British 4.5" field gun

[Kingfish]

How/where did this gun fit into the general organization for artillery?
As a supplement to the 5.5" in the medium regiments, or was it regulated to specific tasks such as counter-battery?

[Gary Kennedy]

I have a copy of just one strength return for arty in 21 Army Group from 15th Feb 1945. It shows only 32x 4.5-in guns across the then six AGRAs compared to 336x 5.5-in weapons, with holdings matching entitlements. There were sixteen 4.5-in guns in 2 (Cdn) AGRA and sixteen in 5 AGRA at this time, while the other AGRAs had 5.5-in pieces in all of their Med Regts. Another 42 were with Parks and Workshops, so other units may have gone onto 4.5-in guns later on.

Online Canadian records (search CMHQ141) show that the three RCA Med Regts in 21AG were all 5.5-in in June 1944, then switched to 4.5-in in one Regt by the end of the year. Issues for the RCA in Italy look a little more mixed, but they ended up with one 4.5-in and two 5.5-in Med Regts by late 1944 as well. I don't know if the RA had a single 4.5-in Med Regt in 21AG as well, nailing down which Regts had which type of artillery pieces and when isn't always straightforward.

Gary

[gambadier]

The advantage of the 4.5 was that it significantly greater range than 5.5 with its 100lb shell (I don't think the 80lb shell was available until later). This made 4.5 useful for CB fire.