Derek Pullem
Donor
As a StuG lookalike perhaps - 25 pdr is probably too much for an early-mid war tank.
Or a Sexton lookalike using a Valiant hull.
British tank gun after the 6pdr?
- Thread starter tomo pauk
- Start date
Or a Sexton lookalike using a Valiant hull.
The plan for the A20 (Churchill protype) included a 3inch howitzer in the front of the hull ... so a 25pdr would have been doable, especially as "The vehicle was specified initially to be armed with two QF 2 pounder guns, each located in a side sponson with a coaxial BESA machine gun."
.. but then they went turret instead ... and
"During the construction period, the armament was reconsidered, including fitting either a 6-pounder or a French 75 mm gun in the forward hull. In the end, a 3-inch howitzer was chosen"
One of the 'funnies' had a massive howitzer in the turret ...
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Derek Pullem
Donor
Don't think it will fit.
Ordnance QF 3-inch howitzer - Wikipedia
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AIUI that was the AVRE conversion used by the Engineer combat demolition teams
And the weapon was not a gun at all but a spigot mortar throwing a 'petard' charge a very short distance
To supplement other charges laid by the team who had to dismount
The mortar could be reloaded but only from outside the tank
So when under fire eg in an assault mode basically a single shot weapon
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It was used on the Sentinel ACIII downunder. They even put two, coaxially on one to provide a test for the 17pdr. That was how the Firefly got it's 17pdr.
The Petard could be loaded from inside the vehicle. The Turret was rotated until the weapon was over the hull MG gunner's hatch and then that was slid open and the barrel was "split" with the breech downwards that the MG Gunner reloaded it. This could and was accomplished under fire.
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Derek Pullem
Donor
To be fair the Sentinel AC3 design was mid -late war tank. The 25 pdr trial wasn't until 1942 and the prototype was built by 1943. You could try and design a tank around the 25 pdr but you'd be jumping two generations (possibly 3) of guns.
And the selected weapon for the Thunderbolt / Sentinel III/IV was the 17 pdr anyway.
The Sentinel III was built with a 25 pdr. It was never called officially "Thunderbolt" and Wiki has a lot to answer for, using that name. Sentinel III was developed as a followup to Sentinel II. Design work started on it in 1942. Sentinel IV was to mount the 17 pdr.
Derek Pullem
Donor
Sentinel III wasn't built (neither was Sentinel II or IV) and Sentinel I only made it to the proving grounds.
A 3" shell moving at 600 ft a second, you'd be able to see the thing in flight.Don't think it will fit.
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I'm thinking of a StuG design of which this was an early British disaster in copying (1942)Ordnance QF 3-inch howitzer - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
marathag
Banned
Stage I
Realize that the Churchill has not enough gun
Stage II
cut hole in Mk I V Turret
Find Donor Combination Gun Mount, M34 from a Sherman
Gun flipped upside down to match existing gunner/ loader positions in Mk IV
Breech opening on left, rather than the Right on the Sherman
Stage III
Welded back in
Since this M34 mount didn't have a direct gunner's Telescopic Sight, a M4 Gunner's Periscope added to roof
But hey, some may say, that's a 75mm gun, not a 25 pdr
M4A4E1 with M2A1 Howitzer using T70 Mount
The M2A1 was 1080 pounds, and firing the piece was 555 ft-tons of energy
The 25 pdr Mk II was 1124 pounds also with 555 ft-tons of energy when firing the AP shot with both incremental and supercharge, HE Shell 3rd charge was 364 ft-tons
Derek Pullem
Donor
Is the turret big enough to make loading the 25 pdr HE and other ammunition practical?
25 pdr ammo have had case length of 288 mm. We can compare the 75mm French case length, that ended in Churchills 75NA, of 350 mm. Granted, the 25 pdr shells will be longer than 75mm ones.
Case length of the 95mm howitzer was 208mm (shell will be longer than 25 pdr one).
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