Leaving Dunkirk, the British army lost a lot of weapons and equipment. To restore the defenses of Great Britain, it was necessary to urgently increase the output of existing products, as well as create some new weapons that are easy to manufacture. The result of all these works was the emergence of a number of original samples of weapons for various purposes, which, however, differed in ambiguous or even dubious characteristics. One of the developments created in a hurry and economy was the Blacker Bombard artillery gun.
The evacuation of troops from France hit the artillery units especially hard, including those armed with anti-tank guns. It is known that during the retreat, about 840 anti-tank guns had to be thrown, after which the army had less than 170 units of such weapons and a relatively small amount of ammunition left at its disposal. Nevertheless, there was a great risk of a German landing, which is why the army and the militia needed various weapons, including artillery. It was for such needs that, already in 1940, several interesting samples were created and launched into a series.
The Blacker Bombard cannon is ready to fire. Photo UK War Office
One of the most successful (in terms of production and distribution, but not in terms of characteristics) samples of "alternative" artillery gun was created by Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Blacker. Back in the early thirties, he became interested in the topic of the so-called. column mortars with over-caliber ammunition and developed several options for the preliminary design. However, these projects did not even go as far as testing prototypes. After the well-known events, the officer returned to the original ideas, which were now proposed to be used for other purposes.
An important advantage of the idea of a mortar was the possibility of maximum simplification of the design in comparison with traditional systems. So, as a guide for the mine being fired, it was proposed to use not a relatively complex barrel in production, but a metal rod-rod with the required strength parameters. The mine, in turn, was supposed to have a tubular shank, which should have been put on the stock. Such design features of the weapon to a certain extent reduced the characteristics in comparison with conventional mortars, but still made it possible to solve combat missions, and also made it possible to reduce the cost of production.
Front view, the guide rod and the original sight are clearly visible. Photo Sassik.livejournal.com
In the summer of 1940, S. Blacker prepared a complete set of necessary documents for his new project and sent it to the military department. Army specialists generally approved the original proposal. It was noted that the declared characteristics will make the system of the new type a direct analogue of the existing "two-pounders". The proposed weapon could be used by the army, the Home Guard militia, or even sabotage groups operating behind enemy lines. Nevertheless, the proposed design still could not provide high performance, which is why the further fate of the project became the subject of controversy for some time.
On August 18, 1940, a promising development was tested at the test site in the presence of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The high-ranking official perfectly understood the current situation and considered that S. Blacker is still of interest in the context of the ongoing urgent rearmament of the army and the militia. Soon, at the insistence of W. Churchill, there was an official order for the serial production of new weapons. It was supposed to be supplied to both the army and the militia. Linear mortars were considered as a temporary replacement for some anti-tank guns, the release of which did not yet cover all needs.
Rear view of the bombard. Photo Sassik.livejournal.com
The new weapon received the official name 29 mm Spigot Mortar - "29 mm column mortar". The author of the project himself called his development a bombard. Because of this, the light cannon was also called the Blacker Bombard. It should be noted that the name of the weapon, derived from the surname of its creator, is known better than the "faceless" designation, reflecting the type and caliber.
In the difficult conditions of mid-1940, Great Britain could not afford the production of complex and expensive weapons. These requirements formed the basis for the new project. Lieutenant Colonel Blacker took into account the existing experience, considered new proposals, and also calculated the cost of a promising product. The result of this was the emergence of weapons that were quite simple to manufacture and operate, but nevertheless capable of fighting the enemy's manpower and equipment.
The basis of the body of the bombard was a block with attachments for mounting on the machine and allowing horizontal guidance. Two rear beams were rigidly attached to this block, which were necessary for the installation of fixed elements of the weapon. Behind them was a curved armored shield that protected the gunner from enemy bullets and powder gases, as well as guidance and fire control devices. So, for horizontal guidance, it was proposed to use a pair of handles on the shield. Between these handles there was a window in front of which the sight was placed.
The scheme of the weapon. Drawing by Wikimedia Commons
The swinging artillery piece of the gun had a fairly simple design. On the trunnions mounted on the rotary device, it was proposed to mount a part containing two cylindrical elements. These units were located at an obtuse angle to each other, and between them there was a section for mounting an axis. The project proposed to place a hollow guide rod with elements of the firing mechanism in the front cylinder of the swinging part. At the back, a lever with a handle was attached to it, necessary for vertical guidance of the guide. The handle had a mechanism for fixing in a given position. In order to simplify vertical guidance, springs were located behind the shield to balance the "launcher" of the ammunition.
