Free Elevation tanks

[Christocipher]

I see lots of this kind of stuff about north africa tank battle like form here http://www.desertrats.org.uk/battles1941.htm#Brevity where it says

The battle became long range duel, with the British 2-pdrs hopelessly outclassed by the German 50mm and 75mm guns and by nightfall only 15 tanks were left.

And I think well why?!?!?!? that 2 pounder is just as good as the 50mm gun. But I think I worked out why. Its because the British tanks did not have any elevation gears. The gun elevation is done with just a shoulder so completely manual and exhausting because gunner is the shock absorber for elevaion when the tank is moving. With an elevation gear if it falls a bit short go up a cog tooth, with the shoulder elevation going up a bit is really hard because the gun just fired moving the gunner so he looses his place. So every shot is like a first shot. They had that instead of gears because policy was to fire on the move, called free elevation. But they went to gears as quick as they could once they realised it didnt work very good.

I looked at the tanks and at that time most get a range fire control of 2 or 3. But I see that some tanks get 1 and 1,the japanese tanks do and the British tank number 5 A9 and tank number 6 A10 both get the 1 1 values because they had free elevation. After that though the british tanks go to 2 2. But the gun, sights, traverse, and shoulder elevation on these later tanks is all still the same. So I think there are a lot of other British tanks with 2 2 that should be 1 1.

I looked on the web at tank walkarounds inside and out and here is some of the tanks that have no elevation gear and so I think should be 1 1. Matilda 2, ValentineI-VII. All the Cruiser tanks up to and including Crusader. The Churchills had no elevation gearing until the 75mm gun versions. But a few Mk IIIs and MkIVs did have some elevation gearing, go figure.

The early M3 stuart had shoulder elevation, The ones used in operation crusader were all the shoulder elevated type. And the 37mm turreted french tanks but they already have the 1 1 already. And the 47mm gun in the Char B.
The CS versions of these British tanks had elevation gearing.
I can do more research if you like. I had fun looking.