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Ordnance QF 6-pounder

1942 COLD WAR WORLD WAR 2

History

The Ordnance QF 2-pdr anti-tank gun was barely adequate against German tank armor at the start of WWII. However, it was the main anti-tank weapon system available to the British Army at the time and was on the production line for several years.

It performed better against weakly armored Japanese tanks in the Pacific, but badly against Belgium and France, and was completely eliminated in the North African campaign. The system's main limitations are its tripod base, which makes it more of a static defense, and its small 40mm projectile - which can only be used in armor-piercing form and cannot be countered with a dual-role mentality infantry. As such, the QF 2-pdr proved to be a heavy weapon in its class and had little stopping power or adaptability.

Many of these systems were lost in the desperate escape from Dunkirk, France, and fell into the hands of the Germans.

British war planners recognized these inherent limitations as early as 1938 and set about drafting newer design requirements with more capabilities. The delay extended the program, and as wars raged around the world, British production lines were already eager to get more QF 2-pdr systems into British and Commonwealth hands.

While the new weapon system - the "57mm Ordnance QF 6-pdr" - was actually ready for series production, the QF 2-pdr was still in play and further delayed the QF 6-pdr's market entry. At the end of 1941, the weapon was finally incorporated into the combat service of the British Army.

The QF 6-pdr provides a greater chance of long-range armor penetration by using the more standard 57mm projectile. The projectile weighs 6.28 pounds and can penetrate 68 mm of armor at 1,000 yards. She measures a barrel length of 2.5 meters and uses a rifled barrel that provides accuracy. The gun system, mounts and rails weighed 2,471 lbs.

The barrel can be rotated about 90 degrees left or right and raised between -5 and +15 degrees. The 57mm projectile exits the barrel at 2,700 feet per second. The barrel is mounted on an adjustable stand, flanked by a pair of rubber tire wheels for easy portability. The gun is supported by a split frame that opens on the ground to absorb recoil and closes for transport in a mobile vehicle.

The wheels allow the crew to reposition or reposition weapon systems over short distances. A typical workforce consists of six employees, each of whom is required to manage a key aspect of QF 6-pdr operations.

The three-sided shield provided some basic protection for the artillery, which had to be placed directly behind the gun. The recoil mechanism is located under the bottom of the barrel, and the gun is loaded/reloaded through the breech at the rear of the barrel.

The QF 6-pdr fires primarily HVAP (High Velocity Armor Piercing) projectiles, known in the UK inventory as Armor Piercing Composite Rigid (APCR). In 1944, the QF 6-pdr was the first gun in the world to fire Armor Piercing (APDS) projectiles for increased penetration values.

Unlike the QF 2-pdr, a high-explosive round was developed for the QF 6-pdr, which works well against strong fortifications and enemy massings.

At the time of its creation, the British Army was in despair. During the North African campaign, the QF 2-pdr proved so ineffective that the QF 25-pdr field gun was used as an anti-tank gun to meet the needs.

So when the QF 6-pdr came out, British and Commonwealth aircrews were delighted with their arrival, as their respective armies maintained a system capable of hitting German tanks head-on to some extent. While in service with the British Army, these guns were exclusively managed by Royal Artillery personnel.

Compared to all available German tanks at the time, the QF 6-pdr performed well - including the Panzer I, Panzer II, Panzer III and Panzer IV series. It's a relatively lightweight system, capable of speeding up on a variety of terrain surfaces and can be drawn and set up in a short amount of time.

They had twice the range of the previous QF 2-pdr system, giving their crews the chance to fight the range of German tank machine guns. Their traditional design is inherently more aggressive than the fixed tripod position of the previous QF 2-pdr. However, with the arrival of the Panther and Tiger series - heavy tanks with thick frontal armor and powerful main guns - the QF 6-pdr's days are undoubtedly numbered. In addition, the QF 6-pdr base has several notable modifications, including the 6-pdr barrel on the "Carriage, Q.F., 6-pdr Mk III" carriage supplied to the Airborne Forces. This version has shorter frame legs to allow air transport on British gliders.

This system was used in Arnhem's desperate attack and subsequent defense - with the aim of capturing three key bridges - during General Montgomery's brazen Operation Market Garden. The QF 6-pdr experienced a baptism of firepower in the North African campaign and quickly replaced the QF 2-pdr series in the anti-tank role in British and Commonwealth forces.

The QF 6-pdr Mk 1 was an early version with the L/50 series barrel, but production was limited. The QF 6-pdr Mk 2 received the shorter barrel in the L/43 series and became the first mass-produced variant. The QF 6-pdr Mk 3 is a tank gun version of the Mk 2 gun model. The QF 6-pdr Mk 4 has a finished L/50 barrel and is equipped with a baffled muzzle brake.

The QF 6-pdr Mk 5 is a tank gun variant of the Mk 4 production gun. The Molins M-class is a modification that pairs a 6-pdr gun with an autoloader and is installed on naval ships and airframes to deliver devastating repeat fire damage. The UK-built model is shown in four different vans (Mk 1, Mk 1A, Mk 2 and Mk 3). Tank gun versions are mounted on Crusader, Knight, Centaur, Cromwell, Valentine and Churchill tank turrets.

Canadian Ram tanks are also armed with British 6pdr guns.

In the US, their own 37mm M1 anti-tank gun was nearing the end of its useful life on the battlefield and the authorities opted to copy the British QF 6-pdr - specifically the QF 6-pdr Mk 2 - the production version, but this armament L/50 series barrel. Beginning in 1941, engineers designed and developed the "57mm M1 Anti-Tank Gun" after production in the British version and in American factories ended.

The M1A2 soon had some minor changes (modified lateral mechanisms), and there was even a version installed on American half-tracks and trucks for attacking and defending mobile anti-tank points. The pairing proved so popular and effective that both the British Army and its Commonwealth troops brought this self-propelled version into their stables. The half-track version was placed on the M3 half-track and named "57mm Kanonenmotorwagen T48".

The Soviet Army received this variety and called it "SU-57". About 15,637 57mm M1 guns were built in the United States, mounted on six different mounts (M1, M1A1, M1A2, M1A3, M2, and M2A1).

As the 6-pdr's tenure on the front lines of the British Army decreased, the system was transferred from an artillery regiment to an infantry company. Through Lend-Lease, the British QF 6-pdr also found a home in the Soviet stockpile, where the Red Army was looking for weapons to avoid Nazi annihilation.

Although the QF 6-pdr was replaced by the next generation of German heavy tanks, it persisted until the end of the war. Its engineering excellence and design ensured its place in the national inventory after the war and for decades to come.

The United States retired it shortly after the war, while the British Army served it until 1960.

The Free French Army acquired the American M1 version on Lend-Lease. Israel, like Pakistan, is a future weapon user.