On the right side of the shield there was a window for installing the sight. With the "Blacker Bombard" it was proposed to use sighting devices of an extremely simple design. A ring was located at the level of the flap, and a rear sight was carried out in front of it on a special beam. The latter was a wide U-shaped plate with seven vertical posts. Such a sight made it possible to calculate the lead and determine the guidance angles at various ranges to the target.
Various ammunition for S. Blacker's gun. Figure Sassik.livejournal.com
For firing original over-caliber ammunition, S. Blacker developed a special device placed on a swinging artillery unit. A tube was attached to the vertical guidance mechanism, which served as a casing of the firing mechanism. A cylindrical casing with a diameter of 6 inches (152 mm) was attached to it in front, along the axis of which a tubular rod with an outer diameter of 29 mm passed. The stock, in turn, contained a long striker reaching its front cut. USM bombards had a fairly simple design. The drummer was supposed to be hit by a cylindrical part, fed forward by the mainspring. For cocking and descent, it was proposed to use a lever placed on the handles of the shield. With the help of a bowden cable, the lever was connected to the drummer cylinder and made it move forward or backward. Displacement of this detail back cocked the weapon, returning forward led to a shot.
The new weapon was supposed to use several types of ammunition, which had a similar structure, but differed in their purpose. The projectile had a streamlined body that contained a charge and a fuse. At the rear, it was proposed to attach a tubular shank to the body, on which a stabilizer of three planes and a ring was attached. Inside the shank, next to the body, a powder propellant charge and a primer-igniter, placed in a metal sleeve, should have been located. To fire the projectile shank with the charge placed in it, it was necessary to put on the bombard rod and move it all the way back, while the annular stabilizer reached the bottom of the cylindrical "barrel". When the propellant charge was ignited, the propellant gases were supposed to push the ammunition off the rod, sending it to the target.
Using the sight of the bombard. Figure Sassik.livejournal.com
S. Blacker developed several types of ammunition for his weapons for various purposes, but with similar parameters. The products had a length of 660 mm and a maximum diameter of 152 mm. The anti-tank projectile weighed 19.5 pounds (8.85 kg) and carried 8.75 pounds (almost 4 kg) of explosive. To launch such a projectile, a powder charge weighing 18 g was used. It should be noted that the defeat of an enemy armored vehicle with such a projectile had to occur due to damage to the armor by the blast wave. It was proposed to destroy the infantry using a high-explosive fragmentation 14-pound (6, 35 kg) projectile. At the same time, the maximum estimated firing range of the anti-tank projectile was limited to 400 m, while the fragmentation projectile flew at 720 m. Training projectiles with a weight simulator of the warhead were also produced.
Initially, the Blacker Bombard product received a relatively simple machine suitable for transportation. Its basis was a base plate, a rack and a top sheet, on which a support for the turning part of the gun was attached. Four tubular legs of comparatively long length were hinged at the corners of the slab. Wide openers were provided at the ends of the legs. There were also grooves for the installation of stakes-coulters driven into the ground to better hold the implement in place.
Subsequently, a new version of the machine was developed, which was distinguished by even greater simplicity, but lost the ability to change position. In the indicated place, a square trench was torn off, the walls of which were reinforced with brick or concrete. In the center of the trench, a cylindrical concrete base with a metal support at the top should have been made. The latter was intended for the installation of the bombard. Such pedestal installations, in theory, made it possible to cover all dangerous directions with the help of new weapons with a minimum expenditure of resources.
The gun is calculated on the firing position. Photo Sassik.livejournal.com
The 29 mm Spigot Mortar in "movable" or stationary design did not have any differences. Due to the same design, similar dimensions were maintained (excluding the machine). The body weight of the gun in all cases was 51 kg. When using a standard machine, the total weight of the complex reached 363 kg, not counting the ammunition. The calculation of the bombards was supposed to include up to five people. Trained gunners could fire up to 10-12 rounds per minute. Due to the specific design of the bombard, the muzzle velocity did not exceed 75 m / s. In this regard, the effective firing range was limited to 100 yards (91 m), but in practice, in order to obtain acceptable accuracy, it was necessary to additionally reduce the firing distance.
