QF 2-pounder (40 mm)

The 40 mm QF 2-pounder on the A13 Mk I (3rd R.T.R.) gun mantlet.

Description

Following the 1935 budget in Britain, the Government decided to standardise the armaments employed by both the Royal Tank Regiment and anti-tank gun companies to be identical. The first tank to utilise this gun was the Cruiser Mk. I (A9) which entered service in 1938. This tank, whilst not in the game, saw service in North Africa and France alongside other tanks such as the A13.

Seeing action during the Phony War and the Retreat to Dunkirk, it was first used on the battlefield by the Belgian Army, however many of the guns that were produced had to be abandoned following the evacuation of Dunkirk. Stockpiles in Britain would eventually be distributed to the Army before they were phased out for the QF 6-pounder, and the remaining guns were sent to Home Guard Anti-tank sections across the United Kingdom.

The gun was proven to show its effectiveness against the early Panzer IIs and Panzer IIIs however it could also pierce elements of the later Panzer IVs until the E variant.

General info

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Available ammunition

"Shell Mk.2 HE" can only be found on certain vehicles.

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
Shot Mk.1 AP/T	AP	72	68	52	37	27	19
Shell Mk.2	HE	9	8	7	6	6	5
Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T	APCBC	89	86	77	66	57	50
Shot Mk.1 APHV/T	AP	80	75	58	41	30	21
Shell Mk.1 AP/T	APHE	66	62	49	36	26	20

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%
Shot Mk.1 AP/T	AP	792	1.08	-	-	-	47°	60°	65°
Shell Mk.2	HE	687	1.34	0.1	0.1	85	79°	80°	81°
Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T	APCBC	792	1.24	-	-	-	48°	63°	71°
Shot Mk.1 APHV/T	AP	853	1.08	-	-	-	47°	60°	65°
Shell Mk.1 AP/T	APHE	792	1.08	1.2	9	20.9	47°	60°	65°

Comparison with analogues

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Usage in battles

The QF 2-pounder has a rapid rate of fire and decent penetration. This makes it the ideal candidate for brawling or flanking manoeuvres. Using the QF 2-pounder for long range fire on enemy tanks is ill-advised: the penetration drops sharply the further away you get, and there are better options in your arsenal, such as the QF 17-pounder (76 mm). If you must engage at long range, consider using the Shot Mk.IXB or the Shot Mk.1 APHV/T.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• High-penetrating APCBC round
• Quick reload
• Decent muzzle velocity

Cons:

• Lack of explosive filler on solid shots means multiple shots could be needed to take out a target
• 3 of the 4 available armour-piercing rounds lose penetration very quickly over range
• APHE shell is only useful at very close range and often bounces

History

The gun proved its effectiveness against early Panzer IIs and Panzer IIIs and proved effective even later against more advanced enemies where it could also pierce elements of the Panzer IVs until the E variant arrived to the battlefield.

Examinations of the gun on angled surfaces showed good results in the 1936 tests.

Media

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See also

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• reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;
• references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links

References

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