The rapid manoeuvre warfare practiced in the North African Campaign led to a requirement for a self-propelled artillery vehicle armed with the 25-pounder gun-howitzer. In June 1941, the development was entrusted to the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company. A prototype was ready for trials by August and ordered by November 1941. The result was a vehicle with the formal title: "Ordnance QF 25-pdr on Carrier Valentine 25-pdr Mk 1". The vehicle was based on the Valentine II hull, with the turret replaced by a fixed boxy superstructure with large rear doors. It was nicknamed the "Bishop" for its high mitre-like superstructure. Into this superstructure the 25-pounder gun-howitzer was fitted. As a consequence of the gun mounting, the resulting vehicle had very high silhouette, which is a disadvantage in desert warfare. The maximum elevation for the gun was limited to reducing the range to, about half that of the same gun on a wheeled carriage. The maximum depression was, traverse was, and the vehicle could also carry a Bren light machine gun. By July 1942, had been built; as the last being built, an order for a further placed, with an option for a further the tender was abandoned in favour of the AmericanM7 105 mm SP howitzer, named "Priest" in British service. Turkey received 48 Bishops in 1943.
Combat history
The Bishop first saw action during the Second Battle of El Alamein in North Africa and remained in service during the early part of the Italian Campaign. Due to its limitations and the Valentine's characteristic slow speed, the Bishop was poorly received. To increase range, crews would build large earthen ramps and run the Bishop onto them, tilting the vehicle back to increase the elevation. The Bishop was replaced by the M7 Priest and Sexton when those became available in sufficient numbers and surviving Bishops were diverted for training in self-propelled gun tactics.
British self-propelled guns with ecclesiastical names
A British self-propelled gun armed with the Ordnance QF 25-pounder in design from 1941 was nicknamed "the Bishop" as its appearance was said to resemble a bishop's mitre. A replacement, the US 105 Millimeter Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 was called "Priest" by the British, as part of its superstructure was said to resemble a priest's pulpit. Following this line of names, a 1942 self-propelled gun armed with the QF 6 pounder was the Deacon, and a 1943 vehicle with the QF 25-pounder was the Sexton. This practice was continued after the war with FV433 Abbot and ended in 1993 with the introduction of the AS-90.
