Pounders and MM's.

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by James S, Apr 22, 2009.

  1. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    This is going to sound very basic to some folks , Paul , Tom and Adam who are more aware of British guns .
    Can anyone please educate me as to the British "Pounder" equates to in German MM's.

    eg
    2 pounder = ??mm
    6 pounder = ??mm
    17 pounder =??mm.
    25 pounder = ??mm.


    This has always been something of a mystery to me , it has just never sunk into my dense head.

    thanks in advance.
     
    Gerard likes this.
  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    For the most common versions of the guns (with some designations 'In a German style' :unsure:, I'll dig out the proper German nomenclature)

    2pdr = c.40mm 40/L40
    6pdr = 57mm 57/L40
    17pdr = 76.2 76/L55
    25pdr = c.87mm 87/L28(27)

    Always intrigues me how some calibres are obviously just right for a given job, and the same numbers crop up worldwide. Seems to be a ballistic thing rather than just manufacturing copies of successful calibres.
     
  3. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Hot air manufacturer

    I don't know about German MMs :) , but in other people's mm the calibres translate as:

    2pdr - 40mm
    6pdr - 57mm
    17pdr - 3" - 76.2mm
    25pdr - 3.45" - 87.6mm

    Cheers back to you!
     
  4. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    German designation for two carriage-mounted captured 'classics' from Gander's Encyclopedia:

    2pdr = 4cm PaK 192(e)
    25pdr = 8.76cm FK 280(e)
     
  5. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    Thanks for thast gents - I can honestly say I have learned something today - when seeing "pounder" I was always at a loss to know what it represented in "mm" something which comes easier to me.
    My last silly question - the lb - refers to the weight of the shot ?

    thanks again - all infon and input was / is much appreciated.
    :)
     
  6. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Hot air manufacturer

    Roughly yes, in olden days it was the nominal weight of the roundshot for that bore, but it became more complicated with time.

    For instance, for the 17pdr the AP shot did weigh very close to 17lb, but the APDS shot weighed 7.625 lb.

    And I see I and others more knowleageable than me are here, so I'll pipe down :)
     
  7. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    ......James - and I always thought that the German MM.s were the same as the French mm.s but I can understand your confusion as I recall in doing our first renovation for a bank in Poole - we built all the studding on a 16 inch grid - as per usual - scratching our heads when the plaster board did'nt seem to fit- then we measured them - sure enough typically British changeover - 8ft high - 1200mm wide !
    This is why you still drive on the wrong side I guess !

    Cheers
     
  8. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Cheers for that....I was wondering the same a few weeks back :)
     
  9. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    Great thread. Had assumed that the 17 pounder was in the region of 75mm (not out by much) but was ignorant of the rest. Thanks for the info
     
  10. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    That was my take on it as well Gott - the almost an "88" , more powerful than the 75mm of the Sherman and that up gunning which was so needed to take on German armour.

    The "pounder" question always struck me reading anything about the deserte - before the Sherman came along or the Grant our own tanks would be described in terms of "pounder" - I just could not "match" or relate this to what the Jerries had in theirs.
     
  11. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

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