76 mm gun M1

The 76 mm M1 Gun was an American Forces World War II-era tank gun, which replaced the 75 mm gun on late Medium tank M4s, and was equipped on all 76 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 tank destroyers. Developmentally, it was a new gun with breech similar to that of the 75 mm M3 Gun. It fired the same shell as the 3 inch gun of the 3in Gun Motor Carriage M10 tank destroyer, but in a different case. The gun received a muzzle brake and faster rifle twist during production.

While the 76 mm had less High Explosive (HE) and smoke performance than the 75 mm, the higher-velocity 76 mm gave better anti-tank performance, with firepower comparable to the Soviet ZiS-S-5 85 mm gun of the T-34-85 and many of the armoured fighting vehicles it encountered, particularly the Panzer IV and StuG vehicles.

From 1943 on instigation of the head of the Armored force General Jacob Devers US Ordnance worked on a towed anti-tank gun based on the barrel of the M1, known as 76 mm gun T2 on carriage T3. Later interest in the project declined and in 1945 the program was officially cancelled. [Steven J. Zaloga, Brian Delf - "US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45", Osprey Publishing 2005 (New Vanguard 107), ISBN 1-84176-690-9, page 20.]

Vehicles used on

* 76 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 "(Hellcat)"
* Medium Tank M4A1(76)W "(Sherman IIA)"
** Medium Tank M4A1(76)W HVSS "(Sherman IIAY)"
* Medium Tank M4A2(76)W "(Sherman IIIA)"
** Medium Tank M4A2(76)W HVSS "(Sherman IIIAY)"
* Medium Tank M4A3(76)W"(Sherman IVA)"
** Medium Tank M4A3(76)W HVSS

Comparison of US 76 mm and Soviet 85 mm guns

References

ee also

* QF 17 pounder - British 76 mm gun of the same period