The Japanese collection of Pavel Cherepanov is replenished with another piece of artillery - a miniature anti-tank gun Type 94. MODEL SOLD!
The Type 94 anti-tank gun was developed to replace the obsolete Type 11 Model 1922 37mm infantry gun, which was too primitive. Short-barreled, slow to reload, with a low muzzle velocity, without a shield, the Model 22 gun was not suitable for fighting tanks. Development of the new gun began in July 1933. The new model was presented in 1934 (2594 in Japanese chronology), and the very first tests showed that the prepared crew could fire 30 shells per minute! However, the army leadership found the first option too difficult and sent it for revision. The new version was ready in 1935, and put into service in 1936, however, they decided not to change the original name Type 94. In total, about 3,400 units were produced.
One surviving example is at the Missouri Yacht Club, Lake Lotawana, MO. Another one is in St. Petersburg, in the Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps.
The Type 94 gun is based on the German Rheinmetal-Borsig “mallet”, 3.7 cm PaK 36, several samples of which were purchased in Germany.
The gun had a very low profile; it had to be fired on your knees, or even while lying down. The bolt had a semi-automatic cartridge ejection system. Valve type: horizontal wedge. The shield provided protection for the crew from bullets and shrapnel. Sliding frames with coulters contributed to a significant angle of horizontal fire of the gun and its stability during firing. The weapon was disassembled into four parts for transportation by pack animals. The gun had a direct telescopic sight and could fire both armor-piercing and high-explosive fragmentation shells. Elevation: -10° +25°, firing angle 60°. The initial projectile speed is 600 m/s. Effective range 2870 m. Weight 324 kg.
Four-gun batteries were assigned to each infantry regiment. Calculation of 11 people. Army leadership claimed that the armor penetration of the gun was 20 mm at a range of 1000 m, and 40 mm at close range. However, this may be an exaggeration, and in real combat conditions such figures were difficult to achieve. This weapon was quite effective against Soviet tanks at Khalkhin Gol (according to Japanese data), but was useless in a duel with the Sherman, although it continued to be used throughout the war due to the lack of more effective anti-tank weapons.
Type 94 gun in St. Petersburg, photo from here
ASSEMBLY
Elementary, made of ten parts. The resin set itself - from the company 5.45 - is of quite acceptable quality.
COLORING
Also quite standard: Tamiya primer, base coat - Japanese brown khaki (a mixture of Tamiya XF-49 Khaki + XF-62 Flat Earth). Tinting - filter, wash, chips, abrasions to bare metal (AK Interactive Dark Steel pigment and GSI Creos metallics: Chrome Silver, Dark Iron), dust and rust - MIG pigments.
USED MATERIALS:
5.45 - A034 37 mm Japanese Type-94 anti-tank gun.
Soviet anti-aircraft artillery played a very important role in the Great Patriotic War. According to official data, during the fighting, 21,645 aircraft were shot down by ground-based air defense systems of the ground forces, including 4,047 aircraft by anti-aircraft guns of 76 mm caliber or more, and 14,657 aircraft by anti-aircraft guns.
In addition to fighting enemy aircraft, anti-aircraft guns, if necessary, often fired at ground targets. For example, in the Battle of Kursk, 15 anti-tank artillery divisions took part in twelve 85-mm anti-aircraft guns. This measure, of course, was forced, since anti-aircraft guns were much more expensive, had less mobility, and were more difficult to camouflage.
The number of anti-aircraft guns continuously increased during the war. The increase in small-caliber anti-aircraft guns was especially significant; on January 1, 1942, there were about 1,600 37-mm anti-aircraft guns, and on January 1, 1945, there were about 19,800 guns. However, despite the quantitative increase in anti-aircraft guns, during the war the USSR never created self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (ZSU) capable of accompanying and covering tanks.
Partly, the need for such vehicles was satisfied by the American quad 12.7-mm M17 self-propelled guns received under Lend-Lease, which were mounted on the chassis of the M3 half-track armored personnel carrier.
These ZSUs have proven to be a very effective means of protecting tank units and formations on the march from air attack. In addition, M17s were successfully used during battles in cities, delivering heavy fire on the upper floors of buildings.
The task of covering troops on the march was assigned mainly to anti-aircraft machine gun mounts (ZPU) of 7.62-12.7 mm caliber, mounted on trucks.
Mass production of the 25-mm 72-K assault rifle, adopted for service in 1940, began only in the second half of the war due to difficulties in mastering mass production. A number of design solutions for the 72-K anti-aircraft gun were borrowed from the 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun mod. 1939 61-K.
