Gun
This post is a bit self-indulgent with quite a narrow focus for our general readers, but who knows? It is specially for John Boulter, a dedicated reader of this blog and who, many years ago, was my sergeant major. Like all good SMs, he was very shouty!
Below are some pictures of a 25 pounder howitzer, one of two positioned outside the National Army Museum in Chelsea, which I visited this afternoon.
The 25 pounder was developed in the 1930s, manufactured by the thousand, and was a workhorse of the British Army in World War II. It caused the enemy trouble aplenty at El Alamein and in other theatres. It last saw action in the Rhodesian and South African armies of the 1970s and 1980s.
Classified as a light- or field-gun, the 25 pounder, as the name suggests, could chuck a 25 pound high explosive shell up to around 11,000 yards with remarkable precision. Its official firing rate was up to six rounds a minute. Nominally having a crew of six, three or four experienced gunners could man a gun with reasonable facility.
Further reading: Wikipedia’s entry is excellent.
Thanks Mike, it was as you say a wonderful gun. Came with out the platform, last used in South Africa in 88, each gun fired over a 100 rounds that night. Look at the 105 Light and what is it, a big 25pdr. Thanks again.
in 1953 i joined 267 ra ta we had 25 pounders SPS it was a great gun having come a heavy ack ack regiment we then had 5-5 medium then back to 25 pounder towed fired our last rounds on the plain in 1965 i was a op ack and then in the comand post happy days .d freeman
Thanks, D Freeman, always nice to hear from a fellow gunner. I’ve made a few visits to Royal Artillery Museum Woolwich of late, with former comrades, well worth it. We had some 5.5s too, BTW, on loan from South Africa.