German small-caliber anti-aircraft guns against Soviet aviation (part 7)

Anti-aircraft gun Autocannon

61-K at the Israel Defense Forces Museum, Chatzerim Air Base, Israel.
37 mm automatic anti-aircraft gun M1939 (61-K)

(
Russian: 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun model 1939 (61-K)
) is a Soviet 37 mm caliber anti-aircraft gun developed in the late 1930s and used during World War II. In the 1950s, the ground version was replaced in Soviet service by the AZP S-60. Guns of this type were successfully used throughout the Eastern Front against dive bombers and other low- and medium-altitude targets. It also had some utility against lightly armored ground targets. 37mm anti-aircraft gun crews shot down 14,657 Axis aircraft. [6]The average number of 37-mm ammunition to shoot down one enemy aircraft was 905 shells. [6]

Possible impact

Wasserfall(Germany)

No influence. Wasserfall was objectively too complex and large-scale a project to be completed in a reasonable time.
The design of the rocket contained many shortcomings associated with haste during development and insufficient understanding by German rocket scientists of a number of key issues. The only available control system was hopelessly compromised and extremely vulnerable to electronic warfare. After the war, both the USA and the USSR tried for a long time and to no avail to modify the captured Wasserfall to a combat-ready state - but in the end they came to the conclusion that it would be easier and faster to develop a new missile from scratch. This assessment should be considered a verdict on the German rocket.

Rating: One point.

DAAC(Italy)

The possible impact is quite significant, since it was quite possible for DAAC to be brought to fruition not to the end, but to the middle of the war. Had the Italian military command shown more foresight, the Campini missile would have entered service as early as 1942-1943, radically strengthening the air defense of the Italian fleet and significantly weakening the importance of Allied air superiority.

In addition, as the German experience with the development of Schmetterling showed, the Italian rocket had significant modernization potential.

Rating: Five points.  

Funryu-2(Japan)

The impact is minor. Of course, Japanese anti-aircraft missiles would cause some trouble for the Americans, but still they became a typical example of too little, too late. In addition, the ceiling of Funryu-2 was insufficient to defeat heavy bombers.

However, a massive deployment of these missiles in 1945–1946 would have been an unpleasant surprise and likely would have forced the Americans to abandon low-altitude bombing.

Rating: Three points.

Brakemine(UK)

The potential impact is significant but limited. The development of Breakmines proceeded slowly due to the lack of a direct need, but if one arose, the work could be significantly accelerated. If the war in Europe had dragged on for another six months to a year, Breakemina would have been the best British answer to the German jet bombers and the new Luft'46 projectile aircraft.

Rating: Four points.

KAN Little Joe(USA)

The possible impact is significant but limited. Little Joe's missiles were being prepared for landing in Japan and would undoubtedly be an effective argument against Japanese kamikazes. However, by the time they appeared, the course of the war was already completely predetermined.

Rating: Three points.  

Modernization and refurbishment

Launch of a Brahmos missile from the destroyer Rajput, February 12, 2003

In the Indian Navy, Project 61ME ships have become the objects of a number of modernizations, both to modernize their weapons and to test new models. In particular, the Cleaver air target detection radars on all destroyers of the series were replaced by new Israeli-developed EL/M-2238 radars.

The lead "Rajput" became the first ship experimentally armed with the latest supersonic missile "Brahmos"

.
During the 2003 modernization, one P-20 anti-ship missile container on each side was replaced with twin Brahmos installations, so that the strike armament of the modernized destroyer began to consist of two P-20 missiles and four Brahmos missiles. The name of the new rocket is “Brahmos”, in English. BrahMos
is derived from the first syllables of the names of the Brahmaputra and Moscow rivers, which reflects the joint Russian-Indian nature of the development. The missile was developed in ship, ground and aviation versions. In the ship version, the 3-ton missile delivers a 200-kilogram warhead over a distance of up to 450 kilometers; Thanks to the ramjet engine, it reaches speeds of up to 3,700 km/h in flight and flies at an altitude of only 3-4 meters. The highest speed and low flight altitude make it highly vulnerable even to the most modern means. The basis of the Brahmos design was the Soviet Onyx/Yakhont cruise missile. In addition to retrofitting the Brahmos, during the modernization the Rajput destroyer was also equipped with the Indian Bharat-Ajanta electronic warfare system, and also replaced the Angara-A surveillance radar with the newer Bharat RAWL radar.

The newest ships of the project - "Ranveer" and "Ranvijay" - between 2007 and 2009 underwent significant modernization with the replacement of a significant part of the weapons. Instead of the aft-mounted Volna air defense system, a vertical launch system was installed on eight Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles, and instead of two of the four 30-mm turrets of the AK-630 complex, 8-charge Barak air defense missile launchers were installed on the side.

Israeli development. Thus, these two small destroyers now carry four different types of missile systems: two strike missiles each (P-20 with 4 missiles and Brahmos with 8 missiles) and two anti-aircraft missiles each (Volna and Barak, 16 missiles each).

Options [edit]

• Norinco (Chinese)

Bangladesh Army Type 74.

• Type 55
  - a copy of the single-barrel 37 mm M1939 model
• The Type 63
  is a twin 37 mm vertically stabilized gun mounted on a T-34 chassis.
• Type 65
  is a copy of the double-barreled 37 mm barrel.
• Type 74
  - An upgraded version of the Type 65 with an increased rate of fire.
• Type 74SD
  - Type 74 with servo removed to work with
  
  Type 800 heading
• Type 79-III
  - a modernized version of the Type 74 with an optical-electronic control device, mechanical rotation and elevation drives.
• Type 76
  - Navy two-seat 37 mm version.
• P793
  - An improved twin-barrel version with an electro-optical predictive sight and an increased rate of fire, as well as longer barrels allowing for a higher muzzle velocity (1000 m/s). Operated by a crew of 5 or 6 people.

Literature and sources of information

Literature

Berezhnoy S.S. Soviet Navy 1945-1995. - “Marine Collection”. - M.: Modeler-designer, No. 1/1995. — 32 s.

Zablotsky V. P. “Universal project.” SKR, BPK, DBK, EM and frigates of projects 61, 61M, 61MP, 61ME, part I. - “Marine Collection”. - M.: Modeler-designer, No. 10/2009. — 32 s.

