The Regiments' Colours

INTRODUCTION

This page provides links to gun data sheets and associated pictures, the various elements of a gun are explained in gun characteristics for those unfamiliar with them.  It also summarises the other guns used by British Artillery and gives information about quantities. This page does not deal with anti-tank, anti-aircraft or coast guns.

DATA SHEETS

The data sheets provide details about the main British guns used by British artillery in World War 2.  Details are also provided for significant variants of these guns.  British guns are divided into ordnance and carriage assemblies and the official designations reflected this.  Data sheets are provided for the following guns and include some details about their variants.  Other guns are listed below.

• Ordnance QF 25-pr Gun Mk 2 on Carriage 25-pr Mk 1
• Ordnance QF 3.7-inch Howitzer Mk 3 on Carriage Mk 2P
• Ordnance BL 4.5-inch Gun Mk 2 on Carriage Mks 1 & 2
• Ordnance BL 5.5-inch Gun Mk 3 on Carriage 5.5-inch Mks 1 & 2
• Ordnance BL 7.2-inch Howitzer Mks 1, 1*, 2, 3 & 4 on Carriage 7.2-inch Howitzer Mk 1
• Ordnance QF 18-pr Gun Mks 4A and 4B on Carriage 18-pr Mks 4 and 5
• Ordnance QF 4.5-inch Howitzer on Mk 2 on Carriage 4.5 inch Howitzer Mk 1P
• Ordnance BL 6-inch 26-cwt Howitzer on Mk 1 on Carriage Mk 1P
• Ordnance BL 60-pr Gun Mk 2 and 2* on Carriage 60 pr Mks 4, 4P and 4R

Some of the items in the data sheets need explanation.  British artillery nomenclature is explained on the Gun Characteristics page.  Other useful points to note are:

• Maximum elevation and maximum range at top charge - this is the range table maximum, which is usually a few degrees of elevation greater than the theoretical physical limit of the gun.  The latter is always based on the gun being on level ground and in some cases with spades being embedded. Slightly sloping ground allows the range table maximum range if the maximum elevation of the gun is less that 45º.  However, for charges below the highest the range tables usually reflect the theoretical physical maximum elevation.
• Propellant weight, this is indicative because actual weights depended on the type of propellant and most guns had several types available, see 'Ammunition - propellant'.
• New gun muzzle velocities, these are for a particular type of propellant, a different type could produce a different velocity.
• Gun weights are notoriously tricky.  They can be the total weight with all stores, a shipping weight, an in-action weight with some stores fitted to the gun or axle weight.  The basic weights in the sheets are generally the combined weight of ordnance plus carriage.  In action weight was slightly more because it included various 'essential stores', that were not part of the gun itself, these essential tools ancillaries and tools included fuze keys, field clinometer, rammer, maintenance tools, drag ropes and some shovels, etc.'
• Ordnance length is the length from muzzle to the rear of the breech mechanism.  Bore length, in calibres, is from the muzzle to the rear of the chamber with the breech closed.
• QF and BL are explained on the 'Ammunition' page.
• Calibre radius head is a means of describing how streamlined the shell is.  The first number is the length of the ogive (the curved part of the shell) in calibres.  The second number is the length, in calibres, of the radius of the curve of the ogive. See 'Ammunition - projectiles' for more information.
• Dimensions are in Imperial measurements.  Accurate conversion factors are :
• Inches to millimetres:-  inches × 25.399
• Feet to metres:- feet × 0.3048
• Yards to metres:- yards × 0.9144
• Pounds to kilograms:- pounds × 0.4536
• Tons to kilograms:- tons × 101.6047
• Cubic inches to litres:- cubic inches × 0.0164

The data in the sheets is mostly taken from the official WW2 period Handbook for the gun and the Range Tables for the same period.  However, data has been rounded off, for example official weights went to ounces or drams. The official publications are listed on each sheet.  

OTHER GUNS

In addition to the guns listed in the Data Sheets there were a few other British guns of World War 1 vintage used in very small numbers and US guns provided under Lend Lease arrangements.  

