17 pdr anti tank gun with british infantry winter crewPut pay to enemy armour with the British 17 pdr! The QF 17 pdr was developed to overcome the more heavily armoured German tanks encountered by the British during the fighting in North Africa. A few hybrid 17 pdrs on 25 pdr carriages (called Pheasants) were sent in early 1943, though the final version was not deployed until later that year, making its combat debut in Italy. By the time of the campaign in Western Europe, it equipped the Royal Artillery