Heads Up: 2Pdr Anti-Tank Carrier- Littlefield collection

[Darrin Wright]

This may have been covered before, but the Littlefield collection is being sold on the 11-12 July 2014.

They have a 2 Pound Attack Carrier, oh....they also have other stuff, go to http://www.auctionsamerica.com/event...ion=&category=

Lot No. 22

Offered Without Reserve

Estimate: $ 75,000 - $100,000

To be offered on July 11-12, 2014

Weight: 5.6 tons (5,080kg)
Length: 13' 6” (4.11m)
Width: 6' 7” (2.00m)
Height: 6' 2'” (1.57m)
Crew: 4
Armor:
.25” (6mm)-.40” (10mm) driver's cab
Weapons:
-Primary
QF 2-pounder anti-tank gun
-Secondary
1x .303cal Bren machine gun
-Ammunition
80x 2pdr
?x .303cal
Engine: Ford V8, 95-hp
Power/weight: 15.3-hp/ton
Fuel Capacity: Unknown
Range: approx. 125 miles (201km)
Speed: 20mph (32km/h)


The vehicle being offered, Australian 2 pounder Anti-tank Gun Carrier, serial number 6084,was built in 1942 by Metropolitan Gas Company in Melbourne. This rare vehicle is in perfectly restored condition. It is a complete vehicle the runs and drives very smoothly.

For the first 2-½ years of World War II, the 2 pounder anti-tank gun was the standard towed anti-tank weapon of the British Commonwealth. It was a heavy and cumbersome weapon, so various attempts were made to create self-propelled versions of the weapon. Great Britain, Canada and Australia all designed self-propelled versions using the British Universal Carrier as the base vehicle. In Australia, a domestically produced version called the LP2 carrier was used for there design.

The Australian 2 pounder Anti-tank Gun Carrier, also known as 2pdr Attack Carrier was built on an extended LP2 chassis. The driver had an open topped compartment that was armored on the front and sides. The gun was mounted on an open platform at the rear of the vehicle that allowed the gun to be traversed 360 degrees. The vehicle had a crew of 4: commander, gunner, loader, and driver. Testing of the first prototypes began in August and September of 1941. At the conclusion of successful trials in February/March 1942, an order for 200 of them was placed with the first one being delivered in May 1942. They were built by Metropolitan Gas Company of Melbourne.

By the time the 2 pounder Anti-tank Gun Carrier came into service, it was already obsolete as the German vehicles it was designed to combat had armor that was too thick for the 2pdr to successfully penetrate. As a result, all of the carriers were kept in Australia and used as training vehicles and equipment for Australian reserve and volunteer units