25 Pounder AP and APHE "With Cap On"

[ClintHardware]

Hi All

I am writing a book on Armoured Brigades in WW2 and I am researching the last stand of the 107th RHA (South Notts Hussars) at Gazala.

It appears that as well as solid AP they were also firing HE "With Cap On". There appears to be two versions of "With Cap On": one being screwing in a pointed AP nose on the nose in place of the normal fuse, the second being to fire the HE shell with the transit cap (to keep out damp) still fitted to give some delay.

I have found a quote that refers to a panzer turning red all over after it was struck which indicates that the shell acted as APHE and this would tend to indicate the AP nose having been fitted to the HE shell.

Does anyone have any firing and penetration information on the AP cap (not a ballistics cap) and the damp protecting cap?

Clint

 

[Quatermass]

Hi All

I am writing a book on Armoured Brigades in WW2 and I am researching the last stand of the 107th RHA (South Notts Hussars) at Gazala.

It appears that as well as solid AP they were also firing HE "With Cap On". There appears to be two versions of "With Cap On": one being screwing in a pointed AP nose on the nose in place of the normal fuse, the second being to fire the HE shell with the transit cap (to keep out damp) still fitted to give some delay.

I have found a quote that refers to a panzer turning red all over after it was struck which indicates that the shell acted as APHE and this would tend to indicate the AP nose having been fitted to the HE shell.

Does anyone have any firing and penetration information on the AP cap (not a ballistics cap) and the damp protecting cap?

Clint

I think your referring to an HE shell fitted with 'Fuze, D.A. and Percussion No. 119'.
The 'With Cap On' is firing the shell with the safety cap still fitted. Pasted onto each cap was the following:

REMOVAL OF THIS CAP GIVES DIRECT ACTION; IT MAY BE LEFT ON FOR RAPID LOADING AT SHORT RANGES; IT MUST BE LEFT ON FOR TARGETS BEHIND LIGHT COVER.

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[ClintHardware]

Thanks Quatermass

But what of the solid and inert AP nose which had no fuze element? This is still a mystery. How did the 107th's shells penetrate the German armour if they were not AP or in effect APHE?

 

[Quatermass]

There was of course a 20-LB solid shot AP projectile (shot, Armour-Piercing) issued.

But there was no solid AP nose that could be used in place of a normal fuze to turn the HE Shell into an ersatz AP projectile.

Its also possible that the HE shell fitted with a transit plug could have been used, this was apparently the approved way for the 5.5in gun to engage tanks.

 

[ClintHardware]

Thanks again.

I don't think I am right about the AP - I will dig out the quote and post it here shortly. I live not far from the Firepower Museum and I am a Friend of it so I will dig around in their archives after the snow.

Clint