Jump to content

37 mm gun M3

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Bukvoed (talk | contribs) at 08:29, 9 July 2007 (combat service, more images,). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

37mm Gun M3 on Carriage M4
M3 on display at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Typeanti-tank gun
Place of originUnited States
Service history
Used byUS
WarsWorld War II
Production history
Designed1938
ManufacturerGun: Watervliet Arsenal,
Carriage: Rock Island Arsenal
Produced1940-1943
No. built18,702
Specifications
Mass413.68 kg
Length3.92 m
Barrel lengthoverall: 2.1 m / 56.6 calibers
bore: 1.98 m / 53.5 calibers
Width1.61 m
Height0.96 m
Crew4-6
Shell37x223R
Caliber37 mm
Breechvertical block
Recoilhydrospring
Carriagesplit trail
Elevation-10° to +15°
Traverse60°
Rate of fireup to 25 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocityup to 884 m/s
Maximum firing range6.9 km
Sightstelescopic, M6
Manhandling a gun into position during a training at Fort Benning. Note the raised wheel segments.

The 37mm Gun M3 was the first dedicated anti-tank gun fielded by the US forces. Introduced in 1940, it became the standard anti-tank gun of the US infantry. The evolution of German tanks quickly rendered the 37 mm piece ineffective though and in 1943-44 the M3 was gradually replaced in European theaters by the more powerful 57mm Gun M1. In the Pacific, where the armor 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 as infantry support and 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 US Army had yet to field a dedicated anti-tank artillery piece; anti-tank companies of infantry regiments were armed with .50-cal machine guns. Although were some consideration had been given to replacing the MGs with more a powerful anti-tank gun, the situation only began to change after the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Combat experience from Spain suggested that a light anti-tank gun, such as the German PaK 35/36, was capable of neutralising the growing threat posed by tanks.[1]

In January 1937, the Ordnance Committee recommended development of a such a weapon;[1] two PaK 36 guns were acquired for study.[2] 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 then that of the German gun were discarded.[1]

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.[1] Although the weapon followed the concept of the PaK 36 and often referred to as a copy of it[3], the M3 differed significantly from the German design, including a different breech mechanism, a longer barrel with different rifling and a different cartridge. The gun was manufactured by Watervliet Arsenal and the carriage by Rock Island Arsenal. The first pieces were delivered early in 1940[1] an production continued until 1943.

Some minor changes in the gun construction were introduced during the production period. The carriage received a modified shoulder guard and traverse controls (carriage M4A1, standardized on 29 January 1942). Although Ordnance requested an upgrade of all M4 carriages to M4A1, this process was not completed.[1] Another change was a threaded barrel end to accept a big five-port muzzle brake (gun M3A1, adopted on 5 March 1942). According to some sources, the latter was intended to avoid kicking too much dust under dry ground conditions. However it turned out to be a safety problem when firing canister ammunition and consequently the M3A1 went into combat without muzzle brake.[1] Other sources mention the muzzle brake was intended to soften a recoil and they say that it was dropped simply because additional recoil control measures weren't really needed.[2][4]

In an attempt to increase the armor penetration of the M3 several squeeze bore adapters (including the British Littlejohn adaptor) were tested; none were adopted. Experiments with rocket launchers on the M4 carriage (e.g. 4.5in rocket projector T3) also didn't produce anything practical.[1]

Production of М3, pcs.[5]
Year 1940 1941 1942 1943 Total
Produced, pcs. 340 2,252 11,812 4,298 18,702

Description

The barrel was of one-piece forged construction, with uniform rifling (12 grooves, right-hand twist, one turn in 25 calibers). The breech end of the barrel was screwed into a breech ring. The breech mechanism was of vertical sliding block type. The barrel was fitted with a hydrospring recoil system.[6]

The carriage was of split trail type, with pneumatic tires.[6] Mounted on the axle next to the wheels were the "wheel segments" - segment-shaped supports that could be lowered to provide more stability in the firing position or raised so that they would not impede movement of the gun.

The telescopic sight on the M6 and both elevation and traverse controls were located on the left side, so one gunner was able to aim the gun. The traverse gear had a release mechanism which allowed free movement of the barrel in case a quick traverse was needed.[6]

Organization

Men of the 7th Division, US Army move a gun up to the front line on Kwajalein.

