The Australian Self-Propelled 25-pounder Spear-thrower (YERAMBA!)

AusArmour Assistant Manager, Jason Belgrave, gives us a tour of the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum's Self-Propelled 25pdr Yeramba!
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[@tdb7992]

I love that you blokes even admit when things aren’t completely correct on your restorations and that you plan on fixing it to make it as authentic as you can. I feel like a lot of museums would go out of their way to hide information like that.

[@johnnewman366]

It’s not their restoration. Jason did say it was restored many years ago by the Melbourne Tech Museum.

[@Purpmaster]

These guys are experts, they don’t make mistakes 😎

[@realgrilledsushi]

Why museums hide info?

[@AdamWeber-pi1gs]

Very nice little video; straight to the point, no BS, narrated by someone who knows the subject matter. Thanks, AusArmor, as always.

[@DrivermanO]

I trained on 25 pounders in the early 70s. I remember that the maximum range on charge super (not supercharge!) was 13,400 yards (which is just over, as said, 12250m). Only ever used it once - incredible, ears rung, even with ear defenders! Also, technically the 25 pdr is a gun howitzer, and could fire at 80degree elevation with a special dial sight adapter and a gun pit to take the breech. When on its platform - as it pretty much always was - it had full 360 degree traverse.

[@asya9493]

Everything you need packed into 6 minutes and 58 seconds, another good one from AAAM !

[@luvtruckin]

Man I really enjoy when Jason takes the time to explain to us how the vehicles work and their history.

[@ianbeale2527]

I first saw this in a book many years ago and loved that it looked similar to the Sexton. I love some of the other spg's that were being trialled around that time too based on the M3 or Ram chassis. The Aussies and the Canadians had some great ideas.

[@timothywalsh1001]

@2:23 if you look at the side of the engine.. That is a 6-71 supercharger... that were recycled for drag racing use.

[@damienodonohue1327]

G'day, it's actually a rootes style blower, used on all 2stroke diesel engines,it doesn't provide any supercharging, it purges exhaust and introduces fresh intake air at barely over atmosphere, once it is put on a 4stroke drag car etc it then becomes a supercharger 👍

[@stevie65able]

Jason. always a pleasure to hear your beautiful, clearly pronounced explanations about a fascinating array of armoured vehicles. Learn so much from you blokes. Cheers from Victoria.

[@ConstantlyDamaged]

It's hilarious, sometimes, how such things align. I was discussing old weaponry with someone yesterday and part of that was the venerable atlatl-some would call it the ancient precursor to artillery. Thanks for another great piece of Aussie military history!

[@humphet]

I was a mortar man. But I can see how this would be such a fun unit to be a part of

[@LyleHatch]

Jason has a seemingly endless wealth of information on the museum's exhibits! I thought this was a Sexton, but I should have known that Oz had its own variant. Interesting video!

[@shoominati23]

One of my old bosses, used to say when I would bring in my own music to play "Oh, you're listening to that bloody Spear Chucker music again"

[@Salamandra40k]

Your boss sounds like a racist lol

[@pfineyut]

When I was an apprentice Fitter & Turner at Vickers Ruwolt in Melbourne in 1976. There was a Fitter that was retiring and he was an apprentice during the war. He told me that Vickers used to produce the 25 pounders and the workers wanted more money, but it was illegal to go on strike during the war, so they went on a go slow. Problem was that they produced more guns and more accurate guns (so they had to stop the "Go Slow") 🤣

[@keithammleter3824]

Sounds like their heart wasn't in the go-slow. Many years ago I worked in a maintenance depot and the union called a go-slow, actually termed "work to rules". NOTHING got done. The boss said "Hammleter, take a car and go to such and such." Right, boss. Hang on, rules say you have to do daily vehicle checks before setting off. Check water, check oils. Hmm, need to look up what grade of oil. Have to check tyre pressures. Hmmm - I haven't been trained to use this type of tyre gauge. Get a supervisor to show me how to use the gauge. One tyre is a bit low - have to pump it up. etc etc. It was over an hour before I could set off.

[@iandibley8032]

A very informative vid thanks, Interesting times in that era. 1942, the wharfies went on strike, wanting more money to load the munitions for New Guinea . Allegedly, at the time, the Japanese were virtually knocking on Australia's back door. The alleged out come Military Police turned up at the wharves and got munitions loaded.

[@LostCylon]

My grandfather bought some old tanks after WW2, simply because he was a logger, and the engines were more powerful and far cheaper than any other option :p The tank bodies were still there many decades later.

[@ripvanwinkle2002]

the fact you named it "spear chucker", is a monty python skit waiting to happen...

[@gerardhogan3]

What a great story Jason. I really liked the black beret story. I was issued with the Arty navy blue beret which I still proudly have today. I remember the bullshit when we were told we couldnt wear our berets because we'd get sunburnt.

