M1 (57 mm)

The 57 mm M1 on the SU-57 gun mantlet.

Description

The 57 mm M1 is an American anti-tank cannon derived from the British 6-pounder cannon. Firing a small-diametre round at high velocity, the 57 mm M1 offers good close-range penetration values, but suffers at long-range combat.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• T18E2
• SU-57

General info

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Available ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
M70	AP	118	114	97	80	66	54
M86	APCBC	122	118	103	87	73	62

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M70	AP	900	2.85	-	-	-	47°	60°	65°
M86	APCBC	822	3.29	1.2	9	41.16	48°	63°	71°

Comparison with analogues

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Usage in battles

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Pros and cons

Pros:

• Good close-range penetration values
• Fast reloading times

Cons:

• Penetration value drops off quickly over range
• Small diameter rounds cause little post-penetration damages
• Only two rounds available, an AP and APCBC round

History

Development

At the start of 1941, the most impressive anti-tank cannon available to the United States was the 37 mm M3 anti-tank gun. However, this cannon was deemed not adequate against the trend of improving tank armour. Plans to produce a more powerful gun came in February 1941, when the Chief of Ordnance ordered the British 6-pounder to begin manufacture in America. The British assisted by providing two 6-pdr Mk.II anti-tank cannons for reference.

A British anti-tank gun crew and their 6-pdr gun in the Western Desert.

Changes were made to the design to suit American manufacture. The most significant was the barrel length, as the British 6-pdr Mk.II cannon featured a shorter barrel length than the Mk.I due to limited production capability in Britain for the long barrel. The United States, with no such limitations, restored the longer barrel design. With these design changes, the American-produced 6-pounder were designated as the 57 mm gun M1. However, the weapon was not adopted by US forces, only classified a substitute standard by late 1941 with intentions of providing the weapon in Lend-Lease. Its production would last from 1942 to 1945, with a total of 15,637 units produced.

Despite its improved performance, the 57 mm M1 was not eagerly taken by the US forces. Most complaints stem from its weight increase, from the 910 lb. 37 mm gun to the 2,100 lb. 57 mm gun. As such, the Infantry, Airborne, and Cavalry all initially rejected it. It was not until US experience in North Africa that showed the desperate need of better anti-tank power that the 57 mm was begrudgingly accepted into service in the Spring of 1943. However, the rushed adoption of the weapon also presented problems as the production lines only produced armour-piercing ammunition. As such, rounds such as high-explosive and cannister that were available for the 37 mm were not yet designed, forcing American units to acquire high-explosive rounds from British stockpile. Though attempts were made to design and produce a high-explosive and cannister round, they came too late for significant use in the European Theater of Operations (ETO).

American combat usage

US soldiers set up a 57 mm M1 gun in Saint-Malo intramuros.

The 57 mm M1 first saw usage in the Italian campaign, serving alongside its preceding 37 mm counterpart due to the ongoing transition in equipment in 1943. It was not until the Normandy campaign that the 57 mm M1 saw more widespread usage, even among the Airborne after the British designed a light-weight variant to fit into gliders. The lack of other ammunition types for the gun was prevalent, as it hinders the gun's ability to support infantry when attacking fortifications. The towed nature of the rather heavy 57 mm also restricted its usage as it prevents the crew from being able to move the gun quickly in the close fighting of the bocage terrain. Despite these problems, the 57 mm M1 gun helped bolster the infantry's ability to defend against German armoured attacks, such as during the battle in Isigny against the Panzer Lehr Division and the defense against the German Operation Lüttich at Mortain. After the Battle of the Bulge, the 57 mm M1 saw dwindling use, not only due to its inability to deal with the newer German tanks like the Tiger and Panther, but because the reduced German armour presence in the theater after the battle meant it was rarely used. Several anti-tank companies within infantry were either converted to rifle companies or reequipped with bazookas.

Foreign usage

The 57 mm M1 saw widespread use under Lend-Lease aid, with a total of 5,352 of the produced guns being sent out. The majority (4,242 units) went towards Great Britain to supplement their supply of available 6-pounder guns. The next major recipient was Free French forces, which received 653 guns. The USSR and Latin America also received 400 and 57 units respectively. The USSR impressions of the gun, when compared to their domestic designs, only consider it suitable for static defences.

Media

Images

• 

  The 57 mm M1 breech in the SU-57.

• 

  The 57 mm M1 on the T18E2.

See also

• 6pdr OQF Mk.III (57 mm) - British equivalent of the weapon, though with a shorter barrel and so with slightly lower penetration values
• 6pdr OQF Mk.V (57 mm) - British equivalent of the weapon, with the same barrel length and so with more similar penetration values

External links

References

Bibliography

• Henry, Chris. British Anti-tank Artillery 1939-45. Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2004.
• Samsonov, Peter. "Lend Lease Impressions: 57 mm M1 Anti-tank Gun" Tank Archives 02 Oct 2017, Website, Accessed 18 Jan 2021.
• Zaloga, Steven J. US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45. Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2005.

USA tank cannons
20 mm	M139
25 mm	LW25 · M242
37 mm	M3 · M5 · M6
57 mm	M1
75 mm	M2 · M2 Howitzer · M3 · M6 · M1897A4 · XM274
76 mm	M1 · M7 · M32 · T185E1
90 mm	M3 · M3A1 · M36 · M41 · M54 · T15E1 · T15E2 · T54 · T208E9
105 mm	M4 · M68 · M68A1 · M68A1E8 · T5E1 · T5E2 · T140E2 · T140E3 · XM35
106 mm	M40A1C
120 mm	M58 · M256 · T53
152 mm	M81 · M162 · XM150E5
155 mm	M185 · T7
165 mm	M135
	Foreign:
20 mm	Rh202 (Germany)
57 mm	6pdr OQF Mk.III (Britain) · ZIS-2 (USSR)
105 mm	Sharir (Israel)
120 mm	IMI MG251 (Israel)