US Army

Under the organization of the US Army infantry division active in 1941, each infantry battalion had an anti-tank platoon with three 37 mm guns and each regiment an anti-tank company with nine, totaling 18 pieces per regiment. 3/4 ton trucks were assigned as prime movers, but many units received the 1/4 ton truck (better known as the jeep) instead. Two companies of 37 mm guns were initially a part of the divisional anti-tank battalion (along with one company of 75 mm guns); however in December 1941 AT battalions were removed from divisional structure and reorganized as independent tank destroyer battalions; their towed guns were replaced with self-propelled ones as soon as the latter became available.[7]

In 1942 the first airborne divisions were formed. According to their organizational structure of October 1942, an airborne division had 36 37 mm anti-tank guns: four in divisional artillery, eight in glider infantry regiment and 24 in AA/AT battalion.[8]

US Marine Corps

Prior to 1943 the role of AT weapons in Marine Corps service was officially entrusted to 20 mm automatic guns in regimental and battalion weapon companies, though in practice units used the 37mm M1916 for training. They were equipped with the M3 (four in each battalion and additional 12 in a regiment, in three platoons of four) before being sent to the frontline.[9] Under the E-series Tables of Organization from 15 April 1943, a marine division had a special weapons battalion with 18 37 mm guns in three batteries of six and an infantry regiment had a weapons company with 12, in three platoons of four. In total, a division possessed 54 pieces. The F-series TO (5 May 1944) removed the special weapons battalion from the divisional organization, resulting in a total of 36 guns per division. The subsequent G-series TO reduced regimental weapon companies to two platoons, meaning 24 pieces per division. Although the G-series TO was only adopted on 4 September 1945, in practice in some divisions this change was introduced early in 1945.[10]

Other operators

The only major lend lease recipient of the M3 was the Chinese Kuomintang Army (1,669 pieces). The gun was also supplied to Bolivia (4), Canada (3), Chile (198), Colombia (4), Cuba (1), El Salvador (9), France (130), Great Britain (78), USSR (63) and other countries (100).[11] Some nations still had it in service in early 1970s.[4]

Combat Service

Japanese tanks knocked out by 37 mm guns near the mouth of the Matanikau River, Guadalcanal.
US 37mm gun crew in combat at Saipan, 1944. From left to right are two ammunition carriers, gunner and assistant gunner. The shield is fitted with some kind of extension plate.

The M3 saw action for the first time during the defense of the Philippines in December 1941.[7] It went on to become a factor in the Guadalcanal Campaign, where it was successfully employed against both Japanese armor and infantry.[12] Throughout the war it remained effective against Japanese vehicles, which were thinly armored and were rarely committed in large groups. The light weight of the gun made it easy to move through difficult terrain; for example, when attacked by Japanese tanks on Betio during the Battle of Tarawa, Marines were able to heave the M3 over the five-foot-high seawall[13]. While canister ammunition proved useful in stopping Japanese infantry attacks, against enemy fortifications the M3 was only somewhat effective because of its small high explosive projectile. Its overall effectiveness and ease of use meant the gun remained in service with the Marine Corps and with some Army units in the Pacific until the end of the war.[7] Unhappy with the unusually low shield of the M3, some Marine Corps units extended it to provide better protection. A standard kit was tested in 1945, but was never issued.[14]

The experience of the M3 in the North African Campaign was completely different. The gun was not powerful enough to deal with late production Panzer III and Panzer IV. After the nearly disastrous Battle of Kasserine Pass in February 1943, reports from some of the involved units mentioned 37 mm projectiles "bouncing off like marbles" from the turret and front armor of German medium tanks and proclaimed the gun "useless unless you have gun crews with the guts to stand and shoot from 100 yards". The Army was initially uncertain if these reports reflected the obsolescence of the weapon, or whether unrefined tactics and lack of experience were to blame. Yet on 26 May 1943 a new organization had the M3 replaced by the 57mm Gun M1 (the US-produced version of the British QF 6 pounder), with Dodge 1 1/2 ton trucks as prime movers. But only by spring 1944 did the 57mm gun reach the battlefield in large numbers.[7]

Meanwhile, the Italian campaign was launched, and M3 guns saw action from the day of the Sicily landing on 10 July 1943. That day the 37 mm guns demonstrated once again both their effectiveness against pre-war tanks – when they helped to repel an attack by Italian Renault R 35s – and inability to cope with modern threats in a subsequent encounter with Tigers from the Herman Göring division. The Italian theater had a lower priority for reequipment than Northwest Europe, and some M3s were still in use in Italy in late 1944.[15]

By mid-1944 the M3 had fallen out of favor even with airborne troops, despite their strong preference for compact and lightweight weapon systems. The Airborne Command had rejected the 57 mm M1 in the summer of 1943 claiming its unfitness for airlifting[16] and the organization of February 1944 still had airborne divisions keeping their 37 mm guns. Nevertheless, the 82nd and the 101st, were reequipped with a version of the British-manufactured 6 pounders designed to fit into the Horsa glider for the Normandy airdrops.[8]

The M3 was phased out of US service soon after the end of the war.[4]

Variants

  • Gun variants:
    • T3 - the first prototype.[1]
    • T7 - a prototype with semi-automatic horizontal sliding block breech.[2]
    • T8 - a prototype with Nordenfelt eccentric screw breech.[2]
    • T10, standardized as M3 - an adopted version, with manual vertical block breech.[1][2]
    • M3A1 (1942) - version with threaded barrel end to accept a muzzle break, which was never issued.[1]
  • Carriage variants:
    • T1, T1E1 - prototypes.[1]
    • T5, standardized as M4 - first adopted version.[1]
    • M4A1 (1942) - carriage with improved traverse controls.[1]
    • In 1942 the Airborne Command requested a version with removable trails. A prototype was tested, but in 1943 the project was dropped as unnecessary.[1]

Self-propelled mounts

37mm Gun M5, as mounted in Light Tank M2A4.
37mm GMC M6 with improvised machine gun mount.