Zablotsky V. P. “Universal project.” SKR, BPK, DBK, EM and frigates of projects 61, 61M, 61MP, 61ME, part II. - “Marine Collection”. - M.: Modeler-designer, No. 11/2009. — 32 s.

Kostrichenko V.V., Prostokishin A.A. “Singing frigates.” Large anti-submarine ships of Project 61. - “Maritime Collection”. - M.: Modeler-designer, No. 1/1999. — 32 s.

Links

• Wikipedia page about Nadezhny-class BOD/Rajput-class destroyers
• Wikipedia page on Reliable-class BOD/Rajput-class destroyers
• Photos of the BOD "Reliable" / "Rajput" on navsource.narod.ru
• Photos of the BOD "Destructive"/"Rana" on navsource.narod.ru
• Photos of the BOD "Lovkiy" / "Ranjit" on navsource.narod.ru
• Photos of the BOD "Tverdy" / "Ranvir" on navsource.narod.ru
• Photos of the Tolkovy/Ranvijay BOD on navsource.narod.ru

Participant in all wars

Since the Korean War, S-60s have participated in almost all military conflicts in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Balkans. For a long time, 57-mm radar-controlled guns remained a reliable means of air defense at medium altitudes, in which they opposed US and Israeli aircraft; of course, they suffered losses, but they also achieved success. Perhaps the last combat use of the S-60 as an air defense weapon took place during Desert Storm, when the Iraqis claimed that they managed to hit several US and British combat aircraft from airfield cover batteries.

Much more often, the S-60 is used as an assault weapon, often mounted on an improvised base of a truck or tank. The ability to fire at a range of up to 4 km with shells, the power of which is almost as powerful as that of specialized anti-tank artillery, has made this gun almost a “miracle weapon” for the warring parties of the civil war in Syria. Similarly, “assault” ZSU-57-2, “retrofitted” with sandbags or sheets of boiler iron, were extremely valuable both in the jungles of Vietnam and in the fields of the former Yugoslavia.

By the beginning of the 2000s, the Burevestnik Central Research Institute developed a turret artillery module based on a variant of the S-60 artillery system with a modified ammunition supply system. In particular, the new turret was offered for modernization to foreign operators of Soviet-made PT-76 light tanks, the standard D-56T gun of which has now completely lost its combat effectiveness. The reincarnation of the S-60 penetrates up to 100 mm of homogeneous armor, that is, it hits the side of any modern tank.

As part of the AU220M, a universal uninhabited combat module, the 57-mm gun was again presented in Nizhny Tagil at the Russian Expo Arms-2013 defense exhibition. A similar module on the BMP-3 chassis was exhibited there two years later as the Dragoon BMP and, finally, as part of the Derivatsiya-PVO anti-aircraft artillery complex, which was tested this year, the 2A90 index gun replaced the single-chamber jet-type muzzle brake to a new, much more complex design, essentially remains the same, the classic AZP-57. So, S-60 - live!

Use of 30 and 37 mm captured German anti-aircraft guns

German 20-mm rapid-firing anti-aircraft guns were considered a fairly effective means of combating enemy air at low altitudes.
However, with all the advantages of the Flak 28, FlaK 30 and Flak 38 anti-aircraft guns, their rate of fire was not always sufficient to confidently hit fast-moving targets, and the quad Flakvierling 38 mounts were too heavy and cumbersome. The destructive effect of 20-mm fragmentation shells was still very modest, and to reliably disable an armored attack aircraft it was often necessary to achieve several hits. In addition, in addition to increasing the fragmentation and high-explosive effect of projectiles, it was highly desirable to increase the effective firing range and height reach. However, the Germans had some experience in using captured 25 mm French anti-aircraft guns 25 mm CA mle 39 and 25 mm CA mle 40, produced by Hotchkiss. For their time, these were quite modern installations: the 25 mm CA mle 39 had a detachable wheel drive, and the 25 mm CA mle 40 was mounted on the decks of warships and in stationary positions.

Anti-aircraft gun 25 mm CA mle 39 in combat position
The anti-aircraft gun 25 mm CA mle 39 was larger and heavier than the 20 mm German FlaK 30/38.
In combat position, the French anti-aircraft gun weighed 1150 kg. The rate of fire is approximately the same as that of the FlaK 30 - 240 rounds/min. Food was supplied from a detachable magazine for 15 shells. Effective firing range – up to 3000 m. Height reach – 2000 m. Vertical aiming angles: -10° – 85°. Effective firing range - up to 3000 m. Ceiling - 2000 m. In terms of damaging effect, 25-mm French shells were significantly superior to 20-mm German ones. A high-explosive incendiary 25-mm projectile weighing 240 g left the barrel with an initial speed of 900 m/s and contained 10 g of explosives. When it hit a duralumin sheet, it formed a hole, the area of ​​which was approximately twice as large as the explosion of a 20-mm projectile containing 3 g of explosive. At a distance of 300 meters, an armor-piercing projectile weighing 260 g, with an initial speed of 870 m/s, normally penetrated 28 mm armor.

Anti-aircraft gun 2.5 cm Flak 39(f) in position

After the occupation of France, the Germans received approximately four hundred 25-mm anti-aircraft guns. In the Wehrmacht, the 25 mm CA mle 39 was designated 2.5 cm Flak 39(f). Most of the 25-mm anti-aircraft guns of French origin were placed in the fortifications of the Atlantic Wall, but some of the 25-mm anti-aircraft guns of French origin still found their way to the Eastern Front.

German anti-aircraft gunners were quite satisfied with the firing range of captured French anti-aircraft guns and the destructive effect of 25-mm shells. However, calculations have shown that greater lethality and firing range can be achieved by increasing the caliber of anti-aircraft guns to 30 mm, and to ensure the required rate of fire it is necessary to use belt power.

German 30mm anti-aircraft guns

The first German 30-mm anti-aircraft guns were homemade MK.103 aircraft guns mounted on improvised turrets.
The MK.103 automatic cannon without ammunition weighed 145 kg. The weight of a box with tape for 100 shots is 94 kg. The automatic operation scheme is mixed: the extraction of the cartridge case, the feeding of the next cartridge and the advancement of the tape occurred due to a short rollback of the barrel, and the removal of powder gases was used to cock the bolt and unlock the barrel bore. The food was supplied from a metal scattered belt with a length of 70–125 shells. Rate of fire – up to 420 rounds/min.

