The 25 pounder gun was an 87-mm artillery piece, which was fielded by the British Army during World War II. It was introduced in February 1938, serving in all theaters of operations after 1940. It was massively used as it was a reliable weapon which provided fire support to front line infantry units both in Europe and North Africa. It could combine the attributes of both a gun and a howitzer at the same time. In North Africa dessert campaign it would be used also as an anti-tank gun.
The Ordnance QF 25 pounder gun was manufactured in large numbers in three variants: Mark 1, 2, and 3. It would become one of the most famous Allied artillery piece of World War II. The reason for this was the fact that it was very robust and easy to repair. It was also light enough to be manhandled by six men. However, when the 25-pounder was introduced, only the gun barrel was new, for this piece used the old 18-pounder carriage and cradle.
The Ordnance QF 25 pounder employed separate loading ammunition; the shell was loaded and rammed, then the brass-cased cartridge was loaded behind it, with the breech being manually closed. The cartridge case held three bags of propellant and could be fired with one, two, or three bags, allowing it to fire on a high trajectory to clear hills or other obstacles and drop shells steeply into places; this was something other guns could not do. The gun would also be employed in the Korean War.
Specifications
Type: field gun
Caliber: 87 mm (3.45 inches)
Barrel Length: 2.47 m (97.46 inches); 2.71 m with muzzle break.
Rifling: 26 grooves, right-hand twist.
Weight: 1,800 kg
Breech Mechanism: vertical, sliding block, manual; percussion firing.
Recoil System: Hydro-pneumatic.
Elevation: -5 to +40 degrees.
Traverse: 4 degrees either side of zero.
Shell: 11.34 kg; High Explosive (HE), HE with tracer, AP shot.
Muzzle Velocity: 518 m/s (1700 ft/sec.).
Maximum Range: 12.3 km (13,400 yards).
Below, the Ordnance QF 25-pounder Mark 2
The 25 pounder in action in European theater in WW2
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