"Ubique," declares the proud, single word on the Royal Artillery's beret badge.

Ubiquitous, always present. No Gunnner would contest, if one is talking about World War II, the 25 Pounder gun-howitzer personifies the Royal Artillery's ubiquitous presence. In its New Vanguard series addressing ships, armoured vehicles...and artillery, Volume 48, dedicated to the 25 Pounder is a "Finally!" for students of the period and modelers.

Does anyone else think it's ironic, Germany's and Britain's most famous artillery pieces of WW II, both being 88 mm across the bore? While the 25-Pounder does not have the mystique of the German "88," it was the Commonwealth's standard and most numerous field gun of the war. Not a world-beater, the 25-Pounder did what it was supposed to; accompanied the troops into the field and served as the light component of the Royal Artillery. Mounted aboard a Ram tank chassis, as the Sexton, the 25-Pounder served the Royal Horse Artillery, as well.

Chris Henry ably addresses sequentially, the genesis, development, production, service use and ultimate end of the 25-Pounder.

Mike Fuller's 8 pages of colour (including a centrespread with numbered parts) artfully depict the 25-Pounder in its glory days and the gun's last action with the British Army) are intriguing and worth study. For detail types (geeks!), yes, there are some yummies on tools and ammunition.

'Twas the reviewer's privilege to actually see a battery of 25-Pounders shoot...shiny, pristine guns, served by precise, sharp Gunners...at the Tower of London, firing the salute for the Queen Mother's Jubilee in 2000. "If I wasn't a Gunner, I wouldn't be here. Fire! If I wasn't...."used to be (still is?) the proper "spacing" for time between guns fired in a salute.

Considering the 25-Pounder's availability in 1/76 and 1/35 kits, this book is a worthwhile modeling and historical reference. 

Highly recommended.

Review copy courtesy of the reviewer's chequebook, purchased from Prosek's Greenhouse and Military Model Shop, Winfield, IL.

Reviewed by James Hood.

For Scott Van Aken's Modeling Madness review of James Hood's novel, Adventure--Into The Neverland, go to: http://users3.ev1.net/~bjmonkeyandcj/James_Hood.htm  

February 2005

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