Modified 25-pounder guns

[Mike Cecil]

I'm resurrecting this thread to inquire about the post by Centurion (Post 13) where in he states:

"A British version of the Australian baby 25 pdr was developed. Its main difference was that it could take the super charge (recoil system improved) This was the Mark IV gun. It had the same carriage as the Austraian baby Apparently only a very small number were made ..." (my bolding emphasis)

I am aware that the Brits developed an improved cylinder block (ie the buffer and recuperator) for the Short gun, but not that it ever went into production, hence the query. Did it actually go into production? Gander does not include it in his booklets on the 25 pdr, and he does manage to list some pretty obscure types/experiments, and I can find no reference to it anywhere else either.

Two other comments: First: two 25 pdr (Short) were sent to the UK: one during the war (and one to India, too), and one post war as a gift to the Firepower Museum by the RAA Museum.

Second: nomenclature plates on restored guns/display guns are notorious for being whatever was at hand, placed to fit the screw hole pattern. I've seen saddle ID plates on the cradle and nomenclature plates from one Mk of assembly stuck on another, different Mk. of the same assembly, so am always very dubious about believing what they show.

Very interesting thread - the images of the Mk.II and Mk.III carriage guns were fascinating with much more detail visible than I get to see in books. Neither carriage was used by Australia, though there is a single Mk.III carriage held by the RAA Museum, I understand. We'll just have to wait until the new museum is built at Pucka to see it.

Mike