Landships II

huhncc · Major

UK 6 pdr vs. German 57mm

Roger Todd · Legend

Steven Zaloga, in 'German Panzers 1914-18', says the Nordenfelt 57mm gun had a rate of fire of 20-25 rounds per minute. The excellent NavWeaps site quotes the Nordenfelt 57mm gun as having a rate of fire of 20 rounds per minute (http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_6pounder_m1.htm).

NavWeaps quotes the rate of fire of the Hotchkiss 6-pdr as 20 rounds per minute (http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_6pounder_m1.htm). Irritatingly, Hogg's 'Illustrated Encyclopedia of Artillery' gives no rate of fire data, and I can find no other information anywhere else.

As far as I can see, there was little to choose between them.

28juni14 · Hero

Some minor details of note are the Nordenfelt had a verticle breach, as did the 6pdr. The Nordenfelt was fired conventionally where as the 6pdr had a pistol grip ignition; a peculiarity the Brits seemed to have been found of. I would think the 6pdr had an edge in ease of laying, and hitting power.

Further the 6pdr mount was geared beautifully; even after 90 years one can turn the piece effortlessly. This latter observation may contribute to my bias.....

huhncc · Major

Well, wonder where the idea of a faster ROF came from?

Thanks!

-- Edited by huhncc at 17:32, 2006-10-19

Centurion · Legend

Can't help with the specific enquiry but would caution care with ROF figures in general as these can vary depending on the period of time. Thus some guns can have a high ROF over a short period which declines over a longer period as they overheat with sustained fire and need a cooling pause whilst others just chug along with the same rate of fire. Thus some of the early breech loading rifles (like the original Martini Henry) greatly outdid their muzzleloading competition in ROF over a short period (just what you want if you're trying to stop a Zulu rush) but as the breech hotted up over a more sustained period of fire tended to jam. Could something similar explain the 6 pdr 57mm variation?