British Artillery 1914-19: Heavy Artillery (New Vanguard) [Paperback]

Dale Clarke (Author), Brian Delf (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: New Vanguard | Publication Date: August 10, 2005

World War I is often deemed to have been ‘a war of artillery’, and British heavy artillery played a vital part in destroying the German trenches and providing invaluable cover for advancing troops on the Western Front. This book details the huge guns of the Royal Garrison Artillery, including the 6-in. siege gun and howitzer, the 8-in. howitzer, the 12-in. railway and siege howitzer and the infamous 9.2-in breech-loading siege howitzer. Camouflage and enemy battery locations and transport are covered, as well as tactics used and how the guns were developed and manned.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The unrivalled illustrated reference on fighting vehicles, transport and artillery through the ages. Each volume is illustrated throughout, making these books uniquely accessible to history enthusiasts of all ages.

About the Author

Dale Clarke has just completed a War in History MA at the Institute for the Study of War and Society at De Montfort University and is about to start a PhD on Early Modern English fortifications. He also works as a TA staff officer on attachment to the Directorate of Corporate Communications (Army) at the MOD. Previously he has worked as an armourer and technical advisor for film and television with credits including ‘Captain Corelli's Mandolin’. He lives in Kent, UK.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (August 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841767883
• ISBN-13: 978-1841767888
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,008,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nicely Detailed, January 30, 2007

By 

Pardus Amicus "Alexander" (Lake Superior, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: British Artillery 1914-19: Heavy Artillery (New Vanguard) (Paperback)

Heavy Artillery covers the pre-war modernization and organization of the British siege guns, balanced against the reality of war time deployment in a landscape decidedly ill-suited to moving and emplacing such massive equipment. Attention is given to the practical problems of logistics with limited mechanization and long range fire control from hidden batteries in the days before practical radios.

Short individual sections detail the base gun models, including railway mountings, and the modifications to improve range, mobility, and terminal effect.

The excellent color plates give a close-up look at several guns and mountings with a two page spread on the 9.2 inch howitzer, and one can barely imagine the smoke and noise of firing these massive artillery pieces under the constant threat of German counter battery shells.


Both this volume, British Artillery 1914-19: Heavy Artillery, and British Artillery 1914-19: Field Army Artillery make excellent companions to Allied Artillery of World War 1, 1-86126-712-6

3.0 out of 5 stars British Artillery 1914-19: Heavy Artillery, February 16, 2008

By 

William L. Robinson (Elgin, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: British Artillery 1914-19: Heavy Artillery (New Vanguard) (Paperback)

A very nice little book that is a useful reference. I find this useful when reading other books on the Western Front, the Somme or Flanders. You read about the "heavies" and now you can put a picture to the discription.