The Gun Britain Built in Secret to Kill the Tiger

In 1940, Britain started designing a gun to replace a weapon that hadn't been built yet. By 1943 — before the proper carriages were even ready — the first hundred were shipped to Tunisia and mounted on borrowed 25-pounder carriages. Their codename was Pheasant. They went into action in February 1943. They were the most powerful anti-tank weapon the western Allies had. Fitted into a Sherman turret no one thought it would fit in, the 17-pounder became the Firefly — the only British tank in Normandy that could kill a Tiger or Panther at combat range. On June 9 1944, a single Firefly destroyed five Panthers with six rounds. Britain also built a version that fired backwards. It served for thirty years. IronBritain. One machine per video. From the factory floor to the front line. 🔔 Subscribe — new video every day.