Anti-aircraft machine gun 72-K
The 72-K anti-aircraft guns were intended for air defense at the rifle regiment level and in the Red Army occupied an intermediate position between the large-caliber DShK anti-aircraft machine guns and the more powerful 37-mm 61-K anti-aircraft guns. They were also installed on trucks, but in much smaller quantities.
Anti-aircraft machine gun 72-K in the back of a truck
72-K anti-aircraft guns and twin 94-KM guns based on them were used against low-flying and diving targets. In terms of the number of copies produced, they were much inferior to 37 mm machine guns.
94-KM units on trucks
The creation of an anti-aircraft machine gun of this caliber with clip-on loading does not seem entirely justified. The use of clip-on loading for a small-caliber anti-aircraft machine gun greatly reduced the practical rate of fire, being slightly superior in this indicator to the 37-mm 61-K machine gun. But at the same time, it is much inferior to it in terms of range, altitude and damaging effect of the projectile. The cost of producing the 25mm 72-K was not much less than the cost of producing the 37mm 61-K.
The installation of the rotating part of the gun on a non-detachable four-wheeled vehicle has been the subject of criticism based on comparisons with similar class foreign anti-aircraft guns.
However, it should be noted that the 25mm shell itself was not bad. At a distance of 500 meters, an armor-piercing projectile weighing 280 g, with an initial speed of 900 m/s, normally penetrated 30 mm armor.
When creating a belt-fed installation, it was quite possible to achieve a high rate of fire, which was done after the war in 25-mm anti-aircraft machine guns created for the Navy.
With the end of the war in 1945, production of the 72-K was discontinued, however, they continued to be in service until the early 60s, until they were replaced by the 23 mm ZU-23-2.
The 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun of the 1939 model 61-K, created on the basis of the Swedish 40-mm Bofors gun, became much more widespread.
The 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun of the 1939 model is a single-barrel small-caliber automatic anti-aircraft gun on a four-frame carriage with an inseparable four-wheel drive.
The gun's automatic operation is based on the use of recoil force according to a scheme with a short recoil of the barrel. All actions necessary to fire a shot (opening the bolt after firing with extracting the cartridge case, cocking the firing pin, feeding cartridges into the chamber, closing the bolt and releasing the firing pin) are performed automatically. Aiming, aiming the gun and feeding clips of cartridges into the magazine are carried out manually.
According to the gun service manual, its main task was to combat air targets at ranges of up to 4 km and at altitudes of up to 3 km. If necessary, the gun can be successfully used to fire at ground targets, including tanks and armored vehicles.
61-K during the Great Patriotic War were the main means of air defense of Soviet troops in the front line.
During the war years, industry supplied the Red Army with more than 22,600 37-mm anti-aircraft guns mod. 1939. In addition, at the final stage of the war, the SU-37 anti-aircraft self-propelled gun, created on the basis of the SU-76M self-propelled gun and armed with a 37-mm 61-K anti-aircraft gun, began to arrive in service.
anti-aircraft self-propelled guns SU-37
In order to increase the density of anti-aircraft fire at the end of the war, a two-gun B-47 installation was developed, consisting of two 61-K machine guns on a four-wheeled cart.
twin-gun B-47
Despite the fact that production of the 61-K was completed in 1946, they remained in service for a very long time and took part in numerous wars on all continents.
37-mm anti-aircraft guns mod. 1939 were actively used during the Korean War by both North Korean and Chinese units. Based on the results of use, the weapon proved itself to be positive, but in a number of cases an insufficient firing range was noted. As an example, the battle in September 1952 of 36 P-51 aircraft with the 61-K division is given, as a result of which 8 aircraft were shot down (according to Soviet data), and the division’s losses amounted to one gun and 12 people from the crew.
In the post-war years, the weapon was exported to dozens of countries around the world, in the armies of many of which it is still in service today. In addition to the USSR, the gun was produced in Poland, as well as in China under the designation Type 55. In addition, in China, on the basis of the Type 69 tank, the Type 88 self-propelled twin anti-aircraft gun was created.
The 61-K was also actively used during the Vietnam War (in this case, a semi-makeshift twin self-propelled anti-aircraft gun based on the T-34 tank, known as Type 63, was used). 37-mm guns mod. 1939 and during the Arab-Israeli wars, as well as during various armed conflicts in Africa and other regions of the world.
This anti-aircraft gun is perhaps the most “belligerent” in terms of the number of armed conflicts where it was used. The exact number of aircraft shot down by it is not known, but we can say that it is significantly more than that of any other anti-aircraft gun.