[@MGB-learning]

Great video and presentation.

[@lisaburnett2771]

Fantastic history.. Thank you

[@dickdegraaff5452]

Dear Guys, With every vlog I’ve seen from you I wish so much I still could be in the position to visit The Australian Armour and Artillery Museum because of your impressive collection of classic army vehicles. Unfortunately my retirement won’t let me and my wife in the position to book such an expensive flight to visit your museum. I look forward to your next vlog and send you love from the Netherlands

[@russwoodward8251]

Fannnnntastic. A very unique and yet familiar feeling vehicle. Thanks Jason and Aus Armour.

[@chillymac4748]

Can y'all do a review on that rusty bulldozer next to this self-propelled gun carrier? Love these series!

[@user-wf2lm3vi7o]

I can recall a video some time ago introducing it. A ‘farm’ conversion.

[@devonlord99]

It is an M3 which was sold to a farmer and converted into a bulldozer. Definitely would like to see a video on it.

[@ianbell5611]

Very good. Thanks for posting

[@06colkurtz]

Nicely done troop. I spent ten years in M48s and M60s.

[@quentinstacy35]

Great content as always Jason and Kurt. Didn't give armored vehicles much thought until I found this channel. Now I watch everything from AA&AM.

[@PaulieLDP]

Love the videos on tanks used in Australian service, thank you for the upload.

[@samrodian919]

It's always good to watch Jason tell us about the Oz army's tanks and self propelled guns and of course everything else in the museum !

[@Imp-mq1be]

over here in england our 25pdr Self propelled guns used the Ram hull and was known as the sexton

[@hoilst265]

Good to see you've got a proper Hytest axe on it.

[@iksexplorationsfollower2588]

Great video, as always, interested in that bulldozer next to the tank, is that on a tank base, is it possible to have a video on that please. Thanks, Dave, from Brisbane.

[@frostedbutts4340]

Yeah looking at the suspension and transmission cover? at the front it defo looks like it started life as an M3!

[@johnnewman366]

It’s an ex Australian Army M3 Grant, or Lee. Many were purchased by farmers after retirement and then converted for use on the land.

[@LostCylon]

Being on a carrier, the angle of the gun is also easily raised by parking on the upside of a mound, with the added benefit of shielding the carrier partially or fully with spotters. A great vid, I never knew the ordnance factory (As it was known as back in the day) in Bendigo made these. I had an uncle who worked there (before my time) who was a manager and may have been involved. They make the Bushmasters there now. I often talked to a guy involved with producing the initial prototypes of them, some interesting stories :p

[@user-xh3lz9xt4l]

I'm pretty sure that the UK had similar vehicle but it was used in WWII and was named as the SEXTON

[@ADVtheMISSIONARY]

I had wondered when or if Australia used self-propelled Artillery and then I had the mental gymnastics about if they wore the black beret or not.

[@Fidd88-mc4sz]

Fascinating, thanks!

[@michaelguerin56]

Nice video. Thank you. I learned something new today. Yeramba!

[@charliemyres5450]

Another really interesting armament, thank you.

[@smalcolmbrown]

Thanks :)

[@guidor.4161]

I'd love to see some videos on the soft-skinned vehicles and armoured wheeled vehicles seen in the background....

[@davidkimmel4216]

Thank you for sharing this with us

[@Marcus-ki1en]

Aussie version of the Yank's M7 Priest and and British Bishop/Sexton

[@solreaver83]

Sort of the priest used the American 105mm iirc

[@Mag_Aoidh]

Excellent information Jason.

[@danielrex6904]

been close to bendigo i love this vehicle

[@warci]

I always wondered how they aligned the power output of the multi-engine setups. Is it just a case of: hook up the throttles and hope for the best?

[@dougstubbs9637]

I wish you guys could get a hold of an UPTON tractor to complete your Aussie Grant story.

[@arffadailey8055]

Come on Doug don't leave the audience hanging. You better explain what the Upton tractor has with grant tank.

[@54mgtf22]

Great job, AusArmour 👍

[@davidbarnsley8486]

It is a great thing to look at as we’re all the other odd Aussie stuff down that end f the shed 👍👍

[@LostCylon]

Interesting note. The 303 was also the weapon used by the famous Breaker Morant, and is also on one of the Beau of the Fifth column's T-shirts that reads : Rule .303 If you have the means at hand, you have the responsability to act... I believe it's one of his most used shirts :)

[@smileydave3907]

I always wondered why Australia(We) never saw this type of vehicle out and about during WWII especially in Nth Africa

[@Ghostmaxi1337]

I have not read that an Apcbc round did enter service beyond testing and that round shown looked like a He round not Apcbc. (Tho some say the Ap was later replaced with an Apbc, tho still that doesnt look like it.)

