WW II Myth - The British 6-pounder Was More Powerful than the US 57-mm

By Copyright 2015, J.D. Neal, All Rights Reserved

The worst thing about this sort of myth is that it continues to be continues to crawl
around on the readily accessed internet.
This is one of those bizarre, convoluted myths that seem to circulate due to such
sources as a GI (in some interview or such) saying his men had the British 6-pounder and "
the muzzle velocity was about 6000, giving us a greater advantage over the 57-mm guns the
Americans usually used." (HINT: NO cannon used at the time had a velocity of 6000). Yet
another GI toned this down to 3000 that is 3000 rpm. Given that rpm usually stands for
revolutions per minute one wonders what they meant.
Being a GI using the equipment does not make one learned. The USA paratroopers
had the air-mobile version of the 6-pounder that the British developed for that use - lighter and
easier to use than the standard 57-mm/6-pounder. Otherwise there was no difference in their
gun and US guns.
The USA adopted the 57-mm gun as their main towed anti-tank gun for infantry units to
replace the feeble 37-mm. It was nothing but the British 6-pounder converted to USA
manufacturing techniques and a few other changes. The British had contracted the USA to
supply them with 6-pdrs and that is the gun the British received in return.
When British started buying 6-pounders from the USA, the British factories lacked
proper lathes to make long barrels with. As such, the British factories made cannon with
shorter barrels (43 calibers long; 96). The USA never had a shortage of lathes and the
weapons they manufactured always had long barrels (50 calibers long; 112). Thus, for a
period of time, US guns were MORE POWERFUL than British 6-pounders. The difference,
though, was very slight about 150 feet per second less, and given velocities of 2,650 to
2,950 f/s that was trivial.
Eventually British industry caught up and began making the cannon with the same
barrel length as the USA guns. At that point their ballistics were the same.
Except for two points: (1) The British developed a high velocity APDS sabot round that
could penetrate armor better than a standard AP round. You will find varying quotes but the
standard is around 4.5-inches (115-mm), which gave it the ability to penetrate the frontal armor
of a Panther tank with a good hit.
According to the web page at http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=74:6-pounder-anti-tank-gun&catid=40:antitank&Itemid=58
the British produced 217,000 rounds of APDS ammunition in 1944. In 1945 they produced
another 158,000 rounds. The USA helped out in this endeavor by producing 0 (zero; none)
rounds in 1944; and increased their contribution 1,000 fold by producing 0 (zero; none)
rounds in 1945.
USA units who wanted said shot had to acquire it some way.
The British seemed to be generous and some US gun units might have had as much
as 8 or so APDS shot.
(2) And the British issued a high explosive shell for the 6-pounder earlier than the USA
did. The USA issued HE rounds later in the war. Again, US units who wanted an HE shell had
to acquire one from the British.
Some of the British ammunition was better than US ammunition, but the guns were
otherwise ballistically the same.
GIs are particularly unreliable concerning technology. They were there and knew what
happened, but often hadn't a clue about why. GIs are often wrong when it comes to technical
details and people who quote them for technical "facts" are often wrong.