Effectiveness of Guns and typical AFV Ammo Loads in British Service (including some U.S. Types).
This is a 1944 British War Office Document.
A.F.V. Armament, Ammunition, And Perforation Performance Of AP Types Against Homogeneous Armour.
| Weapon | Muzzle Velocity in fps | Ammunition | Perforates (mm at 30º at 1000 yds) |
Proportions Carried |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20mm | 2725 2725 2725 |
S.A.P.H.E.I. H.E.I. H.E.I.T. and other types. |
– – – |
33.3% 33.3% 33.3% |
| 37mm | 2900 2900 3100 2700 2450/2500 |
A.P. M74 (1) A.P.C.B.C. M51 (1) Littlejohn H.E. M63 (2) Cannister M2 |
– 53.0 (3) 60.0 – – |
– 50% – 45% 5% |
| 2pdr (40mm) |
2800 2600 3900 |
A.P.H.V. A.P.C.B.C. Littlejohn Mk.II |
44.2 50.6 79.0 |
– 100% – |
| 6pdr (57mm) |
2950 2725 4000 2775 |
A.P.H.V. A.P.C.B.C. A.P.D.S. H.E. |
– 74.5 118.0 – |
– 100% – |
| 75mm | 2030 2030 1980 850 850 950 1515 2030 1814 1135 |
A.P.C.B.C. M61 A.P.C.B.C./H.E. M61 H.E. M48 Super (5) Smoke B.E. Mk.II Smoke B.E. Mk.V H.E. M48 Reduced H.E. M48 Normal A.P. M72 H.E. Mk.I Normal (7) H.E. Mk.I Normal (8) |
63.0 (4) 63.0 – – – – – – – – |
35% (4a) 35% (4a) 55% (6) 10% – – – – (9) (9) |
| 76mm | 2600 2600 2600 2700 900 |
A.P. M79 A.P.C.B.C. M62 A.P.C.B.C./H.E. M62 H.E. (10) Smoke M88 B.E. |
– – – – – |
– 45% – 45% 10% |
| 77mm | 2600 3675 1650 |
A.P.C.B.C. A.P.D.S. H.E. |
100.0 149.0 – |
44% 6% 50% |
| 17pdr | 2900 3950 2950 1800 |
A.P.C.B.C. A.P.D.S. H.E. Mk.I (11) H.E. Mk.II |
120.0 172.0 – – |
60% 6% 34% (11) 34% |
| 95mm | 1650 1200/1250 1050 500 660 |
H.E.A.T. (12) H.E.C.F. (14) H.E. H.E. (15) Smoke B.E. |
(13) 110.0 120.0 – – – |
10% – 57% – 33% |
| 105mm | 1200 1550 – |
H.E.A.T. M67 H.E. M1(17) Smoke B.E. M84 and numerous other types |
(16) 120.0 – – |
10% 57% 33% |
(1) Primer M23A2. (2) Double Base Power (Powder?). (3) Approximate. (4) Unless Spaced Armour. (4a) An assorted mix of these two types totalling 35%. (5) Fused M48 or M54. (6) Actually 50% Fused M48 and 5% Fused M54. (7) With M46-47 R.Y.G. (8) With M46-47 R.Y.G. but reduced. (9) Training Type. (10) M42A1 Fuse P.D. M48 & A1. (11) Used in Challenger only. (12) Blind on Miss. (13) At 1400 yards. (14) Explodes on Miss. (15) Reduced Charge. (16) At 20º (not 30º). (17) Fuse P.D. M48 & A1.
This information above was supplied to me by Jim O’Neil (Arizona, USA), the original source is a declassified document available from the R.A.C. Tank Museum. I’ve added a comment below in the Notes section.
Notes
It is important to remember this table is for Homogeneous Armour (and probably only 245 BHN), it is not applicable to Face Hardened (which is what most German A.F.V.s had from 1941 to 1944 excluding the Panther and Tiger II series bit including the Tiger I).
This table also inexplicably lacks 2pdr HE although it was in use in 1944 and Armoured Car Troops (equipped with Daimler A/Cars) & Tetrach Light Tank units only fitted half of their 2pdrs with the LittleJohn Squeezebore adapter (to improve AP performance) so the other vehicle(s) could still fire HE (as the LJ adapter prevented firing any round but its dedicated AP round)…