Field Artillery

Field artillery Norman L Dodd colonel UK Army, retired Ever since the power of artillery became a decisive greater ranges and each projectile must do the factor on the battlefield there has been a constant work of two of the World War II types. search for guns and howitzers which are able to New weapons and much improved shells, devel- fulfil many conflicting requirements. They must oped to meet the requirements of the new age, are have a long range yet fire a powerful shell, be light now coming into service. However many older but sturdy, mobile and easily bidden yet be able, models are still in service around the world and if self propelled, to carry a crew, equipment and must be considered in any review of the world's ammunition, quick into action but accurate in artillery. engagement, be deployed dispersed but able to concentrate their fire into a target. In each genera- British weapons tion a research-man's nightmare! Before the advent of nuclear weapons brigade and The 25 pdr was undoubtedly a major factor in the divisional frontages were such that a field gun with successes of the British and Commonwealth artil- a maximum range of about 12,000 m was able to leries in World War II. It is no longer on active meet most of the requirements for close support, duty in the British Army, although some are to be especially when backed up by a longer ranged found with the Cadet Force units and others are medium gun. These weapons could be deployed with saluting batteries. However they are in use in in batteries of four or six guns throughout the di- New Zealand, the Republic of South Africa, India, visional area yet the fire of most of them, if not Pakistan, Rhodesia, Nigeria and elsewhere. The all, plus a proportion of the corps artillery, could towed 25 pdr has a maximum range of 12,250 m, be concentrated rapidly upon a single target or it weighs 1,800 kg, has a calibre of 88 mm, a shell used to support a major attack. Nuclear weapons weight of 11.3 kg and a crew of six. The maximum have altered this; frontages of a brigade may now rate of fire over a sustained period is 5 rounds per be as long as 20,000 m, field artillery must have minute, the ammunition includes both ground- and The 25 pdr field gun, once the main- stay of the British and Dominion armies, now still with the SA artillery (photo Sentrale Dokumentasiediens, SAW) 22 making laying somewhat difficult, and the systems of checking oil levels is awkward. Inter-communi- cation between the command post and guns is still by telephone laid by hand or by radio. However it is one of the best SP guns in the world and will remain in service until the mid eighties. The Italian pack 105 mm is in service in many parts of the world. It fires the same types of ammunition as the Abbot SP gun to a range of 10,575 m, weighs only 1,290 kg and can be rapidly strip- ped into 26 components and assembled again in 15 minutes; it is easily towed by a Land Rover, Abbot 105 mm self propelled gun lifted by helicopter or carried in pieces if required. The crew is six and the rate of fire is eight rounds British 105 mm light gun, towed bij a 1 ton Land Rover airburst, smoke, illuminating and solid armour per minute. The 105 has proved to be a highly piercing shot. The latter was effective against effective gun, but the range is too short and it lacks World War II type tanks and the present HESH some robustness when towed at speed, (high explosive squash head) shell is effective lts replacement in the British service is the new against modern tanks. The towed 25 pdr is norm- 105 mm light gun. This gun is made from a special ally fired from a platform which is carried under rust-resistant steel which can flex when fired, so the trail. The self propelled (SP) version of the reducing metal fatigue. It has tubular steel wish- 25 pdr is the Sexton, using a Sherman tank chassis; bone trails and the gun normally fires from a plat- a few of these are still to be found with the artillery form; the barrel swings round and is clamped to of South Africa. the trail for travelling. The weight is 1,768 kg, the In the 1950s the British replaced the Sextons and shell weight 15.83 kg and the ammunition is the towed 25 pdrs with the SP Abbot 105 mm gun same as that used in the Abbot, the HE having and the 105 mm Italian pack howitzer. Both of a lethality against troops in the open of 35 m, the these are still in service but are in turn being re- range is 17,000 m and the maximum rate of fire placed. The total weight of the Abbot is 17,527 kg, is 6 rounds/min. The gun can fire in the high and its shell weighs 15.8 kg with a range of 17,000 m, low trajectory and the sights are so placed that the there is a crew of four and a rate of fire of 12 line can be passed to the gun from any angle. The rounds per minute. It has a good cross country barrel is of thin walled autofrettaged construction performance with a road speed of 40 km/h and an and the wear on the barrel is so small that the endurance of 320 km, the armour provides pro- muzzle-velocity (MV) of 712 m per second will tection against small arms fire and shell splinters. remain constant throughout its long life. The chassis used is the Standard FV430 range, 40 The Anglo-German-Italian FH70 was officially rounds are carried in the vehicle and a further 200 taken into service in 1976. It is undoubtedly in ad- in the Stalwart limber vehicle. The Abbot fires the vance of its time and will become one of the full range of ammunition including HESH anti-tank world's best 155 mm guns. The range is 24,000 m projectiles. Power is supplied by a Rolls Royce but this can be extended to 30,000 m; the am- 240 bhp multifuel engine. The Abbot has some munition has been specially developed although minor faults: the internal situation is cramped, it can fire that used by the US 155 mm and hope- 23 FH70 Anglo-German-ltalian 155 mm gun fully that of the new French 155 GCT. The stan- The development is involved with the decision on dard HE-projectile weighs 43.5 kg, it has very thin the design of a future tank, it is hoped that the walls and 50 m lethality; the anti-tank projectile same engine and chassis can be used. is classified but is believed to be HESH for direct Before leaving the British weapons the towed 5.5 fire; for indirect fire the shell will be filled with inch medium gun with its familiar 'horns' must be stick type anti-tank mines. mentioned. First produced in 1941 it was still in The complete gun weighs 9,099 kg and has its service in Britain, South Africa, New Zealand and own auxiliary propulsion unit for rapid movement other Commonwealth countries in 1977. It is a on the gun position, it has the usual body, saddle, towed gun, weighs 6,184 kg, fires a 36.2 kg shell split trails and a barrel constructed from a special which has a good effective against tanks when high yield steel. The barrel is fitted with a doublé fired as a concentration and has a range of 16,500 baffle muzzle brake, the breech operates vertically m. This is too short for the present day major and has an automatic ignition tube loader. The battle fields and therefore it will not last much MV is 810 m/sec, there is a 55 degree top traverse longer in the United Kingdom. It is a popular, and the gun can be loaded even at the maximum easily handled and effective gun. elevation. There is a normal buffer and recupera- tor but balancing cylinders are also fitted; these US ordnance can be adjusted for atmospheric pressure. The rate of fire is 6 rounds/min and the gun can be One of the most successful guns in the 105 mm brought into action from the travelling position calibre ever produced was the US M101AI. First with the barrel swung round and clamped to the built in 1940, more than 10,000 were supplied to trail in about 4 minutes. some 55 countries and with many of them it is This towed FH70 is to be followed by the SP- still in service in various forms. It has a short bar- version but this is not due until the early 1980s. rel, split trails and a hydro-pneumatic recoil The 5.5 inch gun/howitzer in action with the SA artillery (photo Sentrale Dokumentasiediens, SAW) 24 system fitted over and under the barrel. It weighs to 55 km/h and an endurance of 330 km. The 2,220 kg, has seven charges with semi-fixed am- normal ammunition load is 28 rounds. Loading munition and a range of 11,200 m firing a 14.9 kg is semi-automatic using a power ram, there are HE shell at a rate of up to 8 rounds per minute.

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