2 Pounder 40mm Explosive Rounds

[PvtJoker]

Originally Posted by Turret

Seriously, the 40mm Bofors flak cannon had explosive rounds.

Are they the same cartridge size, that would fit into the breech of a 2 pounder?

No, the cartridges were not the same. The 2 pounder was 40 x 304R, but the 40mm Bofors was 40 x 311R. They also had a different rim diameter. However, it would have been possible to use the HE shell of the Bofors in the 2 pdr AT gun by fitting it in the case of the latter. Why that was not done by the British in 1940 is still open to debate; there is some evidence that the Royal Artillery did not want the tanks to carry HE ammunition, since firing HE was their business. However, that theory has not been proven very well, either. After all, the WW1 British tanks did have HE ammunition, as did the 3 pounder of the Vickers Medium.