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The US 75 mm gun was the standard American gun mounted to a mobile platform during World War II. They were primarily mounted on tanks but were also mounted on the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber aircraft. There were four variants used during the war: M2, M3, M5, and M6.

They were considered the standard American tank guns. The M2 and M3 were used on the Lee tank, the M3 was used on the Sherman tank, and the M6 was used on the Chaffee light tank. The M3 was also used on a prototype medium tank.

The M5 variant was fitted on the US B-25 Mitchell medium bomber aircraft.

History[edit]

The 75 mm tank gun has its origins in the famous French Canon de 75 modèle 1897 field gun of World War I fame^{[citation needed]}, which was also adopted by the United States and used well into World War II as the 75 mm M1897 field gun. The tank and field guns fired the same range of 75x350R ammunition.^{[citation needed]} The primary round was the 6.76 kg (14.9 lb) M48 high explosive round, which travelled at 625 m/s (2,050 ft/s) and contained 1.5 pounds (680 g) of TNT filling (2845 kilojoules of explosive energy) and a choice of two fuzes, the super quick (SQ) and the delay (PD), which had delays of 0.05 and 0.15 seconds respectively. SQ was the standard setting, with PD used against structures, gun positions or lightly protected vehicles. The field gun origins of the ordnance and ammunition ensured that the M2/3/6 series HE round was highly effective for its caliber. The M48 was available in two versions, standard and supercharge, which had an increased propellent charge for greater muzzle velocity (1,885 ft/s (575 m/s) vs. 1,470 ft/s (450 m/s)) and range (2,300 yards greater).

Other rounds fired by the 75 mm tank guns included the T30 canister shot for use against troops in the open at short range. This, which was essentially a giant shotgun shell full of large numbers of steel balls, was used primarily in the Pacific. There was also the M89 base-ejecting hexachloroethane (HC) smoke round and the M64 white phosphorus (WP or 'Willy Pete') round, which proved highly effective in the bocage fighting around Normandy.^{[citation needed]} Finally, there were two different armor-piercing rounds.

The first armor-piercing round was the 6.32 kg (13.9 lb) M72 AP-T, a plain uncapped armor-piercing round whose performance dropped off as range increased due to poor aerodynamics. The M72 was replaced by the 6.63 kg (14.62 lb) M61 armor-piercing capped ballistic capped high explosive with tracer (APCBC-HE-T) shell. The blunt armor-piercing cap, made of a softer metal, helped to prevent shell shatter at higher velocities and against sloped and face-hardened armor. The aerodynamic ballistic cap acted as a windscreen and improved ballistic performance, maintained velocity, and hence increased penetration at longer ranges. Once the projectile had penetrated the target, a small explosive charge contained in a cavity at the base of the shell would detonate, shattering the shell and increasing damage inside the enemy vehicle. The tracer helped in the aiming of a second shot. In practice, the majority of M61 rounds were shipped without the explosive filler.^{[citation needed]}

The M61A1 used an improved method of attaching the ballistic cap to the shell. The M61 had a muzzle velocity of 617 m/s (2024.28 ft/s) and was credited with the ability to penetrate 81 millimetres (3.2 in) of rolled homogeneous armor plate at 0° from vertical at 500 yards range, which was a quite acceptable performance by the standards of 1942. This ammunition type proved lethal to the Panzer III and IV (up to Ausf. F2), as these tanks were protected by a maximum of 50 mm of face-hardened armor with little slope, which the 75 mm M3 with M61 was capable of penetrating from at least 1,500 m.^[1] However, in March 1942, the Germans introduced the Ausf. G verson of the Panzer IV, which was armed with the 48-caliber long KwK 40 gun, and had frontal hull armour increased to 80 mm - however, its turret and gun mantlet retained their 50 mm thickness. This was somewhat compensated by the M4 Sherman's improved armor over the earlier M3 Lee making up for the 75mm M3's diminishing battlefield dominance; Wa Pruef 1 estimated that the M4's glacis was impenetrable to the KwK 40 when standing at a 30-degree side angle, while the 75 mm M3 could penetrate the Ausf G's hull from 100 m in the same situation.^[1]

British tanks in the early years of World War II relied on high-velocity, smaller-calibre anti-tank guns, such as the 40 mm calibre Ordnance QF 2 pounder and 57 mm calibre Ordnance QF 6 pounder, for their primary armament. As tank guns, these had the great disadvantage of either not having a truly effective HE round or not having an HE round at all. After experiencing the effectiveness of the American 75 mm tank guns in the infantry support role, the British opted to adopt the American caliber and ammunition by the expedient of boring-out the 6 pounder tank gun to make the Ordnance QF 75 mm. By 1944, this had become the standard British tank gun, equipping the Cromwell tank and Churchill tank for the campaigns in northwest Europe.