Since this gun had a fairly strong recoil, it was used to a limited extent in the armament of single-engine fighters. Serial production of MK.103 was carried out from July 1942 to February 1945. By mid-1944, a significant number of unclaimed 30-mm guns had accumulated in warehouses, which became the reason for their use in anti-aircraft guns.

In the summer of 1943, the first 30 mm guns were mounted on primitive and rather crudely made turrets. In this way, ground technicians attempted to strengthen the air defenses of German field airfields.

Despite their unsightly appearance, such homemade installations demonstrated good results when firing at aerial targets. The greatest destructive effect was had by 30 mm high-explosive and high-explosive tracer shells: 3 cm M.Gesch. o. Zerl and 3 cm M.Gesch. Lspur. o. Zerl. The first projectile weighing 330 g contained 80 g of TNT, the second, weighing 320 g, was loaded with 71 g of phlegmatized hexogen mixed with aluminum powder. For comparison: the Soviet 37-mm UOR-167 fragmentation tracer projectile weighing 0.732 g, which was part of the ammunition load for the 61-K anti-aircraft gun, contained 37 g of TNT.

To produce particularly powerful 30-mm projectiles with a high explosive filling rate, “deep drawing” technology was used, followed by hardening of the steel case with high-frequency currents. Even a single 30-mm high-explosive and high-explosive tracer shell hitting an Il-2 attack aircraft was guaranteed to result in the plane being shot down.

Taking into account the successful experience of using improvised 30-mm anti-aircraft guns, the designers of Waffenfabrik Mauser AG crossed the MK.103 aircraft gun with a 20-mm Flak 38 anti-aircraft gun. Although this installation, designated 3.0 cm Flak 103/38, was largely forced wartime improvisation, on the whole it turned out to be quite successful.

30 mm anti-aircraft gun 3.0 cm Flak 103/ 38
Increasing the caliber from 20 to 30 mm made the installation heavier by approximately 30%.
The weight of the 3.0 cm Flak 103/38 in the transport position was 879 kg, after separating the wheel drive - 619 kg. The effectiveness of the 30-mm anti-aircraft gun has increased by approximately 1.5 times. At the same time, the effective fire range has increased by 20–25%. The heavier 30-mm projectile lost its energy more slowly, the maximum slanted firing range at air targets was 5,700 m, and the height reach was 4,500 m. Due to the use of belt feed and a box for 40 shells, the combat rate of fire increased significantly. In addition, the power of a 30 mm projectile was approximately twice that of a 20 mm projectile. It was experimentally established that in most cases, no more than two hits from a fragmentation tracer or one hit from a high-explosive projectile were required to destroy an armored attack aircraft or a twin-engine dive bomber.

By analogy with the 20-mm quad anti-aircraft gun 2.0 cm Flakvierling 38, at the end of 1944 the 3.0 cm Flakvierling 103/38 was created using MK.103 guns. Compared to the 2.0 cm Flakvierling 38, the weight of the 3.0 cm Flakvierling 103/38 in combat position has increased by approximately 300 kg. But the increase in weight was more than offset by increased combat characteristics. In 6 seconds, the quad installation could fire 160 shells in a continuous burst, with a total mass of 72 kg.

30 mm quad anti-aircraft gun 3.0 cm Flakvierling 103/38

Externally, the 30 mm quad mount differed from the 2.0 cm Flakvierling 38 in having longer and thicker barrels, equipped with a multi-chamber muzzle brake and cylindrical boxes for projectile belts.

As in the case of 20-mm anti-aircraft guns, single-barrel and quad anti-aircraft guns based on the MK.103 were used in a towed version, placed on the chassis of armored personnel carriers, tanks, and also mounted in truck bodies and on railway platforms.

Although attempts were made to establish mass production of single-barrel and quadruple anti-aircraft guns, and in the second half of 1944 an order was issued for 2000 Flakvierling 103/38 and 500 Flakvierling 103/38, the industry of the Third Reich was unable to meet the planned production volumes. In total, a little more than 500 single-barrel and quadruple installations were transferred to the customer, and due to the relative small number they did not have a noticeable impact on the course of hostilities.

The strengthening of Allied anti-submarine aircraft and the increased losses of German submarines required the replacement of 37-mm semi-automatic anti-aircraft guns SK C / 30U, in which loading was carried out one projectile at a time, and therefore the combat rate of fire did not exceed 30 rounds/min.

37 mm SK C/30U semi-automatic gun on a submarine

In 1943, the Kringsmarine command initiated the development of a twin 30-mm anti-aircraft gun. In addition to increasing the rate of fire, while maintaining the firing range of the 37 mm cannon, the new 30 mm anti-aircraft gun had to be relatively light, compact and reliable.

In the summer of 1944, the Waffenwerke Brünn company (as the Czech Zbrojovka Brno was called in wartime) presented a twin anti-aircraft gun for testing, which after being adopted into service received the designation 3.0 cm MK. 303 (Br) (also referred to as 3.0 cm Flakzwilling MK. 303 (Br)).

Twin anti-aircraft gun 3.0 cm MK. 303 (Br)

Unlike the belt-fed 3.0 cm Flak 103/38, the new anti-aircraft gun had an ammunition supply system from magazines with 10 or 15 rounds, with a rate of fire from two barrels of up to 900 rounds/min. Thanks to the longer barrel, the initial speed of the armor-piercing projectile was increased to 900 m/s, which increased the effective firing range against air targets.

Serial production of 3.0 cm MK. 303 (Br) began in late 1944. Before the capitulation, Germany managed to build more than 220 twin 30-mm anti-aircraft guns. Although the anti-aircraft gun is 3.0 cm MK. 303 (Br) was originally intended for installation on warships, most of the 30-mm twins were used on land stationary positions.

