| 25pdr SP, tracked, Sexton | |
|---|---|
 A Sexton on display at theDutch Cavalry Museum in 2013 | |
| Type | Self-propelled artillery |
| Place of origin | Canada |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943–1956 |
| Used by | Canada United Kingdom South Africa Poland India Portugal |
| Wars | Second World War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1942 |
| Manufacturer | Montreal Locomotive Works |
| Produced | 1943–1945 |
| No. built | 2,150 |
| Variants | Mark I, Mark II |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 25 long tons (25 t))[1] |
| Length | 20 ft 1 in (6.12 m)[1] |
| Width | 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m))[1] |
| Height | 8 ft (2.4 m)[1] |
| Crew | 6[1] (Commander, driver, gunner, gun-Layer, loader, wireless operator) |
| Elevation | +40° to -9° |
| Traverse | 25° left 15° right |
| Armour | 15–32 mm (0.59–1.26 in)[1] |
Main armament |
|
Secondary armament |
|
| Engine | Continental R-975 9-cylinderRadialgasoline[1] 400 hp (300 kW)[1] |
| Suspension | Vertical volute spring |
Operational range | 125 miles+ (200 km)[1] |
| Maximum speed | 25 mph (40 km/h)[1] |
The25pdr SP, tracked, Sexton[a] was a Canadian-designedself-propelled artillery vehicle of theSecond World War. It was based on Canadian-built derivatives of the AmericanM3 Lee andM4 Sherman tank chassis. Canada had set up to produce theRam tank using the M3 chassis andGrizzly (a copy of the M4) to complement US medium tank production; when Sherman production in the US expanded and supply was assured, it was decided in 1943 to switch the Canadian production lines to produce the Sexton to give theBritish Army a mobile gun using their 87.6 mm (3.45 in)Ordnance QF 25-poundergun-howitzer for commonality with towed guns. The Sexton could fire eitherHE shell or anarmour-piercing shell. It found use in the Canadian, British, and otherBritish Commonwealth armies, as well as other countries. After the war, a number of Sextons and Grizzlies were sold to Portugal, which used them into the 1980s.
In order to better provide artillery support in the highly mobile desert warfare of theNorth African Campaign, the British Army had quickly adapted theValentine tank into a self-propelled 25-pounder gun: theBishop. Introduced in 1942, the Bishop proved to have many problems in service. In particular, limited space meant that the turret had little elevation, requiring crews to use natural slopes, embankments or mounds to get the full range out of the gun.
As a stop-gap, the US-builtM7 Priest, with aM101 105 mm howitzer, mounted on aM3 Lee chassis, was soon replacing the Bishop, reaching service in October 1942.[2] In March 1942, the UK ordered 2,500 for 1942 with another 3,000 for 1943. The first M7s were rushed to Egypt for theSecond Battle of El Alamein where they played an important part.[3] However, because the US 105 mm gun was not otherwise used by the British military, supplying ammunition to Priest crews was complicated and caused delays.
Simultaneously, two new self-propelled 25-pounder projects were being pursued by the British General Staff. Firstly, in the US, the 25-pounder Howitzer Motor Carriage T51 – a Priest adapted to mount the 25-pounder – was tested from July 1942. Development was delayed by issues including the destruction of the gun mount on the prototype, during the first live-firing trials.[1][2]
Secondly, because US resources were increasingly devoted to equipping and upgrading the existing weaponry of US forces, the UK government inquired whether the Canadian government could facilitate rapid development and manufacturing of a self-propelled 25-pdr. The Canadian Department of Munitions and Supply asked the Canadian Army Engineering Design Branch to build such a vehicle.
A prototype was quickly built on the chassis of a CanadianRam tank, which was also based on the M3 chassis. The Ram had been sidelined by a decision that Canadian armoured units should standardize around the Sherman and variants using the same chassis. The prototype was completed on 23 June 1942. Following trials in Canada, the Canadian government ordered 124 vehicles in three batches. The prototype was shipped to the United Kingdom in early 1943,[4] where it underwent further trials. In May 1943, it was formally accepted for use by the British Army and given the name "Sexton" (after thereligious custodian and following in the tradition of the Bishop and theDeacon self-propelled guns).
A UK order for 300 Sextons was made in mid-1943, albeit built on the hull of theGrizzly tank (a Canadian-built variant of the M4A1 Sherman). The Ram-based SP gun became known as the Sexton Mark I, while the Grizzly-based variant was the Sexton Mark II. UK orders for the Sexton II eventually totalled 2,026 vehicles.
The Sexton was generally regarded as a successful project, unlike the Ram (which never saw combat in its original form).[5] Between 1943 and 1945, theMontreal Locomotive Works manufactured 2,150 Sextons for the use of both Canadian and British forces. The vehicle entered service in September 1943. In spite of its confused origins, the Sexton was a combination of proven parts and proved to be a successful design that remained in British service until 1956.
The vehicles were first used in combat in Italy by the BritishEighth Army.[1] Later, Sextons took part in theinvasion of France and subsequent Battle of Normandy and thecampaign in north-western Europe. During the D-day landings, a number of Sextons were ordered to fire from their landing craft as they approached the beaches although the fire did not prove to be very accurate.[1] After the war a number of units were equipped with the Sexton as part of theBritish Army of the Rhine (BAOR).
The following units were equipped with the Sexton at different periods:
British and Canadian forces used the Sexton forindirect supporting fire, keeping the Sextons back from the front line and usedforward observers to direct overwhelming fire onto a target.
TheIndian 1st and 2nd Field Artillery Regiments used Sextons afterWorld War II.[6]
A British self-propelled gun armed with theOrdnance QF 25-pounder in design from 1941 was given the service name "Bishop" as its appearance was said to resemble a bishop'smitre. A replacement, the US105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 was called "Priest" by the British, as part of its superstructure was said to resemble a priest's pulpit. Following this line of names, a 1942 self-propelledQF 6 pounder on armoured truck chassis was named "Deacon". A post-war self-propelled gun was calledAbbot.
