| Ordnance QF 20 pounder Mark I | |
|---|---|
 Charioteer tank destroyer equipped with the 20 pounder. This gun is a later model which is fitted with a bore evacuator | |
| Type | tank gun |
| Place of origin |
 United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1948-1970s |
| Used by |
United Kingdom Australia Austria Finland Israel Jordan Lebanon South Africa |
| Wars |
Korean War Vietnam War Six Day War South African Border War |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 226.4 in (5.75 m) |
|
| |
| Shell | 20 pounds (9.07 kg) |
| Calibre | 84 millimetres (3.31 in) |
| Elevation | +18 to -10 in Centurion Mk 5 |
The Ordnance QF 20 pounder (simply known as 20 pounder or 20-pdr) was a British 84 mm (3.307 inch)[1] tank gun introduced in 1948 and used in the Centurion tank and the Charioteer tank destroyer. It was the improved successor to the effective Ordnance QF 17 pounder and the predecessor of the 105 mm L7 gun.
Design and 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.[2] 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.[3][4] The 20-pounder could also fire high-explosive and canister shot.
The L7 105 mm tank gun was developed in 1954 from the 20 pounder by re-boring the tube.[2]
The gun was fitted to the Swiss pre-production Panzer 58.[5]
Ammunition[]
| Round | Muzzle velocity[6] |
|---|---|
| APDS | 4,700 ft/s |
| HE | 1,975 ft/s |
| Canister | 3,000 ft/s |
| Smoke | 825 ft/s |
Notes[]
- ↑ Pugh, p.34; the gun is specified as 83.4 mm (3.283 in) here, while Ogorkiewiecz states the weapon was 83.8 mm. Norman gives it as "3.3 inch (84 mm)"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ogorkiewicz, p. 70.
- ↑ British Anti-Tank Gunnery Data at www.figuras.miniatures.de
- ↑ Dunstan, p. 10, also notes the 20 pounder's APDS round had twice the penetration capability of an 8.8 cm AP round. If one assumes Dunstan is referring to the 8.8 cm KwK 36 on the Tiger I, then 305 mm at 0° is in fact about twice the performance of the Tiger's AP round. The quoted figures refer to a range under 100 meters with the projectile striking the armor plate at an angle of 90 degrees.
- ↑ *Ford, Roger (1997). The World's Great Tanks from 1916 to the present day. Brown Packaging Books Ltd. p. 121. ISBN 1-897884-29-X.
- ↑ Norman p12
References[]
- Dunstan, Simon. Centurion Universal Tank 1943-2003, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-84176-387-X.
- Ogorkiewicz, Richard. Technology of Tanks, London: Jane's Information Group, Ltd., 1991. ISBN 0-7106-0595-1.
- Pugh, Stevenson (1962). Fighting Vehicles and Weapons of the Modern British Army. Macdonald & Co.. OCLC 10010960.
- Norman, Michael. Armour in Profile No. 23 Centurion 5. Surrey: Profile Publications.
See also[]
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to QF 20 pounder. |
The original article can be found at Ordnance QF 20 pounder and the edit history here.