Use of captured 30mm anti-aircraft guns

Due to the fact that the German industry was unable to produce a significant number of 30-mm anti-aircraft guns, their contribution to the confrontation with Soviet, American and British aircraft during the war was small.
Unlike 20-mm anti-aircraft guns, although more effective, but scarce in number, 30-mm anti-aircraft guns did not become widespread in the post-war years. At the same time, in a number of countries they had a noticeable influence on the process of creating new high-speed anti-aircraft guns. German 30-mm rapid-fire guns were carefully studied by Soviet specialists. After testing the captured MK.103, it received a positive assessment. In conclusion, based on the test results, it was noted that the 30-mm German belt-fed automatic gun has a high rate of fire for its caliber. The design of the weapon is quite simple and reliable. The main disadvantage, according to our experts, was the strong shock loads during automation operation. In terms of its range of combat characteristics, the MK.103 occupied an intermediate position between the 23-mm VYa air cannon and the 37-mm NS-37.

The only country where, in the post-war period, 30-mm anti-aircraft guns, previously used in the armed forces of Nazi Germany, were in service in noticeable quantities, was Czechoslovakia.

As you know, the Czechs quite widely used developments created by order of the Nazis, and in the post-war period they improved the models of equipment and weapons made in the Third Reich.

In the mid-1950s, supplies of the M53 double-barreled anti-aircraft gun, which is also known as the “30-mm anti-aircraft gun ZK.453 mod. 1953." This anti-aircraft gun had much in common with the 3.0 cm MK. 303(Br).

Towed 30 mm anti-aircraft gun ZK.453

The artillery part of the installation was mounted on a four-wheeled cart. At the firing position it was hung on jacks. The weight in the stowed position was 2100 kg, in the combat position - 1750 kg. Calculation – 5 people.

The automatic gas engine provided a total rate of fire from two barrels of 1000 rounds/min. The anti-aircraft gun was powered from rigid cassettes holding 10 rounds, the actual combat rate of fire was 100 rounds/min.

The 30-mm Czechoslovak anti-aircraft gun had high ballistic characteristics. A high-explosive fragmentation incendiary projectile weighing 450 g left a barrel 2363 mm long with an initial speed of 1000 m/s. Slant firing range at air targets is up to 3000 m.

The ammunition included armor-piercing incendiary tracer and high-explosive fragmentation incendiary shells. An armor-piercing incendiary tracer projectile weighing 540 g with an initial speed of 1000 m/s at a distance of 300 m could penetrate 50 mm steel armor along the normal line.

Comparing the Czechoslovak ZK.453 with the Soviet 23-mm ZU-23, it can be noted that the 30-mm installation was heavier and had a lower combat rate of fire, but the effective fire zone was approximately 25% higher, and its projectile had a greater destructive effect . Twin towed and self-propelled ZK.453 units were used in the military air defense of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, Cuba, Guinea and Vietnam.

German 37 mm anti-aircraft guns

During World War II, most of the warring countries had anti-aircraft guns of 37–40 mm caliber.
Compared to 20 mm and 30 mm anti-aircraft guns (especially quadruple ones), 37 mm guns had a lower combat rate of fire. But much heavier and more powerful 37-mm shells made it possible to fight air targets flying at a range and altitude inaccessible to smaller caliber anti-aircraft guns. At similar initial velocities, the 37 mm projectile weighed 2.5–5.8 times more than the 20–30 mm projectile, which ultimately determined a significant superiority in muzzle energy. The first German 37 mm automatic cannon was the 3.7 cm Flak 18 (3.7 cm Flugzeugabwehrkanone 18). This weapon was created by specialists from the Rheinmetall Borsig AG concern in 1929 based on the developments of the Solothurn Waffenfabrik AG company. Official adoption took place in 1935.

The 37-mm machine gun was originally created as a dual-purpose artillery system: to combat aircraft and armored vehicles. Thanks to the high initial velocity of the armor-piercing projectile, this weapon could confidently hit tanks with bulletproof armor.

37-mm anti-aircraft gun 3.7 cm Flak 18 with crew in firing position

The gun's automatic operation was powered by recoil energy with a short barrel stroke. The shooting was carried out from a pedestal carriage, supported by a cross-shaped base on the ground. In the traveling position, the gun was transported on a four-wheeled cart. The weight of the gun in firing position is 1760 kg, in stowed position - 3560 kg. Calculation – 7 people. Vertical guidance angles: -7° to +80°. In the horizontal plane there was the possibility of all-round firing. Two-speed guidance drives. The maximum firing range at air targets is 4200 m.

The 3.7 cm Flak 18 was fired using a unitary round known as 37x263B. The weight of the cartridge is 1.51–1.57 kg. An armor-piercing tracer projectile weighing 680 g in a barrel 2106 mm long accelerated to 800 m/s. The thickness of the armor penetrated by an armor-piercing tracer projectile at a distance of 800 m at an angle of 60° was 25 mm. The ammunition also included shots with fragmentation-tracer, fragmentation-incendiary and fragmentation-incendiary-tracer grenades, an armor-piercing high-explosive projectile, as well as a sub-caliber armor-piercing tracer projectile with a carbide core. Power was supplied from 6-round clips on the left side of the receiver. Rate of fire – up to 150 rounds/min.

In general, the 37-mm anti-aircraft gun was fully functional and quite effective against aircraft at ranges of up to 2000 m, and could successfully operate against lightly armored ground targets and manpower within line of sight. Despite the fact that by the beginning of World War II this 37-mm anti-aircraft gun was replaced in production by more advanced models, its operation continued until the end of hostilities.

The first combat use of the 3.7 cm Flak 18 took place in Spain, where the weapon generally performed well. However, anti-aircraft gunners complained about the difficulty of relocation and transportation. The excessive weight of the anti-aircraft gun in the transport position was a consequence of the use of a heavy and uncomfortable four-wheeled “cart”, which was towed at a speed of no more than 30 km/h.

In this regard, in 1936, using the 3.7 cm Flak 18 artillery unit and a new carriage, the 3.7 cm Flak 36 anti-aircraft gun was created. The weight of the modernized 37-mm anti-aircraft gun in the combat position decreased to 1550 kg, and in the stowed position - to 2400 kg. While maintaining the ballistic characteristics and rate of fire of the previous modification, the vertical aiming angles were increased within the range from -8 to + 85°.

