75 mm gun (US)

The American army fielded two medium tanks in World War 2, the M3 and the M4, both of which used the 75 mm gun. The gun was also used to equip the Light Tank M24 and the B-25 Mitchell bomber. The gun was designed to have both powerful HE projectile and good anti-tank capability, however from the middle of the war it was no longer effective in the anti-tank role, due to its low muzzle velocity—especially as compared to guns such as the 76.2 mm Ordnance QF 17 pounder—and the thicker armor of the newer German medium and heavy tanks.

Variants

M2

A version used on the early Medium Tank M3.

*Barrel length: 31 calibres
*Muzzle velocity: 588 m/s (1,929 ft/s)
*Shell weight (M72 AP): 6.32 kg (14 lbs)
*Armour penetration (M72 AP shell, 457 m, at 30 degrees): 60 mm

M3

Longer derivative of the M2. Equipped American and British vehicles such as the Medium Tank M4, the later models of the Medium Tank M3 and the Churchill III/IV (scavenged from General Sherman tanks in the North African theatre). US Army also experimented with mounting of the M3 on various wheeled carriages for use as anti-tank gun, but the program was cancelled due to lack of requirement [Zaloga, Delf - "US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45", p 8-9] .

*Barrel length: 40 calibres (3 m)
*Muzzle velocity: 619 m/s (2,031 ft/s)
*Shell weight (M72 AP): 6.32 kg (14 lbs)
*Armour penetration (M72 AP shell, 457 m, at 30 degrees): 76 mm

To gain the benefits of the 75 mm gun, particularly its HE shell, the British designed their "Ordnance QF 75 mm" to take the same rounds giving both their main tanks, the Sherman and Cromwell the same ammunition.

T13E1 / M5

A lightweight version with thin wall barrel and different recoil mechanism. Was used in the B-25H Mitchell bomber. Same ammunition and ballistics as M3.

M6

A version derived from the T13E1 for the Light Tank M24.

ee also

*Artillery

Notes

References

*Zaloga, Steven J., Brian Delf - "US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45" (2005) Osprey Publishing (New Vanguard 107), ISBN 1-84176-690-9.

External links

* [http://gva.freeweb.hu/weapons/usa_guns5.html Armor penetration table of US 75 mm guns]