November 1944, from The Royal Hampshire Regiment 1918-1954 page 199 Regarding 128 Bde, 46 Div. "Littlejohn anti-tank guns were issued just before the battle , labouriously manhandled up to Grisignano, and there the gunners learned how to use them with the enemy only 200 yards away; in this case the result was most effective." I take it that is the Littlejohn adapter fitted to the 2 pdr? Seems a bit late in the war to issue them doesn't it?
Never heard of any other Little John and how effective would it be. I dont get the context of the passage but sounds like its being used against infantry or fortifications. Cant imagine the 2 pdr was terribly effective by 1944????? ??? Kev
It was too late for battle tanks, but there were still the light tanks such as Tetrarch and Harry Hopkins carrying 2 pdrs, and more importantly the Daimler armoured car, which might sometimes tangle with German tanks or 8-wheelers. I think on at least one occasion a Daimler knocked out a late-model PzKpfw IV with one in NW Europe. Regards, MikB
From 46 Div History page 95. And last, Littlejohn anti-tank guns were used for the first time. These guns had just been issued to 58 Anti-Tank Regt, and were manhandled up to Grisignano, where the gunners learnt how to fire them with the enemy just two hundred yards away. Bit more on the Littlejohn Adaptor. Littlejohn adaptor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ordnance QF 2 pounder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The 2 pdr would be a Mk X-B - main late-war vehicle version, fitted with the Littlejohn adaptor. Anyone have a photo of a Mk X-B with the adaptor fitted?
The Littlejohn adaptor did give a quite startling boost to the penetrative power of the 2pdr, and it would have been very handy in areas where it was difficult to use the larger and more cumbersome 6pdr.
This is all I had to hand on the hard-drive. A Tetrarch with two-pounder and fitted with the Littlejohn squeeze bore adapter. Edit: Ah, that'll be the same picture as Wiki has then. Oops.
Reading abit more in 46 Div history about 58 AT Regt using oxen to get a Littlejohn up the steep slopes to Olmatello but as the oxen weren't battle-trained they bolted and it took 40 men to drag it up.
