Bishop (artillery)

Ordnance QF 25-pdr on Carrier Valentine 25-pdr Mk 1 "Bishop"
Bishop in the Western Desert, September 1942
Type	Self-propelled gun
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1942
Used by	British Commonwealth Turkey
Wars	Second World War
Production history
Designed	1941
Manufacturer	Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
Produced	1942–1943
No. built	149
Specifications
Mass	17.5 t (38,580 lb)
Length	18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
Width	9 ft 1 in (2.77 m)
Height	10 ft (3.0 m)
Crew	4 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver)
Elevation	-5° to +15°
Traverse	8°
Armour	hull: 0.31–2.36 in (8-60 mm) superstructure: 0.51–2 in (13–51 mm)
Main armament	QF 25 pounder gun-howitzer with 32 rounds
Secondary armament	0.303 inch Bren light machine gun
Engine	AEC A190 diesel 131 hp (98 kW)
Power/weight	7.4 hp/tonne
Suspension	coil sprung three-wheel bogies
Operational range	90 mi (145 km)
Maximum speed	15 mph (24 km/h)

The Bishop, formal designation Ordnance QF 25-pdr on Carrier Valentine 25-pdr Mk 1, was a British self-propelled gun vehicle based on the Valentine tank and armed with the QF 25-pounder gun-howitzer, which could fire an 87.6 mm (3.45 in) 11.5 kg (25 lb) HE shell or an armour-piercing shell. A result of a rushed attempt to create a self-propelled gun, the vehicle had numerous problems, was produced in limited numbers and was soon replaced by better designs.