It bore no relation to the BL 15-pounder or BLC 15-pounder, two other guns in British service at the time, other than a common shell.

The gun's original design and supply to Britain included no shield, all-steel wheels, axle-tree seats, and a sprung telescoping trail to help with recoil control.

It replaced the obsolete BL 12-pounder 6 cwt gun in Royal Horse Artillery service until the QF 13-pounder became available from 1904.

[6] B Battery, Honourable Artillery Company and Berkshire RHA were in action with these guns in the recapture of Sheikh Othman[d] from the Turks on 20 July 1915, part of the Aden campaign.

54,000 complete rounds (i.e. shell, fuze, cartridge) of German design and manufacture were originally supplied with the guns.