| West Spring Gun | |
| Origin: | United Kingdom |
| Type: | Catapult |
| Is Ranged: | yes |
| Is Explosive: | yes |
| Is Artillery: | yes |
| Is Uk: | yes |
| Service: | 1915–1916 |
| Used By: | United Kingdom Canada Australia |
| Wars: | World War I |
| Designer: | Captain Allen West |
| Design Date: | 1915 |
| Manufacturer: | Reason Manufacturing Company |
| Production Date: | 1915-1916 |
| Weight: | 284lb |
| Length: | 71.5inches |
| Width: | 18.5inches |
| Height: | 88inches |
| Crew: | 5 |
| Range: | 240yd |
The West Spring Gun was a bomb-throwing catapult used by British, Canadian and Australian forces during World War I. It was designed to throw a hand grenade in a high trajectory into enemy trenches.
It consisted of a metal frame supporting a throwing arm powered by 24 metal springs.[1] It was invented by Captain Allen West in 1915 and manufactured by the Reason Manufacturing Company of Brighton, which was granted a patent for the device on 19 October of that year.[1] [2] Although called a catapult, it was a hybrid of a ballista and a trebuchet. It required a crew of five - three to compress the springs, one to load the bomb, and one to fire as soon as the fuse was lit or the grenade pin was pulled.[3]
In tests, it could throw Mills bomb about 240yd or a 7lb projectile about 80yd with a flight time of 6 or 7 seconds.[4] In the field it generally threw a Jam Tin Grenade, No. 15 Ball grenade, No. 21 "Spherical" grenade or No. 28 chemical grenade, equipped with a slightly longer fuse (typically 9 seconds) to ensure to reach the enemy trench before exploding.[2] It was used in combat by, amongst others, the 50th (Northumbrian) Division and the 1st Canadian Division in the Second Battle of Ypres and by Australian forces in the Gallipoli Campaign.[2] [5] It was generally considered to be large and cumbersome and "generally more unwieldy" than the Leach Trench Catapult.[4] Many operators, including Captain West himself, lost fingers in the mechanism.[1] The throw could also be unpredictable, with the bomb sometimes landing near the thrower.[6]
Production of this and other trench catapults was officially halted in 1916, being replaced by the 2 inch Medium Trench Mortar and Stokes mortar.[7]