As you know, during the Second World War, it was specialized anti-tank artillery that inflicted the greatest losses on armored vehicles. Although the saturation of troops with anti-tank guns and their armor penetration was constantly increasing, the armies of most of the belligerent states experienced an acute shortage of anti-tank weapons until the end of hostilities.
In the initial period of World War II, the anti-tank units of the Wehrmacht had a significant number of 37-mm 3, 7 cm Pak guns. 35/36. However, these guns, which had a high rate of fire, small dimensions and weight, the ability to quickly transport and have good maneuverability on the battlefield, could not effectively deal with tanks protected by anti-cannon armor. In this regard, by the beginning of 1943, 37-mm guns ceased to play a significant role in anti-tank defense, although they were used on the "sidelines" until May 1945. The industry of Germany and the occupied European countries did not have time to compensate for the huge losses of equipment and weapons on the Eastern Front. Despite the efforts made, it was not possible to fully meet the needs for the 50 mm 5 cm Pak guns. 38 and 75 mm 7.5 cm Pak. 40. In this regard, the Germans had to use 88-mm anti-aircraft guns and field guns of 105-150-mm caliber in anti-tank defense. Creation on the basis of the 88-mm Flak anti-aircraft gun. 41 with a barrel length of 71 caliber anti-tank guns 8, 8 cm Pak. 43 did not change the situation. Although an 88-mm armor-piercing projectile with an initial velocity of 1000 m / s at real combat distances confidently hit all serial Soviet, American and British tanks, the 8, 8 cm Pak. 43 turned out to be expensive to manufacture, and with a mass in a combat position of 4240-4400 kg it had extremely low maneuverability. Monster-like 128mm cannon 12, 8 cm PaK. 44 with the ballistics of a 128 mm FlaK anti-aircraft gun. 40, in the years of World War II had no analogues in terms of firing range and armor penetration, however, the mass in a combat position of about 10,000 kg and excessive dimensions nullified all the advantages.
Austrian 47-mm gun Böhler M35
In conditions of a chronic shortage of anti-tank artillery, the armed forces of Nazi Germany actively used guns captured in other countries. The first foreign anti-tank guns adopted by the Wehrmacht were the Austrian 47-mm Böhler M35.
The design of this sample was influenced by the views of the Austrian military, who wanted to get a universal artillery system suitable for use in mountainous areas. In this regard, the designers of the company Böhler ("Böhler") created a very unusual weapon, which was used in the Austrian army as an infantry, mountain and anti-tank. Depending on the purpose, the 47-mm gun had different barrel lengths and could be equipped with a muzzle brake. A collapsible modification was also mass-produced, suitable for transportation in packs. A common feature of all models was a large elevation angle, the absence of a splinter shield, as well as the ability to separate the wheel travel, and install directly on the ground, which reduced the silhouette in the firing position. To reduce the mass in the transport position, some of the late-production guns were equipped with wheels with light-alloy wheels.
As follows from the designation, the serial production of the gun began in 1935, and for that time, despite a number of controversial decisions due to the requirements of versatility, it was very effective as an anti-tank gun. The modification with a barrel length of 1680 mm in the transport position weighed 315 kg, in combat, after separation of the wheel travel - 277 kg. The vertical firing angles ranged from -5 ° to + 56 °, in the horizontal plane - 62 °. Combat rate of fire 10-12 rds / min. The ammunition contained fragmentation and armor-piercing shells. A fragmentation projectile weighing 2, 37 kg had an initial speed of 320 m / s and a firing range of 7000 m. An armor-piercing tracer projectile weighing 1, 44 kg left the barrel at a speed of 630 m / s. At a distance of 100 m along the normal, it could penetrate 58 mm armor plate, at 500 m - 43 mm, at 1000 m - 36 mm. A modification with a barrel length of 1880 mm at a distance of 100 m was capable of penetrating 70 mm of armor.
Thus, the 47-mm Böhler M35 gun, with acceptable weight and size characteristics at all distances, could successfully fight armored vehicles protected by bulletproof armor, at short range with medium tanks with anti-shell armor.
After the Anschluss of Austria, the Germans got 330 47-mm guns, about 150 more guns were collected from the existing reserve by the end of 1940. Austrian 47-mm guns were adopted under the designation 4, 7 Pak. 35/36 (ö). Taking into account the fact that the Böhler M35 enjoyed success on the foreign market, Germany got the Dutch guns, which received the name 4, 7 Pak. 187 (h), and the former Lithuanian, captured in the warehouses of the Red Army - designated 4, 7 Pak. 196 (r). The guns, manufactured in Italy under license, were designated Cannone da 47/32 Mod. 35. After Italy left the war, the Italian guns captured by the Wehrmacht were called 4, 7 Pak. 177 (i).
According to rough estimates, in June 1941, the Wehrmacht had 500 Böhler M35 guns at its disposal. Until mid-1942, they actively fought on the Eastern Front and in North Africa. A number of 47-mm guns were used to arm improvised anti-tank self-propelled guns. Subsequently, the guns that survived and captured in Italy were transferred to Finland, Croatia and Romania.
