I hope this isn't breaching the rules of hospitality in a thread too much, but I'm going to digress a bit. The UK purchased the M98 Skoda 240mm Howitzers in 1900, yet they never went forward with either more purchases or licensed development. Why? One source stated that the UK didn't like the fact it couldn't depress far enough to allow a closer fall of shot. This is hardly an insuperable obstacle, and I've racked my brain trying to see how this is not something that could be overcome without TOO much effort. Had the UK had even a modest stock of these they would have (IMO) given good service early in the war. Which brings me back to the question of "Why didn't they buy more of them or the license?"