| 37mm Gun M1A2 on Carriage M3 | |
|---|---|
37mm antiaircraft gun in the Solomon Islands. | |
| Type | Anti-aircraft autocannon |
| Place of origin | USA |
| Service history | |
| Used by | USA |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | John M. Browning and the Colt company |
| Produced | 1939–? |
| No. built | 7,278 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 2,780 kg (6,130 lb) |
| Barrel length | bore: 2 m (6.56 ft) / 54 calibers |
| Width | 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Height | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) [1] |
| Shell | Fixed QF 37×223mmSR |
| Shell weight | .6 kg (1 lb 5 oz) |
| Caliber | 37 mm (1.45 in) |
| Breech | vertical block |
| Carriage | four-wheeled trailer |
| Elevation | -5° to + 90° |
| Traverse | 360° [1] |
| Rate of fire | 120 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 792 m/s (2,598 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 3,200 m (3,499 yds) |
| Maximum firing range | 8,275 m (9,049 yds) [1] |
The 37mm Gun M1 was an anti-aircraft autocannon developed in the United States. It was used by the US Army in World War II.
Anti-aircraft warfare or counter-air defence is defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action". They include surface based, subsurface, and air-based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be used to protect naval, ground, and air forces in any location. However, for most countries the main effort has tended to be 'homeland defence'. NATO refers to airborne air defence as counter-air and naval air defence as anti-aircraft warfare. Missile defence is an extension of air defence as are initiatives to adapt air defence to the task of intercepting any projectile in flight.
An autocannon or automatic cannon is a large, fully automatic, rapid-fire projectile weapon that fires armour-piercing or explosive shells, as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger calibre than a machine gun, but are usually smaller than a field gun or other artillery. When used on its own, the word "autocannon" indicates a single-barrel weapon. When multiple rotating barrels are involved, the word "rotary" is added, and such a weapon is referred to as a "rotary autocannon". Modern autocannons are typically not single soldier-portable or stand-alone units, rather they are usually vehicle-mounted, aircraft-mounted, or boat-mounted, or even remote-operated as in some naval applications. As such, ammunition is typically fed from a belt to reduce reloading or for a faster rate of fire, but a magazine remains an option. They can use a variety of ammunition: common shells include high-explosive dual-purpose types (HEDP), any variety of armour-piercing (AP) types, such as composite rigid (APCR) or discarding sabot types (APDS).
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution. As the oldest and most senior branch of the U.S. military in order of precedence, the modern U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army, which was formed to fight the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783)—before the United States of America was established as a country. After the Revolutionary War, the Congress of the Confederation created the United States Army on 3 June 1784 to replace the disbanded Continental Army. The United States Army considers itself descended from the Continental Army, and dates its institutional inception from the origin of that armed force in 1775.
Contents
- Components
- Ammunition
- Variants
- Comparison of anti-aircraft guns
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
In addition to the towed variant, the gun was mounted, with two M2 machine guns, on the M2/M3 half-track, resulting in the T28/T28E1/M15/M15A1 series of multiple gun motor carriages.
The M3 Half-track, known officially as the Carrier, Personnel Half-track M3, is an American armored personnel carrier half-track widely used by the Allies during World War II and in the Cold War. Derived from the M2 Half Track Car, which was developed from the Citroen-Kégresse half-track, the slightly longer M3 was extensively produced, with about 15,000 units and more than 50,000 derivative variants manufactured.
A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels at the front for steering and continuous tracks at the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cross-country capabilities of a tank and the handling of a wheeled vehicle.
In early World War II, each Army Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Auto-Weapons battalion was authorized a total of thirty-two 37 mm guns in its four firing batteries, plus other weapons. [2]
During World War II the 37 mm gun M1 was deployed in coast defense Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat Batteries (AMTB) alongside 90 mm guns, usually four 90 mm and two 37 mm guns per battery. Some AMTB batteries consisted of four 37 mm guns, but most sources have little information on these batteries. In the later part of the war the 37 mm gun was typically replaced by the 40 mm Bofors gun M1. [3]
Seacoast defense was a major concern for the United States from its independence until World War II. Before airplanes, America's enemies could only reach her from the sea, making coastal forts an economical alternative to standing armies or a large navy. After the 1940s, it was recognized that fixed fortifications were obsolete and ineffective against aircraft and missiles. However, in prior eras foreign fleets were a realistic threat, and substantial fortifications were built at key locations, especially protecting major harbors.
Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy. The 'motor' in the formal designation, referring to the use of petrol engines, was to distinguish them from the majority of other naval craft that used steam turbines or reciprocating steam engines.
The 90–mm Gun M1/M2/M3 is an American heavy anti-aircraft and anti-tank gun, playing a role similar to the German 8.8cm Flak 18. It had a 3.5 in (90 mm) diameter bore, and a 15 ft (4.6 m) barrel, giving it a 50 caliber length. It was capable of firing a 3.5 in × 23.6 in shell 62,474 ft (19,042 m) horizontally, or a maximum altitude of 43,500 ft (13,300 m), the M1 can pierce 9 inches of armor at 1,000 yards with APFSDS ammunition.