Czechoslovak anti-tank guns 3.7 cm kanon PUV vz. 34 (Škoda vz. 34 UV), 3.7 cm kanon PUV.vz. 37 and 47 mm 4.7 cm kanon PUV. vz. 36
Another country annexed by Germany in 1938 was Czechoslovakia. Although this country had a developed defense industry, and the Czechoslovak army was considered quite combat-ready, as a result of the betrayal of the governments of England and France, the country was divided by the Germans practically without resistance into a protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Slovakia and Carpathian Ukraine (occupied by Hungary). At the disposal of Germany were stocks of weapons of the Czechoslovak army, which made it possible to arm 9 infantry divisions. Throughout the war, Czech industry worked for the Nazis.
In March 1939, the anti-tank batteries of the Czechoslovak army had 37-mm cannon 3.7 cm kanon PUV vz. 34 (Škoda vz. 34 UV), 3.7 cm kanon PUV.vz. 37 and 47 mm 4.7 cm kanon PUV. vz. 36. By the time of the occupation, 1,734 37-mm and 775 47-mm guns were delivered to the customer.
37 mm anti-tank gun 3.7 cm kanon PUV vz. 34 (export name Škoda A3) had a small weight and dimensions. By its design, this weapon was quite perfect for its time. Wooden wheels with a metal rim were sprung, which made it possible to transport the tool not only by horses, but also by mechanical traction. The mass in the firing position was 364 kg. The gun had a monoblock barrel with a horizontal wedge gate, which provided a rate of fire of 15-20 rounds per minute. The ammunition load included an armor-piercing projectile weighing 0.85 kg and a fragmentation shell weighing 1.2 kg. With a barrel length of 1480 mm, an armor-piercing projectile, accelerating to 640 m / s, at a distance of 100 m along the normal could penetrate 42 mm of armor, at a distance of 500 m, armor penetration was 31 mm.
The 3.7 cm kanon PUV.vz.37 gun differed from mod. 1934 with a carriage construction and a 1770 mm barrel. On the arr. 1934 and arr. 1937, a 5 mm anti-splinter shield was installed. Thanks to the longer barrel, the armor penetration of the 3.7 cm kanon PUV.vz.37 has increased significantly. At a distance of 100 m, an improved armor-piercing projectile with a carbide tip could penetrate 60 mm armor along the normal. At a distance of 500 m, the penetration was 38 mm.
The Germans, evaluating the fighting qualities of the Czech guns, adopted them under the designation 3, 7-cm Pak. 34 (t) and 3.7-cm Pak. 37 (t). Production of guns mod. 1937 lasted until May 1940. After the loss of independence, the Skoda factories supplied 513 guns to the Wehrmacht. The guns intended for the armed forces of the Third Reich received wheels with pneumatic tires, which made it possible to increase the speed of their transportation. Some of the guns built in Czechoslovakia were also equipped with such wheels in army workshops.
Anti-tank 37-mm guns of Czech production on a par with German Pak. 35/36 in the initial period of the war were used in anti-tank units of infantry divisions. However, soon after the invasion of the USSR, it became clear that the armor penetration of the 37-mm cannons and the armor-piercing effect of their shells on modern medium and heavy tanks left much to be desired, and they were quickly ousted in parts of the first line by more effective anti-tank weapons.
The 47 mm 4.7 cm kanon PUV gun possessed greater armor penetration. vz. 36. In addition, a gun with a fragmentation projectile weighing 2.3 kg and containing 253 g of TNT was better suited for providing fire support, destroying light field fortifications and suppressing firing points.
This gun was developed by Skoda in 1936 as a further development of the 37 mm anti-tank gun. Externally 4.7 cm kanon PUV. vz. 36 was similar to the 3.7 cm kanon PUV.vz.34, differing in its larger caliber, overall dimensions and weight increased to 595 kg. In addition, for ease of transportation, both frames of the 47 mm cannon were folded and turned 180 ° and attached to the barrel.
As of 1939, the 47 mm Czechoslovakian gun was one of the most powerful in the world. With a barrel length of 2219 mm, the muzzle velocity of 1.65 kg of the armor-piercing projectile was 775 m / s. At a distance of 1000 m at right angles, it pierced 55 mm of armor. A well-trained crew could make 15 aimed shots in a minute.
Before the occupation of Czechoslovakia, the Skoda company managed to produce 775 47-mm anti-tank guns. Several dozen of these guns were sold to Yugoslavia in 1938. The piquancy of the situation was that in 1940 these guns were used against each other by the Yugoslav army and the Wehrmacht. After the occupation of Yugoslavia in April 1941, captured guns were used in the Wehrmacht under the designation 4, 7 cm Pak 179 (j).
47 mm anti-tank gun 4.7 cm kanon PUV. vz. 36 in the German armed forces received the designation 4, 7 cm Pak 36 (t). From the middle of 1939, the gun began to enter service with tank destroyer divisions of a number of infantry divisions, and was first used during the battles in France in 1940, where it proved to be better than the 3.7 cm Pak. 35/36. In terms of armor penetration, the 4, 7 cm Pak 36 (t) was slightly inferior to the German 5 cm Pak. 38, which were still very few during the French campaign.
