Ordnance QF 6-pounder
British anti-tank gun / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about the World War II gun. For other 6-pounder weapons, see 6-pounder gun.
The Ordnance Quick-Firing 6-pounder 7 cwt,[note 1] or just 6-pounder, was a British 57 mm gun, serving during the Second World War as a primary anti-tank gun of both the British and United States Army (as the 57 mm Gun M1). It was also used as the main armament for a number of armoured fighting vehicles.
Quick Facts Type, Place of origin ...
Ordnance QF 6-pounder 7 cwt | |
---|---|
Type | Anti-tank gun Tank gun |
Place of origin | United Kingdom |
Service history | |
In service | 1942–1960 |
Used by | Allies of World War II and other users |
Wars | World War II First Indochina War[1] Korean War 1956 Suez War North Yemen Civil War[2] Nigerian Civil War |
Production history | |
Designed | 1940 |
Produced | 1941–1945 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 2,520 lb (1,140 kg) Mk II 2,679 lb (1,215 kg) Mk IV and M1 |
Barrel length | Mk II, III: 8 ft 4 in (2.54 m) 43 calibres Mk IV, V and M1: 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) 50 calibres |
Width | 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)[3] |
Height | 4 ft 2 in (1.28 m)[3] |
Crew | 6 |
Shell | Fixed QF 57×441 mmR[3] |
Calibre | 2.244 in (57 mm) |
Breech | Vertical sliding-block[3] |
Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic[3] |
Carriage | Split trail |
Elevation | -5° to +15° |
Traverse | 90° |
Rate of fire | 15 rpm[3] |
Muzzle velocity | See ammunition table |
Effective firing range | 1,650 yd (1,510 m) |
Maximum firing range | 5,000 yd (4,600 m) |
Sights | No.22c |
Close
Although designed before the start of the war, it did not reach service until the North African Campaign in April 1942. There, it replaced the 2-pounder as an anti-tank gun, allowing the 25-pounder gun-howitzer to revert to its intended artillery role.