[@shelldraken3089]

I don't think the M108s in Vietnam were crewed by Arty. They were for base perimeter defence and set up for direct fire of splintex only. Their crews were whatever unit had that part of the perimeter.

[@lucassstuff]

There is at least 4 surviving Yerambas left. John Belfield has/had the remains of another and there is one being privately owned being restored.

[@moseshorowitz4345]

Please list in the notes above the names of the three crew who etched their names, so everyone can see!

[@Sean-cz77]

Out of the many cramped interiors of armored vehicles for practicality, looks like the crew certainly had some privilege here

[@fordmies01]

what is that red bulldozer tank?

[@johnnewman366]

It is an ex Australian Army M3 Grant (or Lee) that was converted into a farm machine after WWII. Many ex Army tanks were sold off, and farmers converted them for use on the land.

[@seanmcardle]

Jenkins is on a charge now.

[@patchmack4469]

always liked the old 25pdr's, do you happen to know where the gun was made, is that like the old standard British 25pdr

[@jackeagles1637]

Just over 2,000 25 pdrs (including the standard and the short versions) were manufactured in Australia for the Australian Army

[@1Wilful]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_QF_25-pounder Made in Melbourne

[@patchmack4469]

@@jackeagles1637 oh yes same as the British one made at Royal Ordnance - a friend of mine had one as an ornament in the front garden (the wife was not that amused) so it went back to his work

[@marclagalle1486]

We still had Grants on the orbat in 1949?

[@tm5123]

For a moment I thought the aussies had actually made some jury-rigged spear thrower from a 25-pounder😆

[@downunderrob]

So years after the British Army got the Sexton self-propelled gun. Which was basically their version of the 105mm Priest SPG of the US Army, we got this?

[@akula9713]

I suppose if you’ve got a lot of M3 Grants lying around, it makes sense to make use of them.

[@HK94]

👍

[@benthornton1986]

Did you guys happen to pick up a old tank from Moomba Airport. I thought i seen one that resemble it.

[@simonholmes5223]

Hello, everyone. I'm curious to know, why not use the Sexton in Australia, after the war? I'm just asking as my Grandfather's Regt. (153rd Leicestershire Yeomanry) was equipped with Sextons as part of XXX Corps.

[@frostedbutts4340]

Honestly this is about 90% a Sexton, just starting with a Grant / Lee hull instead. Guess it was just cheaper to convert some of the unused hulls they had laying around.

[@solreaver83]

Australia had developed a small tank industry and had a big gun production industry. During the war we couldn't rely on ally supplies so we started doing all this ourselves. Even post war there was a want to carry on this way. We had the guns, we had the hulls, we had the know how and we had the desire 😊

[@simonholmes5223]

Thanks for the replies and explanations. Now I know 😊

[@bobbylee2853]

00:27 You can observe a spear being loaded.😅

[@huwtindall7096]

is this essentially the same as the M7 priest but just different gun?

[@robertshemory3541]

It looks like a Sherman hull to me?❤😎✌️👍

[@williamfankboner4206]

If, as I believe, the Lee/Grant 75mm sponson gun had a 15 degree traverse (right + left = 30 degrees), what was the point of this conversion?

[@1Wilful]

It was direct fire only, it couldn't elevate. Also, the 25 pounder was 88mm calibre.

[@christopherandersch1299]

What’s the story with the home made dozer?

[@draconian6692]

Mobile Spear chucker😂😂😂

[@Bodkin_Ye_Pointy]

Looks awfully like a Sextant to me. You know the replacement vehicle the British Army used when they returned the Priests to the USA. So what is unique with the reinvented wheel?

[@frostedbutts4340]

I assume you mean Sexton lmao. Not sure what your point is.. this is literally based on the Sexton blueprints. It's based on a Grant instead of a Ram / Grizzly hull, has hull doors, up armored front / belly casting and a slightly different superstructure. Not revolutionary but a cool and historic vehicle to have.

[@joseericoferreirabelem7886]

'Enganosa é a graça, e vã é a formosura, mas a mulher que teme o Senhor , essa será louvada." Provérbios 31:30. 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹Mulheres: guerreiras incansáveis que enfrentam desafios com graça e dignidade. Que este dia seja uma homenagem à sua coragem e determinação." ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Feliz dia internacional da Mulher.

[@BigBloodyBen]

Would these vehicles have been used in Korea?

[@frostedbutts4340]

Nah never saw combat.

[@peachclaw7463]

[@charlesmiles9115]

😛😛😛😛😛😛😛❤❤❤❤❤👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@anonymousperson8487]

Nooooine

[@PeterNissen878112]

It has a 24-volt electrical system, but is it a negative earth or a positive earth to the chassis?

[@AdamMann3D]

I wonder why they didn't just the American or British versions of M3 based SPGs? The M7 Priest was numerous.