Variants[edit]

T6

Experimental anti-aircraft gun based on the M1897 field gun.^{[citation needed]} The barrel was shortened from 36 to 31 calibers, and the Nordenfelt screw breech replaced with the sliding block breech.

T7 / M2

Adaptation of the T6 for tank gun role. Used on the early M3 Lee.

• Barrel length: 31 calibers
• Muzzle velocity: 588 m/s (1,929 ft/s) with M72 AP shell

T8 / M3

Longer derivative of the M2. Equipped American and British vehicles such as the M4 Sherman, the later models of the M3 Lee and the Churchill III/IV (scavenged from General Sherman tanks in the North African theatre). The US Army also experimented with mounting the M3 on various wheeled carriages for use as anti-tank gun, but the program was cancelled due to a lack of requirement.^[2]

• Barrel length: 40 calibers
• Muzzle velocity: 619 m/s (2,031 ft/s) with M72 AP shell

M4

The 75 mm aircraft gun M4 is a modification of the M3 gun found in medium tanks. It differs from the M3 gun, only in having a seat for the spline machined in the tube. It was mounted on the M6 mount.

T13E1 / M5

A lightweight version of the M3 with a lighter thin-walled barrel and a different recoil mechanism that was used in the Douglas A-26 Invader and the B-25H Mitchell bomber. It uses the same ammunition and has the same ballistics as the M3.

M6

A version derived from the T13E1 for the M24 Chaffee.

• Barrel length: 39 calibres (2,92 m)
• Muzzle velocity: 619 m/s (2,031 ft/s) with M72 AP shell

Penetration comparison[edit]

See also[edit]

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era[edit]

• Ordnance QF 75 mm : contemporary British tank gun
• 7.5 cm KwK 40 : contemporary German tank gun
• F-34 tank gun : contemporary Soviet tank gun

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abJentz, Thomas; Doyle, Hilary (2001). Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. G, H and J 1942-45. Osprey Publishing. pp. 20–21. ISBN1841761826.
2. ^Zaloga, Delf - US Anti-tank Artillery 1941–45, pp. 8–9
3. ^Bird, Lorrin Rexford; Livingston, Robert D. (2001). WWII Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery. Overmatch Press. pp. 62–63.

Sources[edit]

• Zaloga, Steven J., Brian Delf - US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45 (2005) Osprey Publishing (New Vanguard 107), ISBN1-84176-690-9.
• TM 9-2800 Standard Artillery and Fire Control Material (dated February 1944)

External links[edit]

• Armor penetration table of US 75 mm M3 L/40 guns (search for Intelligence then Text Database of Penetration Data and select US guns)

The 8.8 cm KwK 36 (German: 8,8 cm Kampfwagenkanone 36) was an 88 mm tank gun used by the GermanArmy during World War II. This was the primary armament of the PzKpfw VI Tiger Itank. It was developed and built by Krupp.

Design[edit]

The KwK 36 was derived from the 8.8 cm FlaK 36 anti-aircraft gun by adapting/modifying it to the limited space available in tank turrets. Parts of the KwK 36 were built to practically the same design as the 7.5 cm and 5.0 cm guns already used in German tanks. The breech ring was square in section and 320 millimetres (13 in) on a side. The breech block was of vertical falling wedge type and operated semi-automatically, meaning that after firing the empty cartridge case was automatically ejected, while the breech cocked itself and remained open, ready to receive the next round.

