Effectiveness of British (& U.S.) Tank Guns

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)…

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