The 57mm M1 is a 6-Pdr, it’s a domestic production Mk V.
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Which would beg the question, why was there a concious decision to fit the 6-pounder to a prototype vehicle as well?
I guess the design process went 37mm M6—>57mm 6-Pdr—>57mm M1, but then why bother arming the second prototype with an earlier cannon of the same calibre if the U.S. already had the M1 in production? I don’t understand it very well.
37mm to 57mm is easy. 37mm just wasn’t cutting it anymore and they needed a better gun.
It’s quite common for prototype/pilot vehicles to be fitted with older, already available, guns simply to test the concept. Firing trials were successful and the concept worked so you fit the newer improved 6-Pdr in production vehicles.
Also, from memory the Boarhound pilot was literally fitted with the mantlet, cradle, and gun from the T7E2 medium tank. Which was already fitted with a Mk III. I’ll attach a source later.
Edit:
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Yeah I did read about the T7E2, saw the forum suggestion for it.
But I am still conflicted as to whether or not the 6-pounder version should go to the U.S., considering that the vehicle was already chosen for Britain at that point and therefore any prototypes after those orders would also have been developed with the British first and foremost in mind.
I think the British can get a GE premium production vehicle, same as in the American tree, and the 6-pounder pilot as an event vehicle. America can get the 37mm T18 like you said, perhaps as a GE premium so that newcomers can experience a downgraded version that would still be incredibly effective.
Again, M1 is a 6-Pdr. It’s a license built gun with a US designation. It’s identical to the Mk V.
That’s why I’m saying both pilots should go to the US because they never left the States. All 30 production vehicles went to the UK.
So that’s why I say, when looking at the history:
- 37mm Pilot: US vehicle, don’t care if it’s TT/Premium/BP/Reward. Never left the States they can have it.
- 57mm Pilot: Preferably swap the existing US reward vehicle for this one. The only difference is like 5-10mm less penetration on the same rounds. As above, never left the States.
- 57mm Production vehicle: Reward/BP/Premium for Great Britain.
We could debate as to why the T14 isn’t in both the US and British tree, because it was built on order for Great Britain and they received one. It just arrived too late to be useful. Locust as well, being in both trees, considering it was built as a replacement for Tetrarch and saw combat with British forces. The gun shouldn’t matter, the history is what matters.
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No.
Next time a reason would be nice.
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I suppose I understand your logic. In my opinion, testing is not a definitive way to decide who gets what. If both the Boarhound 57mm versions were created for the British, and to British standards, but then tested by the U.S. before export, I would still want them both to go to Britain, because they were the intended recipient, even if the initial pilots did not ever make it to the UK.
And also, by 6-pounder I am referring to the shorter 57mm on the second pilot vehicle. I am aware that the production ones used a longer barreled M1 licensed produced in the U.S., but I have been calling the shorter version the 6-pounder as that’s what I read on the caption in your image.
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