Another not-an-official-entry post. Over in the Inspiration thread, the OQF 3.7" AA on
Ram Mounting came up. The Canadian Army's ATDB originally designated that '94mm-on-a-
Ram' as their Project 14A. From that, I decided to do a hypothetical rendering of the unbuilt Project 14B - ATDB's 40 mm Bofors L/60 AA gun on the
Ram cruiser tanks hull.
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https://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=11786.msg239023#msg239023Being unbuilt, the Project 14B is a whif of sorts. But I wanted to go further out there ...
RW: On behalf of the Canadian Army Over-Seas, the Army Technical Development Board (ATDB) put forward a ‘3in SP Ram’ - a hydrid of
Ram 'chassis' and proposed US M10 tank destroyer turret and armament. This concept was eclipsed by the OQF 3.7" AA on
Ram Mounting (aka Project 14A) which, in Maj Gen F. F. Worthington's conception, would combined anti-tank and anti-aircraft roles. Project 14A was seen as having sufficient merit for ATDB to approve a prototype conversion.
WHIF: Noting the time involved in producing Project 14A as the OQF 3.7" AA on Ram Mounting, the Canadian Army Over-Seas requested an interim vehicle to fill the tank-hunting role. The CAOS noted that new production of the 1894-era QF 12-pounder 12 cwt was about to commence at the Ogden Shops in Calgary, AB, for RCN use. This piece had the advantage of being considerably lighter than the OQF 3.7" requested - the OQF 3.7" ordnance (ie: breech and barrel) weighed over 3,900 pounds versus only 1,344 pounds for the QF 12-pounder 12 cwt.
Of course, the lower weight of the QF 12-pounder 12 cwt came at a performance cost. The 12-pounder's muzzle velocity was only 2,200 ft/s (670 m/s) against the OQF 3.7" Mk III was 2,598–2,670 ft/s. The horizontal range of the QF 12-pounder 12 cwt was actually slightly superior to the new gun. But shell weight was less - the former firing a 76.2 mm QF 12.5 lb shell out to 3.79 miles horizontally while the OQF 3.7" fired its 94 mm 28 lb projectile out to 3.5 miles. However, the shell weight was more important - tanks rarely being engaged at extreme distances.
With the CAOS concept approved by new Director of Artillery, Colonel Stephen Morres, the ATDB began preparing its Project 14C based on the
Ram I hull. Actual conversion work was performed at Montreal Locomotive Works using a former coastal defence 12-pounder that was almost 50 years old. A new gun mount straddled the
Ram's drive shaft allowing a traverse of 12° to 15° to either side. A simple 'dog house' shelter was provided for the gun crew with a more substantial gun shield set forward. [1]
With the utility of concept was proven, MLW began limited production of Project 14C as the '3in self-propelled, anti-tank gun,
Cougar'. [2] The new vehicle began equipping Royal Canadian Artillery units in Britain in early 1943. First into action were the
Cougar's of the 1st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery during OP
Husky, the invasion of Sicily on 09 July 1943. These remained frontline vehicles until US-supplied M10
Wolverine tank destroyers began to arrive in time for the Normandy invasion.
In the meantime, Col Morres' replacement as DArty, Col W. E. Van Steenburgh had concluded that US supplies of M10
Wolverines would be adequate for RCA requirements. As such,
Cougar production was ended by the late Autumn of 1943 and development of the Project 14D - a revived
Ram/M10 hybrid - was cancelled alogether. Indeed no prototype was ever completed. [3]
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[1] This superstructure could have been lower still but that would have required somehow also lowering the vehicle's drive shaft.
[2] RW, the name
Cougar was applied to the prototype
Ram flame-thrower type. That 'Ronson
Ram' flame-thrower variant would enter Canadian Army service as the
Badger.
[3] GMC, the makers of the M10, preferred to cooperate with its GM Canada subsidiary (rather than MLW). However, Col Van Steenburgh saw no benefit to transporting incomplete
Ram 'chassis' from Montreal west to GM's Regina plant for fitting out - only to be transported east again for shipment overseas.