In March 1940, the 4, 7 cm Pak 36 (t) began to be installed on the chassis of the Pz. Kpfw. I Ausf. B light tank, and from May 1941 on the chassis of the captured French R-35 tank. A total of 376 light tank destroyers were manufactured. Self-propelled guns, designated Panzerjager I and Panzerjäger 35 R (f), respectively, entered service with tank destroyer divisions.
Production of 47 mm guns continued until 1942. More than 1200 examples were built in total. Early production guns had wooden wheels with metal rims and a high shield.
In 1939, to reduce the silhouette of the anti-tank gun in position, the shield was shortened, and the transport speed was increased by the introduction of pneumatic tires on steel rims.
In 1940, the PzGr 40 armor-piercing sabot projectile with a tungsten carbide core was developed for the gun. A projectile weighing 0.8 kg, with an initial speed of 1080 m / s at a distance of up to 500 m, confidently pierced the frontal armor of the Soviet medium tank T-34. This allowed the 47 mm gun to remain operational until early 1943, when the German anti-tank battalions were not equipped with a sufficient number of 50 and 75 mm guns. However, the share of subcaliber shells in the ammunition load of German anti-tank guns was small, and they turned out to be effective only at a relatively short distance.
Polish 37 mm anti-tank gun 37 mm armata przeciwpancerna wz. 36
At the time of the German attack on Poland, the main means of anti-tank defense in the Polish army were 37 mm 37 mm armata przeciwpancerna wz. 36 guns. This designation concealed the 37 mm pkan M / 34 anti-tank gun developed by the Swedish company Bofors in 1934. The first batch of 37-mm guns was purchased from the Bofors company in 1936, later in Poland at the SMPzA plant in Pruszkow they established their licensed production. By September 1939, the Poles had over 1200 of these guns.
The 37 mm Bofors M / 34 cannon was the best in its class in terms of its characteristics. The semi-automatic horizontal wedge breech provided a rate of fire up to 20 rds / min. Thanks to wheels with pneumatic tires, transportation at speeds up to 50 km / h was allowed. The gun had a small size and weight, which made it easier to conceal the gun on the ground and roll it onto the battlefield by the crew.
In the firing position, the gun weighed 380 kg, which was 100 kg less than that of the German 3, 7 cm Pak. 35/36. In terms of armor penetration, the Bofors M / 34 surpassed its 37-mm competitors. An armor-piercing tracer projectile with a mass of 0.7 kg, leaving a barrel with a length of 1665 mm at a speed of 870 m / s, at a distance of 500 m, when hit at a right angle, pierced 40 mm armor. At the same range at a meeting angle of 60 °, armor penetration was 36 mm. For the second half of the 1930s, these were excellent indicators.
After the surrender of the Polish army, the Germans got 621 37 mm wz.36 cannon. At the end of 1939, they were accepted into service under the designation 3, 7 cm Pak 36 (p). In 1940, in Denmark, the Wehrmacht captured a local version of the anti-tank gun, which was designated 3, 7 cm Pak 157 (d). Also, Dutch and Yugoslavian guns became trophies of the German army. Subsequently, Romania acquired 556 captured anti-tank Bofors from Germany.
Until the end of 1942, light 37-mm guns were actively used by the Germans on the Eastern Front and in North Africa. After the withdrawal of guns from the state of anti-tank units, they were used for direct fire support of the infantry. Although the fragmentation effect of the 37 mm projectile was small, the 3, 7 cm Pak 36 (p) was appreciated for its high firing accuracy, comparable to the 7, 92 mm Mauser 98k rifle. The relatively small weight of the gun made it possible for a crew of five people to roll it onto the battlefield and, following the attacking infantry, suppress firing points. In a number of cases, compact 37-mm cannons were successfully used in street battles at the final stage of hostilities. Judging by the archival data, a small number of 37-mm "Bofors" were in the army until the end of the war. In any case, two dozen of these guns went to the Red Army as trophies during the surrender of the German Kurland group in May 1945.
Effectiveness of 37 and 47 mm cannons against Soviet tanks
In total, the Germans managed to capture more than 4,000 37-47-mm anti-tank guns in Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland. Taking into account the fact that in the initial period of hostilities on the Eastern Front in the Red Army there was a large proportion of light tanks, these guns played a significant role in the battles of 1941-1942. confidently hit the Soviet light tanks T-26, BT-2, BT-5, BT-7. The T-60 and T-70, the production of which began after the German attack on the USSR, were also vulnerable to their fire. Although the frontal armor of medium tanks T-34 in most cases held small-caliber armor-piercing shells, the side of the thirty-fours, when fired from a short distance, often penetrated with 37-47-mm shells. In addition, the fire of light anti-tank guns often managed to damage the chassis and jam the turret.
By 1943, most of the surviving small-caliber anti-tank guns were withdrawn from the front line, transferring them to auxiliary occupation and training units. However, after the armed forces of Nazi Germany went over to strategic defense, obsolete guns returned to the front again. They were most often used in fortified areas and during street battles. Thus, it can be stated that the captured anti-tank guns captured by the Germans in Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland had a significant impact on the course of hostilities.