By early autumn, the prospects for the Blacker Bombard product had been determined. The command of the people's militia ordered the serial production of 14 thousand units of such weapons, which were planned to be distributed among many units. Each Home Guard company was to receive two bombards. Eight guns were assigned to each brigade, and 12 items were to be used in airfield protection units. It was planned to transfer 24 units to the anti-tank regiments. The command was well aware that, in its current form, the original artillery piece had extremely low combat effectiveness, but circumstances forced it to place new orders.
Serial production of "Blacker Bombard" continued until July 1942. By this time, British industry had collected almost 29 thousand guns: 13604 in 1941 and 15349 in 42nd. More than 2.1 million ammunition of two types was manufactured. In the summer of 42, the industry stopped the production of such weapons and ammunition for it. By this time, it was possible to restore the production of full-fledged artillery systems, which made it possible to first reduce and then stop the production of alternative simplified weapons.
Blacker's bomber on a stationary concrete pedestal. Photo Guns.wikia.com
The original artillery system did not have very high characteristics, which is why the troops had to develop appropriate methods for its combat use. First of all, it was decided that bombards should only work in camouflaged positions. It was proposed to place them 50-70 meters from the obstacles, which made it possible to compensate for the low accuracy: the enemy would have to stop near barbed wire or a barricade, which made him a less difficult target.
However, even when used as recommended, the Blacker Bombard product did not have a high performance or low risk for calculation. Due to the short firing range, the artillerymen risked falling under small arms fire, and in addition, they had not too great chances of executing the second shot after a miss. Such features of the weapon did not add to him respect from the soldiers and militias.
Due to a number of characteristic shortcomings, the Home Guard fighters quickly became disillusioned with the new "anti-tank" system. The result of this was a mass of negative reviews, attempts to exchange unsuccessful weapons for other systems, and even an explicit rejection of the received products. For example, the commander of the 3rd Battalion of the Wiltshire People's Militia, Lieutenant Colonel Herbert, in one of the reports in plain text wrote that his unit received fifty bombards, but the commanders did not manage to find a way to use this weapon. Therefore, all the products received were sent to scrap metal dumps.
A bomber and gunners. Photo UK War Office
Fortunately for the gunners, who happened to receive the Blacker Bombards, Nazi Germany was never able to prepare a landing operation to seize the British Isles. The militia did not have to fight the enemy, having not the most successful or even dubious weapons available. Thanks to this, Blacker Bombards were repeatedly used during various exercises, but never fired at real targets. Knowing the characteristics and capabilities of such weapons, it is easy to imagine what the results of its use in the course of real battles could be.
According to some reports, the British Home Guard structure was not the only operator of the weapons of the S. Blacker system. A number of such weapons were sent to Australia, New Zealand and India, where, apparently, they also did not show outstanding results. Also, some sources mention the delivery of several bombers to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease. And in this case, the unusual weapon did not leave any noticeable traces in history.
Officially, the operation of the 29 mm Spigot Mortar / Blacker Bombard guns continued until the very end of the war in Europe. However, by 1945, even the militia was able to obtain a significant number of full-fledged artillery pieces, which no longer needed some of the existing samples. Bombards were gradually written off and sent to melt down as unnecessary.
One of the surviving firing positions for the Blacker Bombard. Photo Wikimedia Commons
Soon after the completion of the development of the bombards, Lieutenant Colonel Blacker was entrusted with the creation of a new model of anti-tank weapons. The result of these works was the appearance of the PIAT hand grenade launcher. Despite its poor performance, the Blacker Bombard system has proven the potential of high-caliber head ammunition. In the very near future, such ideas were implemented in the project of the Hedgehog shipborne anti-submarine bomb. Subsequently, this bomb was widely used in the British and several foreign navies.
Due to the large volumes of production, a certain amount of "Bombard Blacker" has survived to our time. Such samples are available in the expositions of various museums, in private collections and in military history clubs. Also, a significant number of interesting objects directly related to the S. Blacker's project are still located in the southern regions of England and Wales. In preparation for a possible enemy invasion, almost 8,000 positions were equipped with concrete bollards for guns. Now there are 351 such structures.
Lieutenant Colonel S. Blacker's project became a typical product of his time. In 1940, Great Britain faced a shortage of weapons and equipment, and also risked being attacked. In such conditions, she had to create new types of weapons, which, for obvious reasons, could not show high performance. However, the army and Home Guard did not have to choose. In the existing situation, even not very successful line-type bombards could be useful, and therefore were put into series. In the future, the situation changed, which made it possible to abandon not the best weapons in favor of traditional artillery with high characteristics.