57-mm Ammunition
There have been a variety of 57mm weapons in American service. This is also a popular caliber for international guns, mortars and un-guided rockets. The ammunition for these weapons have nothing in common apart from their caliber.
During World War II, the armor protection, firepower and mobility of the tank made it an effective antitank system. But its presumed superiority in this role was not based solely on its own capabilities. It was also based upon the perceived failure of the American antitank gun and self-propelled antitank destroyer in World War II. The primary antitank gun of the US forces during the war had been the 57mm towed anti-tank gun, but this gun had not performed in a completely satisfactory manner. The General Board of the European Theater, for example, concluded, "Lack of cross-country mobility, coupled with the fact that the penetrating power of the 57mm projectile is insufficient to stop the modern tank, makes it imperative that another weapon be substituted." In comparison with the 57mm gun and the self-propelled tank destroyer, the bazooka had performed extremely well.
Mr. C. Walton Musser, who served as a research advisor at Frankford Arsenal from 1941 until his resignation in 1956, was co-inventor of the 57mm, 75mm, and 105mm recoilless rifles which were used so effectively in World War II.
In 1947 a variety of changes were made to the organization and equipment of both Infantry and Armor divisions in the US Army. Radar equipment was been allocated to division artillery headquarters and infantry regiments to facilitate the location of enemy artillery and mortars. Also included in the division's armament are forty-two 75mm and eighty-one 57mm recoilless rifles. The three infantry regiments consist of a headquarters and headquarters company [and a heavy tank company and a 4.2-inch mortar company]; three infantry battalions, each having a headquarters and headquarters company, three rifle companies, and a heavy-weapons company. There were also been several important changes within the infantry battalions which increase their fire power and flexibility. Three 57mm recoilless rifles have replaced the light machine guns in the weapons platoons of the rifle companies. During Vietnam, US forces used the 57mm recoilless rifle.
There is close coordination between the Navy and Coast Guard LCS and NSC program staffs. Our new Deepwater air and surface platforms are being designed with high levels of system commonality with Navy assets to improve interoperability. For example, both LCS and NSC will have a common 57mm gun and air search radar. The 57mm Gun Sysem is being procured and installed on US Coast Guard Integrated Deepwater System Cutters and is planned to be installed on other Naval platforms. Effort encompasses complete qualification and fire control system development for 57mm MK 110 Mod 0. Work will be performed by NSWC centers at Lousiville and Dahlgren in support of qualification analysis/testing for the 57mm gun system. United Defense will execute the task required to estalish a continental US production capability at ULDP Louisville, KY.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