The only medium-caliber anti-aircraft gun produced in wartime in the USSR was the 85-mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1939
During the war, in 1943, in order to reduce the cost of production and increase the reliability of the gun mechanisms, regardless of the elevation angle, a modernized 85-mm gun mod. 1939 with semi-automatic copying, automatic speed control and simplified units.
In February 1944 This gun, which received the factory index KS-12, went into mass production.
In 1944, the 85-mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1944 (KS -1). It was obtained by placing a new 85-mm barrel on the carriage of an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1939 The purpose of modernization was to increase the survivability of the barrel and reduce the cost of production. The KS-1 was accepted into service on July 2, 1945.
anti-aircraft 85-mm gun KS-1
To aim the gun according to the PUAZO data, receiving devices are installed, connected by synchronous communication with the PUAZO. Installation of fuses with the help of a fuze installer is carried out according to PUAZO data or at the command of the commander of the 85 mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1939 was equipped with PUAZO-Z receiving devices, and the 85-mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1944 – PUAZO-4A.
Rangefinder calculation of PUAZO-3
At the beginning of 1947, a new 85-mm anti-aircraft gun KS-18 arrived for testing.
The KS-18 gun was a four-wheeled platform weighing 3600 kg with a torsion bar suspension, on which a machine with a gun weighing 3300 kg was mounted. The gun was equipped with a tray and a shell rammer. Thanks to the increased barrel length and the use of a more powerful charge, the altitude target engagement zone was increased from 8 to 12 km. The KS-18 chamber was identical to the 85 mm D-44 anti-tank gun.
The gun was equipped with a synchronous servo drive and PUAZO-6 receiving devices.
The KS-18 gun was recommended for service with military anti-aircraft artillery and RVK anti-aircraft artillery instead of 85-mm anti-aircraft guns mod. 1939 and arr. 1944
In total, over the years of production, more than 14,000 85-mm anti-aircraft guns of all modifications were produced. In the post-war period, they were in service with anti-aircraft artillery regiments, artillery divisions (brigades), armies and RVK, and corps anti-aircraft artillery regiments (divisions) of military anti-aircraft artillery.
85-mm anti-aircraft guns took an active part in the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, where they performed well. The barrage of these guns often forced American pilots to move to low altitudes, where they came under fire from small-caliber anti-aircraft guns.
85-mm anti-aircraft guns were in service in the USSR until the mid-60s, until they were replaced by anti-aircraft missile systems in the air defense forces.
Based on materials:
Shirokorad A. B. Encyclopedia of domestic artillery.
http://www.telenir.net/transport_i_aviacija/tehnika_i_vooruzhenie_1998_07/p6.php
37-mm fragmentation tracer grenade model 18, modernized 3.7 cm Sprgr. 18 umg.
Weight 620 grams, length 128.5 mm
Head fuze AZ39: 
37-mm fragmentation-tracer grenade model 18 3.7 cm Sprgr. 18
37-mm fragmentation-tracer grenade model 40 3.7 cm Gr. 40
From a German dugout
Split mock-up 3.7 cm Sprenggranate 40 with Aufschlagzünder 39 head fuze
37 mm armor-piercing tracer projectile 3.7 cm Pzgr.
Scheme from Johnny (link)
37-mm armor-piercing tracer projectile model 40 "3.7 cm Pzgr. 40" A
37-mm training armor-piercing sabot projectile model 40 "3.7 cm Pzgr 40 Üb"
Over-caliber cumulative projectile (mine) 3.7cm Stiel-Gr. 41
The projectile is transported in a special closure, inside a stamped frame (so as not to crush the stabilizer feathers). A special expelling charge is inserted into the same frame - 210 grams of nitroglycyrine tubular powder in a standard 6331 St cartridge case. . Case dimensions: height 765 mm, diameter 225 mm. Empty case weight: 7.65 kg. The full closure weighs 16.85 kilograms.
Marking - Mun. 3.7cm Pak. (Stiel-Gr)- printed on the lid and side surface of the case. 
Case for all caliber projectiles solid brass, index 6331, or brass steel, index 6331 St., or prefabricated, index 6331/67.
Sleeve dimensions: length 250 mm, flange diameter 51.5 mm.
Ignition medium- capsule impact bushing mod. С/13 nA or С/13 nA St. All cartridges after replacing the primer impact sleeve mod. С/13 nA or С/13 nA St. to electric ignition arr. S/23 or S/23 St. can be used to fire from a 3.7cm KWK tank gun.