UK Guns

The older British guns used in small quantities by field artillery included:

• 6-inch Gun Mk 19, used by three heavy batteries in the BEF, a few other batteries were part of UK defences and there was a substantial stock of spare carriages.  Eventually this gun was replaced by 155-mm Gun M1 although by this time carriages had been converted to 7.2-inch How.
• 8-inch How, used by three heavy batteries in the BEF, other batteries were part of UK defences, these guns were converted to 7.2-inch How.
• 9.2-inch How, used by six heavy batteries in the BEF, other batteries were part of UK defences, eventually replaced by six batteries of 240-mm How M1 in 1944.
• 9.2-inch Gun, a railway gun used by one super heavy battery in the BEF, a few other batteries were part of UK defences.  Four batteries were planned to go to NW Europe in 1944 but the state of the French railways prevented this.
• 12-inch How  Mk 1, a railway gun used by two super heavy batteries in the BEF,  a very few other batteries were part of UK defences.  
• 12-inch How Mk 2, using a similar carriage to the 9.2-inch How, equipped a very few batteries in UK during 1940-41.
• 13.5-inch Gun, two or three railway guns were part of UK defences, used 18-inch Gun carriage, of which there were four.
• 18-inch Gun, one or two railway guns in UK, were part of UK defences, four barrels existed.  Two guns formed a cadre battery for possible deployment to NW Europe in 1944.

US Guns in UK Service

US guns fell into two categories: those provided early in the war as 'stop-gap' equipment until UK guns became available in sufficient quantity and those provided to meet specific requirements later in the war.  

• Stop-gap US guns included the following, all had been modified for vehicle towing by the US Army:
• 75-mm Gun on 18-pdr Carriage, 895 were provided and equipped defence regiments and some field regiments in low priority divisions in UK, limited supply of ammunition restricted them to home service.  However, some were transferred to Greece.  They may also have been used in a few anti-tank units, possibly including the Australian anti-tank regiment in Malaya.
• 155-mm How M1917/1918, the French Creusot howitzer, M1917 were French built, M1918 US built.  Australia acquired 18 in the Middle East in 1941 to equip two medium batteries.  It equipped some UK batteries in N Africa in late 1941 and early 1942.  It may have lingered on in UK training units.  It appears that UK received a total of 274 guns.  Distribution was 108 in UK, 100 in the Middle East, 16 in India and 50 transferred to Turkey.  Some 18 of the ME guns went to Australia.
• 155-mm Gun M1917/1918, the French 155-mm GPF, M1917 were French built, M1918 US built.  Australia held 60, 28 being in mobile coast defence batteries, a few may have been used by NZ in the SW Pacific in a similar role.  It is unclear if it equipped any UK units, but if it did then they are probably included in the numbers given above for howitzers.

In addition up to about 150 8-inch How barrels (WW1 UK Mks 7 and 8) and possibly about 75 8-inch How WW1 carriages may have been provided for conversion to 7.2-inch.  US stocks of these guns were a mixture of ex-UK provided to US in WW1 and US manufactured guns (including guns diverted from UK orders) totaling about 200 pieces.  The barrels figure depends on UK stocks of spare barrels and how many monobloc barrels were produced before deciding to use only relined ones,  these numbers are unclear.