Two tank gun variants were developed based on the barrel of the M3. The first, initially designated M3A1 but renamed M5 on 13 October 1939, was shortened by 5.1 inches (3.5 calibers) to avoid damage to the tube in wooden areas. Later a variant with a semi-automatic breech (with empty cartridge ejection) was developed. This variant - initially designated M5E1, adopted as M6 on 14 November 1940 - received a full length barrel. The tubes were interchangeable, but replacing M5 with M6 and vice versa would result in an unbalanced mount and was therefore prohibited.[17] These guns were mounted on several models of tanks and other armored vehicles:

Versions of the gun in turret mounts were also used in the Medium Tank T5 Phase III (T3 barrel, mount T1)[33], in the Medium Tank M2 / M2A1 (M3 barrel, M2A1: mount M19),[34] and in the 37mm Gun Motor Carriage T42 (mount M22).[35]

Soldiers of the US 3rd Infantry on maneuvers, 1942. Their Willys / Ford jeep is fitted with M3 on a pedestal mount.

In addition, M3 on different pedestal mounts was mated to a number of other vehicles resulting in an assortment of 37mm gun motor carriages. Only the M6 reached mass production.

On several occasions the M3 was mounted on PT boats to increase their firepower. One of these boats was John F. Kennedy's PT-109.[42]

Ammunition

The M3 utilized fixed ammunition. Projectiles were fitted with a 37x223R cartridge case, designated Cartridge Case M16. Avatilable projectiles included armor piercing, high explosive and canister.

Available ammunition[20][43][6]
Type Model Weight, kg (round/projectile) Filler Muzzle velocity, m/s (M3&M6/M5)
AP-T AP M74 Shot 1.51 / 0.87 - 884 / 870
APCBC-T APC M51 Shot 1.58 / 0.87 - 884 / 870
HE HE M63 Shell 1.42 / 0.73 TNT, 39 g 792 / 782
HE HE Mk II Shell 1.23 / 0.56
Canister Canister M2 1.58 / 0.88 122 steel balls 762 / 752
Target practice with tracer TP M51 Shot / 0.87 none or spotting powder charge
Drill Drill Cartridge M13 / 0.87 -
Blank Blank Cartridge 10-gage with adapter M2 -
 
Armor penetration table, M3 or M6
Ammunition \ Distance, m 457 914 1,371 1,828
AP M74 Shot (meet angle 0°)[2] 36
AP M74 Shot (meet angle 20°)[4] 25
APC M51 Shot (meet angle 0°)[2] 61
APC M51 Shot (meet angle 20°)[4] 53
APC M51 Shot (meet angle 30°, homogeneous armor)[20] 53 46 40 35
APC M51 Shot (meet angle 30°, face-hardened armor)[20] 46 40 38 33
Different methods of armor penetration measurement were used in different countries / periods. Therefore, direct comparison is often impossible.

Armor penetration of the M5 was about 3 mm less at all ranges.[20]

