Artillery in Canada: BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun

BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 5053591)

Ordnance BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun, 3rd Medium Regiment, RCA, 26 Nov, 1943.

(DND Photo)

Ordnance BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3209132)

Ordnance BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun, south of Vaucelles, France, 23 Jul 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3396146)

Ordnance BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun being cleaned by RCA gunners south of Vaucelles, France, 23 July 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3607606)

Ordnance BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3625452)

Ordnance BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun adjustment, National Railways Munitions plant, 1943.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3396144)

Signaller receiving the order to fire a 5.5-inch gun of a Medium Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery (R.C.A.) south of Vaucelles, France.  The photograph also shows a stack of shells for the gun.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3208405)

Ordnance BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun, 5th Medium Regt, Otterloo, Netherlands, 5 May 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, PA-169331)

Ordnance BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun, 7th Medium Regt, 12th Bty, A Tp, Bretteville-le-Rabet, Normandy, 16 Aug 1944.

Before the infantry actually set foot on the beach, all artillery launched a saturation barrage against enemy defences. Destroyers pounded the beaches and the large landing crafts approached with their 4.7-inch guns firing. Landing craft Tanks fired rocket rounds. The four field artillery regiments, in all 96 guns of 105-mm, embarked on 4 LCTs, moved on simultaneously. From its craft the 12th Field Regiment opened fire against a fortified position in Courseulles. At 0655, the 13th Field Regiment attacked another position west of the cliff. At 0744, the 14th Regiment fired on the Bernières fortified position; and at 0739, the 19th Regiment attacked a similar post in SaintAubin. For half an hour they fired above the heads of the infantry and above the LCAs that were by the shore.  (Juno Beach Centre)

Avant que les fantassins n’atteignent la plage, un dernier feu d’artillerie tente de saturer les défenses ennemies. Les contre-torpilleurs bombardent les plages et les grandes péniches de débarquement s’approchent du rivage en faisant feu de leurs canons de 4,7 pouces. Les péniches de débarquement de chars (fusées) lancent des salves de fusées. Les quatre régiments d’artillerie de campagne, en tout 96 canons de 105 mm montés sur 24 péniches de débarquement de chars s’avancent simultanément. De ses péniches, le 12e régiment d’artillerie de campagne ouvre le feu contre un emplacement fortifié situé à Courseulles. À 6h55, le 13e régiment d’artillerie s’attaque à un autre emplacement fortifié situé du côté ouest de la rivière qui divise Courseulles. À 7h44, le 14e régiment d’artillerie tire sur l’ouvrage fortifié de Bernières et, à 7h39, le 19e attaque celui de Saint-Aubin. Pendant une demi-heure, ils tirent au-dessus de la tête des fantassins et des péniches d’assaut qui s’approchent des plages.  (Juno Beach Centre)