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| Ordnance QF 17 pounder | |
|---|---|
 17-pounder in Batey ha-Osef museum, Israel |
|
| Type | anti-tank gun |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943 - |
| Wars | World War II, Korean War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1941/42 |
| Produced | 1942- |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3 long tons |
| Length | 55 calibres |
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|
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| Calibre | 3 inches (76.2 mm) |
| Carriage | Split trail carriage, with gunshield. |
| Elevation | -6° to +16.5° |
| Traverse | 60° |
| Muzzle velocity | 3,950 feet per second (1,204 m/s) APDS |
The Ordnance QF 17 pounder (or just 17 pdr) was a 76.2 mm (3 inch) gun developed by the United Kingdom during World War II. It was used as an anti-tank gun on its own carriage, as well as equipping a number of British tanks. It was the most effective Allied anti-tank gun of the war. Used with the APDS shot it was capable of defeating all but the thickest armour on German tanks. It was used to 'up-gun' some foreign-built vehicles in British service, notably the Sherman Firefly that gave British tank units the ability to hold their own with their German counterparts. In the anti-tank role it was replaced by the 120 mm BAT recoilless rifle after the war. As a tank gun it was succeeded by the 20 pounder.
Contents |
History
Although it had not yet entered service, the British predicted that the QF 6-pounder would soon be inadequate given the increasing armour of German tanks. In late 1940 a design effort was started to create a replacement, and the effort was largely complete by the end of 1941. A prototype production line was set up that spring, and with the appearance of Tiger I tanks in North Africa, the first 100 prototype 17-pdr anti-tank guns were quickly sent off to help counter this new threat. So great was the rush that they were sent before proper carriages had been developed, and the guns had to be mounted in the carriages of 25-pounder gun-howitzers. These early weapons were known as 17/25-pounders and given the codename Pheasant. They first saw action in February 1943.
Fully developed 17-pdrs were placed into production in 1943 and were first used during the Italian Campaign. The 17 pounder was able to penetrate some 140 mm of armour at 500 metres and 131 mm at 1,000 m using standard APCBC (Armour Piercing, Capped, Ballistic Capped) ammunition at a 30 degree angle. When firing the more rare APDS (Armour Piercing, Discarding Sabot) ammunition, the 17 pounder could penetrate some 209 mm of armour at 500 m and 192 mm at 1,000 m at a 30 degree angle, [1] [2] allowing it to penetrate the armour of even the redoubtable King Tiger tank. The disadvantages of APDS as compared with the 17-pdr's regular APCBC ammunition were that it was much less accurate and did not do nearly as much damage to an enemy tank if it did penetrate. APDS shot remained rare, accounting for only about 6% of the average loadout of a 17-pdr equipped British tank.
Initially the HE shell that was developed for the 17-pdr lacked power. This was due to the high powered cartridge; the shell walls had to be thicker to stand the stresses of firing leaving less room for explosive. Reducing the size of the propelling charge for the HE shell allowed the use of a thinner walled and more explosive shell.
The 17-pdr was a much bulkier and heavier weapon than its predecessor. As a result it had to be towed by such as the Crusader gun tractor as it could not effectively be moved by its crew alone, especially on poor ground. As a result[citation needed], it was issued to anti-tank units of the Royal Artillery only, not to infantry anti-tank platoons. Another disadvantage of the 17-pdr was the very large muzzle flash when it was fired, due to the large amount of propellant in its cartridges.
The gun was also quickly adapted for use on various tank chassis, outperforming everything the US or British had against enemy armour. However due to its large size, few tank turrets were capable of carrying it. Early attempts to mount on existing British chassis were not successful, but the British were able to very quickly devise a conversion for their US supplied M4 Sherman tanks and it was rushed into service in time for D-Day as the Sherman Firefly. So as to fit into the turret of the Sherman the gun had to be rotated through 90 degrees, i.e. it lay on its side, and an additional box was welded to the back of the turret to allow for the recoil. The British also converted some of their US-produced M10 tank destroyers, removing the 3-inch (76 mm) cannon and replacing it with the 17-pdr as well; the resulting vehicles were called Achilles or just 17 pdr M10. The 17-pdr was also successfully fitted to the Australian-designed Sentinel tank during trials, though no Sentinels equipped with this gun entered service with the Australian Army.
