Firefly:Broken Counter
It's everyone's favorite British tank. It's fast and has power to knock out almost any German tank, even from the front. It has a fast turret and even a rate of fire!
But was it really all that and a bag of chips? Or is this more of the old soft soap for the King's Very Own?
The Firefly is, in reality, a normal M4A1 with a 17lbr anti tank gun put into the turret. It had to be laid on its side and was somewhat awkward in the standard turret layout that was designed for a 75mm medium velocity gun.
The gun was so large, in fact, that it made supplying the loader with ammunition very difficult. It couldn't be handed up straight through the turret basket like the Sherman was designed.
Taking a look at the turret and basket here:
The British didn't really want the Firefly and tried to kill it on a number of occasions. The Challenger, Comet and Centurion were in development and all, theoretically, could have sported a 17lbr. Only the obstinance of Major George Brighty and Lt. Col. George Witheridge could overcome the reluctance to keep the Firefly project alive, even as the British tank development establishment felt the Sherman's turret was too small and the turret drive insufficiently powerful for such a weapon.
The principle problem was the recoil of the 17lbr, which generally was in the neighborhood of a full meter. This was much too large, requiring changes to the recoil mechanisms, a muzzle brake and a hole cut in the back of the turret and an armored bustle attached. The length of the gun made it unstable and impossible to keep in zero when in motion--which also created problems with the recoil and turret bustle. In the end, the Firefly had to be rebuilt, rather than a simple modification.
So between the problems of recoil (and especially adding the muzzle brake) it seems impossible that that the 17lbr installed on the Firefly could match the muzzle velocity of the original gun.
The length of the gun also posed a problem. While the addition of the bustle provided some balance, the gun had a tendency to nose-down when travelling across country at high speeds, reducing the actual speed possible for an M4.
Like most long guns, the turret drive mechanism was strained when trying to traverse--especially on a slope. Unlike the Panther or the Royal Tiger, the Firefly pays no price for this disadvantage.
The turret had an ammo load of 23 rounds (including HE, SMOKE, APDS and AP)--which is roughly the same as carried on an IS2. After those 23 rounds were expended (or more HE, etc. rounds were needed) they had to be lifted up through the makeshift hole in the assistant driver's section and then down through the commander's hatch in the turret. This made a reload virtually impossible while in action.
A more fair portrayal of the Firefly would be a circled B10 (but allowing it to act as its own ammo vehicle), a restricted turret traverse, not allowing it to BFF and reducing its speed by 2.
The Firefly is, in reality, a normal M4A1 with a 17lbr anti tank gun put into the turret. It had to be laid on its side and was somewhat awkward in the standard turret layout that was designed for a 75mm medium velocity gun.
The gun was so large, in fact, that it made supplying the loader with ammunition very difficult. It couldn't be handed up straight through the turret basket like the Sherman was designed.
Taking a look at the turret and basket here:
The principle problem was the recoil of the 17lbr, which generally was in the neighborhood of a full meter. This was much too large, requiring changes to the recoil mechanisms, a muzzle brake and a hole cut in the back of the turret and an armored bustle attached. The length of the gun made it unstable and impossible to keep in zero when in motion--which also created problems with the recoil and turret bustle. In the end, the Firefly had to be rebuilt, rather than a simple modification.
So between the problems of recoil (and especially adding the muzzle brake) it seems impossible that that the 17lbr installed on the Firefly could match the muzzle velocity of the original gun.
The length of the gun also posed a problem. While the addition of the bustle provided some balance, the gun had a tendency to nose-down when travelling across country at high speeds, reducing the actual speed possible for an M4.
Like most long guns, the turret drive mechanism was strained when trying to traverse--especially on a slope. Unlike the Panther or the Royal Tiger, the Firefly pays no price for this disadvantage.
The turret had an ammo load of 23 rounds (including HE, SMOKE, APDS and AP)--which is roughly the same as carried on an IS2. After those 23 rounds were expended (or more HE, etc. rounds were needed) they had to be lifted up through the makeshift hole in the assistant driver's section and then down through the commander's hatch in the turret. This made a reload virtually impossible while in action.
A more fair portrayal of the Firefly would be a circled B10 (but allowing it to act as its own ammo vehicle), a restricted turret traverse, not allowing it to BFF and reducing its speed by 2.
Comments
Considering how Fireflies were employed, as overwatch for the advancing normal tanks, it wouldn't effect their performance much but it would stop them being put on point and winning gun duels with the Germans.