TO : RA Airborne Division
I have the following report to submit on the first days practice with the 75mm Pack Howitzer.
2. STEADINESS
The equipment was fired at various charges and ranges and at normal angles of elevation the equipment is very steady and jumps very little. Charge 4 at ranges of under 1,000 yards the equipment jumps considerably and may require a considerable amount of “relaying” from round to round.
3. ACCURACY
The gun is extremely accurate and although this was the first time they had fired, and no calibration had been done, all four guns of each troop were found to be shooting very close together, and successive rounds fired at the same elevation from any one gun all fell within a few yards of each other.
4. H.E.
The H.E. so far issued to this unit is fuzed M.54. This fuze has two actions:- “Superquick”, “Time”.
The “Superquick” fuze is a percussion fuze which bursts on graze. The burst is very easy to see since the explosion produces a good puff of black smoke. It was difficult to judge the efficiency of the burst but I consider it to be as good as a probably a little better than that of the 18 Pr H.E.
The “Time” fuze must be burst in the air since if the shell hits the ground the “Superquick” action takes place and I do not think it will be possible to burst the shell on ricochet using the time fuze. When burst really low the shell appears to have very considerable fragmentation effect judging by the amount of chalk and dirt thrown up. If burst even 20 or 30 feet too high the effect on the ground is almost negligable. Airburst therefore will only be effective when fired by really competent O.P. Officers, and I do not consider this should be a normal method of engaging targets.
No shell fuzed M.48 have been issued and I cannot therefore report on the “delay” action of that fuze.
5. SMOKE
18 rounds smoke were fired. The smoke is similar to the 18 Pr smoke, and consists of white phosphorus fired by a percussion fuze (M.57) which bursts on graze.
The smoke “pillared” immediately and was, in any case, thin. The screen produced by 18 rounds was in fact only partly effective for about 30 seconds. The screen was much worse than that which could have been produced by 3” mortars had the range been suitable.
if a smoke is to be fired by the 75 mm How. It will require an ammunition expenditure more than double that required for a comparable screen produced by the 3.7 How, I do not consider that we can afford to carry such a high proportion of smoke and I consider that the use of smoke should be limited to the redirection of “lifts” etc. to the infantry or to assist an observing Officer to locate unobscured rounds.
6. ANTI-TANK
Owing to range restrictions it was not possible to fire at a moving target but some rounds were fired over open sights at ranges of between 300 yards and 700 yards. At these elevations the gun jumps about considerably and this will appreciably reduce the rate of fire. Furthermore since the trail will have to be moved after each round has fired at a moving target, I do not consider the equipment likely to be an effective anti-tank weapon.
I consider that no round should be fired at a tank until the No.1 can be certain of hitting with his first round. The delays from round to round will be such that the gun must hit first time.
I understand from the Americans that the H.E. fuzed M.48 or M.54 fired at “Superquick” will break the tracks of a tank but that the shell does not penetrate normal tank armour.
The equipment is therefore an indifferent ant-tank weapon which must hold its fire until the last moment if it is to immobilize tanks.
7. MILS
No difficulty was experienced in converting degrees and yards to mils and in some ways young gunners found the American notation simpler than ours.
8. GENERAL
There were no mechanical or technical difficulties of any sort. All ranks were most enthusiastic about the gun and I am satisfied that it is a really good little gun which will serve our purposes until we can be given an equipment which fires a heavier shell.
22 Mar 43
R.W. McLeod Lt.Col. R.A.
Commanding, 1st Air Landing Light Regiment, R.A.