3.7 cm Flak 36 in stowed position
The carriage with four supports was removed and placed on a single-axle cart in three minutes using a chain winch.
Highway towing speed increased to 60 km/h. The creators of the 3.7 cm Flak 36 managed to achieve high design perfection of the anti-aircraft gun, and the next stage in increasing the effectiveness of 37 mm anti-aircraft guns was to increase the shooting accuracy.

The next modification, designated 3.7 cm Flak 37, used the Sonderhänger 52 anti-aircraft sight with a counting device. The fire control of the anti-aircraft battery was carried out using a Flakvisier 40 rangefinder. Thanks to these innovations, the accuracy of fire at distances close to the maximum increased by about 30%.

3.7 cm Flak 37 in firing position

The 3.7 cm Flak 37 installation was visually distinguished from earlier models by a modified barrel casing, which was due to a simplification of the production technology.

In general, the 3.7 cm Flak 36 and 3.7 cm Flak 37 met the requirements for 37 mm anti-aircraft guns. However, when firing at quickly moving air targets at a distance of up to 1000 m, it was highly desirable to increase the rate of fire. In 1943, the Rheinmetall Borsig AG concern proposed a 37-mm towed anti-aircraft gun 3.7 cm Flak 43, the vertical guidance angle of which was increased to 90°, and the operating principle of the automatic artillery unit was significantly revised. The short stroke of the barrel during recoil was combined with a gas release mechanism that unlocks the bolt. The increased shock loads were compensated by the introduction of a spring-hydraulic damper. To increase the practical rate of fire and the length of a continuous burst, the number of shots in the clip was increased to 8 units.

Due to all this, it was possible to significantly reduce the time required to perform actions when firing a shot, and the rate of fire increased to 250–270 rounds/min, which slightly exceeded the rate of fire of the 20-mm 2.0 cm FlaK 30 assault rifle. The combat rate of fire was 130 rounds/ min. Weight in combat position - 1250 kg, in stowed position - 2000 kg. The barrel length, ammunition and ballistics of the Flak 43 remained unchanged compared to the Flak 36.

The anti-aircraft gun became easier to operate: the loading process became easier, and the gun could be completely controlled by one gunner. To protect the crew, an armor shield with two flaps was installed on most of the towed 3.7 cm Flak 43 units. The gun was transported on a single-axle sprung trailer with pneumatic and hand brakes, as well as a winch for lowering and raising the gun when transferring it from the traveling position to the combat position and back. In exceptional cases, shooting from a cart was allowed, but the horizontal firing sector did not exceed 30°. The Flak 43 artillery unit was mounted on a triangular base with three frames on which it rotated. The frames had jacks for leveling the anti-aircraft gun. To increase the effectiveness of anti-aircraft fire, centralized guidance from a single anti-aircraft fire control device was adopted as the main one. At the same time, for use outside the anti-aircraft battery on the 3.7 cm Flak 43, individual sights were retained.

3.7 cm Flak 43

Simultaneously with the increase in the rate of fire, thanks to the increase in the proportion of stamped parts, the production technology of anti-aircraft guns was improved and metal consumption was reduced. This, in turn, made it possible to quickly establish serial production of the new 37-mm anti-aircraft gun. In July 1944, 180 machine guns were delivered, in December - 450 guns. In March 1945, 1,032 3.7 cm Flak 43 guns were in service.

In parallel with the 3.7 cm Flak 43, a twin Flakzwilling 43 installation was created. The artillery machine guns in it were located one above the other, and the cradles on which the machine guns were mounted were connected to each other by a rod forming a parallelogram joint. Each gun was located in its own cradle and formed a swinging part, rotating relative to its annular axles.

Flakzwilling 43

With the vertical arrangement of the barrels, there was no dynamic torque in the horizontal plane that disrupted aiming. The presence of individual trunnions for each machine gun minimized disturbances affecting the swinging part of the anti-aircraft gun, and made it possible to use the artillery unit from single mounts without any modifications. In the event of failure of one gun, it was possible to fire from the second without disrupting the normal aiming process.

The disadvantages of this scheme are a continuation of the advantages: with a vertical arrangement, the height of the entire anti-aircraft installation and the height of the firing line increased. In addition, this arrangement is only possible for machines with side feeding.

In general, the creation of Flakzwilling 43 was completely justified. The weight of the twin 37-mm installation has increased by about 40% compared to the Flak 43, and the combat rate of fire has almost doubled.

Until March 1945, the German industry produced 5,918 37-mm Flak 43 anti-aircraft guns, and 1,187 Flakzwilling 43 twins. Despite the higher level of combat performance, the Flak 43 was not able to completely displace the Flak 36/37 from the production lines of 37-mm anti-aircraft guns 3. 7 cm Flak 36/37, of which more than 20,000 units were produced.

In the Wehrmacht, towed 37-mm anti-aircraft guns were combined into batteries of 9 guns. A Luftwaffe anti-aircraft battery, located in stationary positions, could have up to 12 37-mm guns.

In addition to being used in a towed version, the 3.7 cm Flak 18 and Flak 36 anti-aircraft guns were installed on railway platforms, various trucks, half-track tractors, armored personnel carriers and tank chassis.

Unlike towed 37-mm anti-aircraft guns deployed at prepared firing positions as part of a battery, the crew of an anti-aircraft self-propelled gun when firing at air targets, due to cramped conditions, as a rule, did not use an optical rangefinder, which negatively affected the accuracy of firing. In this case, adjustments were made to the sight during firing, based on the trajectory of the tracer shells relative to the target.

Anti-aircraft 37-mm self-propelled guns were actively used on the Eastern Front, operating mainly in the front-line zone. They accompanied transport columns and were part of the anti-aircraft division, which provided air defense for some tank and motorized divisions.

If necessary, the ZSU was used as a mobile anti-tank reserve. In the case of targeted use against armored vehicles, the ammunition load of 37-mm anti-aircraft guns could include a sub-caliber projectile weighing 405 g, with a tungsten carbide core and an initial speed of 1140 m/s. At a distance of 600 m normal, it penetrated 90 mm armor. But, due to the chronic shortage of tungsten, 37-mm sub-caliber projectiles were not used often.

At the final stage of the war, in conditions of an acute shortage of anti-tank weapons, the German command decided to put most of the 37-mm anti-aircraft guns on direct fire for firing at ground targets.

