Pack contains 2 Medium Bases, 1 Small Base, 2 Anti tank Guns, 8 Crew and 3 Command figures.

The M1 is based on the British 6 pounder. The “6pdr” (referring to the notional weight of the projectile) was first designed in 1938 as a replacement for the 2pdr (40mm) tank/anti-tank gun. The gun was produced in two different barrel lengths, which affected the muzzle velocities. The US-made guns (designated 57mm M1) all had the longer 50 calibre length barrel.

The U.S. started building the 6 pounder for Britain in 1941 and when the U.S. entered the war it was soon found that a gun with more power than the 37mm was needed. The M1 is very similar to the British gun the most significant change is a slightly longer barrel, the measurements are changed to suit U.S. manufacture so parts will not interchange with the 6 pounder. The carriage is designed for high-speed travel and includes a gun shield. Several different types of ammunition were developed for these guns, all of them using the same 57×441R cartridge case. Initially, a plain (AP) steel shot was used, the original loading being followed in service by a higher-velocity loading. The US developed its own ammunition; the AP M70 and APC M85 (the latter with a ballistic cap and containing 34g of Explosive D, initiated by a base fuse ~ APBC), but also made some use of British APDS from 1944. The weapon was crewed by four, and weighed in at 1.3 tons.

In Flames Of War

The M1 57mm gun has good penetration against most of the German or Italian vehicles you’ll run into in the mid war period (AT 10). As they first saw service in Sicily they had access to APBC for those tough targets, and their longer L50 barrel gave them an improved muzzle velocity over their L43 British cousins (the 6pdr). One draw back is their Poor HE (firepower reduces from 4+ to 5+ against unarmoured target), so they shouldn’t be the first weapons you call on to dig out stubborn defenders. They have a moderate range of 24”/60cm but count as small guns so are hard to spot and can leave their shooting until they can see the whites of the enemies eyes!