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Self-propelled Artillery

Sexton

A Canadian-designed armored vehicle that mounted a powerful field cannon on a tank chassis.

Canada Introduced 1943 Montreal Locomotive WorksRole: Mobile artillery support

Specifications

Weight
28 tons
Crew
6 soldiers
Speed
25 miles per hour
Main Gun
25-pounder (87.6 mm) howitzer
The Sexton of Canada

History

During World War II, army artillery needed to move just as fast as advancing tanks and armored units. To solve this problem, engineers in Montreal took the chassis of the Canadian Ram tank and mounted the famous British 25-pounder field gun inside an open armored fighting compartment.

The resulting vehicle was named the Sexton. It provided artillery gunners with bulletproof protection while allowing them to rapidly fire high-explosive artillery shells, change firing positions, and relocate before enemy counter-fire could strike back.

Sextons entered action during the 1944 Normandy campaign and fought through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. They proved so reliable that Canadian and Allied forces kept them in active service during the early years of the Cold War.

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