Capping- cartridges, 12 pcs. each, sealed in metal trays. Tray dimensions: length 380 mm, width 120 mm and height 365 mm. Empty tray weight 5.6 kg. The weight of the tray containing cartridges with modernized fragmentation tracer grenades model 18 or with fragmentation tracer grenades model 40 is 20.5 kg. The same, with armor-piercing tracer shells - 21.5 kg. The same, with armor-piercing tracer shells model 40 - 17.5 kg.
Marking - Patr. 37 cm Pak. - printed on the lid of the tray.
As a closure, in addition to a metal tray, a wicker is used, into which a canvas bag with 11 cartridges is placed.
Arrangement of prefabricated sleeve 6331/67 
The difference between 3.7 PAK and FLAK sleeves is that FLAK sleeves are non-separable and they have an annular bottom stop:
Shot for FLAK and bottom stamps on its cartridge case
Specialized anti-tank artillery was invented in Germany at the end of the First World War. It is not surprising that German anti-tank guns became one of the most famous weapons of their class. At one time, it was the German gun that served as the model for the creation of the famous Soviet “forty-five”. And the use of German 3.7 in Spaincm Pak became the impetus for the development of tanks with anti-ballistic armor in the USSR. But a truly powerful impetus for strengthening the armor of tanks was given by a completely different gun, created in neutral Sweden. On the battlefields, Swedish 37-mm anti-tank guns were noted in Spain, and were used until the very end of World War II.
Anti-tank bestseller
Bofors AB, located in Karlskoga, has a long history. The arms business was started here at the end of the 19th century, and the well-known Alfred Nobel gave the company a strong impetus for development in this direction. At that time, one of the main competitors of Bofors was the German concern Krupp, which supplied gun systems to the Swedish army.
The relationship between the two companies began to develop completely differently after the end of the First World War. According to the Treaty of Versailles, Germany could not produce and sell new weapons, and cooperation with Bofors turned out to be an excellent way out of the situation in such conditions. The first joint deal between Bofors and Krupp took place already in 1919, and every year the cooperation between yesterday's competitors only expanded. By the end of the 20s, the Krupp concern owned a third of Bofors shares.
Captured Polish anti-tank gun Armata przeciwpancerna 37 mm wz. 36 Bofors being tested in the Soviet Union, winter 1941
Both sides benefited significantly from this cooperation. Krupp took advantage of a loophole that allowed it to circumvent the Treaty of Versailles and develop new weapons. But the Swedes received even greater dividends. Not only was the German gun giant forced to share its technology, but cooperation with it brought Bofors to foreign markets. Unlike another Swedish arms manufacturer, Landsverk, which only by the end of the 30s was able to begin small-scale export deliveries of L-60 tanks to individual countries, the name of Bofors by this time was resounding throughout the world. As, in fact, are her weapons.
Swedish guns were supplied to many countries around the world and were in no way inferior to their foreign counterparts. Moreover, some Bofors guns turned out to be so breakthrough in design that they became role models. And even in the field of tank development, Bofors turned out to be more successful than Landsverk, which specialized in armored vehicles. Tank turrets developed in Karlskoga were used on Polish 7TP tanks and Finnish Vickers Mk.E tanks, and not in single copies.
The same gun, left view. The arrow indicates the beam for fastening the frames in a traveling manner
One of the results of Bofors' collaboration with Krupp was a 37 mm anti-tank gun. It must be said that both companies have been working on anti-tank guns since 1921, but then the guns, which had a caliber of 37–47 mm, turned out to be unsuccessful. Things went better in the early 30s.
The history of the creation of the Swedish anti-tank gun is directly related to the Swedish tank program, which, in turn, was also supported by the Germans. The Landsverk 10 and Landsverk 30 tanks received turrets that easily resembled the turret installed on the German light tanks Leichttraktor Krupp and Leichttraktor Rheinmetall. The 37-mm 3.7 cm Tak gun developed by Rheinmetall was also adopted by Swedish tanks. However, already at this stage the Swedes made quite serious changes to the design. The gun, designated 37 mm K. fm/32, had a bolt that moved not in a horizontal plane, like the Germans, but in a vertical plane, and there were differences in smaller details. However, this gun had German roots.
Rear view of the gun. The pillows on which the gunner and one of the loaders lay in the combat position are clearly visible.
Obviously, the area of use of the tank gun itself was quite narrow. Therefore, on its basis, Bofors designers simultaneously developed an infantry towed gun, the first prototype of which appeared simultaneously with the tank gun, in 1932. The infantry gun, like the tank gun, was designated 37 mm K. fm/32. By and large, this was an adaptation of the same tank gun for use by infantry, and specifically in the role of an anti-tank weapon.
