Guns on Tanks

firesoul

firesoul

What if the 6lb QF had remained the standard tank gun of the British army as it was in WWI rather than as it did going off on the 3LB & then 2LB route.

I don't have an answer to this question but given the Americans used a copy of an French gun of similar antiquity in the M2 M3 & M4 it I think is something interesting to speculate on
 

sharlin

Banned
Its really a matter of money, basically a larger gun means a larger tank, thus more expensive and that post war is a problem for the UK as we was basically broke.

The smaller guns and smaller tanks as well as the doctrinal issue with the British army (cruiser/infantry tanks) would need to go, and you'd need a government willing to spend money on rearmament.
 
firesoul

firesoul

Indeed but the guns where already in existence being used as anti torpedo board guns on pre dreadnought ships as well as on all WWI male British tanks and whilst the economic collapse of the late 20's early 30's and general post war reductions in size of the armed forces would have pinched the number of tanks.

I am wondering what would have happened if those tanks had has 6lbr not impossible as both the guns and the ammunition for them was already in existence and in greater quantity than would be needed for the number of tanks likely to be involved.
 
marathag

marathag

firesoul said:
What if the 6lb QF had remained the standard tank gun of the British army as it was in WWI rather than as it did going off on the 3LB & then 2LB route.

I don't have an answer to this question but given the Americans used a copy of an French gun of similar antiquity in the M2 M3 & M4 it I think is something interesting to speculate on
Click to expand...

It used a 57x307R cartridge, tube and breech weighed 849 pounds, while the similar pre WWI Nordenfelt tube and breech weighed 638 pounds, with similar performance.

The 75mm M2, based off the M1897 'French 75', 75x350R cartridge, 1930 fps. Tube and breech weighed 783 pounds, but lightweight version, the M6, weighed 410 pounds

The two pounder cartridge was 40x304R 2600fps. Tube was 289 pounds

Gun was typically 40 calibers long(but some were 58), had 1765 to 1818 fps muzzle velocity. This was too long for clearance reasons in the Rhomboids and was shortened to 23 calibers, and had a MV of 1350fps

Now this L40 cannon had been fitted Vickers MkII 'D' tank for the Irish Free State in 1929

It could have been done, but I haven't been able to find a reliable value for it's AP shot performance, but yeah, it could have been developed into a good dual purpose gun for WWII
 
firesoul

firesoul

I knew about the Vickers MkII 'D' tank for the Irish Free State but I have not been able to find any more details on its performance and how it differed from the British army MKII why the Irish did not order more & scraped it in 1940.

I would suppose cost might have had something to do with it, as might something else about the tank but that's a total unknown given the information I have on it.
 
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