Livens Projector
| Livens Projector | |
|---|---|
| Type | Mortar |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1916–1918 |
| Used by | British Empire United States |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Captain William Howard Livens, Royal Engineers |
| Designed | 1916 |
| No. built | 140,000 projectors 400,000 bombs |
| Specifications | |
| Shell | Gas drum |
| Calibre | 8 inches (200 mm) |
| Elevation | fixed |
| Traverse | fixed |
| Maximum firing range | 1,640 yd (1,500 m) |
| Filling | phosgene, flammable oil |
| Filling weight | 30 lb (14 kg) |
Detonation mechanism | Impact |
The Livens Projector was a simple mortar-like weapon that could throw large drums filled with flammable or toxic chemicals.
In the First World War, the Livens Projector became the standard means of delivering gas attacks by the British Army and it remained in its arsenal until the early years of the Second World War.