... but it is not being fired vertically. The image shows the barrel at an angle of something like 20 degrees from the vertical. As a result, I think the projectile would travel in a high-angled parabola, and land nose first, and this would appear to be supported by Aust WW2 experience in New Guinea.
The problem of firing in the Upper Register, which the 25pdr with Mk2 carriage was not designed to do (unlike the Mk.3 carriage, which was hinged to allow UR fire) was faced by Australian gunners seeking sufficient elevation to get crest clearance, but still be able to 'drop' on a target the other side of the ridge. Answer: dig a deeper hole and drop the trail into it, just like the image. By variations to the charge weight (both standard charge bags and using different combinations of increment bags), the system reportedly worked quite well. If the projectiles had been landing base first, I wonder if the DA fuse on the HE projectile would activate consistently, if at all.
Incidentally, the Gun QF 25pdr is actually a 'Gun-Howitzer', as it has some of the attributes of both. It was designed to replace both the 18-pdr gun and the 4.5 inch Howitzer in British service.
Fantastic images, by the way!
Mike C
Last edited by Mike Cecil; 23-01-14 at 00:09.
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