Bishop Self Propelled
Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum
Valentine infantry tank chassis was used. Turret was fixed and it restricted elevation of gun. 80 delivered to 8th Army in July 1942. Used in the Royal Artillery batteries. Used through North Africa and into the early stages of the invasion of Italy. After it was replaced by Sextons and US M7 Priests it was used for training. Gun's range was about 6,400 yards. To get maximum range they had to be driven up onto ramps usually made from dirt. One crew member had to kneel outside on the engine cover as there wasn't enough room.
| Bishop | |
|---|---|
| Crew | Commander, driver, gunner, loader.2 41,2,3 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 17,440 lb3, 39,000 lb2 15.48 tons4, 17.4 tons1 7,911 kg3, 17,690 kg1 |
| Length w/gun | 18' 2"1,2, 18' 6"3 5.5 m4, 5.53 m1, 5.64 m3 |
| Length w/o gun | |
| Height | 9' 3.25"2, 9' 1"1, 10'3 2.75 m4, 2.825 m1, 3.05 m3 |
| Width | 8' 7"1, 8' 7.5"2, 9' 1"3 2.59 m4, 2.63 m1, 2.77 m3 |
| Ground clearance | |
| Ground contact length | |
| Ground pressure | |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament | |
| Main | 25 pdr howitzer Mk I2 25 pdr4 25 pdr (87.6 mm)1 25 pdr (87.6 mm, 3.45")3 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | .303 cal Bren, AA2 |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | 322,4 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 82, 602,4 |
| Hull Front, Upper | |
| Hull Front, Lower | |
| Hull Sides, Upper | |
| Hull Sides, Lower | |
| Hull Rear | |
| Hull Top | |
| Hull Bottom | |
| Turret Front | |
| Turret Sides | |
| Turret Rear | |
| Turret Top | |
| Engine (Make / Model) | AEC A1901 AEC2,3 |
| Cylinders | 63 |
| Net HP | 1313,4 |
| Transmission | |
| Fuel type | Diesel3 |
| Octane | |
| Capacity | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | 4° left, 4° right.2 |
| Max Speed | 15 mph2,3, 14.9 mph1, 24 kph1,3, 25 kph4 |
| Cross Country | 7 mph2 |
| Road radius | 90 miles1,2, 110 miles3 145 km1, 177 km3 |
| Turning Radius | |
| Elevation Limits | -5° to +15°2, +15°4 |
| Fording depth | 3'2,3 0.91 m3 |
| Trench crossing | 7' 6"2 |
| Vertical Obstacle | 2' 9"2 |
| Suspension (Type) | "Slow motion" with 3-wheel bogies.2 |
| Wheels each side | 6 |
| Return rollers each side | 3 |
| Track length | |
| Tires | |
| Track width | 14"2 |
| Track centers/tread | 7' 3"2 |
| Production | 1942-1943: 80 |
Sources:
- The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
- British and American Tanks of World War Two, The Complete Illustrated History of British, American, and Commonwealth Tanks 1933-1945, Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis, 1969
- The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
- Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles The Complete Guide, Leland Ness, 2002
| Want to learn about a new vehicle? Select the random picture to learn about the vehicle. |
