57 mm Antitank Gun Scotland Post 50 Ameican Legion - Laurinburg, NC - Military Ground Equipment Displays on Waymarking.com

For as long as I can remember this cannon, one of three on the property, has stood guard at the Legion home. Many a kid has climbed all over these former beast of battle. They remain as a reminder of more difficult times in out country's history when our men and women went in harm's way to protect the American way of life, to restore peace to the world, and to give hope the oppressed.


"The Ordnance Quick-Firing 6-pounder 7 cwt, or just 6 pounder, was a British 57 mm gun, their primary anti-tank gun during the middle of World War II, as well as the main armament for a number of armoured fighting vehicles. It was first used in North Africa in April 1942, and quickly replaced the 2 pounder in the anti-tank role, allowing the 25 pounder to revert to its intended artillery role. The United States Army also adopted the 6 pdr as their primary anti-tank gun under the designation 57 mm Gun M1.

In spring 1943, following the experience of the North African Campaign, the Infantry branch of the U.S. Army recognized the need to field a heavier antitank gun than the 37 mm M3. According to the Table of Organization and Equipment (TO&E) from 26 May 1943, a regiment antitank company included nine 57 mm guns and each battalion had an antitank platoon with three guns giving a total of 18 guns per regiment. Dodge WC-62 / WC-63 6x6 1 1/2 ton trucks were issued as prime movers. By mid-1944 the M1 was the standard antitank gun of the U.S. infantry in the Western Front and outnumbered the M3 in Italy.

Because of the unexpected adoption for service, the only ammunition type in production in the U.S. by mid-1943 was the AP ammunition. Only after the Normandy Campaign did the HE round reach battlefield (U.S. units were sometimes able to get a limited amount of HE ammunition from the British Army), and the canister shot was not seen in significant numbers until the end of the war. This limited the efficiency of the gun in the infantry support role. Also, APCR or APDS rounds were never developed.

The Airborne Command had rejected the 57 mm M1 in the summer of 1943 claiming its unfitness for airlifting and the TO&E of February 1944 still had airborne divisions keeping their 37 mm guns. Nevertheless, the 82nd and the 101st airborne divisions were reequipped with British-manufactured 6 pounders on carriage Mk 3 (24 in AA battalion, and 9 in glider infantry regiment) for the Normandy airdrops. Subsequently the guns were officially introduced under the TO&E from December 1944. According to the TO&E, a division was issued a total of 50 pieces: 8 in divisional artillery, 24 in AA battalion, and 18 in glider infantry regiment; parachute infantry regiments did not have anti-tank guns. The British guns were referred simply as 57 mm guns.

The M1 went out of service in the U.S. soon after the end of the war."

Cited from the web page :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_QF_6_pounder

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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/07/2010 NCDaywalker visited it