British use of US made 57mm (6PR) projectiles?

[peregrinvs]

Hi,

First shown in my thread yesterday in the restoration section. They’re not salvageable, but there were some remnants of US stencils under the rust.

According to the chap I bought it off, Britain purchased a large quantity of US made 57mm projectiles that were intended to be loaded into British 6pr 7cwt cases. (Apparently mentioned in a Lend Lease agreement) Can anyone confirm this? I was wondering whether I could legitimately pair it with a British case or not?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[apfsds]

I have a WW2 Era 57mm APDS that I was also told was a , "Lend Lease," arrangement with the UK.

Jason

 

[hasag]

Hola

Is there nothing engraved on copper tape?



Enrique

 

[peregrinvs]

I have a WW2 Era 57mm APDS that I was also told was a , "Lend Lease," arrangement with the UK.

I’ve read of US forces being supplied with British 6pr 7cwt ammunition for use in their 57mm guns - such as HE and APDS. I was wondering if it ever worked the other way?

 

[peregrinvs]

Is there nothing engraved on copper tape?

Yes, it has standard US markings stamped on the drive band. It’s not very accessible at present, but IIRC it’s 1942 dated.

 

[hasag]

57mm M70 US AP-T. WITH TRACER

 

[Martin Bull]

I've been trying to add a 6-pr a/t shell ( at reasonable cost ) to my collection for some time. At Beltring, I bought a very clean 1943-dated shellcase from Relics from the Front and later in the day, like you, I bought a rusty 57mm solid shot from the dealer with the 'haul'.

Yours is an interesting question ( I never 'buy' dealers' sales pitches ! ). 6-pr info is quite elusive - there's no dedicated book that I know of. Some Googling revealed that the 6pr/57mm guns were virtually identical and that almost a third of US gun production was sent to the UK.Until mid-1944, all US 57mm shell production was solid AP ( no HE ). It seems logical that some US a/t shell production may have been sent to the UK in advance of the Normandy landings - but that's supposition on my part.

So, more definite sources are needed. For myself, I'm reasonably convinced. I'm looking forward to cleaning up the projectile and adding it to the shellcase to make a nice display item without having paid over the odds. It'll 'do' until something better comes along.....

 

[apfsds]

Some photos of my, 57mm APDS that I was told is inside a, "LEND LEASE," US case.

Jason