The Stokes Gun was a British simple type of trench howitzer or trench mortar designed by Sir Wilfrid Stokes in 1915. The Stokes Gun consisted of a weldless steelbarrel at an approximate angle of 45 degrees, reduced at the breech end and closed with a cap which terminated in a ball and internally carried a pointed striker. In the upper part of the barrel a sliding pin was arranged, which could be withdrawn by pulling a lanyard. The barrel was supported at its upper end on two struts, provided with screw adjustment for slight alteration of the elevation. The bomb or shell for the Stokes Gun consisted of a cylindrical case containing a charge of high explosive and equipped with an impact fuse. At the lower end was a tubular extension perforated with a number of holes. This extension accommodated a 12-bore sporting cartridge filled with propellant.
The bomb was placed in the mouth of the barrel of the Stokes Gun and rested upon the sliding pin until the lanyard was pulled, where upon the bomb slid down the barrel, and the cap of the cartridge struck against the point of the striker and was exploded. The gas generated by the propellant blew the bomb out of the gun. The cartridge-case was ejected with the bomb, so that as soon as one shot was fired another bomb could be put in. If rapid fire was desired, it was usual to lock the sliding pin in the 'fire' position, and bombs merely def into the muzzle and allowed to drop. Under such conditions it was possible to fire some 40 shots per minute. The original Stokes Gun had a bore of approximately three inches (76 mm) and the bombs weighed about 20 lb (9 kg) each, but later howitzers on the same principle were constructed up to 9.5 inches (240 mm) bore throwing bombs weighing 150 lb (68 kg) and from the Stokes Gun developed the modern mortar. Research Stokes Gun
Abbreviations
Warfare
Research Stokes Gun