This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/27/2021
These British 4.5” Howitzer cannon were the standard “light” howitzer of the World War I era for British forces. Carriages were made by Austin Motor company, as on this example, with the rest of the equipment manufactured by either Coventry Ordnance Works, Bethlehem Steel, or Vickers and Sons Company. There were over 3,300 produced by the end of World War I, of which 400 were supplied to Russia and just under 1000 were in service on the Western Front. By the time of World War II, there were only some 400 remaining in service and these were updated at that time to have steel as opposed to wooden spoke wheels. These Howitzers saw service on the Western front in France as well as in the North African desert. This particular specimen is particularly well-equipped for modern recreational use, with reloading tools, and dies for resizing and loading 40mm Bofors cases and rounds manufactured by Big Bore LLC. The gun may be fired with either 40mm Bofors rounds (using the barrel insert) or with 90mm US rounds. The mold that comes with this gun is to cast rounds which fire with the 90mm US cases. There are also numerous original 40mm projectiles as well as cast 40 mm projectiles included with this guns as well. You could also fire this gun using the original 4 - 1/2" cases, but you would have to modify the priming discs which fit in the base of the shell to accept 50 caliber primers, which is what the 90mm cases use. The following is an inventory of accessories included with this 4.5 inch Howitzer and the numbers of cases, projectiles and powder is approximate: Range table slide rule in case for 4.5 inch Howitzer Eliot Brothers, London, 1915; Case Clinometer for 4.5 inch Howitzer, in original wooden case, 1914; 4.5 inch Howitzer field plotter in leather case, Taylor & Hobson, 1916; Field plotter, without case, Taylor & Hobson, 1916; 4.5 inch Howitzer leather parts box; 2 entrenching tools; 2 dial sites, without case; Dial site in leather case; 4 - 1/8 Fairmount Fuse Tool; 1943 Dated Clinometer Sight (Mark IV) with level and wooden carriage mount; Plaque with four original 4.5 inch Howitzer silk powder bags. Reloading: Stack of 3 tins to contain powder bags for 4.5 inch Howitzer;
Complete set of loading dies and loading tools to reload 40mm Bofors cases and rounds manufactured by Big Bore, LLC; Approximately 100 powder tubes for insertion in 90mm US cases used for blank loads in Howitzer
with bases;
50-caliber ammo can with two 90 mm blank load for use in 4.5 inch Howitzer;
50-caliber ammo can with two 90 mm blank loads for use in 4.5 inch Howitzer;
50-caliber ammo can with three 90 mm empty cases for use in building 4.5 inch Howitzer blank
loads;
50-caliber ammo can with three 90 mm empty cases for use in building 4.5 inch Howitzer blank
loads;
Wooden chest with 8 loaded 90 mm Howitzer 4.5 inch blank loads;
Plastic tin containing approximately 70-pounds of 40 mm Bofors projectiles for use in reloads;
20 mm ammo can with 4 plastic containers of smokeless 155 mm Howitzer powder for use in
reloads;
Approximately twenty-five original 4-1/2 inch brass cases in green metal storage case;
Approximately three hundred original 40 mm Bofors projectiles, some in wooden box, some in 4
large 50-caliber ammo cans, some in 2 regular 50-caliber ammo cans;
Approximately eighty 40 mm Bofors cases, short, in 2 wood boxes, these were cut down to make
blank loads;
Approximately sixty 40 mm Bofors cases, in original metal sealing cans;
Metal rocket container filled with approximately 50-pounds of 155 mm Howitzer powder for
reloading;
Three miscellaneous plastic containers with 155 mm powder for reloading.
Mold for casting 4 ½ inch projectiles in aluminum case.
Ammunition:
Black original 4-1/2 inch projectile on case with fuze, undated;
Yellow original 4.5 inch Howitzer Trotyl round on case with fuze dated 17 August 1917;
Yellow original 4.5 inch Howitzer projectile Amatol dated 19 April 1916 with case;
Original Cutaway 4-1/2 projectile, shrapnel, with cutaway fuze.