The 17 pounder anti-tank guns saw action in Korea, not only against tanks but in general support use against bunker positions. Afterwards, it was largely replaced in the tank role by the Ordnance QF 20 pounder and in the anti-tank role by the 120 mm L6 WOMBAT recoilless gun.
The United States Army did not use the 17-pounder in action, though the gun was offered to US forces with a number of Shermans modified for testing [3]. US tank doctrine was based on using tanks in the infantry-support and exploitation roles, avoiding combat with enemy tanks whenever possible. The role of countering enemy armour was instead given to dedicated tank destroyers armed with powerful anti-tank cannon but with very light armour to maximize mobility. Thus the US M4 Sherman mounted a medium velocity 75 mm cannon with all-round capability in armour piercing and high explosive ammunition, leaving the tank destroyers to deal with enemy armour if possible. However in practice, this doctrine proved flawed, as Sherman tanks often encountered their German counterparts, and in Normandy, the 75 mm gun proved unable to penetrate even up-armoured Panzer IVs, let alone the heavier Panther and Tiger tanks.
The American Shermans were eventually up-gunned, however they were equipped with the 76 mm gun M1 instead. In the spring of 1944, Shermans with the new weapon entered production, with about 100 available in the UK prior to D-Day. The first 76 mm-armed tanks saw combat during Operation Cobra and became common by the winter. Though nowhere near as powerful in the anti-tank role as the 17-pounder, it simplified logistics, as the same gun was used in the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer, and it was far more practical to mount the 76 mm gun than the 17-pounder, as using the latter required a number of compromises in turret space, shell capacity and high explosive capability.
Variants
- Mark I
- first production versions.
- Mark II
- intended for tank use. Removed the carrier mountings and replaced the muzzle brake with a counterweight. The brake was added back on in March 1944 with the introduction of the APDS shot. The Mk. II was used on the Archer tank destroyer and Challenger tank.
- Mark III
- Royal Navy adaptation for use on landing craft, generally similar to the Mk. I, but included an automatic loading system. Unused.
- Mark IV
- Another tank adaptation, this time with a different breech where the block slid to the side instead of down to take up less room. Unused.
- Mark V
- A version of the Mk IV with different mounts to allow it to replace the US 3in (76.2mm) Gun M7 on the 3in SP, Wolverines, creating the 17pdr SP Achilles.
- Mark VI
- Another Mk. IV adaptation with a shortened breech.
- Mark VII
- Similar to the Mk. VI, yet another change to the breech.
77 mm HV
- As the breech-length of the 17-pdr was too long to fit in many tanks a new version was designed with a shorter breech, firing the same projectile as the 17-pdr from a 3-inch 20 cwt AA gun cartridge, along a shortened 17-pdr barrel. This new gun's ammunition was not interchangeable with the 17-pounder, so to prevent confusion over ammunition supplies, it was renamed the "77 mm HV" - the 'HV' standing for High Velocity - even though it was the same 76.2 mm calibre as the 17-pdr. This gun was used in the Comet tank.
Usage
Anti-tank gun
- 25 pdr carriage
Stop gap measure named Pheasant.
- Split trail carriage
- Split trail carriage, with gunshield.
- Weight: 3 t.
- Elevation: -6° to +16.5°
- Traverse: 60°
Vehicle mount
- World War II
- Tank, Cruiser, Challenger (A30) - 200 built
- Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34) (77 mm OQF HV) - 1,200 by end of war.
- SP 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer tank destroyer built from Valentine tank hull. 655 built
- Sherman Firefly (Modified Sherman tank (Medium Tank M4) - about 2,000
- 17pdr SP Achilles (Modified 3in SP, Wolverine) - about 1,100 by end of war
- Tank, Infantry, Black Prince (A43) (prototype tank, never fielded)
- Australian Cruiser tank Mk IV (prototype turret only, never fielded)
- Post-war
- Centurion - at prototype stage during war
- SP 17pdr, A30 (Avenger) - not available in time for war, 250 built
Notes
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: QF 17 pounder |
- LemaireSoft
- Nase noviny
- Images of 17 pounder at Singleton Infantry Museum
- Armor penetration table
- 17 Pounder development, production and ammunition data
See also
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