Projectile ID Required

[peteblight]

Can someone identify this projectile.
It was recovered from a former test range in the UK which was used during and just after WWII.
It's 84-86mm in diameter and approximately 290mm long.
The markings appear to be 18Pr, BS, LOT.

Whilst the diameter and markings would indicate an 18 Pdr, the shape is wrong unless they were still in use during this timeframe and had been re-designed, like the 6" projectile was.

Thoughts?

Cheers

Pete

 

[Snufkin]

It has more the shape of a 25pr projectile, so might it be an early or trial shell for what was termed the "18/25 pounder" gun, or officially the "Ordnance QF 3.45in. MkI"?

Ian Hogg (British & American Artillery of WWII) describes the development of the 25pdr. A new 3.45in. tube was put into the 18pr Mk IV jacket, the 18pr breech ring and mechanism retained, and the whole mounted on the Mk III box trail or Mk V split trail carriage to convert 18pdr guns into "gun-howitzer" variants. The conversion was approved in List of Changes, Equipment, 26 August 1936 as "Ordnance QF 3.45in. Mk I".

In LoC 11 February 1938, the nomenclature was changed to "Ordnance QF 25pr Mark I", of which more than 1,000 were made.




Tom.
​

 

[TimG]

18pr was still in production at commencement of WWII. There was a late streamline HE shell, but I don't know if that was above and below the driving band.

TimG

 

[Quatermass]

The 1940 handbook for the 18-PR list a streamlined HE shell (Mark IC) and two streamlined smoke bursting shells (Marks IC & IIC).

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[Quatermass]

HE streamlined IC 10 inches long.
Smoke bursting IC 9.93 inches long.
Smoke bursting IIC 9.96 inches long.

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[peteblight]

Thanks for all the info.