Testing a gun on a cart behind a truck
The design of the gun was significantly different from the German 37 mm cannon. The first version of the gun had one frame, on which there was a special cushion. The gunner lay on top of her in a combat position. 13 of these guns were purchased by China in 1933.
In the same year, an improved version of the gun appeared, which received a gun shield located at a greater angle. There are two Staninas. Denmark became interested in the new product: in 1933, the local company Madsen acquired a license to produce 37 mm K. fm/32.
A year later, Bofors launched a modernized version of the gun, designated 37 mm K. fm/32–34, for testing. Several variants of gun shields were tested, after which a version with folding lower sections, known as the 37 mm infanterikanon m/34, was adopted by the Swedish army.
A gun with the shield removed, the guidance mechanisms and machine are clearly visible
In 1935, the Poles became interested in the Swedish anti-tank gun. Powerful and lightweight, it was also perfect for use as a tank, which is not at all surprising given its background described above. Poland acquired a license to produce the gun, which received the local designation Armata przeciwpancerna 37 mm wz. 36 Bofors. In addition, the Poles purchased 300 Swedish-made guns directly from Bofors.
Licensed production of the gun was organized at the SMPzA (Stowarzyszenie Mechanikуw Polskich z Ameryki) plant in Pruszków, southwest of Warsaw. Polish guns differed minimally from Swedish ones. The most noticeable change was the different tires.
In addition to equipping their own army with licensed guns, the Poles themselves exported them. For example, 24 guns were delivered to Spain, where they were used by the Republicans during the Civil War.
Disassembled gun body
After the Polish order, Bofors received others. 12 guns were bought by Holland in 1937. Surprisingly, the British placed a very large order for these guns. They purchased 250 guns for Sudan under their control, where they received the designation Ordnance QF 37 mm Mk I.
The Swedish army acquired only twelve 37 mm infanterikanon m/34, which entered service in 1935. Much more significant was the order for the modernized 37 mm pvkan (pansarvärnskanon) m/38 cannon. (You can see a detailed photo review of its preserved copies in the Swedish Arsenalen Museum). The volume of purchases of this modification, which began in 1939, amounted to 491 units.
Muzzle brake close-up. Its presence was rather a disadvantage, since when firing this detail unmasked the position of the anti-tank crews
By the beginning of World War II, the Bofors brainchild turned out to be the most popular anti-tank gun exported. Poland alone had a total of about 1,200 such guns. Such mass saturation could not but affect the general course of hostilities. Armata przeciwpancerna 37 mm wz. 36 Bofors and its tank version, mounted on the 7TP, turned out to be the main opponents of German tanks in September 1939. As a result of the Polish campaign, the Germans lost 819 tanks (236 of them irretrievably), and this was in just a month of fighting. Swedish-Polish anti-tank guns clearly showed the German military that the protection against 20-mm automatic guns, which they began to develop following the battles in Spain, was clearly insufficient. It became obvious that the armor of the tanks should be strengthened even more.
Better late than never
The Red Army first became acquainted with Swedish anti-tank guns during the Polish campaign, which began on September 17, 1939. However, then there are no conclusions regarding the combat qualities of the Armata przeciwpancerna 37 mm wz. 36 Bofors failed. The reason is trivial - there were practically no military clashes involving these guns.
A relatively small number of Polish anti-tank guns were captured during the fighting. There is information that in 1941 these guns were already used by units of the Red Army, but the author does not have any details of the battles with their use. It is reliably known that Polish guns were indeed used in the Red Army, including for arming armored trains, but these were 75-mm guns (in fact, former French 75-mm field guns model 1897).
Right view of the semi-automatic system
Again, the Soviet troops had to face the Bofors anti-tank creations just a few months later. These guns turned out to be the most dangerous opponents for Soviet tanks during the assault on the Mannerheim Line. During the period from November 30, 1939 to March 13, 1940, 955 Soviet tanks and armored vehicles were hit by artillery fire, while irreparable losses for all reasons amounted to 368 vehicles. A significant part of these losses was caused precisely by the fire of Swedish anti-tank guns. Marks from their shells were also found on the armor of the KV and T-100 heavy tanks used in combat.
The result of the battles in Finland was that shielding began to be installed on T-26 and T-28 tanks. At the same time, work began on creating a light tank with projectile-proof armor, which led to the appearance of the T-50. The Soviet military leadership received a lesson that the time of tanks with bulletproof armor on the battlefield was coming to an end.