• Modern US guns were used as follows:
• 75-mm How M2, equipped two mountain regiments in Italy and two airlanding light regiments, and was temporarily issued to some other light or mountain batteries.   It was also used by a battery in the UK's raiding support regiment, two Australian mountain batteries and as an alternative equipment in some Australian tank attack regiments.  Range Tables were issued in 1943 instead of US Firing Tables, but the US Technical Manual was used instead of a UK Handbook.  These guns continued in UK use with airborne artillery until the late 1950s.
• 105-mm M7 SP, known as Priest in UK service it equipped UK and Canadian SP regiments in N Africa, Italy, NW Europe and Burma.  Its most significant role was the run-in fireplan on D-Day 6 Jun 1944, where 7 or 8  UK and Canadian regiments fired them from landing craft.  At peak in June-July 1944 it equipped about 13 UK and Canadian regiments.  It was replaced by 25-pdr Sexton in divisions, Priest regiments then generally came under Army command and often supported independent armoured brigades.  Canada derived Range Tables from US Firing Tables, which UK used instead of US Firing Tables and guns were fitted with dial sights.  UK received 100 guns in 1942 and 335 later, all were promptly removed from UK service at the end of the war.  Canada and S Africa also used them and are probably included in these fgures. These guns were counted as 'tanks' under Lend Lease and all ammunition came from US production.
• 155-mm Gun M1, although a modern 6-inch Gun had been partially developed in UK the US gun filled this role. It should have equipped up to 24 batteries (=  96 guns) in heavy regiments in Italy and NW Europe.  It appears that UK sought 111 guns from the US in 1943-4.  UK Range Tables were produced to replace US Firing Tables and the guns were fitted with dial sights.  The same carriage was eventually used with 7.2-inch Mks 5 and 6,  Some 155-mm were retained in heavy regiments into the 1950s.  All ammunition came from US production.
• 8-inch Gun M1, a total of six guns equipped batteries in three super heavy regiments in NW Europe and Italy.  All were removed from UK service at the end of the war but retained in stock until mid 1950s.  Its long range was too far for the field meteorological data so predicted fire was usually ineffective at extreme ranges.  US Firing Tables were used.  UK originally sought 40 guns from the US in 1943-4 but none were delivered until 1944 and its unlikely that anything near 40 guns were actually received.
• 240-mm How M1, adopted by UK instead of a new 9.2-inch How that was partially developed in UK.  A total of 12 guns equipped batteries in three super heavy regiments.  Its carriage was basically the same as that used with the 8-inch Gun M1.  Most were removed from UK service at the end of the war but retained in stock until mid 1950s and may have had limited use in a TA unit.  US Firing Tables were used.  UK sought 28 guns from the US in 1943-4 but none were delivered until 1944 and its unclear if 28 were delivered.

In addition UK sought 125 8-inch How M1 carriages for 7.2-inch Mk 6 guns.  It's unlikely that anything near this number was actually delivered due to the war ending.

QUANTITIES IN UK SERVICE

Full details of UK artillery production quantities are  unclear.  The starting point is the stocks available at the start of the war and the losses by the BEF in France in 1940.

In May 1940 UK undertook a stocktake of available artillery, including the losses in France and estimated increases in the following 3 months.  The increases included new production, repairs to unserviceable equipment, conversions, and modernisation particularly from horse to vehicle towing, from 'R' (solid rubber tyres) to 'P' (pneumatic tyres) and fitting modern calibrating sights.  The quantities seem to exclude stocks held outside UK by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and possibly the new Indian artillery field regiments and the Hong Kong - Singapore regiments. The following table gives these figures.

The statistical volume of the UK Official History gives UK production figures for Sep 1939 - Aug 1945 for 'mountings', presumably carriages for towed guns including recoil systems, which were not part of the ordnance.  This probably represents complete equipments, a few extra barrels may have been produced but most barrels had loose liners and it was these that were replaced when 'barrels' wore out.  These total:

Field means 25-pdr, although it's possible that there were a few 3.7-inch How in the earliest years before production facilities were moved to India.  It's unlikely to have been more than a few hundred.  However, around 900 25-pdr barrels and mountings were exported from UK to Canada in 1943-4 for inclusion in the 25-pdr Sexton SPs guns manufactured in Montreal.  

Medium means 4.5-inch and 5.5-inch, which used the same carriage.  It's unlikely that any carriages were produced for WW1 guns.  No new-build heavy guns were manufactured.  It's possible that about 75 new carriages for 7.2-inch How were produced instead of old 8-inch carriages being acquired from the US under Lend Lease.

The other source of guns in UK were conversions from older equipments.  These included:

• 18/25-pdr from 18-pdr - 611 pre-war (1937-9) and 811 during the war (1939-41).
• 4.5-inch Mk 1 from 60-pdr - some sources suggest as many as 76 were produced pre-war, official records show 1 in 1939 pre-war and 64 conversions after the outbreak of war.
• 7.2-inch from 8-inch - 161 8-inch barrels lined down and breaches modified.  About 85 carriages  (8-inch How Mk 7A & 7AP) and 6-inch Gun (Mk 19) from UK stocks were modified and modernised.  Balance of about 75 carriages may have come from US Lend Lease, if they were not new build in UK

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