Publications:
Handbook of Enemy Ammunition, Pamphlet No. 7, War Office, 5 June 1943; Sub. 2 Two Volume
Set Treatise of Ammunition, War Office, 1915, Republished by Imperial War Museum;
Handbook for the Quick Firing 4.5 Inch Howitzer Marks I and II, War Office, 1927, Republished
by MLRS 2006;
Early British Quick Firing Artillery by Len Trawin, Published by Nexus Special Interest, Ltd, 1997;
Field Guns in France by Lt. Neil Fraser-Tytler, Republished by Naval and Military Press;
Handbook of Artillery Instruments, Dial Site No. 7, 1914, Republished by Naval & Military Press;
British Artillery 1914-19, Osprey Publishing, 2004;
Modern Guns and Gunnery, Henry Arthur Bethell, Republished by Elibron Classics, 2006;
Handbook for the 4.5 Inch Quick Firing Howitzer (Land Service, Reprinted in 2003 by D&G&P
Military Publishers);
Field Artillery Manual, Volume 1, by Arthur R. Wilson, Revised July, 1928, Published by George
Banta Publishing Company (Original);
Handbook for the 4.5 Inch Quick Fire Howitzer (Land Service) 1915 (Reprint);
Handbook of the 4.5 Inch Quick Fire Howitzer Land Service 1915 (Original);
Handbook of the 4.5 Inch Quick Fire Howitzer Land Service 1915 (Original);
Handbook of the 4.5 Inch Quick Fire Howitzer Land Service 1915 (Original);
Maintenance Manual, 1943, Carriage, 4.5 Inch Gun Marks I & II (Original);
William Roberts 4.5 Howitzer Gunner Manual, Memories of the War to End War by William
Roberts (Original);
Gun Drill for Quick Fire 4.5 Inch Howitzer Marks I & II Howitzers on Marks I to I P Field
Carriages 1940 (Original);
Range Tables for the 4.5 Inch Quick Fire Field Howitzer (Original);
4.5 Inch Quick Fire Howitzer Gun Drill 1916 (Original);
2
Gun Drill for Quick Fire 4.5 Inch Marks I & II Howitzers on Marks I to I P Field Carriage 1940
(Original);
Practical Supplement to the School of the Battery Commander Artillery Materials and Ammunition
Published in Paris 1918 (Original);
Range Table Part 1 for Quick Fire 4.5 Inch Howitzer Marks I & II Published by War Office 1931
(Original);
Notes on the Ammunition for Quick Fire 4.5 Inch Howitzer, Ordnance Collage, 2nd Addition, 1916
(Original);
4.5 Inch Howitzer Simplified 1917 (Original) various original photographs of the 4.5 Inch Howitzer
in mailing tube;
Chattel Deed Conveying the Howitzer dated January 30, 1968, from Charles W. Sydnor to David E.
Cumberland (Dangerous Dave);
Various photographs of Howitzer while owned by Dave Cumberland in envelope from David
Cumberland postmarked 10 August 2009;
Original diagram of 4.5 Inch Howitzer from “The Times History of the War” dated 1920.
Range tables for the 4.5 Inch Quick Firing Howitzer 1917 (Original).
CONDITION: Overall appearance and finish is extremely fine to near excellent serviceable condition as repainted for World War II service. This cannon has been fired by the consignor and works just great! May well be the only one of this model fully transferable as a destructive device in the National Firearms Act Registry. It is on site with the consignor client and winning bidder will need to make arrangements for BATF transfer and subsequent transportation from Tulsa, OK. Parties who are interested in personally inspecting this artillery piece prior to auction should contact Morphy Auctions, provide this lot number and their name, and Morphy's will in turn contact the consignor. THIS IS A NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT ITEM AND REQUIRES BATF APPROVAL PRIOR TO TRANSFER. THIS ITEM IS FULLY TRANSFERABLE ON AN ATF FORM 3 OR 4 AS A DESTRUCTIVE DEVICE. JWK 2021-04-039
Accessories
See description. All accessories on site with cannon
Barrel Length
Total length 9 feet
FFL Status
Destructive Device