British Forces

2-Pounder.

Royal Ordnance Quick Fire (QF) 2-Pounder antitank gun, early war. The 2-Pounder was the standard AT gun of the British forces at the beginning of the war, and the standard gun mounted on British tanks of the period. However, the antitank capacity of the weapon was quickly found to be inadequate in the 1940 campaign in the West. Moreover, the small calibre of the weapon meant that it was incapable of firing useful high explosive rounds; HE rounds were produced but, apparently, were never issued to fighting units. The 2-Pounder was phased out as early as possible in favour of the more capable Royal Ordnance QF 6-Pounder (itself not a great option, but better). The redundant 2-Pounders found themselves in many cases reassigned to the Home Guard. Even the Home Guard did not do too well out of the process - large numbers of 2-Pounders were lost in the May-June, 1940 Battle of France so that, inadequate as they were for their purpose, they were actually in short supply in Britain in the latter part of 1940. Best regards, JR.