Ordnance QF 25-pounder Short (Aust)

History

In need of a useful howitzer system to support army operations during World War II (1939-1945), the Australians adopted the excellent British Ordnance QF-25 pounder in 1940 to overcome the limitations of the current stockpile of mountain guns and other howitzers. These guns are special field guns with increased durability in the various conflicts observed after the war.

This type of design work took place in the 1930s before World War II and was manufactured by the Royal Armouries.

The Australian government, appreciating the type's capabilities in the open field, arranged for the guns to be manufactured by local industry. In May 1941, a government factory was established in Maribyrnong, Melbourne, and the newly minted firearms were delivered in May 1941, and by 1944 total production eventually reached about 1,527 guns.

The gun proved its worth in the ensuing battle. However, they were more suitable for North African campaigns and the open battlefields of Europe than the frontiers of jungle warfare around the Pacific Rim.

Nonetheless, their long-range strike capabilities were unmatched, and the guns could be used wherever and whenever they needed to support Allied ground operations.

Ultimately, field practice was the pursuit of a lighter gun in the form of the 25-pounder, which led to the development of this type of gun from September 1942. Various measures were taken to reduce the overall weight of the weapon system, including shortening the barrel and later removing the standard firing shield.

Logistics has been kept as friendly as possible by reusing many 25 pdr components. The gun retains almost all the inherent features of the original gun, including its ammo options (87.6mm caliber).

The breech adopts a vertical sliding wedge design, and the recoil is controlled by a hydropneumatic system. A completely new two-wheeled wagon was also developed - the mounts ranged in height from -5 to +40 and were angled 4 degrees to the sides.

The gun was accepted as the "Ordnance QF 25-pounder Short (Aust) Mark I".

The Australian Short Model provides the Australian Army with a portable artillery piece that can be airdropped unassembled or towed onto the road with relative ease by a mobile vehicle. It is specially designed with quick failure capability to relieve the point load of overland travel. A weapons systems evaluation was conducted in December 1942, with early limited service in New Guinea in early 1943.

After some modifications resulting from this disclosure, the weapon would begin mass production in 1943. The Australian Army placed two procurement lots: 112 and 100 - the latter was replaced with a slightly improved Mk II transport unit.

Despite limited production, these guns were used until the last days of the battle. They remained in service for a short time as they were not officially decommissioned until 1946.

The Australian Rifle Team affectionately calls their 25 pdr shorts "snorts".

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on the ammunition carrier.

Changes