Ordnance QF 25-pounder Short

25-pounder Short Mark I
An artillery gun mounted on a wheeled gun carriage
An Ordnance QF 25-pounder Short in 1944
TypeField gun / howitzer
Place of originAustralia / United Kingdom
Service history
In service1943–1946[1]
Used byAustralian Army
WarsWorld War II
Production history
Designed1942
Unit cost£3,300[2]
Produced1943–1944[3][4]
No. built213
Specifications
Mass1,315 kg (2,900 lb) gun and carriage
Barrel length49.8 inches (1.26 m) (14.45 calibres)
Crew6

ShellVarious, with normal (3 charges) and super charge
Shell weight25 pounds (11.3 kg)
Calibre3.45 inches (87.6 mm)
BreechVertical-sliding-wedge
RecoilHydro-pneumatic, variable
CarriageTwo wheel, box trail
Elevation-5° to +40°
Traverse4° on carriage
Rate of fire3-4 rpm
Muzzle velocity1,230 ft/s (375 m/s)
Effective firing range10,200 yd (9,300 m)
Maximum firing range11,500 yd (10,500 m) using super charge[5]

The Ordnance QF 25-pounder Short was an Australian variant of the British Ordnance QF 25-pounder field gun/howitzer. The gun was developed by modifying the 25-pounder's design to improve its mobility during jungle warfare. Development began in 1942, and the weapon first entered service with the Australian Army the next year. It was used by several Royal Australian Artillery regiments during fighting in the South West Pacific Area, before being declared obsolete in 1946.

The development of the Ordnance QF 25-pounder Short was an important achievement for Australia's defence industry, and provided the Army with a weapon suited to conditions in the South West Pacific. Nevertheless, the gun's performance was inferior to that of the standard 25-pounder, and it received a mixed reception from artillerymen.

  1. ^ Dennis et al. (2008), p. 50
  2. ^ Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics (1947), p. 1066
  3. ^ Mellor (1958), p. 239
  4. ^ Gower (1981), p. 94
  5. ^ Mellor (1958), p. 238