Vickers Model 1931

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Vickers Model 1931
VickersModel1931.JPG
Romanian-produced 75mm Vickers anti-aircraft gun model 1936/39 displayed in "King Ferdinand" National Military Museum, Bucharest
Type Anti-aircraft gun
Place of originFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Service history
In service1937 – 1950s
Used by
List of operators
Wars World War II
Production history
Designer Vickers
Designed~ 1931
Manufacturer Vickers
Reșița
Developed into 75 mm Reșița Model 1943
(Using rifling and cartridge chamber)
Produced1931 – 1944
VariantsSee § Variants
Specifications
Mass2,825 kg (6,228 lb)
Barrel  length
Depend on user
  • Danish guns:
    • Overall:
      3.652 m (12 ft 0 in)
      L/48.7
    • Bore:
      3.375 m (11 ft 1 in)
      L/45
  • Dutch guns:
    • Overall:
      3.225 m (10 ft 7 in)
      L/43
    • Bore:
      3 m (9 ft 10 in)
      L/40
  • Finnish guns: [1]
    • Overall:
      3.429 m (11 ft 3 in)
      L/45
    • Bore:
      2.98 m (9 ft 9 in)
      L/39.1
  • Romanian guns:
    • Overall:
      3.375 m (11 ft 1 in)
      L/45
    • Bore:
      3.225 m (10 ft 7 in)
      L/43
Shell
  • Most users:
    75×495mmR [3]
  • Romainia:
    75×561mmR [3]
  • Finland:
    76.2×505mmR [1] [3]
Shell weight6.5 kg (14 lb 5 oz) (HE)
Calibre 75 mm (3 in)
Action Semi-automatic
Carriage Cruciform
Elevation 0° to +90°
Traverse 360°
Rate of fire 12 rpm
Muzzle velocity 750 m/s (2,500 ft/s)
Effective firing range5 km (3.1 mi) slant range
Maximum firing range10 km (33,000 ft) ceiling

The Vickers Model 1931 was a British anti-aircraft gun used during the Second World War. The design was rejected by the British and Vickers exported the gun worldwide during the 1930s.

Contents

Design

The cruciform carriage had two pneumatic or solid rubber wheels that were removable. Two legs locked together for transport and the barrel was secured to them. The other two legs folded in half and were elevated almost vertically into the air. [note 1] [2]

Operational history

Romania

Bungescu M1938 Fire-control system, used for the Romanian-made guns Bungescu M1938 FCS.jpg
Bungescu M1938 Fire-control system, used for the Romanian-made guns

Romania bought a license for 100 in 1936, although hundreds more were built during the war. [2] [4] The second batch of 100 pieces was started in July 1941, [2] [5] the production rate being of 5 pieces per month as of October 1942. [2] [6]

Finland

Finnish 76 ItK/34 V Vickers 76 ItK 34 V Imatralla 1943.jpg
Finnish 76 ItK/34 V

Finland bought a dozen to help reduce balance of payment problems with the British in 1936. The Finnish guns, designated 76mm ItK/34 V, were chambered in their standard 76.2 mm (3 in) caliber. [1] [3]

Others

Denmark also bought a license, designating it as 75 mm lange luftværnskanon model 1932. [7] Belgium, the Netherlands, [8] Lithuania, Turkey, Switzerland and China bought numbers of guns directly from Vickers.

During World War II, those weapons captured after the German conquest of Europe were taken into Wehrmacht service as the 7.5 cm Flak M.35 (b) (Beligian guns), 7.5 cm Flak M.35 (d) (Danish guns) or 7.5 cm Flak M.35 (h) (Dutch guns). Similarly the Soviet Union used those guns it captured from Lithuania after the occupation of the Baltic states in 1940. Supposedly it saw limited British service with Home Defense "barrage units" in 1940 – 1943. [9]

Variants

See also

75 mm Reșița Model 1943 — AT gun using major elements of the: 75 mm Vickers/Reșița Model 1936 (Vickers Model 31)

Notes

  1. ↑ See the Romanian reference to see exactly how it looked.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "76 ItK/34 V, Vickers". www.jaegerplatoon.net. 23 September 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "75mm Vickers antiaircraft gun model 1936/39". www.worldwar2.ro. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "75-77 MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Archived from the original on 17 January 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
    Updated: "75 mm CALIBRE CARTRIDGES". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
  4. ↑ Axworthy, p. 30
  5. ↑ Axworthy, p. 30
  6. ↑ Axworthy, p. 75
  7. ↑ "Armata przeciwlotnicza 75 mm 49 kaliber lange luftværnskanon Model 1932". www.dws-xip.com. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  8. ↑ "Armata przeciwlotnicza Kanon van 7.5 tl. No. 1". www.dws-xip.com. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  9. ↑ Gander and Chamberlain, p. 163

Bibliography

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