Description

The 57mm M1 anti tank gun is the US produced version of the British Ordnance Quick Firing 6 pounder anti tank gun.

The Ordnance Quick Firing 6 Pounder (57mm) Anti Tank Gun was developed as a replacement for the earlier 2 Pounder (40mm) gun and first saw service in North Africa in 1942.

The 6 Pounder was a towed weapon and served by a crew of 6.  With an effective range of 1500m against earlier German tanks such as the Stug III and Pzkpfw IV, it was outmatched by the armour of the heavier Tiger tanks where penetration could only be achieved within 100m of the tank.  An Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) round was introduced from 1944 onwards which offered better penetration at longer ranges.