Front view of the upper and lower machine of the system. It is clearly visible that the handle for turning the gun in the horizontal plane is located on the lower machine
Despite the fact that the Swedish cannon was at that time the main anti-tank weapon of the Finns, the almost identical Polish cannon, which was at the disposal of Soviet specialists, remained unnoticed by them. This is true at least for employees of the Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army (GAU KA). They only got their hands on a Polish cannon in the winter of 1941.
In February-March 1941, tests of the captured “37-mm Polish anti-tank gun model 1936” were carried out at the Gorokhovets Artillery Scientific Testing Experimental Site (ANIOP). In addition to a detailed technical description, ANIOP specialists conducted full fire tests in the amount of 384 rounds. In addition, cart tests were carried out. In total, the gun was transported behind a ZIS-5 truck over a distance of 200 kilometers.
The Polish gun was compared with similar Soviet-made guns - the 37-mm anti-tank gun model 1930 and the 45-mm anti-tank gun model 1930. 1932.
Beds with cushions removed
Based on the results of studying the design of the captured gun, a number of conclusions were drawn:
"1. The 37-mm captured Polish PTO gun model 1936 is one of the newest weapons of modern foreign armies.
<…>
3. Our domestic 37 mm PTO gun model 1930 meets the tactical and technical requirements for modern systems less fully than the 37 mm Polish gun model 1936.
5. The design of the 37-mm Polish captured PTO cannon model 1936 and some of its individual parts and mechanisms (shield cover, lever release of the firing mechanism, recoil brake rod, gland brake device), as well as the powder charge for the shot, represent of undoubted interest for our designers and for industry.”
Wheels were the main difference between the Polish anti-tank gun and the Swedish one. On the Swedish 37 mm pvkan m/38, the protector left a characteristic mark on the ground in the form of the letters HOHOHOHO
At the same time, it should be noted that by that time the domestic 37-mm anti-tank gun model 1930, which was clearly inferior to the Swedish-Polish model, had almost disappeared from the troops. In addition, the massive 45-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1932 at the beginning of 1941 was no longer the most modern domestic system. At the end of 1936, it was decided to begin mass production of the modernized 53-K system, also known as the 45-mm anti-tank gun model 1937, which was equivalent in armor penetration to its predecessor, but was structurally more successful.
Optical sight
A more important parameter than design features for an anti-tank gun was armor penetration, but with this the Swedish-Polish gun was not all right. During comparative firing, the Soviet 45-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1932 penetrated armor 40 mm thick at a distance of 800 meters when installed at a right angle, and at a distance of 400 meters when installed at an angle of 30 degrees. This, by the way, was already considered unsatisfactory by the GAU KA, which was the reason for the start of work on the 57-mm ZIS-2 anti-tank gun. In addition, during the firing, 45-mm anti-tank missiles mod. 1932 showed satisfactory results in terms of strength.
As for the Soviet and Polish 37 mm guns, their results turned out to be much more modest. Under similar conditions, they confidently pierced armor plates only 16–20 mm thick, and the Soviet gun showed more successful results. The fact is that when the armor was penetrated, the shell of the 37-mm anti-tank gun model 1930 remained intact, but the shot from the Polish cannon shattered when the armor was penetrated.
Shells from Polish (a), Japanese (b) and Soviet (c) anti-tank guns. The similarities between Soviet and Swedish-Polish shells are obvious. After all, they have one German “ancestor”
In their conclusion, ANIOP specialists rejected both 37 mm anti-tank guns because their power was considered insufficient. Their shells, according to Soviet testers, could only penetrate the armor of light tanks, the thickness of which was about 20 mm. It seems that the Germans made similar conclusions. After the Polish campaign, they began installing additional 20 mm thick armor on the front of the Pz.Kpfw.II light tanks, thereby bringing the total thickness of the armor plates to 35 mm.
By the way, the anti-tank guns that entered service with the Swedish army had more solid characteristics. Tests conducted in Finland demonstrated that they penetrate 40 mm thick armor set at an angle of 30 degrees at a distance of 300 meters. This was achieved through the modernization of the gun, thanks to which the initial velocity of the projectile increased. In addition, the Swedish shells themselves were of higher quality than the Polish ones.
Shield cover, which was subjected to tests in the form of bullet fire
Despite rather flattering reviews about the design features of the Swedish-Polish cannon, in fact the weapon remained without attention from Soviet gunsmiths. The Red Army was already armed with a quite successful 45-mm cannon, but the 57-mm ZIS-2 cannon that was being developed had a fundamentally different design.
