20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm)
Contents
Description
The 20pdr OQF Mk.I is a British tank armament, developed after the end of WWII to combat the Soviet IS-3. It fires a variety of conventional shells typical of British guns, but introduces a new subcaliber APDS round paired with a two-plane stabilizer on all but one of its implementations, making it one of the most deadly armaments at its battle rating.
Vehicles equipped with this weapon
General info
The 20pdr is first seen on the Charioteer without a stabilizer, but it isn't until it is mounted on the many Centurion variants that it truly shines. Its APCBC round has penetration comparable to the Tiger II's , but as usual for British tanks it lacks explosive filler. The unlockable APDS Mk.3 round, however, can reliably penetrate most tanks frontally with 285mm of penetration at point blank, with a very high velocity that can allow one to land shots at long range with a punctual consistency. Unfortunately, the great penetration and good ballistics comes at a cost as the APDS round has very poor post-penetration damage, with a narrow cone of damage and no explosive filler. One must have a very extensive knowledge of enemy crew placement or ammo rack locations to reliably eliminate enemy tanks with one shot. For a player less familiar with enemy vehicles at the battle rating, it is advised to try to incapacitate the gunner or knock out the cannon to ensure the tank will not fire back at the user.
Available ammunition
| Penetration Statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of Warhead | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 | 100 | 500 | 1000 | 1500 | 2000 | ||
| Shot Mk.1 | APCBC | 232 | 229 | 216 | 201 | 187 | 173 |
| Shot Mk.3 | APDS | 285 | 283 | 262 | 239 | 218 | 198 |
| Shell Mk.1 | HE | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Comparison with analogues
With the APDS rounds, the 20pdr has a penetration level similar to that of 3BM4 found on the T-62. The APCBC round's closest analogue is the PzGr. 39/43 found on the late-war German tanks such as the Tiger II and Ferdinand.
Usage in battles
Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Impressive penetration, negates most armour
- High velocity and low drop, easy to hit moving and distant targets
- Usually stabilized on both axis
Cons:
- Poor post-penetration damage with all rounds
History
Development
The 20 pounder's design followed that of the German 8.8 cm KwK 43, a cannon used in the Second World War Tiger series tanks. Like the KwK 43, the 20 pounder had a length of 66.7 calibres and could fire both APCBC and sub-calibre rounds. The 20 pounder's APCBC projectile had a muzzle velocity of 1,020 meters per second and could penetrate 21 cm of rolled homogeneous armour (RHA) while the APDS projectile had a muzzle velocity of 1,465 m/s (4,810 ft/s) and could penetrate 30 cm (12 in) of RHA. The 20-pounder could also fire high-explosive and canister shot.
Service history
The gun was fitted predominantly to the Centurion tank, seeing action with British and Australian forces during the Korean and Vietnam War. When a Soviet T-54A main battle tank was driven to the British embassy in Budapest by Hungarian rebels during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, analysis of its armour and 100 mm gun led British officials to determine that the 20 pounder was ineffective at defeating Soviet armour. This led to the development of the 105 mm L7 tank gun, which was designed to fit specifically into the turret mountings of the 20 pounder, facilitating for easily upgunning existing tanks equipped with the 20 pounder.
One 20 pounder gun was fitted to a Swiss pre-production Panzer 58, replacing a domestic 90 mm Kanone 1948 gun, before it was equipped with the 105 mm L7.
Media
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See also
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External links
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| Britain tank cannons | |
|---|---|
| 30 mm | L21A1 |
| 40 mm | QF 2-pounder |
| 47 mm | Ordnance QF 3-pounder |
| 57 mm | 6pdr OQF Mk.III · 6pdr OQF Mk.V |
| 75 mm | OQF Mk.V |
| 76 mm | OQF 3-inch Howitzer Mk I · OQF 3in 20cwt · QF 17-pounder |
| 77 mm | OQF Mk.II |
| 84 mm | 20pdr OQF Mk.I |
| 94 mm | 28pdr OQF · 32pdr OQF · OQF Mk.II |
| 95 mm | Howitzer, Tank No.1, Mk.I |
| 105 mm | LRF · Royal Ordnance L7A1 |
| 120 mm | Ordnance QF Tk. L1A2 · Ordnance BL Tk. L11 · L11A5 · L30A1 |
| 165 mm | ORD BL 6.5in L9A1 |
| 183 mm | QF L4A1 |
| Foreign: | |
| 25 mm | M242 (USA) |
| 37 mm | M5 (USA) · M6 (USA) |
| 75 mm | M2 (USA) · M3 (USA) |
| 84 mm | kan Strv 81 (Sweden) |
| 105 mm | Sharir (Israel) |
| 120 mm | Rh120 L/55 A1 (Germany) |
| 125 mm | 2A46M-5 (Russia) |
| 155 mm | M185 (USA) |
| South Africa | |
| 20 mm | GI-2 |
| 76 mm | GT-4 |
| 90 mm | GT-2 |
| 105 mm | GT-3 · GT-7 · GT-8 |
| 155 mm | G6 L/45 |
