Royal Ordnance L9
| Royal Ordnance L9 | |
|---|---|
Centurion AVRE 165
|
|
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Royal Ordnance Factories |
| Specifications | |
| Calibre | 165 mm |
Royal Ordnance L9 is a British short-barrelled 165 mm calibre gun used for combat engineering, particularly the demolition of defences.
Initially called Ordnance BL 6.5" Mk I it was latter renamed 165mm L9 Demolition Gun. American variants of the L9A1 as used on the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle were known M135
The gun is capable of firing a 64 lb (29 kg) High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) demolition projectile distances up to 2,400 m (2,600 yd).[1] The HESH shell contains 40 lb of C-4 explosive[citation needed].
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.[2]
Variants
- L9A1 - improved version
- The American M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle variant of the M60 Patton tank used a XM135 gun patterned after the British 165 mm.[3]
Notes
References
- US Army Field Manual FM 5-103 Survivability, Appendix A, Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, DC 10 June 1985
- Hunnicutt, R. P. Patton: A History of the American Main Battle Tank. 1984; Presidio Press. ISBN 0-89141-230-1.
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