The only ones who continued to develop the design of the 37 mm pvkan m/38 were the Swedes themselves. The result of their work was the appearance of the 57 mm 3 pvkan m/43 anti-tank gun, which outwardly resembled the enlarged 37 mm pvkan m/38. This weapon, which had much more impressive armor penetration characteristics, stayed in the Swedish army for a long time. True, unlike his predecessor, he never had the chance to fight.
Captured German guns, Courland, spring 1945. The shot included very rare guns - the Danish 3.7 cm fodfolkskanon M.1937, also known as the 3.7 cm PaK 157(d)
37-mm Swedish and Polish anti-tank guns lingered for a long time on the battlefields of World War II. Having appreciated the merits of the Swedish systems, the Finns bought 10 captured Polish guns from the Germans in 1940, but stopped there. It seems that during the tests the Finns obtained armor penetration results similar to the Soviet ones from the Polish guns. As a result, they chose to establish their own production of anti-tank guns by purchasing a license from Bofors. A total of 355 guns were produced in Finland, which were used until the beginning of 1944.
Romania was more willing to buy former Polish guns. In total, 556 guns went there, which were actively used in battles on the Eastern Front. The guns purchased by the British for Sudan also fought. They were often installed on trucks of special units (LRDG) conducting raids in North Africa. Finally, the Germans themselves used captured guns, designated 3.7 cm PaK 36(p). The last time they were used was in 1945, together with similar former Danish guns, which were designated 3.7 cm PaK 157(d). By that time, however, these weapons were already hopelessly outdated.
Sources and literature:
- TsAMO RF
- Archive of Gennady Malyshev
Moreover, the minimum caliber in artillery is 20 mm, and the largest is 914 mm. However, the 37 mm caliber can be considered the most effective among all others.
Let's start with the fact that the 37 mm caliber appeared in the second half of the 19th century as a naval gun. These were both single-barreled, very small cannons with a shoulder rest and a pistol grip under the bolt, as well as five-shot, so-called “revolving guns”. The essence of their design was that the barrel block was rotated by a special handle, and at this time 37 mm cartridges were fed from the magazine above into the mechanism. The shooter pulled the trigger, and the shots followed one after another. The shells for these guns were made of hardened cast iron, and their task was to make holes in the hulls of miniature destroyers at that time. However, the destroyers soon became larger. We needed guns with a caliber of 47 mm, then 57 mm, then 75 mm, and so on... That’s why no one seriously considered this caliber as suitable for artillery at the beginning of the 20th century!
True, Hiram Maxim, the inventor of the machine gun, made his famous “pom-pom” for this caliber - a 37-mm water-cooled machine gun that fired about 300 rounds per minute. These guns were used by the Boers in the war against the British, and during the First World War in air defense units. And it was from this gun, or rather, from the fire of an entire battery of these guns, that the first German airplane was shot down on September 23, 1914. This is where it all started!
Then some of these machine guns were installed on British armored vehicles that fought both on the Western Front and here in Russia. They could shoot both at airplanes and at ground targets, but after the events of 1917, the British evacuated all these BAs from Russia, so they did not participate in our civil war!
It would seem that the 37th had found its niche - to fire at low-flying airplanes, since it could not reach the zeppelins. But it turned out that war, this great inventor, came up with work for 37 mm guns on the ground. So, for example, it turned out that the infantry in the trenches had nothing to fight enemy machine guns! You can’t throw a grenade - the barbed wire gets in the way, and you won’t always get a hit from a field gun, and it wasn’t very convenient to shoot direct fire from such guns, nor was it convenient to place them directly on the front line. Therefore, it is not surprising that the military decided to use very small and not very heavy guns with a caliber of 37 mm for this, especially since they had enough ammunition from ship guns, which no one needed for a long time, in their arsenals. And it began...
Thus, in Austria-Hungary, the M15 “infantry gun” was adopted, already in November 1915, tested against our troops on the Southwestern Front. The gun was disassembled into three parts: the barrel - 34.6 kg, the cradle - 25.3 kg, and the carriage - 24.4 kg, so it could all be transported even with the help of three large dogs! The ammunition was placed in boxes of 15 pieces each, weighing 26.5 kg. High-explosive grenades, shrapnel and tracer shells were used. The artillery platoon consisted of 27 men, four pack horses and 4 guns. They were usually used in the first line of defense directly in the trenches or they equipped a position like a bunker. Theoretically, the shells of this gun had a range of up to 3000 m. But accuracy at such a distance was poor due to a very short barrel - only 37.2 cm. The practical range was 2200 m. However, even at this distance its accuracy was unsatisfactory. But at 100-500 m this gun worked quite well, although by the end of the war the soldiers complained that the caliber of the gun was too small and the explosive force of its shells was insufficient!
