Is anybody familiar with the Vickers-Crayford Rocket Gun, formally known as the 1.59-inch breech-loading Vickers Q.F. gun, Mk II? From what little information I can find it was designed to use in the trenches... and was later adopted for aircraft... and they seem to have all vanished at the end of the war. I can't find any information about any surviving guns.
I'm surprised they didn't try to use them on tanks... they are a very lightly build cannon that probably could have been fitted in a modified ball mount.
-- Edited by ChaseR83 on Wednesday 5th of August 2026 03:57:52 AM
There is quite a lot out there in the interweb thingy about this weapon. I think the Wikipedia article, and others, have it the wrong way around regarding use. Air first, ground second - but very limited, if ever.
According to a file at the National Archives (File MUN 4/2884) this was originally developed from mid-1916 as an aircraft weapon for anti-Zeppelin defence. It seems that only incendiary and canister rounds were initially developed. It was required to be interchangeable with the 0.45" / 11mm Vickers MG, another anti-Zeppelin weapon firing incendiary rounds. It seems to have been approved in Feb 1917 but was apparently being produced from Dec 1916 after passing trials.
There was no rocket element to the weapon and it seems unclear how that name came about. The apparently very bright trail of the incendiary round could be the source. The incendiary compound was ignited by the propelling charge, and so burned all the way to the target like a very bright tracer. The calibre was actually 1.45".
That file mentions Vickers Trench Guns in Feb 1917 in the context of both air and trench versions being adapted to fire an AP round (actually APHE) at a higher velocity: 1,000 fps vs 800. But that only managed 3/4" steel penetration at 100yds. Good enough for any AFV of the day at longer range.
It seems that by July 1918 only 150 guns had been produced. With Zeppelins bombing the UK the RFC had priority, although the weapon does also seem to have been used for ground attacks on the Western Front. Apparently a train was once stopped, but it took 30rds to do it. Even the RFC lost interest, and aircraft designed specifically to use the weapon were failures. The 1pdr/1.5pdr/37mm COW automatic cannon was a much more promising prospect but was too late to be much use.
It seems doubtful that there was ever much, if any, ground use of the weapon. In any case the 3" Stokes Mortar was a far more effective trench warfare weapon than a 1.45" gun could ever have been, notwithstanding the direct fire advantage. As for tank use, the weapon was far less effective than the 57mm 6pdr. I can see it perhaps replacing a Hotchkiss on a Medium A or even an armoured car. But even some armoured cars were mounting 3pdrs by 1918.
What does surprise me about tank armament is that the 1pdr Pom-pom, as originally fitted to the No1 Machine, was never fitted to the heavy tanks.
I believe the Royal Armouries National Firearms Centre in Leeds has a Vickers-Crayford gun, possibly the only one.
