Feldgrau.net

In the early stages of the war, the Australians transferred some 25 pounders to the US forces. I am interested in knowing something about these pieces. Were they guns or howitzers?? What was the caliber of the pieces?? Were the pieces of a more modern vintage or WWI vintage?? Best Wishes.

Hi John....going by the name the only options are either the then-current 25 pdr...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_QF_25-pounder

....or what's usually called the 18/25 pdr...or the "Mark I" in that article...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_Q ... der#Mark_I

...and going by the approximate chronology I would assume its the "proper" 25 pdr, the WWII "Mark II"....

If by "the start of the war" you mean the start of the U.S's war, and transferred under Reverse Lend Lease?

Thanks for the help Phylo. The Gun/Howitzers were an emergency loan to the US forces on New Caledonia a few months after Pearl Harbor. The US task-force which was to defend New Caledonia in the event of a Japanese attack, was quickly loaded and rushed there, with little attention to proper loading or record-keeping. It was feared that the TF had sailed w/o their organic artillery. Thus the Aussies loaned US forces Australian guns of various calibers. As it turned out, the US Arty arrived later on a different ship; the Aussie guns were kept and formed into extra batteries within US Arty battalions.

The British have been very restrained over their use of 'Howitzer' in official nomenclature. I think the last may have been the 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer that entered service in 1917 and served throughout WW2. 25-pr was multi-charge but not normally capable of upper register fire, but could be used that way. See http://nigelef.tripod.com/25pdrsheet.htm

Great information, Nigel, I appreciate it. Best wishes.