- 37 mm Gun M3
Infobox Weapon
name=37mm Gun M3 on Carriage M4
caption=M3 on display atFort Sam Houston , Texas.
origin=United States
type=anti-tank gun
is_ranged=yes
is_artillery=yes
is_vehicle=
service=
used_by=United States
wars=World War II
designer=
design_date=1938
manufacturer=Gun: Watervliet Arsenal,
Carriage: Rock Island Arsenal
production_date=1940–1943
number=18,702
variants=
weight=413.68 kg (912 lbs)
length=3.92 m (13 ft)
width=1.61 m (5.28 ft)
height=0.96 m (3.14 ft)
part_length=overall: 2.1 m / 56.6 calibers
bore: 1.98 m / 53.5 calibers
crew=4-6
cartridge=37×223R
caliber=37 mm
action=
rate=up to 25 rounds per minute
velocity=up to 884 m/s (2,900 ft/s)
range=
max_range=6.9 km (4.28 mi)
feed=
sights=telescopic, M6
breech=vertical block
recoil=hydrospring
carriage=split trail
elevation=-10° to +15°
traverse=60°
diameter=
filling=
filling_weight=
detonation=
yield=The 37mm Gun M3 was the first dedicated
anti-tank gun fielded byUnited States forces. Introduced in 1940, it became the standard anti-tank gun of the U.S.infantry . However, the continuing improvement of Germantank s quickly rendered the 37 mm ineffective, and by 1943 it was being gradually replaced in the European and Mediterranean theaters by the more powerful British-developed 57mm Gun M1. In the Pacific, where the Japanese tank threat was less significant the M3 remained in service until the end of the war.Like many other light anti-tank guns, the M3 was widely used in the infantry support role and as an anti-personnel weapon, firing high-explosive and canister rounds.
The M5 and M6 tank mounted variants were used in several models of armored vehicles most notably in the Light Tank M3/M5, the Medium Tank M3 and the Light Armored Car M8. In addition, the M3 in its original version was mated to a number of other self-propelled carriages.
Development history
In the mid-1930s the
United States Army had yet to field a dedicated anti-tank artillery piece; anti-tank companies of infantryregiment s were armed with .50-calmachine gun s. Although were some consideration had been given to replacing the machine guns with more a powerfulanti-tank gun , the situation only began to change after the outbreak of theSpanish Civil War . Combat experience from Spain suggested that a light anti-tank gun, such as the German PaK 35/36, was capable of neutralizing the growing threat posed by tanks.Zaloga - "US Anti-tank Artillery 1941–45", p. 3–7.]In January 1937, the Ordnance Committee recommended development of a such a weapon;Zaloga - "US Anti-tank Artillery 1941–45", p. 3–7.] two PaK 36 guns were acquired for study.Hogg - "Allied Artillery of World War Two", p 149.] As the projected main user of the weapon the Infantry branch was chosen to oversee the work. They wanted a lightweight gun which could be moved around by the crew, so any ideas of using a larger caliber than that of the German gun were discarded.
Development and testing continued until late 1938. Several variants of gun and carriage were proposed until on
15 December a combination of the T10 gun and T5 carriage was officially adopted as the 37mm Gun M3 and Carriage M4. Although the weapon followed the concept of the PaK 36 and often referred to as a copy of it, [E.g. see Rottman - "The US Marine Corps 1941–45", p 17: "M3A1 ... was copied from the standard German AT gun".] the M3 differed significantly from the German design and used different ammunition.The gun was manufactured by
Watervliet Arsenal and the carriage byRock Island Arsenal . The first pieces were delivered early in1940 , the production continued until1943 .Armor penetration of the M5 was about 3 mm less at all ranges.
Gallery
ee also
*
Bofors 37 mm a contemporary Swedish designNotes
References
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* cite web
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accessdate=2007-07-01External links
* [http://www.fightingiron.com/FO-37mmCannon.htm Photo gallery at Fightingiron.com]
* [http://svsm.org/gallery/37mm_M3 Photo gallery at SVSM.org] .
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