Duties |
Coastal Defence |
|
Effective Firing Range |
22,300yd |
|
In Service Until |
1945 |
OO Gauge (1:76 Scale)
War Department
Railway Operating Division - WW1