Ordnance QF 2-pounder
The Ordnance QF 2-pounder (QF denoting "quick firing"), or simply "2 pounder gun", was a 40 mm (1.575 in) British anti-tank gun and vehicle-mounted gun employed in the Second World War.
| Ordnance QF 2 pounder | |
|---|---|
QF 2 pounder set up for firing; the gun commander stands behind the gun and the third crewmember would fetch ammunition. | |
| Type | Tank gun Anti-tank gun |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1936–1945 |
| Used by | United Kingdom Australia Ireland Germany Egypt Malaysia |
| Wars | Spanish Civil War World War II 1948 Arab–Israeli War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1936 |
| Manufacturer | Vickers-Armstrongs |
| Produced | 1936–1944 |
| No. built | 12,000 |
| Specifications (on Carriage Mk II) | |
| Mass | 1,795 lb (814 kg) |
| Barrel length | overall: 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) L/52 |
| Width | 59.25 in (1.505 m) |
| Height | 55.15 in (1.401 m) |
| Crew | 3–5 |
| Shell | 40×304mmR |
| Calibre | 40 mm (1.575 in) |
| Breech | Semi-automatic vertical sliding-block |
| Recoil | Hydro-spring |
| Carriage | three-leg platform |
| Elevation | -13° to +15° |
| Traverse | 360° |
| Rate of fire | 22 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 2,600 ft/s (792 m/s) with AP shot |
| Effective firing range | 1,500 yd (1,400 m) |
| Maximum firing range | 1,800 yd (1,600 m) |
| Feed system | Breech-loaded |
| Sights | No.24b |
It was the main anti-tank weapon of the artillery units in the Battle of France and, due to the need to rearm quickly after the Dunkirk evacuation, remained in service during the North African campaign. In its vehicle-mounted variant the 2-pounder was a common main gun on British tanks early in World War II, as well as being a typical main armament of armoured cars, such as the Daimler, throughout the war. As the armour protection of Axis tanks improved, the 2-pounder lost effectiveness and it was gradually replaced by the 57 mm QF 6-pounder starting in 1942. It equipped infantry battalion anti-tank platoons replacing their anti-tank rifles until in turn replaced by 6-pounders but remained in service until the end of the war.
This QF 2-pounder was distinctly different from the QF 2 pounder "pom-pom" gun naval anti-aircraft gun used by the Royal Navy which was a 40 mm autocannon.