RV35019 U.S. M1 57MM ANTI-TANK GUN ON M1A3 CARRIAGE (EARLY VERSION)

The M1 gun was an American 57mm anti-tank gun from the Second World War and the post-war period. The initial velocity of the sub-caliber shell from this gun was up to 914 m / s, with a maximum range of about 5,000 meters. With the end of the North African campaign, the US military realized the need for a more powerful anti-tank gun than the already owned 37mm M3 cannon. In order to introduce the new weapon to the line as quickly as possible and to minimize costs, it was decided not to develop a new gun from scratch, but to purchase a license to produce the British 57mm 6-futnance (Royal Ordonance QF-6) cannon, which was called the M1 in the United States. The gun under this designation began to enter service in the summer of 1943, and a total of about 15,000 copies were made. It differed from its British counterpart mainly by the lack of a muzzle brake. In the course of serial production, several versions of this gun were created, including: M1A1 (version with improved wheels) or M1A2 (version with improved feathers and cannon). A large number of these guns took part in operations in France in 1944 and in North-Western Europe in 1944-1945. The M1 cannon was withdrawn from service with the US Army shortly after 1945.