The 37mm infantry gun was introduced into the French Army in 1916. It was also intended to work against German machine guns. The barrel weighed 40 kg, the chassis - 40 kg, all other parts - 28 kg. The gun could be mounted either on a tripod or on a wheeled drive with a shield. Two types of ammunition were used for firing: a massive steel projectile weighing 0.56 kg and the same grenade weighing 0.45 kg filled with black powder. The crew of the gun consisted of 7 people: a commander-sergeant, a gunner, three carriers of shells and a groom with an assistant, who were responsible for transporting the gun to the front line. Each ammunition box contained 16 shells. The French cannon had high accuracy, making it possible to achieve direct hits into embrasures from a distance of 1200 m, and fire on infantry at a distance of 1500 m. The rate of fire reached 20 rounds per minute. The impact force of the projectile, which had a speed of 402 m/sec, was sufficient to destroy any machine gun of that time with the first shot! In addition, the instructions for this gun indicated that it should fire not only at machine guns, but also at attacking infantry. Oblique fire was especially recommended as the most effective in all respects. However, war experience again showed that the charge of a grenade is small, the scattering of fragments is small, and their destructive power is small.
In Germany, at the end of the war, a 37-mm gun with an initial speed of 506 m/sec also appeared. and weighing 175 kg. It could fire armor-piercing 0.46 kg shells, which could penetrate 15 mm armor at a distance of 500 meters. Four men carried him to the battlefield, but he only had different tasks - to shoot at Anglo-French tanks! When the war ended, the German army had about 600 of these guns, and it was reported that they had fully proven their usefulness.
As for Russia, we were the first with regard to the use of 37-mm guns in field conditions, because in the same 1915 and even earlier than the Austro-Hungarians, the so-called “Rosenberg trench gun” entered service with the Russian Imperial Army ", designed by Colonel M. F. Rosenberg. Rosenberg trench gun mod. 1915 was disassembled into 3 parts - the gun barrel with a shield (weight about 74 kg), a carriage with a lower shield (about 82 kg) and wheels (about 25 kg), and could be installed in any machine gun nest. She had a simple sight and could be serviced by infantry. When firing at 1000-1200 steps, the Rosenberg trench gun was distinguished by good accuracy and sufficient penetrating power when firing at the shields of guns and machine guns. The shield for it was made of 6 or 8 mm armor (8 mm armor could hold a Mosin rifle bullet fired at point-blank range).
However, the most original weapon of this caliber, tested in the battles of the First World War, was the automatic cannon of the American designer Neil McLean, who patented it back in 1902. That is, the idea of such a weapon came to his mind only a little later than Hiram Maxim. The US rejected the gun, but Russia ordered 200 of these guns in 1916. Moreover, this gun became the first automatic gun in Russia with automation that operated by venting gases from the barrel! Moreover, if Maxim’s “pom-pom” was loaded using a tape, then the McLean system had a clip-on loading. Powder gases were removed from the barrel through a tube underneath, and there, around the piston rod, there was a spring, which was not very smart, since it heated up, and it is completely undesirable to heat springs, since they shrink. The shot was fired as in submachine guns - from an open bolt by pricking the primer with a stationary striker. Four types of shells were used for the cannon: armor-piercing, high-explosive, shrapnel and metal-jacketed grapeshot. It is interesting that these shells also used ordinary black powder as an “explosive”.
This is how the 37 mm caliber began to live a “land life” on the battlefields of the First World War, and this life in many ways became very indicative. The muzzle brake and at the same time the flame arrester were made directly on the barrel, which increased the cost of its manufacture, and it is not clear why the designer decided to do it this way. But what was positive about it was the ammunition supply and rate of fire, reaching 100 rounds per minute, but no more, which is more than enough for an infantry gun on a wheeled carriage and with a shield. Guns on pedestal carriages were installed on armored trains. It is believed that there were 42 such guns in Russia, which the USSR then (apparently those that survived the civil war!) transferred to Republican Spain. It is clear that their shell consumption was much higher than that of Rosenberg’s guns, but their firepower was also incomparable!
Well, then it was the 37-mm guns that ended up on tanks around the world, in anti-tank artillery, and became the most popular “anti-aircraft guns” in the world. It is believed that it was this caliber that destroyed the most aircraft in the skies over the battlefield and over ships in the seas and oceans, but it all started with the small and short-barreled trench guns of the First World War!
