Canadian self-propelled guns “Sexton” (Ordnance QF 25 pounder SP “Sexton”) in the morning fog on the battlefield near the French city of Ifs. The Battle of France, Western Front, World War II in Europe.
The Ordnance QF 25 pounder (Royal Ordnance Quick Firing 25-pounder) is an 87.6 mm British howitzer field gun that was adopted before World War II and was the main artillery system in the British Army until the early 1960s.
In small numbers, QF 25 pounder guns of this type served in the United Kingdom as training guns until 1967, while many countries of the British Commonwealth continued to use them further.
The QF 25 pounder gun-howitzer is one of the best guns of World War II due to its versatility. Despite its small caliber compared to other guns of that era, the 25-pounder was withdrawn from service only because of NATO’s weapons standardization policy. Moreover, the British gunners were by no means enthusiastic about the decommissioning of the time-tested and battle-tested QF 25 pounder gun. The last time the 25-pounder was used in combat by British forces in Oman was in 1972.
Location: Ifs, France
Shooting time: 1944