Dave
From
http://www.worcestershireregiment.com/wr.php?main=inc/h_vernon_part7,
describing the river Seine crossing (25th to 28th August 1944):
Meanwhile the Section of Anti-Tank Guns in support had gone into action on the road, being unable to deploy off it; the leading gun, commanded by Sergt. Jack Guest, at the bend in the road (map reference 454770) and the second one, commanded by Lance Sergt. Bill Bratt about 100 yards further back (at map reference 454768). The second Platoon had no sooner reported their inability to engage the tank when it began to move down the road and to nose round the bend at about 300 yards ahead on the left (map reference 457773). The leading 6-pounder anti-tank gun, with only the off-side of the hull and the turret of the tank visible, immediately engaged with "Sabot" ammunition (a projectile specifically designed for anti-tank use). The first shell hit and penetrated the mantlet surrounding the German's 88mm gun. In a few seconds the 6-pounder was reloaded and fired again: another hit, then again, another hit, both times in the hull. The Tiger Tank was beaten. The surviving crew quickly started to bale out of the stricken hulk. The 6-pounder continued to fire, with two rounds of high-explosive shells. There was an explosion and the tank burst into flames. The crew were all killed; one lay draped half in, half out of the turret. The enemy supporting escort of infantry then hurriedly withdrew.
The following quotes are from:
Pemberton, Brig. A. L.,
The Second World War 1939-1945. Army. The Development of Artillery Tactics and Equipment (London: The War Office, 1950).
Describing action in Italy - no mention of HE or AP ammunition, or indeed, 6 pdr or 17 pdr a/tk guns (p192):
The Germans were still fighting hard and at Ortona there was some extremely tough street fighting, in which little use could be made of the large quantities of artillery available. Hence tanks and anti-tank guns were employed in direct fire tasks while the field artillery harassed the coastal road in rear (sic) of the town and the heavy artillery was turned on the destruction of strong points.
Again in Italy on "Concrete Busting" - mentions AP; no mention of 6 pdr or HE (p199):
In the tank or anti-tank gun, with its solid shot, there was to hand a means of destroying the houses before the attack began. The 17-pr. had already been used successfully against Italian pill-boxes in the Messina crossing and from now on the use of the anti-tank gun as a " concrete buster" became prevalent.
After the breakout from Normandy - no mention of 6 pdr, 17 pdr, AP or HE (p251):
After the breakout from Normandy, the overwhelming superiority of the allied air and armoured forces left little for the A.A. and anti-tank gunners to do. Both therefore sought, and found, employment in a variety of other tasks. By December, 1944, the anti-tank gun was being regularly used for the engagement of pin-point targets such as pill-boxes, machine-gun posts, snipers in houses and O.Ps., and of soft-skinned vehicles or troops behind light cover; for nuisance value harassing fire; and for the cutting of wire obstacles.
On "Pepper Pot" groups during the Operation Veritable (p264):
During the preliminary artillery bombardment, divisional L.A.A. and anti-tank units were associated with the machine-gun battalion in what were known as "pepper pot" groups, which were used intermittently to saturate with fire the enemy defences on the immediate front and flanks of each divisional attack.
During the crossing of the Rhine (p269):
The 15th (S) Division used a very elaborate programme of timed concentrations, followed in the usual manner, by concentrations on call; the whole occupying a total of 706 guns, one rocket battery, and divisional "pepper pots" as in " Operation Veritable".
More on "Bunker Busting" - clearing bunkers in the Far East using the 75 mm gun of Lee tanks (p290):
First super-quick H.E. was used to clear the undergrowth; then AP shot was used to loosen earth about two to three feet below the timbered fire rest; and finally, delay action H.E. shell were fired through the now unprotected structure and burst inside the bunker.
6 pdr (p291):
From here it was but a short step to the use of the 6-pr. anti-tank gun, which became fairly common during the latter satges of the war in Burma. The chief problem was of course to get the gun within effective range - 75 to 300 yards - of the target. In one A.A./anti-tank regiment this was done by digging a pit in the selected position under cover of darkness, and bringing in the gun either dismantled or manhandled on its wheels or on a toboggan. As soon as it was possible for the layer to see the slit of the bunker through his telescope, he opened fire with A.P. shot and when the slit had sufficiently enlarged, changed to H.E. and fired another 10 to 50 rounds through the hole. In some cases, when the slit was big, it was not necessary to fire A.P. at all.
This last quote is the most striking - suggesting that by this time the majority of 6 pdr rounds fired in the Far East were HE (there being few Japanese tanks to target).
A last quote on "Bunker Busting" during 1944 (p254):
... aginst a long-prepared position like the Siegfried Line, there would be the problem of " concrete busting". Air bombing was generally ineffectve in this role, because a near miss, even with a heavy bomb, had little or no effect. Flame throwers were effective against the apertures of concrete pill-boxes, but had a very limited range. Hence there was still a definite need for artillery assistance.
The procedure recommended was descriptively entitled the "pick and shovel method". A 17-pr., the pick; and the 5.5-in, medium gun, firing H.E., was the shovel that dispersed the rubble.
Comments?
Regards
Tim
