Six tone
| Six tone | |
|---|---|
Sexton in Deurne in September 1944 |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 6 (commander, driver, radio operator, gunner, 2 × loader) |
| length | 6.12 m |
| width | 2.71 m |
| height | 2.44 m |
| Dimensions | 25 tons |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | 15-32 mm |
| Main armament | 25 pounder (87.6 mm) howitzer |
| Secondary armament | 2 × LMG Bren |
| agility | |
| drive | Wright R-975 400 hp |
| Top speed | 42 km / h |
| Power / weight | 16 hp / ton |
| Range | 290 km |
The Sexton ( sexton or gravedigger ) was a British self-propelled gun in World War II .
Emergence
In early 1941, the British Army was looking for a suitable armored vehicle to mount the British standard 25 pounder howitzer . The experience with the bishop showed that it was poorly suited, so another solution had to be found. In the USA, some self-propelled guns, the M7 Priest , were built under the designation T 51 , but the United States also lacked the capacities for series production of the British artillery carrier.
The project received further funding when the development of British armored forces was accelerated in 1942. The tank commanders (especially those fighting in North Africa) called for mobile artillery that could keep up with the tanks.
During the further search, the responsible committee came across Canada , where the Montreal Locomotive Works in Sorel built a tank similar to the M3 Lee / Grant (as well as the M7 Priest) with the cruiser Tank Ram Mk I. The ram was already considered obsolete, so its production capacity became free. The British 25 pounder gun was placed on this neatly constructed chassis in 1942. An open structure provided a good field of direction and full elevation, so that the gun, in contrast to the Bishop, could fully develop its effect. Many experiences and advantages of the M7 Priest were incorporated into the construction. The combination became known as the sexton, which was used primarily as a field artillery weapon to aid armored divisions. The vehicle carried a total of 112 rounds of ammunition, which, in addition to HE shells and smoke grenades, included 18 tank explosive shells. Production began in 1943, and by 1944 it had almost completely ousted the M7 Priest from the British Army. In 1944 and 1945, the sexton was also used in northwestern Europe. A total of 2,150 units had been built by the time production was phased out. The most important variant is the specially built command tank without a gun, but with additional radio equipment. A reliable, robust and effective weapon, the Sexton remained in service with the British and Canadian Armies until the 1950s and in service in other countries until recently.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| producer | Montreal Locomotive Works |
| Weight | 25.85 t |
| crew | 6 (Commander, Driver, Gunner, Loader, Gunner and Radio Operator) |
| Armament | |
| Main weapon | a 25-pounder (87.6 mm) with 112 rounds (lateral straightening range: left = 25 °; right 40 °) |
| Secondary armament | 2 × 7.7 mm MG Bren with 50 magazines, 2 × 9 mm Sten MPi , 12 hand grenades , signal pistol, 12.7 mm MG Browning M2 |
| engine | air-cooled 9-cylinder radial engine Wright-Continental R975-4 , 400 HP / 298.3 kW |
| fuel | petrol |
| Top speed | 42 km / h (road) |
| Range | 290 km |
| Armor | up to 32 mm |
| Dimensions | |
| length | 6.12 m |
| width | 2.72 m |
| height | 2.44 m |
| Ground pressure | 0.81 kg / cm ^ 2 |
| Climbing ability up to | 0.61 m |
| Ford depth | 1.22 m |
| Trench overcoming up to | 2.51 m |
| introduction | 1941 |
| use | 1941 to 1956 (Canada until 1959; some importing countries until today) |
| construction time | 1941 to the end of 1945 |
| number of pieces | 2150 |
Sexton Mk.I
The first 125 vehicles produced
Sexton Mk.II
Additional boxes for batteries and associated generator at the rear.
Sexton GPO
At the Sexton GPO ( G un P osition O fficer / Command Armor) the gun was removed to make room for a radio No. 19 to direct artillery fire.
use
- Polish 1st Armored Division - Northwest Europe
- 11th Armored Division - Northwest Europe
- - Italy
swell
- Tanks and other combat vehicles from 1916 to the present day. Buch und Zeit Verlagsgesellschaft mbH Cologne
- Military vehicles. (Atlas Verlag)