The 'L56' in the designation is a traditional measurement for artillery pieces. 'L' refers to the length of the interior of a gun tube (or 'barrel') in proportion to the size of its bore, an important metric in determining a gun's relative performance for its bore size. The inside diameter of a gun tube is considered one caliber. The designation 'L56' means the barrel is 56 calibers long, or 56 times 88 mm = 4,928 mm; almost 5 metres (16 ft). Thus, it is not an absolute unit of measurement; it is a proportionate one, and thus is rarely used while considering overall dimensions. Rather, it is used to denote how much velocity a gun will generate for its bore size. The longer the tube is in relation to its bore, the higher the muzzle velocity it can generate. A longer gun barrel allows the expanding gas from the shell's charge to act on the projectile longer than a short barrel, imparting it more velocity and force. For the Tiger II's 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71, 71 times 88 mm is 6248 mm, over 6 metres (20 ft) long. Shorter tubes are most useful for indirect fire, such as howitzers or infantry support. For anti-armour purposes using traditional solid shot, a long to very-long tube is needed, to generate the necessary velocity.

Performance[edit]

The KwK 36 was very accurate and high-powered, and its high muzzle velocity produced a very flat trajectory. This allowed its gunners a higher margin of error in estimating range.

In British firing trials during the war, a British gunner scored five successive hits from 1,200 yards (1,100 m) at a 16-by-18-inch (41 by 46 cm) target. Another five rounds were fired at targets moving at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), and, although smoke obscured the gunners' observation, three hits were scored after directions given by the commander. The sighting system resulted in excellent firing accuracy for the 8.8 cm KwK 36 gun on the Tiger I.^[1]Dvb t meter software reviews.

Capability[edit]

The gun's performance was highly dependent on distance to target and type of ammunition loaded. For kinetic penetration, the speed of the projectile upon impact is crucial, and cumulative effect of air resistance decreases the velocity of the shell as the distance to the target increases. The accuracy achieved during controlled test firing to determine the pattern of dispersion gives a greater accuracy than the variation expected during practice firing on a range due to differences between guns, ammunition and gunners; both at precisely known distances.^[2]Due to errors in estimating the range and many other factors, the probability of a first shot hit under battlefield conditions was much lower than at the firing range. Observing the tracer from the first round in battle, the average, calm gunner might achieve the firing range accuracy shown in the second column with the second round fired at the same target. ^[2]

This gun used the same size 88 x 571R mm cartridge employed by the Flak 18/36/37.

Panzergranate 39 (PzGr. 39)[edit]

• Type: Armour-piercing, capped, ballistic cap (APCBC) projectile with explosive filler and tracer.
• Projectile weight: 10.20 kg (22.5 lb)
• Muzzle velocity: 773 m/s (2,540 ft/s)
• Explosive filler: 0.059 kg (0.13 lb)

PzGr. 40 (APCR)[edit]

• Type: Armour-piercing, composite rigid (APCR) projectile had a sub-calibre tungsten carbide core.
• Projectile weight: 7.30 kg (16.1 lb)
• Muzzle velocity: 930 m/s (3,100 ft/s)

Hl.39 (HEAT)[edit]

• Type: high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round with a shaped charge.
• Projectile weight: 7.65 kg (16.9 lb)
• Muzzle velocity: 600 m/s (2,000 ft/s)

Sprgr. L/45 (HE)[edit]

• Type: high explosive (HE) round
• Projectile weight: 9.3kg (20.5 lb)
• Explosive filler: 0.9 kg of amatol (3765 Kilojoules)^[3]

Penetration comparison[edit]

See also[edit]

• 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 - the direct successor to this gun, and the one mounted on the Tiger II
• 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41, the prominent anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapon the 8.8 cm KwK 36 is often confused with.

Weapons of comparable role, performance, and era[edit]

• British Ordnance QF 17-pounder
• Soviet 85 mm D-5T/ZiS-S-53
• United States 90 mm Gun M3

References[edit]

1. ^ Green, 2005, p. 121
2. ^ ^abcdeJentz, 1996, p. 9
3. ^German Explosive Ordnance (Projectiles and Projectile Fuzes) - Department of the Army Technical Manual TM-9-1985-3. 1953. p. 445 https://archive.org/details/TM9-1985-3.
4. ^Bird, Lorrin Rexford; Livingston, Robert D. (2001). WWII Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery. Overmatch Press. p. 61.

Bibliography[edit]

• Green Michael, Panzers at War. London: Zenith Press, 2005. ISBN0-7603-2152-3
• Thomas L. Jentz, Germany's Tiger Tanks: Tiger I and Tiger II - Combat Tactics. London: Schiffer Publishing, 1996. ISBN0-7643-0225-6

External links[edit]