Ordnance QF-6-pounder-7-cwt
The Ordnance Quick Firing 6 pounder was a British anti-tank gun (Pak) with a caliber of 57 mm.
The Ordnance Quick Firing 6-pounder 7 cwt, or just "6 pdr", was the main anti-tank gun for the British in the middle of World War II and also the main armament for a number of armored vehicles. It was first used in North Africa in April 1942 and quickly replaced the " two pounder " in the anti-tank role while allowing the " 25 pounder " to revert to its original artillery role. The US Army also used the "6-pounder" as a Pak under the designation 57 mm Gun M1.
Development and production
development
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The limited penetration capacity due to the small caliber size as well as the serious disadvantage of not being able to fire HE shells was already known when the 2-pounder cannon was put into service and so from 1938 work was carried out to replace it with a more powerful weapon. The Woolwich Arsenal was entrusted with the development. The 57 mm caliber was chosen for the new cannon because it had been in use in the Royal Navy since the late 19th century and so there was a working basis for the design. A prototype was completed in 1940, and a transportable variant was presented in 1941. Production was further delayed by the defeat in the Battle of France , as the loss of material and the prospect of a German invasion made rearmament of the army more urgent. The decision was therefore made to continue production of the 2-pounder in order to avoid the loss of time due to the production adjustment and the soldiers' training phase for the new weapon. Production of the 6-pounder began in November 1941 and was introduced into the army in May 1942.
In contrast to the 2-pounder, the new cannon was used on a conventional two-wheeled carriage . The first variant for mass production - the Mk II - differed from the Mk I produced first in that it had a shorter L / 43 tube. The following Mk IV was fitted with an L / 50 barrel with a muzzle brake.
Although the "6-pounder" was reasonably competitive, the army began developing a more powerful weapon in 1942. Their aim was to create a weapon the size of the "6-pounder" but with better effectiveness. The first attempt was an "8 pounder", but this version turned out to be too heavy to be used in the same role as the "6 pounder". A second attempt with a smaller caliber showed only marginally better characteristics than the "6-pounder". The program finally ended in January 1943.
Instead, the “6 pounder” went into production and service alongside the next generation of British anti-tank guns, the “ 17 pounder ”, which was in use from February 1943 onwards. As a smaller and more manoeuvrable cannon, the “6 pounder” was used not only for the rest of the war, but for 20 years later.
In addition to the United Kingdom, the cannon was also produced in Canada.
US production
The US Army Ordnance took up the idea of manufacturing the "6-pounder" in the USA in February 1941. At the time, the US Army still preferred the 37mm M3 cannon, and production was only planned for Lend & Lease . The US version, classified as a standard replacement under the designation 57 mm M1 cannon, was based on the Mk II, of which two units were supplied from Great Britain, but which had a longer barrel (instead of L / 43 an L / 50 long one Gun barrel). Production began in early 1942 and continued until 1945.
| year | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Produced | 3,877 | 5,856 | 3,902 | 2.002 | 15,637 |
Mission history
British engagement
The "6-pounder" (and the US-built M1, of which 4242 were delivered) were initially assigned to the "Royal Artillery" anti-tank regiments of the infantry and tank divisions in the western theaters of war (four batteries of twelve each) and later closed Issued six each to the anti-tank platoons of the infantry battalions. An airborne battalion had an anti-tank company with two anti-tank platoons each with four guns. The Far Eastern theater of war had lower priority and a different organization due to lower threat from tanks. The cannon was also used by Commonwealth troops .
At the beginning, the anti-tank ammunition consisted of the normal AP tank shell. From January 1943, APCBC tank shells with an improved tip were also supplied. An HE grenade was also produced against unarmored targets.
The "6-pounder" could easily compete with current enemy tanks, but over time the Germans introduced more powerful and heavier tanks with the Tiger and the Panther . The standard grenade of the "6-pounder" was insufficient against the armor of these new models; so the tiger could not be penetrated by the AP shell from any side, even from the smallest distance. With special APDS sub- caliber bullets, however, this weapon could also be dangerous for these tanks. In fact, it was a "6-pounder" that put the first two Tiger tanks out of action in the North African theater of war with these hard core projectiles.
In the “Royal Artillery” regiments, the “6 pounders” were gradually replaced by the “17 pounders” from 1943 onwards, but the gun remained in service in infantry units until 1960.
