The 37mm anti-tank airborne gun of the 1944 model had a unique design of an almost recoilless gun. The recoillessness of the gun was achieved in two ways: thanks to the powerful muzzle brake, which is typical for anti-tank guns; due to the original system, which was a kind of cross between a double recoil and a recoilless gun, which is made according to the scheme with an inert mass.
After the shot was fired, the barrel of the gun moved back 90-100 millimeters, and the inert mass (in the project had the designation "heavy body") is disengaged from the barrel, rolling back inside the casing at a distance of 1050 to 1070 millimeters. The inert mass was decelerated by compressing the knurling spring and friction. He also rolled the inert mass to its original position.
The internal structure of the barrel, ballistics and ammunition are taken from a 37-mm anti-aircraft automatic cannon model 1939. In addition, a 37-mm sub-caliber projectile BR-167P was created for this gun.
If necessary, the cannon could be disassembled into three component parts: the machine, the shield and the swinging part.
A lifting mechanism was used for vertical guidance, and horizontal guidance was carried out by the gunner's shoulder.
The two-wheeled machine had a sliding bed. The beds had driven and permanent openers. In the stowed position on wheels, the shield was installed along the movement of the gun.
The airborne gun was designed in OKBL-46 in 1943. The project was led by Komaritsky and Charnko (OKBL - OKB - laboratory).
The first experimental series of cannons was manufactured at factory # 79 NKV. The gun was assigned the Cheka index (Charnko-Komaritsky). The Cheka had a hydraulic recoil brake and a rectangular casing.
The cannon at factory # 79 was modernized and assigned the ZIV-2 index. ZIV-2 had a hydraulic recoil brake and a round casing.
In OKBL-46, another modernization of the gun was made after that. The new modernized version was assigned the ChK-M1 index. After the introduction of a new, more powerful muzzle brake, the need for a hydraulic recoil brake was removed and it was removed. The cannon casing was round.
The weight of the systems on wheels was: Cheka - 218 kilograms; ZIV-2 - 233 kilograms; ChK-M1 - 209 kilograms.
All three versions of the gun passed comparative military tests near Moscow in the spring of 1944 in two stages. The first stage, which included flight tests, took place from 26.03.44 to 02.04.44 - near Medvezhye Lakes at the airfield on the basis of a separate test squadron. Shooting - the second stage - took place from 04/03/44 to 04/18/44 at the Voroshilov courses.
All three options had a light sprung course, which was intended only for transportation by manual calculation of the gun. Towing a cannon by a car led to the destruction of the gun carriage. In this regard, it was supposed to transport the gun in cars "Willis" (1-gun), GAZ-64 (1 gun), Dodge (2 guns) and GAZ-A (2 guns), in addition, in a motorcycle sidecar Harley Davidson. In emergency situations, the guns could be transported in a single cart.
During military trials, the wheel drive and the shield were separated from the 37-millimeter cannon, and it was installed on a welded tubular frame (installation "Pygmy"). From this installation it was possible to shoot from vehicles GAZ-64 and "Willis". In this case, the vertical guidance angles ranged from -5 ° to + 5 °, and the horizontal guidance angle was 30 °. The rest of the motorcycles and cars in military trials were used only for transporting guns. In the same 44th year, but later, the Harley Davidson motorcycle was adapted for shooting. There were two motorcycles for each gun. One motorcycle housed a gun, driver, gunner and loader. On the second - the driver, commander and carrier.
ChK-M1 installed on a Willys car
Shooting from a motorcycle installation on the move could be carried out at speeds up to 10 kilometers per hour on a flat road.
During the flight tests, the cannons were dropped in the A-7, BDP-2 and G-11 gliders. Each glider was loaded with one gun, ammunition (191 shots were loaded in the A-7, 222 shots for the BDP-2 and G-11) and 4 crew. It is curious to note that in the flight test report, the ChK gun was referred to as ChK-37, ChK-M1 - ChK-37-M1, while ZIV-2 did not receive a new designation.
During flight tests in LI-2, a gun, ammunition and crew were loaded for parachuting. Dump conditions - speed 200 kilometers per hour, height 600 meters.
In flight tests, a TB-3 bomber with an M-17 engine was used for landing delivery, under the wing of which two GAZ-64 or Willis vehicles with 37-mm cannons mounted on them were suspended.
According to the "Temporary instruction on the combat use of a 37-mm airborne cannon", which was published in 1944, during transportation by the landing method, 2 motorcycles, 1 cannon and 6 people were placed in LI-2 (total weight 2227 kg), and in C -47 is the same, plus cartridges and a cannon, (total weight 2894 kg).
During parachuting, the motorcycle and the gun were placed on the external sling of the IL-4, and the cartridges and the crew - on the LI-2.
During the firing, it became clear that the armor penetration of a 37-mm cannon with a caliber projectile at a distance of up to 500 meters was not inferior to the 45-mm anti-tank gun of the 1937 model.
Accuracy of fire on the shield using armor-piercing caliber shells was considered satisfactory, and in the area with fragmentation shells - unsatisfactory (a large dispersion was observed). During the fire from the ZIV-2 cannon, her barrel tore apart.
Based on the results of these tests, the commission recommended that the ChK-M1 be adopted, since it was easier to operate and manufacture, lighter and did not have a hydraulic recoil brake.
The ChK-M1 cannon was given the official name "37-mm airborne cannon of the 1944 model."
Shots and shells for a 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun model 1939 1. UBR-167P round with a BR-167P shell. 2. Shot UBR-167 with a projectile BR-167. 3. Shot UOR-167N with a projectile OR-167N.
In 1944, Plant No. 74 produced 290 ChK-M1 cannons, and Plant No. 79 produced 25 guns. Plant No. 79 manufactured 157 guns in 1945, after which their production ended. A total of 472 ChK-M1 cannons were manufactured.
Speaking of airborne anti-tank guns, it is necessary to mention the designs of the Central Artillery Design Bureau (TsAKB), developed under the leadership of Grabin. These designs include the 37mm S-46 airborne gun (1944) and the 76mm C-62 airborne gun (1944). The S-62 cannon was equipped with a gas-dynamic brake, which was located in the breech. In the 45th year, they created its modernized version, which received the designation C-62-1.
ChK-37 M1 on Harley
Technical characteristics of the ChK-M1 cannon:
Caliber - 37 mm;
Barrel length - 63 caliber;
Angle of vertical guidance - -5 °; + 5 ° degrees;
Horizontal guidance angle - 45 ° hail;
Shield thickness - 4.5 mm;
Weight in firing position - 209-217 kg;
Rate of fire - 15-25 rounds per minute.
Ammunition and ballistics:
Projectile - BR-167;
Shot - UBR-167
Projectile weight - 0.758 kg;
Fuse - no;
Charge weight - 0, 210 kg;
The initial speed is 865 m / s.
Projectile - BR-167P;
Shot - UBR-167P;
Projectile weight - 0.610 kg;
Fuse - no;
Charge weight - 0, 217 kg;
The initial speed is 955 m / s.
Projectile - OR-167;
Shot - UOR-167;
Projectile weight - 0.732 kg;
Fuse - MG-8;
Charge weight - 0, 210 kg;
The initial speed is 870 m / s.
