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M3 37mm AT

1940 COLD WAR WORLD WAR 2

History

The U.S. Army had been developing anti-tank guns before World War II. The system had to weigh less than 1,000 pounds, be towed by a standard jeep, and use a projectile capable of penetrating the armor of the then 1930s-era armor system.

During the development phase, the U.S. Department of the War, like most national militaries, first focuses on foreign weapons that meet the weapons standard and purchases or co-opts the required elements in the existing system to achieve a pseudo-indigenous end --product. The two field guns studied were the French 25mm Hotchkiss and the German 37mm Rheinmetall.

In the 1930s, German artillery was capable of destroying any tank in service anywhere in the world.

In January 1937, the U.S. Army Ordnance Department assigned the Infantry Division to oversee the design. They were looking for a light weapon that could be moved around the battlefield by a crew of 4 to 6 people. This desire for maneuverability limited the use of guns with calibers greater than 37 mm.

The army believed in this caliber, as did other armies around the world in the 1930s (including the Swedish Bofors, the Japanese Type 94 and 1, and the two Czechoslovak guns vz. 34, vz. 37).

As a result, the U.S. military chose the German 37mm design as a template, resulting in the American "M3" - a design that, despite originating from a German product, was significantly adapted for U.S. use and even used a different ammunition.

This gun was made by the Watervliet Arsenal in New York, a company founded in 1813 (still in use today, although called "America's Gun Factory"). The barrel is small enough to be forged as one piece. The twist that decided the most important became a single twist of 12 right-hand grooves and 25 calibers. The breech mechanism chosen was the vertical slide type.

A square locking ring secures the breech end of the screw-in barrel. The locking ring is a solid piece with the center removed to allow the block to slide vertically up and down in it.

The vertical version was favored by the crew because the top of the block served as a loading bracket for the shell, and the block did not block the track when the breech was opened at high altitude. The locking ring and block are designed to withstand violent reverse gears caused by propellant pressure when the gun is fired.

The mechanism consists of seven main parts: the breech ring, the breech block, the gears (for opening and closing the breech), the breech block buffer, the extractor (for removing empty cartridges), the means to limit movement and A safety device that prevents shooting until the stops and/or gears are fully engaged and closed.

The carriage was built by the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois. The arsenal began producing ordnance and other military materiel in the 1880s and is now the largest government-owned arsenal in the United States. This van is split and has pneumatic tires for better towing by a jeep or truck. When the gun was removed from the tractor, the crew positioned the gun for manual fire.

For stability, the wheel segment brackets mounted next to the axle can be lowered for a more stable firing position. They can then be raised before moving the gun to the next firing position.

The telescopic sight and 60 degree elevation and roll controls are located on the left side of the system to allow the gunner to aim the weapon. The maximum elevation angle is +15 degrees and the maximum depression angle is -15 degrees. The traverse has a release mechanism that allows the barrel to move freely if a normal 5-man crew needs to traverse quickly.

In addition to practice rounds and dummy rounds, the main ammunition used by the M3 consists of three types - M51 APC, M63 HE and M2 canister projectiles. The 3.48 lb (1.579 kg) M51 Armor-piercing Anti-Tank (APC) shell and Gundam with 3-second tracer can penetrate up to 2.4 inches of armor at a range of 500 yards from 7,500 yards. The M63 is a "general purpose" high-explosive (HE) shell, weighing 3.13 lb (1,420 kg) and having a maximum range of 12,800 yards. The bomb was encased in a steel cap and 0.85 lb TNT with a BD fuze attached.

The M2 canister anti-personnel round weighs 3.49 lb (1.583 kg) and contains 122 buckshot.

The US Army organized the M3 in the infantry anti-tank battalion. Four 37mm guns were designed to be towed by 1/4 ton jeeps, twelve of these guns were primed by 3/4 ton or 2-1/2 ton trucks. A division deployed 24 guns, many of which were towed by M2 half-tracks. By 1942, the Army had formed its first Airborne Division, and 44 M3s were assigned to parachute guns.

The new 10th Mountain Division had 25 37mm guns assigned to their infantry regiments. In 1942, a total of 68 M3s were in service with all Army armored divisions. At the start of the war, the Marines committed to 20mm anti-tank guns, but in time got newer, more effective 37mm guns.

By 1943, the 37mm gun was the Marine Corps' preferred anti-tank weapon.

Advanced medium and heavy armor systems deployed by the Germans during the 1943 Battle of Kasserine Pass in North Africa had made the 37mm gun a fringe anti-tank weapon. However, the M3 proved useful against lighter Italian tank components and was effective against smaller Renault R35 tanks throughout the Italian campaign.

Likewise, the Japanese in the Pacific were keen to use light tanks, and the M3 proved enough to stop them. On Guadalcanal, the US Marine Corps and later the Army used the M3 to good effect against Type 95, 96 and 97 tanks with 12mm armour. Japan's "banzai" attack - essentially a suicide front-line attack - was well suited for the M3's canister fire, and due to the system's high mobility, the weapon could target entire islands and into mountains with relative ease - no The caves or bunkers of the Japanese army were safe.

It is known that during the Battle of Tarawa, the Marines lifted the M3 over a five-foot seawall and fired directly at the Japanese bunkers.

If the M3 proves to have a limitation, it's that its shields are fairly small, designed to protect the crew from enemy fire. As a result, the US Marine Corps took on the task of welding the additional shield to the M3 structure itself.

Although this adds to her working weight, it provides valuable protection for her most important crew members.

The M3's wartime service was excellent, and its range ensured it would be remembered in WWII history. Her combat expeditions contributed to great marketing, and she was promptly added to lists of foreign countries, including many of America's allies in South America.

Although the M3 was retired from the U.S. Army shortly after World War II, the M3 survived on the front lines with other militaries until the 1970s.

Notable operators include the USSR (via Lend-Lease), the UK, Canada and France. South American operators who choose M3 include Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and El Salvador. Like China, Cuba is also equipped with the M3.

T3 is used as the prototype name. The T7 is another prototype, but with a semi-automatic sliding shutter. The T8 is another prototype, but differs in the Nordenfelt sliding breech. The T9 prototype was a 37mm automatic cannon that later became the M4 production model.

The M10 prototype became the M3 production model with a manual vertical block breech. The M3 designation indicates the series of the base production series. The M3A1 is known for having a threaded barrel to accept an optional muzzle brake - this was introduced in 1942.

The M5 was a tank-mounted version of the M3 gun with a shorter barrel, introduced in 1939. The M6 ??is another tank mounted version with the original barrel length, semi-automatic breech, introduced from 1940 onwards.