Desert Rats 6pdr Anti-Tank Platoon
(BBX38)
includes four plastic 6pdr anti-tank guns, four plastic Gun Crew sprues, four medium five-hole bases, one base plug sprue and one Unit card.
The Quick-Firing 6-pounder is a 57mm anti-tank gun which made its combat debut in the Gazala battles in May and June 1942. Dug-in and firing at only point blank range, these guns are deadly to enemy tanks.
Its only real downside is its height, which makes it a conspicuous target in the desert. The placement of the 75mm gun makes it difficult to conceal the tank in a hull-down position behind terrain. At Alam el Halfa, with time to prepare a static defence, the British were able to partly overcome these difficulties by carefully choosing the placement of each Grant.
The 6pdr
Limitations of the existing 2-pounders were apparent even as the gun was first entering service, and an effort was made to replace it with a much more capable weapon starting as early as 1938. The Woolwich Arsenal was entrusted with the development of a new gun with a calibre of 57 mm.
Guns of this calibre had been employed by the Royal Navy from the late 19th century, and therefore manufacturing equipment was available. The gun design was complete by 1940, but the carriage design was not completed until 1941.
The 6-pounder was used where possible to replace the 2-pounder in current British tanks, requiring work on the turrets, pending the introduction of new tanks designed to take the 6-pounder from the outset. The Churchill, Valentine and Crusader tanks armed with the 6-pounder gun all began to enter service during 1942.
The 6-pounder first saw action in May 1942 at Gazala. It made an immediate impact on the battlefield as it was able to penetrate any enemy tank then in service. In the most celebrated action, the 6-pounder guns of 2nd Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (together with part of 239 Anti-Tank Battery Royal Artillery under command), destroyed more than 15 enemy tanks in the action at 'Snipe' during the Second Battle of El Alamein.
However, over the next year, the Germans introduced much heavier designs into service, notably the Tiger I and Panther. The standard 6-pounder shot was ineffective against the front armour at any range, but proved effective on the less armoured sides and rear armour.
Contents
Plastic 6pdr Sprue (x4)
Plastic Gun Crew Sprue (x4)
Plastic Bases
6 PDR Anti-tank Platoon Card (x1)
15mm, plastic
Battlefront Miniatures
