pics of 25 pdr gun

[John McGillivray]

What that vet told you is correct. In George Blackburn’s book “The Guns of Normandy” he writes:

“And while the official ‘normal’ rate of fire for the 25-pounder is three rounds per minute, and ‘intense’ is five rounds, 4th Field gunners easily achieve twelve to fifteen rounds per minute”.

I could not find the exact quote but I think the record for 4th Field, set by one gun crew, was more than 20 rounds per minute.

Also the command and control methods used by the Canadians and British, allowed them to bring down the fire of hundreds of guns onto a single target, in minutes. Of course the Germans attributed this to a secret super gun, a belt or hopper fed automatic 25-pounder; and not to a superior organization.

Finally Canadian and British gunners simply outworked their German counterparts.