Bishop (British)

Description

The Bishop was a British self‑propelled gun developed early in the Second World War to give artillery units greater mobility in the rapidly shifting desert campaigns. Built on the reliable Valentine tank chassis, it mounted the proven QF 25‑pounder gun‑howitzer within a tall, box‑shaped armoured superstructure. Production began in 1942, with 149 vehicles manufactured by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company. Its armour offered reasonable protection, but the design suffered from a limited gun elevation of only +15°, which restricted its maximum range and forced crews to seek improvised firing positions to achieve higher angles.

The Bishop first saw action with British forces in the North African desert, where it provided mobile fire support during the later stages of the Western Desert campaign. It continued to serve in Tunisia, Sicily, and early operations in Italy, but its shortcomings became increasingly apparent as the war progressed. The vehicle’s slow speed, cramped fighting compartment, and restricted gun performance led to its gradual replacement from late 1943 onwards by the American M7 Priest, which offered superior range and flexibility. Despite its limitations, the Bishop represented an important transitional step in British self‑propelled artillery development during the war.

• Model: Bishop
• Country/Army: British & Commonwealth
• Material: UV Cured resin
• Original Designer: Avernes Miniatures
• These models are designed for modellers and collectors. They are not toys and are not suitable for children.
• Model supplied unassembled and unpainted. Additional finishing may be required during assembly.
• Finished colour of the product may vary from images shown.
• Photos and dimensions are at 28mm unless noted otherwise.
• All dimensions are complete with weapons unless otherwise stated.
• Other scales and dimensions may be available upon request.
• Models supplied at scales smaller than 20mm may be an alternative design more suitable for small scale prints. These are designed by Bergman or TigerAce1945.