In addition, a fully automatic version - Molins gun - has been developed for marine use. The 6-pounder QF Mark II was the main armament on Motor Gun Boats and some Motor Torpedo Boats of the Royal Navy. The cannon was also used to combat ships in the De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito Mk. XVIII at the British Coastal Command . The first aircraft to be converted in this way flew on June 8, 1943, and another 26 Mk. XVIII newbuildings followed.
US deployment
In the spring of 1943, as a result of the experience of the African campaign, it became clear that it was necessary to use a heavier anti-tank gun than the previous 37 mm M3. According to an organization chart for equipment dated May 26, 1943, a regimental anti-tank company had nine 57 mm guns and each battalion had an anti-tank platoon with three guns each, making 18 guns per regiment. 1½ t Dodge 6 × 6 trucks were used as tractors. In mid-1944, the M1 was the standard anti-tank gun used by US infantry on the Western Front, outperforming the M3 in Italy.
Because of the unexpected commissioning of the new weapon, AP ammunition was the only type of ammunition produced in 1943. HE shells only reached the battlefield after the Normandy campaign, but not in large numbers either. This limited the efficiency of the M1 in infantry support.
The US Army also used a limited number of British "6 pounders" on the Mk3 mount, which was designed to be transported in a Horsa glider . These guns were used to replace the 37mm M3 before the airborne landings in Normandy.
The M1 was decommissioned shortly after the end of the war.
The gun was also used in the T18 Boarhound armored vehicle .
Other users
In addition to US, British or Commonwealth units, the M1 was delivered to the Free French Forces (653), the Soviet Union (400) and Brazil (57) as a result of the lend lease program .
Israel used the "6-pounder" in the 1950s in anti-tank battalions and platoons at brigade and battalion level. At the end of 1955 the Israeli army owned 157 guns and in 1956 another 100 pieces were bought in the Netherlands - but too late to be given to the troops before the Suez crisis.
Today's use
The gun is said to be still in active use in some South African countries.
variants
Versions
- Mk 1 - limited production with the L / 50 barrel
- Mk 2 - first version for mass production, shortened L / 43 barrel
- Mk 3 - tank version of the Mk2
- Mk 4 - L / 50 barrel, plus a muzzle brake
- Mk 5 - tank version of the Mk4
- Molins gun - "6-pounder" with automatic loading device, used in the Navy and in De Haviland Mosquitos of the RAF.
- 57 mm Gun M1 - US version, L / 50 barrel.
Use in armored vehicles
The tank versions of the "6-pounder" were used in the Crusader III , Cavalier, Centaur I and II, Cromwell I to III , Valentine VIII to X and the Churchill III and IV .
Technique tables
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| Art | Anti-tank gun |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| In service | 1942-1960 |
| Manufactured from | 1940 |
| Weight | 1,140 kg |
| length | 2.82 m |
| grenade | 57 × 441 mm |
| caliber | 57 mm |
| Swivel range | 90 ° |
| Firing range | 4,600 m |
ammunition
| Art | model | Weight, kg | Filling compound | Muzzle velocity, m / s (L / 43 guns) |
Muzzle velocity, m / s (L / 50 guns) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British ammunition | |||||
| AP | Shot, AP Mks 1 to 7 | 2.86 | - | 853 | 892 |
| APC | Shot, APC, Mk 8T | 2.86 | - | 846 | 884 |
| APCBC | Shot, APCBC, Mk 9T | 3.23 | - | 792 | 831 |
| APCR | Shot, APCR, Mk 1T | 1.90 | - | 1,082 | |
| APDS | Shot, APDS, Mk 1T | 1.42 | - | 1,219 | |
| HE | Shell, HE, Mk 10T | about 3 | - | 820 | |
| US ammunition | |||||
| AP | AP Shot M70 | 2.85 | - | 853 | |
| APCBC / HE | APC Shot M86 | 3.30 | 34 g of explosives | 823 | |
| HE | HE Shell T18 / M303 | ||||
| Canister | Canister Shot T17 / M305 | ||||
References
Individual evidence
- ↑ Thomas L. Jentz : Tiger I & II. Combat and technology. Podzun-Pallas Verlag, Wölfersheim 2000, ISBN 3-7909-0691-3 , p. 13.
- ↑ Angur Konstam: British Motor Torpedo Boats 1939-45. Osprey, Oxford 2003, ISBN 1-84176-500-7 ( New Vanguard 74), p. 35.
- ^ The Tsetse and the U-Boat , in Airplane Monthly, May 1991, pp. 266ff
