18/25-pdr Field Gun as used by Kent Yeomanry in the BEF, 1940
The 18/25 Pdr Field Gun
During the 1920s improvements were sought for the 18-pdr Field Gun which had served through the First World War. The requirement was for a heavier shell and for a greater calibre.
The planners settled on a 25-pound shell of 3.45-inch calibre (87.6mm).
Like so many other armaments, development was given a low priority until Germany’s intentions became clear after the Munich Crisis in 1938.
Consequently, whilst the gun was ready to be brought into production, the design for a carriage lagged some way behind. As an interim measure, the carriage of the 18-pdr gun was adopted as a temporary measure and it was in this guise that the 25-pdr saw service in France in 1940