Due to low mobility, automatic anti-aircraft guns were used mainly in pre-equipped positions in defense centers. Thanks to good armor penetration for their caliber and high rate of fire, they posed a certain danger to medium Soviet T-34 tanks and, when using fragmentation shells, could successfully fight unsheltered infantry.

Use of 37 mm German anti-aircraft guns in the USSR

In parallel with the “20-mm automatic anti-aircraft and anti-tank gun model 1930” mentioned in the previous publication.
(2-K), the German company Butast in 1930 supplied technical documentation and a number of semi-finished products for a 37-mm anti-aircraft gun, which later in Germany received the designation 3.7 cm Flak 18. In the USSR, this system received the name “37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun arr. 1930." It was sometimes called the 37 mm "N" (German) gun. They tried to put the anti-aircraft gun into mass production at plant No. 8, where it was assigned the factory index 4-K. In 1931, three guns assembled from German parts were presented for testing. However, Plant No. 8 failed to achieve the proper quality of manufacturing of components during mass production, and an attempt at serial production of a 37-mm German-style anti-aircraft gun in the USSR failed.

During World War II, the Red Army captured several hundred towed 37-mm anti-aircraft guns and ZSUs armed with them. However, it was not possible to find official documents about the use of these weapons in the Red Army.

There is a mention in memoirs that captured 37-mm German anti-aircraft guns were installed in defense units and were used exclusively for firing at ground targets.

It can be assumed that due to ignorance of captured equipment, the Red Army soldiers could not competently operate 37-mm automatic guns, and we did not know how to use German fire control devices. By the time the Red Army switched to strategic offensive operations, and Soviet troops began to capture a significant number of 37-mm German anti-aircraft guns, the air defense units of the Red Army were sufficiently saturated with domestic 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft guns of the 1939 model and 40-mm automatic anti-aircraft guns received from the allies. mm "Bofors".

The captured German warships that became part of the USSR Navy had single-barreled and twin-barreled 37-mm universal rapid-fire 3.7 cm SK C/30 guns with a semi-automatic vertically sliding wedge breech with manual loading of each shot and 3.7 cm automatic anti-aircraft guns Flak M42.

Although the naval 37-mm cannon 3.7 cm SK C/30 was significantly superior in accuracy and firing range to 37-mm land anti-aircraft guns, by the standards of the 1940s its rate of fire was unsatisfactory.

Twin naval 37-mm anti-aircraft gun 3.7 cm Flak M42

In this regard, the company Rheinmetall Borsig AG in 1943 converted the 3.7 cm Flak 36 to naval requirements. Unlike the land prototype, the naval anti-aircraft gun was loaded with clips of five rounds from above, had an elongated barrel, a pedestal carriage and an anti-fragmentation shield. The rate of fire was 250 rounds/min.

In the Soviet Navy, semi-automatic 3.7 cm SK C/30s were replaced by 37 mm 70-K automatic anti-aircraft gun mounts. Captured 3.7 cm Flak M42 assault rifles served until the mid-1950s.

The use of 37-mm German anti-aircraft guns in the armed forces of other states

Bulgarian anti-aircraft gun 3.7 cm Flak 36 at the National Museum of Military History

German 37-mm anti-aircraft guns 3.7 cm Flak 36 were produced in Romania and were also supplied to Bulgaria, Hungary, Spain and Finland. After the end of World War II until the early 1950s, they were in service in Bulgaria, Spain and Czechoslovakia.

37-mm anti-aircraft guns 3.7 cm Flak 36 in the Romanian army

A significant number of 37-mm anti-aircraft guns were captured by the Allies during the liberation of France, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands from the Nazis. The 3.7 cm Flak 36 was used the longest in Romania. In this country, under the designation “Tun antiaerian Rheinmetall calibru 37 mm model 1939,” they served for about two decades. In the early 1960s they were transferred to warehouses. Three dozen 37-mm anti-aircraft guns of the German type were in storage until the 80s.

Although the German 37-mm anti-aircraft guns had fairly high combat and service-operational characteristics, in the first post-war decade they were almost completely replaced by the anti-aircraft guns used in the victorious countries: the 40-mm Bofors L60 and 37-mm 61-K.

The ending follows...

Armament

Cannon weapons

Two twin 2A38M anti-aircraft guns have:

• 2 barrels firing alternately, which allows for a high rate of fire ranging from 1950 to 2500 rounds/min;
• an autonomous evaporative shaft cooling system that allows the use of drinking water with low consumption;
• an induction sensor of the initial velocity of the projectile, which increases the firing accuracy of the machine gun as part of the anti-aircraft complex;
• a forward position sensor, by the signal of which the machine’s readiness to fire is determined (the position of the moving parts of the machine) and the counter of the remaining cartridges operates;
• a pyro-recharge system with three squibs, allowing for remote elimination of misfire-type delays.

Characteristics of the 30-mm anti-aircraft machine gun 2A38M

• Cartridge type – 2A42
• Caliber – 30 mm
• Rate of fire – 1950-2500 rounds/min.
• Initial projectile speed – 960 m/s
• Barrel life – 8000 rounds
• Weapon weight – 195 kg
• Cartridge weight – 0.842 kg
• Projectile mass - 0.389 kg.
• Machine length – 3478 mm
• Recoil force – 62 kN
• Power supply voltage for the electric trigger and contactor from a DC source – 24 V
• Reloading – pyrotechnic and manual
• Number of squibs – 3 pcs.
• Shooting control - remote
• Operating conditions – ±50 °С

Technical characteristics of the 30-mm anti-aircraft machine gun 2A38M on the Pantsir-S1 air defense missile system

• Ammunition: 1400 rounds
• Effective destruction range: up to 4 kilometers
• Fire rate (total): 5 thousand rpm
• Damage height – 0 – 3000 m
• Ammunition: armor-piercing incendiary

Missile weapons

The Pantsir complex is equipped with 12 new 57E6 missiles (export designation 57E6E), which are similar in appearance and layout to the 9M311 Tunguska air defense missile system. The design is a two-stage rocket with launch and sustainer stages, the aerodynamic design is “canard”. Control and guidance system – radio command control. The engine is a solid propellant rocket motor in the launch stage; there is no engine in the sustainer stage. The rocket body is bicaliber, the engine is located in the second separable stage. The rocket has a short flight time at the launch site. The warhead consists of core striking elements. The rocket uses an air-dynamic steering gear.

