- For the Steel Division II unit see SD2:M1 Gun 57mm
M1 Gun 57mm is a United States Anti-tank unit. It was a primary British-designed anti-tank gun used throughout the war, proving effective against most German tanks save for the big cats. Aside from being towed, the 6-pdr was also mounted on various British tanks where possible (replacing the 2-pdr), such as the Churchill, the Valentine, the Crusader and the AEC Armoured Car. It was also adopted by the US army under the designation M1 Gun 57mm.
The M1 Gun 57mm is a reliable early game AT gun available to all Allied divisions (under different names), capable of defeating most armoured threats. It cannot engage soft targets.
Overview[ | ]
The Ordnance QF 6-pounder 7 cwt anti-tank gun was developed by the United Kingdom in response to the limitations of existing 2-pounder guns. The gun itself was fully designed as early as 1940, although the carriage wasn't completed until a year later, while delays in starting production pushed back its entry into service to May 1942. The result was a flexible, powerful anti-tank gun that could effectively fight German tanks of the time and became the primary British anti-tank gun of World War II.
The gun was adopted by US Army infantry units as 57 mm Gun M1, after the North African campaign demonstrated the need for a more powerful anti-tank gun. Both the Cavalry and Airborne units rejected the design, the former due to its firepower, the latter due to its weight.
These anti-tank guns were used in the various anti-tank platoons of three M1 in the Infantry Battalions. In the Infantry Battalion the Anti-Tank Platoon was in Headquarters Company while the Armored Infantry Battalions had their Anti-tank platoons at the company level. The Infantry Regiment has a Anti-Tank Company of nine M1s at the Regimental level.
Strategy[ | ]
Similar in function to the German Pak 38, the M1 Gun 57mm is a capable AT gun in phase A. It is available to every Allied division, though the name designation may vary among different nations. It boasts good penetrating power for its price, defeating light tanks & the earlier German medium tanks alike. The player can also opt to only fire when the enemy vehicle is well within range, ensuring that the M1 57mm can fire off repeated shots. The AT gun is only moderately accurate and is hampered by its 1000m firing range, like all early game AT guns.
Its usefulness drops off slightly in phase B, but it can still reliably deter tanks such as Panzer IVs and Stugs from advancing. The very occasional side shot can also destroy or panic heavier German tanks.
The M1 Gun 57mm is manned by five men and can be incapacitated by artillery fire or airpower. It is therefore advisable to move the AT gun after engaging an enemy to avoid retaliation.
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