The 25-pounder gun (Royal Ordnance QF 25-pounder, abbreviated 25-pdr) is a British howitzer developed after the First World War, which entered service with the British Army in the late 1930s. It was supposed to replace the 84-mm (18-mm). pounder) guns and 114 mm (4.5 in) howitzers used on the fronts of World War I. Considered one of the finest guns ever built, it remained in British service until the late 1950s, and was used in small numbers for training purposes until 1967. The QF-25 howitzer was one of the first in the British Army to use a semi-integrated projectile. This type of ammunition combines the advantages of combined ammunition (high rate of fire) and complex ammunition (possibility of changing the mass of the metal charge). In addition, a special charge was developed to increase the maximum range of the gun beyond 12 km, which, however, forced the addition of a muzzle brake. The QF-25 fired a full range of ammunition: from high-explosive, smoke and anti-tank to illumination and incendiary shells. The QF-25 was used on all fronts in World War II, and each British infantry division had three artillery regiments equipped with 72 guns of this type. A Morris C8 artillery tractor was often used for transportation. Several variants of the gun were created, the most important of which are the Mark I, Mark II and Mark III And the Short, Mark I, built under license in Australia, was designed specifically for jungle operations. Technical data: firing range: 12,250 m, caliber: 87.2 mm, combat weight: 1,288 kg, rate of fire: 4 shots/min.