Performance characteristics of the 57E6E missile defense system

• Rocket length – 3160 mm
• Diameter of 1st stage – 90 mm
• Diameter 2 stages – 76 mm
• Weight with TPK – 94 kg
• Weight without TPK – 75.7 kg
• Warhead weight – 20 kg
• Explosive weight – 5.5 kg
• Range – 1-18 km
• Damage height – 5-15000 m
• Maximum speed – 1300 m/s (at the end of the starting stage)
• Average speed – 900 m/s (for a distance of 12 km)
• Average speed – 780 m/s (for a distance of 18 km)
• Maximum target speed – 1000 m/s
• Ballistic braking speed – 40 m/s per 1 km of track (flight stage)
• Duration of the starting section – 2.4 s
• Probability of hitting an air target – 0.7-0.95
• Warhead type – rod fragmentation warhead, possibly 14F6
• Warhead fuses - contact and non-contact

Technical characteristics of the 57E6E missile defense system on the Pantsir-S1 air defense missile system

• Ammunition, pcs: - 8 – 12
• Length of missiles in container, mm – 3300
• Mass of the rocket in the container, kg – 94

Ammunition[edit]

Soldiers from Alpha Company, 9th Engineer Battalion, place C-4 explosives into 37mm anti-aircraft shells to be destroyed near the town of Baiji, Iraq, June 20, 2004.

The cannon fires 37×252SR projectiles. The shells use brass shells lined with wax paper and KV-2U percussion caps. Included in the housing is a small piece of lead-tin wire that acts as a copper remover to counteract copper buildup from moving projectile belts. [8] Ammunition is produced in a number of countries, including China, Russia, Egypt, Pakistan and Yugoslavia. The shells themselves are identical to the shells of the NS-37 aircraft cannon. High explosive shells are equipped with point fuses, making them unsuitable for hitting fast moving or small targets.

Grade

The disadvantage of the machine was the large loss of time in the cycle as a result of the sequential operation of the main mechanisms: rolling the barrel - chambering the cartridge - closing the bolt.

The ratio between the cycle time - recoil and rollback of the barrel and the operating time of all other mechanisms of the machine (1 to 2) indicated the irrationality of the scheme used. The free movement of cartridges in the receiver allowed for the possibility of their misalignment in the magazine and delays.

Comparative tests carried out in 1940 between the Soviet 37-mm gun mount 61-K and the 40-mm American Bofors ZAU showed that they do not have significant differences in their main characteristics.

Comparison of anti-aircraft guns[edit]

History of creation

Predecessors

BOD "Soobrazitelny" project 61 in the Mediterranean Sea, September 29, 1983

The prototypes of Project 61ME ships designed for India were gas turbine ships - Project 61, built in large series for the USSR Navy at the shipyards named after 61 Communards in Nikolaev and named after A. A. Zhdanov in Leningrad. These were the world's first warships equipped with a gas turbine power plant. Despite their relatively small size and cost, they had excellent seaworthiness and outstanding anti-aircraft and anti-submarine weapon characteristics for the 1960s. Project 61 ships played a big role in the formation of ocean formations of the USSR Navy and displayed the Soviet Naval flag on all oceans of the planet. High tactical and technical data, completeness and reliability of the design became compelling arguments for the command of the Indian Navy when they also wanted to acquire similar ships.

Prerequisites for creation

In the 1970s, the leadership of the Indian Navy began to think about the need for modern escort ships both for the existing Vikrant aircraft carrier and for promising combat units of the same class that were planned to be acquired for the fleet in the future. In order to select a prototype and conclude an agreement for the construction of new ships, a delegation of the Indian military visited the USSR in 1974. The guests were given a tour of the Restrained BOD located in Sevastopol. The Indians liked the ship, but they put forward a number of demands to modify the project for the Indian Navy - in particular, to move strike missiles to the bow and build a hangar for an onboard helicopter.

Design

On May 30, 1974, Order No. 999-RS of the Council of Ministers of the USSR was issued, according to which, on the basis of the 61M project, it was prescribed to develop an export project 61ME for the Indian Navy. The design work was assigned to the Northern Design Bureau in Leningrad, and A. A. Shishkin was appointed chief designer.

The destroyer "Ranjit" (formerly the BOD "Lovkiy") at the parade

Compared to the basic design, the project was significantly redesigned: the anti-ship missile launchers were moved from the stern to the bow of the hull, for which the hull had to be somewhat widened; increased the fuel supply for both the ship’s power plant and the onboard helicopter; They also included a helicopter hangar in the design, which was not included in Project 61

Placing the hangar in the stern required the abandonment of the aft artillery tower with its fire control system; Given the importance of permanently basing a helicopter for the escort ship, the forced reduction of artillery weapons was considered an acceptable compromise. The ship's electrical power system was also redesigned - in particular, instead of four main gas turbine generators, only two, but more powerful ones, were installed

The initial contract included the construction of only three Project 61ME ships, but later the customer requested the delivery of two more modified units. The project was finalized by the Northern Design Bureau by order of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 2077-RS dated September 6, 1979. The main changes included the replacement of the Ka-25 airborne helicopter with a new, heavier and larger Ka-28. Accordingly, it was necessary to enlarge the hangar, redesign the aviation ammunition cellars and radio equipment to interface with the new helicopter. Also in the updated project, 2-barrel 30-mm short-range air defense assault rifles were replaced by more powerful 6-barrel units of the same caliber.

Description and characteristics of the weapon

The 70-K anti-aircraft gun had a monoblock barrel, a screw-on breech and a vertical wedge breech. The ZAU automation operated using the recoil energy of the barrel during a short recoil of the barrel. The machine was fed with cartridges - continuous, vertical, using 5-round clips. The recoil involved a throw-type spring rammer connected to the breech.

The cooling of the AU was air-based and was unsuccessful: for example, a 37-mm air-cooled barrel had a continuous burst length of only 100 shots, compared to no less than 158 for a water-cooled barrel. After 100 shots, the air-cooled barrel either had to be replaced or wait about 1.5 hours for it to cool down.