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

It's kinda like the offspring of a Stug and an M-10

[@kotahurt]

I never served in the army just served a maximum security jail sentence

[@tasman006]

Wow awsome vid did not no Australia had from the US on lone the M108 during the Vietnam war very interesting. Agian big thumbs up.

[@CthulhuInc]

that sure looks like a sexton 😊

[@IntrospectorGeneral]

They obtained the Canadian Sexton drawings and based the Yeramba on those. A close cousin rather than a clone.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

Post war Country in debt so instead off procurring they recreated their own with left over equipment

[@lesliestephenson1298]

Why not just use a Sexton (exactly the same configeration

[@frostedbutts4340]

Because this was a good way to use up Grant / Lee hulls that were otherwise obsolete

[@tomwadforth6589]

Is the camera man drunk?

[@nickdanger3802]

Copied from US M7 "Priest".

[@bronsonperich9430]

Not copied. Modified. The Priest had the AA pulpit - hence the name. Also, the Priest had a different gun.

[@stephenduffy5406]

It was a Lend-lease vehicle. You were supposed to give it back to the US at the end of hostilities, not chop-shop it up. But I'll take it back as is! Don't worry, all's forgiven.

[@frostedbutts4340]

Unlike Britain, Australia actually settled up our Lend Lease bill at the end of the war. And no American manufacturers very much didn't want any material returned hah

[@Justin-iu9ih]

Now does,,,,,,,,the Russian morter 90mm no recoil,,,,,,side armed,,,,,now I believe if you two have seen this gun morter Russian ,,,,,you slam the shaft holding pin ,,,,double casing on barrel,,,Russian morter 90mm you should look into it,,,,,each shell fired by gunner with lever,,,,shells drop in ,,,,on another note,,,,before cleaning gun barrels look at ring of carbon formed ,,,this gun residue collected is pure carbon ,,,,if melted again with hydrogen gas at 2000 degrees celeilous it forms into diamond,,,,,the ring of carbon where bullet sits ,,this ring of carbon found where shell leaves cartage,,,,you must of come across some keep an eye out for shell grit,,,, pure carbin

[@pukalo]

Artillery is unfair and broken.

[@robertbroadbent216]

I didn’t know we went woke years ago? yeramba??? Never heard of it?

[@barrymccokiner7559]

Fckn fraggle rock names! Why couldn’t they call it something cool like paladin?

[@johnnyfranzen6091]

Too much talking 👎👎👎👎🤑🤑🤑

[@danekeating5224]

This guy really needs some elocution lessens if he wants to be a public speaker. I have skipped so many videos halfway through because of this persons inability to speak clearly. As a Victorian i find it difficult to understand the Queensland mumble. Most apparent is the mumbling 'Astray a, or Astrayan' : we live in Au-stra_li_a". Four syllables, as taught in primary schools. If you don't even care to pronounce the name of your country, why would anybody want to watch you just mumble constantly?

[@__combatwombat__9242]

Stop being a flog dane.

[@johnnewman366]

What a dumb sad comment, bet you don’t get invited out very often, if at all, hey?

[@paulmanson253]

An old friend of mine,a pet phrase of his. Some people would complain about being hanged with new rope. Used to wonder just what he meant by that. Till I met people like you.

[@petercofrancesco1620]

I Say , Ox And Bucks 🇬🇧 Old Tommy , Would Of loved That " Bloomin "Tank Aye ! Cheers 🍻 To All You Aussies 👍

[@contributor7219]

Some "elocution lessens"? Before you go slinging mud in YT comments, perhaps you might try some spelling lessons - just saying 🙂 Oh, and some grammar lessons too. The possessive singular of person is: person's. If you're using 'I' in the first person it's upper, not lower, case. I would much rather listen to Jason's excellent explanations of the fascinating gear they have in the museum knowing he served this country in some of the same army units and locations I have, than have my eyes bleed out seeing our language butchered by you in written form for the whole Internet to see 🙄 Oh, and I'm from Victoria too - nice here isn't it?

[@jayfelsberg1931]

Wow, a WWII SPH with room to work the howitzer! Really smooth design, like the Sexton. The 25pr is the most underrated FH of WWII, and could be used effectively as an AT gun if necessary. Australia also developed the famous 25pr Short. Do you have a video of it? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_QF_25-pounder_Short#/media/File:Standard_and_short_25pdr.jpg

[@northlandrider5396]

Those three artillerymen are still in the cooler for defacing the Queen's tank.

[@MicMc539]

''the cells''. Best, though not, avoided.

[@animenut69]

What's the dozer / tree pusher behind him?

[@jasonbelgrave2831]

Its a modified Grant...sold of,.in this case to a farmer in 1956. It has been shortened by a meter in the middle with the removal of the middle.set of bogies and welded and bolted back together with additional plate. A fabricated dozer and tree pusher has been attached for land clearing.