37 MM ANTI-TANK GUN, M3

The 37 mm Anti-tank Gun, M3

In 1935 the U.S. Army began the development of an anti-tank gun, a newly conceived field artillery piece whose mission was to defeat the recently developed tanks of that era. Foreign anti-tank guns were studied including the 25 mm French Hotchkiss and the 37 mm German Rhinemetall. In 1937 with World War II imminent, the Ordinance Department issued a requirement for an anti-tank gun weighing less than 1000 lbs so that it could be transported by a jeep. The resultant design was essentially a copy of the 37 mm Rhinemetall with minor modifications. The barrel size was 37 mm with a dropping block breech. Anti-tank ammunition was developed with a projectile velocity of 2900 fps. The small anti-tank gun served as the predecessor of the 37 mm guns for the Stuart light tanks and the M8 armored car. Between 1939 and 1943 over 20,000 37 mm anti-tank guns were manufactured. The M3 37 mm anti-tank gun proved too light a caliber to be effective against tanks in North Africa and Europe. In the Pacific theater the M3 anti-tank gun was more effective against Japanese armor and proved to be an accurate direct fire weapon for stationary hard targets. A large hand crank wheel controls traverse of the barrel while the small knob below it changes gun elevation.

               ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL DATA 37 MM ANTI-TANK GUN, M3

                       Length............10 ft. 10.5 in.
                       Width..............5 ft.  3.5 in.
                       Height.............3 ft.  2 in.
                       Weight.............912 lbs.
                       Firing Rate........5-20 rounds per minute
                       Munition...........Fixed HE, AP, APC and Cannister
                                          Projectile Weight 1.5 to 2 lbs.
  




Copyright 1995 Charles C. Roberts, Jr





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