• Number of guns in the AU - 1
• Total barrel length, mm/calibers - 2720/73.5 (with flash suppressor)
• The length of the threaded part is 2054
• Chamber volume - 0.267 dm³
• Number of grooves - 16
• Rifling stroke length - 25 klb
• Rifling depth - 0.45 mm
• Vertical guidance speed (manual) - 15 degrees
• Horizontal guidance speed (manual) - 19.6 degrees
• Rollback length - 150-170 mm
• Fire line height - 10195 mm
• Swing radius, muzzle/breech - 2800/1080 mm
• Weight of the swinging part - 555 kg
• Weight of the recoil parts of the barrel - 127.5 kg
• Weight of the rotating part - 1100 kg
• The total weight of the propeller is 1350 kg
• Calculation - 5-6 people.
• Initial projectile speed - 880 m/s
• Ballistic firing range - 8400 m
• Ballistic firing range for self-liquidator - 4000 m
• Mass of fragmentation tracer cartridge/projectile - 1496/732 g
• Weight of armor-piercing tracer cartridge/projectile - 1522/758 g
• Weight and brand of gunpowder - 210 g (gunpowder grade 7/7)

Development[edit]

The Soviet Navy purchased a number of Bofors 25 mm guns in 1935. 1933. Tests of the weapon were successful, and it was decided to develop a 45-mm version of the gun, designated 49-K. Development under the leadership of leading Soviet designers M. N. Loginov, I. A. Lyamin and L. V. Lyuliev was successful, but the army considered the 45 mm caliber too large for an automatic field weapon. In January 1938, Artillery Plant No. 8 in Sverdlovsk was ordered to develop a 37 mm gun based on the same design. The task was completed by the chief designer of the plant, Mikhail Loginov, and his assistant, Lev Loktev. Firing tests of the new 61-K were carried out in October 1938.

Competition shooting tests were conducted in 1940 between the 61-K and the Bofors 40 mm/56. No significant differences were found between them.

61-K in Poznan Citadel, Poland

Land version [edit]

The weapon was initially installed as a single-barrel weapon on a four-wheeled ZU-7 carriage and was soon ready for use. An initial order for 900 units has been placed. The gun was operated by a crew of eight people. There were a total of 200 rounds of ammunition, which were fed into the gun in five-round clips. Total production in the Soviet Union was approximately 20,000 units and ended in 1945. However, it was also produced in Poland, China and North Korea.

The armor penetration of armor-piercing (AP) rounds is 37 millimeters of rolled homogeneous armor (RHA) at 60° at a range of 500 meters and 28 millimeters RHA at 90° at a range of 1,500 meters.

Marine version[edit]

The naval mount was produced as the 70K and entered service before the German invasion of the Soviet Union, replacing the semi-automatic 45mm/46 21-K on many ships. It was installed in large numbers on Soviet ships during World War II, including the T301 class minesweepers. The V70K was produced until 1955, with a total of 3,113 examples built.

V-11 as a monument to the defenders of Fort Seraya Horses

One drawback was that the 70K required a barrel change after every 100 shots. To improve upon this, the twin-barrel water-cooled V-11 (called "W-11" in East Germany and Poland due to different transliterations of the Cyrillic alphabet) was adopted in 1946 and remained in production until 1957. 1,872 B-11 units were built.

Following this, a long 100 mm (3.9 in) version of the 85 anti-aircraft gun, the 45 mm/85, was developed and fielded in 1954 and deployed in two and four turrets on several classes of ships. including Neustrashimy

, "
Kildin"
and "Kotlin". However, it was later replaced by a twin 57-mm ZIF-31 installation.

The 37mm twin was exported to China, where it was produced and widely used as the "Type 65". A turret version was produced from the late 1980s under the name "Type 76" or H/PJA 76.

ZSU-37 [edit]

The ZS-37 was developed at the end of World War II; it was a single 37 mm gun mounted in a large open turret on an SU-76 self-propelled gun chassis.

Control

Wasserfall(Germany)

Manual radio command control, visual. The targets were tracked visually by the operator, who then manually (using a joystick) brought the missile to the line of sight using commands from the station. The command control system used was a development of the standard German Kehl-Strasbourg, based on captured French designs from 1938–1940.

In the future, it was planned to use a pair of radars to track the target and the flying missile. The control, however, remained manual radio command: the operator saw the target and the missile as dots on the screen and tried to combine them using the joystick. The detonation of the warhead is command-based, based on visual assessment of proximity to the target.

Rating: Three points (you can give one point for the planned transition to radar tracking, but no more. Moreover, the system is stolen). 

DAAC(Italy)

DAAC and Schmetterling: obvious similarities

Manual radio command control, visual. The goals are the same as in Wasserfall. The command control system is an original Campini design. The detonation of the warhead is command-driven, based on visual assessment of proximity to the target (the German version, however, received a proximity fuse)

Rating: Two points. The control system is primitive, dependent on visibility conditions and subject to human error.

Funryu-2(Japan)

1 — compressed air cylinder; 2 — control valves of the pneumatic system; 3 — vertical rudder servo drive; 4 — gyroscopic autopilot; 5 - radio receiver

Manual radio command control, visual. The target and the missile were tracked visually by the operator, who then manually (using buttons) with commands from the control station brought the missile to the target. The detonation of the warhead is command-based, based on visual assessment of proximity to the target.

Rating: Two points. Everything is the same as DAAC.

Brakemine(UK)

Automatic control, saddle beam method.” Rotating radar beamAANo. 3 Mk7 automatically tracked the selected target - the launched missile automatically kept itself within the beam path. The warhead was detonated using a proximity fuse.

Rating: Five points. The most advanced and effective control system of all missile defense systems tested during World War II. Fully automatic, independent of visibility conditions and resistant to interference.  

KAN Little Joe(USA)

Manual radio command control, visual. The target and the missile were tracked visually by the operator. The work was done manually (using a joystick). The command system used is a standard AN/ARW-17 receiver and AN/ARW-19 transmitter combination designed for guided bombs.

Rating: Two points. The control system is exactly like DAAC and Funryu-2. But she had to solve the simplest problem: defeating a kamikaze heading straight for the ship.