25pdr QF Mk.1 on 18 pdr Mk.4 carriage

25pdr QF Mk.1 on 18 pdr Mk.4 carriage
The howitzer, also known as 18/25pdr, used an 18pdr Mk.IV mount. The type was first deployed in combat in Norway in April 1940. It was also in the arsenal of units of the British Expeditionary Force in France, where after its evacuation most of the works remained and fell into the hands of the Wehrmacht. The Germans included him in the armament under the designation 8.76 cm FK 281 (e).
Manufacturer: Royal Ordnance
Manufactured: 1936 - 1939
Number of produced pieces: more than 12,000
TTD:
Caliber: 87.63 mm
Weight: 1625 kg
Elevation: -5 degrees to +37.5 degrees.
Size: 4 st. on each side
Projectile weight: 11.34 kg HE, 9.89 smoke, 10.51 kg HE
Muzzle velocity: 198 m/s smoke, 297 m/s HE
Firing rate: 6-8 rounds/min


The weapon in the attached images is from the exposition of the Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich.


Source:
panzergeneral.strategyplanet.gamespy.com
25pdr QF Mk.1 on 18 pdr Mk.4 carriage -


25pdr QF Mk.1 on 18 pdr Mk.4 carriage -


25pdr QF Mk.1 on 18 pdr Mk.4 carriage -


25pdr QF Mk.1 on 18 pdr Mk.4 carriage -


25pdr QF Mk.1 on 18 pdr Mk.4 carriage -


URL : https://www.valka.cz/25pdr-QF-Mk-1-on-18-pdr-Mk-4-carriage-t50149#193226 Version : 0
Just a note, the number of 12,000 pieces does not apply to this particular type, but to all 25 pound cannon howitzers produced (ie QF 25pdr howitzer). The number of cannons called QF 25 pdr in Norway and France in 1940. The manufacturer was the "Royal Ordnance Factory" in Leeds
I will add TTD
barrel length: (L/28) 2457 mm (with breech)
bore length: 1885.3 mm
barrel length without breech (ie inner): 2346 mm
transport weight: 2516 kg (part of the weapon is also a wheel with ammunition)
barrel weight: 450kg
muzzle velocity: 453 m/s
projectile weight: 11.34 kg
range: 10,790 m
rate of fire: 12 - 14 rounds per minute
It is a cannon manufactured since the mid-1930s, due to financial difficulties (there was not much money for the army in the interwar period), the older mounts of 18 pound cannons (these were used in WWI) and their main ones were used. These barrels were from the original caliber of 83.8 mm to the new caliber of 87.6 mm. The photo shows an older rounded conclusion which the later 25 pound howitzers no longer have. However, the gun carriage was a relatively outdated design and limited the range so it was later replaced by another and the cannon was then called QF 25 pdr MkI on carriage 25/18pr Mk.VP (still had a re-drilled original barrel of an 18 pound cannon).
cannon about which this contribution is created at the request of the army to replace the 18-pound cannon and howitzer caliber 114 mm. In addition to simplifying the supply of ammunition, the main purpose was to obtain a weapon with cannon mobility, but more massive (and therefore more effective) ammunition, which would also shoot the upper group of angles (which the cannon could not and when fighting a buried enemy it was quite lacking). after a relatively long time (the development was commissioned in the early 20's and completed in the first half of the 30's), it was possible to design this cannon. This cannon then became the first of a whole family of works commonly referred to as 25 pdr howitzer (ie 25 pound howitzer) which was used until the seventies (the last use I know was in Cyprus in 1973), they are covered by the 12,000 pieces produced and mentioned in the previous post.
It is one of the first cannon howitzers that were introduced into the army, ie a cannon that combines the properties of a cannon (direct fire) with the properties of a howitzer (firing the upper group of angles and a more massive projectile).
URL : https://www.valka.cz/25pdr-QF-Mk-1-on-18-pdr-Mk-4-carriage-t50149#193320 Version : 0
25-pdr Q. F. Mk. 1 on chassis 18-pdr Mk. 4


An Internet study entitled "British Artillery in World War 2" in the chapter "The Guns" provides two references to the number of works in the British Army.


The first table relates to the month of May 1940 and shows the following information about the weapon 18/25-pdr:
- Lost in battle ......... 704 pieces
- territorial units ..... 269 pieces
- overseas units ..... 146 pieces
- in production ................... 299 pieces
total ........................ 1418 pieces



The second figure shows the numbers, which differ slightly from the table above.


Weapons rebuilt from caliber 3.3 inches: 18-pdr Q. F. Mk. 4, on caliber 3.45 inches: 18/25-pdr Q. F. Mk. 1
- in 1937-1939: 611 pieces
- in the years 1939-1941: 811 pieces
total .................... 1422 pieces


Labels
- the letter R (rubber) is the designation for the construction of a chassis with a solid rubber bandage
- the letter P (tires), belongs to chassis equipped with wheels with a classic tire


Internet
http://members.tripod.com/~nigelef/gunsintro.htm
www.btinternet.com
http://www.pof.gov.pk/products/qf25pdr.htm
www.historyofwar.org
URL : https://www.valka.cz/25pdr-QF-Mk-1-on-18-pdr-Mk-4-carriage-t50149#193386 Version : 0
There is one problem with the construction of the 18-pound caliber, it is two different models, they differ with a completely different mount, the older marked QF 25 pdr Mk.I on carriage 25/18pr MkIVP has a trunk mount in essence & # 283; the same as the water cannon, the second model marked QF 25 pdr MkI on carriage 25/18pr Mk.VP has a new mount but an old mount head, the mount is with has two shoulders and is completely different from the # 382; original from the cannon (this significantly improved the range to 25 ° on each side). I'm not sure, but I think after about 1400 days it applies to both models, I'll try it at home in Osprey on this howitzer, I hope & # 382; that it will be there. The German army used for the older version (ie IVP) the designation 8.76 cm FK 281 (e), and for the second version then 8.76 cm FK 282 (e). Weapons & # 283; which fell into the hands of us, were used mainly in defense. and after landing in Normandy, they went into battle. with the British armed with later versions of the twenty-pound.
URL : https://www.valka.cz/25pdr-QF-Mk-1-on-18-pdr-Mk-4-carriage-t50149#193391 Version : 0
I forgot to cite the source of previous posts, "Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the Third Reich" by Terry Gander and Peter Chamberlain. The book was published by Macdonald and Jane´s in London in 1978 ISBN 0 354 01108 1
(publishing address is Macdonald and Jane's Publisher limited, Paulton House, 8 Shepherdess Walk, London N1 7LW)


I also looked at Osprey (New Vanguard 48) and here the number of these works is written only in general (a little over a thousand) with the fact that the model with a carriage with folding arms was few and most were lost in France. In time, I will try to complete the origin of this predecessor of the famous twenty-five-pound. after 1940, the cannons mostly served in training (a smaller number were also in the Australian army). The captured by the Germans was used in units on the coast of France and perhaps Norway, the one in France was used by the Germans in the fighting during the landing.
URL : https://www.valka.cz/25pdr-QF-Mk-1-on-18-pdr-Mk-4-carriage-t50149#193542 Version : 0
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