  • Loading the gun (crew training, Fort Benning).
    Loading the gun (crew training, Fort Benning).
  • Aiming the gun (crew training, Fort Benning).
    Aiming the gun (crew training, Fort Benning).
  • Philippine Scouts at Fort McKinley firing a 37mm gun in training. Note the lowered wheel segments.
    Philippine Scouts at Fort McKinley firing a 37mm gun in training. Note the lowered wheel segments.
  • A dug in 37mm gun at Camp Carson.
    A dug in 37mm gun at Camp Carson.
  • HE Mk II Shell and APC M51 Shot.
    HE Mk II Shell and APC M51 Shot.
  • TP M51 Shot and 10-gage adapter M2.
    TP M51 Shot and 10-gage adapter M2.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Zaloga, Delf - US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45, p 3-7.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Hogg - Allied Artillery of World War Two, p 149.
  3. ^ E.g. see Rottman, Chapell - The US Marine Corps 1941-45, p 17: "M3A1 ... was copied from the standard German AT gun".
  4. ^ a b c d e f Chamberlain, Gander - Anti-Tank Weapons, p 47.
  5. ^ Zaloga, Delf - US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45, p 21.
  6. ^ a b c d Technical Manual TM 9-2005 volume 3, Infantry and Cavalry Accompanying Weapons, p 11-15.
  7. ^ a b c d Zaloga, Delf - US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45, p 9-12.
  8. ^ a b Zaloga, Delf - US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45, p 23, 24.
  9. ^ Rottman - US Marine Corps Pacific Theater of Operations 1941-43, p 25-26.
  10. ^ History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II, Vol II: Table of Organization E-100, p 571, 572; Vol III: Table of Organization F-100, p 618, 619; Rottman, Chapell - The US Marine Corps 1941-45, p 5-8; ww2gyrene: The Marine Division; ww2gyrene: M3A1 37mm Antitank Gun.
  11. ^ Zaloga, Delf - US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45, p 44.
  12. ^ History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II, Vol I: The Battle of the Tenaru, p 290; Vol I: Japanese Counteroffensive, p 330, 332.
  13. ^ Rottman, Chapell - The US Marine Corps 1941-45, p 12-13.
  14. ^ Zaloga, Delf - US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45, p 6, 46.
  15. ^ Zaloga, Delf - US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45, p 21, 22.
  16. ^ Zaloga, Delf - US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45, p 14.
  17. ^ Hunnicutt - Stuart: A History of the American Light Tank, p 118, 143.
  18. ^ Hunnicutt - Stuart: A History of the American Light Tank, p 119, 143.
  19. ^ Hunnicutt - Stuart: A History of the American Light Tank, p 127, 143.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g Hunnicutt - Stuart: A History of the American Light Tank, p 496.
  21. ^ Hunnicutt - Stuart: A History of the American Light Tank, p 484.
  22. ^ Hunnicutt - Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank, p 528.
  23. ^ Hunnicutt - Firepower: A History of the American Heavy Tank, p 193, 194.
  24. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 108.
  25. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 71, 73.
  26. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 315.
  27. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 316.
  28. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 98.
  29. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 324.
  30. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 322.
  31. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 323.
  32. ^ Moschanskiy - Armored vehicles of the Great Britain 1939-1945 part 2, p 9.
  33. ^ Hunnicutt - Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank, p 34.
  34. ^ Hunnicutt - Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank, p 36, 40.
  35. ^ Hunnicutt - Stuart: A History of the American Light Tank, p 303.
  36. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 152.
  37. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 153.
  38. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 158.
  39. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 154, 155.
  40. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 160.
  41. ^ Hunnicutt - Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles, p 58.
  42. ^ PT108LilDuck.com.
  43. ^ Field Manual FM 23-81, 37-mm Gun, Tank, M6, p 45-51.

References

  • Chamberlain, Peter (1974). Anti-Tank Weapons. WWII Fact Files. Arco Publishing Company, New York. ISBN 0-668-03505-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Hogg, Ian V. (1998). Allied Artillery of World War Two. Crowood Press, Ramsbury. ISBN 1-86126-165-9. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Hunnicutt, R. P. (1988). Firepower: A History of the American Heavy Tank. Presidio Press. ISBN 0-89141-304-9. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Hunnicutt, R. P. (1992). Stuart: A History of the American Light Tank. Presidio Press. ISBN 0-89141-462-2. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Hunnicutt, R. P. (1994). Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank. Presidio Press. ISBN 0-89141-080-5. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Hunnicutt, R. P. (2002). Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles. Presidio Press. ISBN 0-89141-777-X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Moschanskiy, I. (1999). Armored vehicles of the Great Britain 1939-1945 part 2, Modelist-Konstruktor, Bronekollektsiya 1999-02 (Мощанский, И. (1999). Бронетанковая техника Великобритании 1939-1945 часть 2. Моделист-Конструктор, Бронеколлекция 1999-02. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)).
  • Rottman, Gordon (1995). The US Marine Corps 1941-45. Elite 59. illustrated by Mike Chapell. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-497-0. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Rottman, Gordon (2004). US Marine Corps Pacific Theater of Operations 1941-43. Battle Orders 1. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-518-X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Zaloga, Steven J. (2005). US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45. New Vanguard 107. illustrated by Brian Delf. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-690-9. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Field Manual FM 23-81, 37-mm Gun, Tank, M6. War Department, 1942. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Technical Manual TM 9-2005 volume 3, Infantry and Cavalry Accompanying Weapons. War Department, 1942. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • "History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II at HyperWar website". Retrieved 2007-07-01.
  • "The Marine Division at WW2Gyrene website". Retrieved 2007-07-01. "M3A1 37mm Antitank Gun at WW2Gyrene website". Retrieved 2007-07-01.
  • "PT-108 specs at PT108LilDuck.com website". Retrieved 2007-07-01.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to M3 37 mm gun.


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=37_mm_gun_M3&oldid=143458011"