This British-designed howitzer is one of the world’s classic artillery pieces. The 1.8-ton gun was issued early in the Second World War as a replacement for the earlier 18-pounder of First World War vintage.
During its service, in addition to barrage, the gun was used in an anti-tank role and as a self-propelled unit. The crew of one Non-Commissioned Officer and five men could fire four rounds per minute and the piece would hurl a shell up to 13,400 yards (7.6 miles/12.231kilometers). The 25-Pounder Field Gun/Howitzer was employed by the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery in the Second World War. Canadians used the 25 Pounder in Sicily, Italy, and northwest Europe from 1943-1945 and in Korea from 1951-53.
By 1945, over 12,000 had been manufactured. The 25-pounder was probably the most outstanding field artillery piece used by British and Commonwealth forces in the Second World War, being durable, easy to operate and multipurpose.
Display: Left to right: smoke, armour-piercing (pre-1955 UK markings), High Explosive (HE) (RDX/TNT), HE (Amatol, pre-1955 UK markings), and smoke (pre-1955 UK markings). Although some shells are shown in the cases, the shell and the case were separate items.
During the Second World War, the 25-pounder was normally towed by a special purpose gun tractor derived from the Canadian Military Pattern 15-cwt truck. In Korea, guns were towed by US-built 2-1/2-ton Trucks and from the mid-1950s the M135 Truck.
Shell shown in the CSS Museum.