Dougy FV432 Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 Hi All, As the title says, I have been asked through the 432 website, what was the role and position of the Abbot. I know there was a bit of an article in the MVT windscreen mag recently, but I can find it again. Basically, what was its purpose, yes I know it was a SPG, but was the Army's criteria that it filled. What Regiments would have had it. What was its involvement in the 1st Gulf conflict. Did it go to Bosnia. Any information really. Thanks in advance Dougy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 Windscreen, Spring issue no 126 page 81, just happened to have been reading it yesterday:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 It ws the light gun S.P Mount for Royal Horse Artillery from 1965 replacing M44 in service supporting Armoured Brigades of BAOR and regiments training in UK. Deployed with 24 guns per regiment in 4 batteries of 6 guns sub divided into 3 gun sections each supported by a FV432 with face, 3 Stallwarts and a ferret. There were 146 built with 20 VEA for training in Alberta. As far as I am aware they were not deployed to the gulf in 1991 being replaced by M109. I don't think they saw service in Bosina in 1994 most had been sold off and the remainer were awaiting deployment as targets. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 As far as I am aware they were not deployed to the gulf in 1991 being replaced by M109. I don't think they saw service in Bosina in 1994 most had been sold off and the remainer were awaiting deployment as targets. Steve Pretty sure they were long since replaced by 1991. I don't remember seeing Abbots when I was in the cavalry (75 - 82) at all, but then in a Recce battlegroup we never tended to see real artillery pieces: they were a figment of our exercise imagination. If I called in a fire mission, the attached LO from the RA at combat team Forward HQ would notionally feed the command into the divisional RA establishment where it would then be notionally passed to the guns through their chain of command. Fire missions were a work of fantasy without real guns. When I was in Osnabruck, 82 - 85, the local Field Regiment (25?) I am pretty sure had M109s: I vaguely remember taking two very young, disinterested toddlers and an equally disinterested wife down to Roberts Barracks for an open day mooch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazz Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 When I went to Batus in 81 I remember actually calling down a real fire mission, this was a battery shoot of Abbots. Up till then as per normal recce I had done tons of pretendy ones, but actually calling in and controlling a real one was fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy FV432 Posted July 10, 2010 Author Share Posted July 10, 2010 Hi All, Has been a while, but thank you all for your replys. I didn't think the Abbot made it to the first Gulf. Does anyone know what the "gunless" abbots did, were they carriers or forward observation posts or driving aids? Thanks again Dougy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schliesser92 Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 The only time I ever saw Abbots "in action" was in Catterick in 1971. They fired a 41-gun salute for the Queen's Birthday (the real one, in April). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.