Ordnance QF 2-pounder

Uncommon card · No. 177657

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. 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 being replaced in turn 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...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Wackett (L/Cpl), War Office official photographer, Public domain