45 mm anti-tank gun M1942 (M-42)

45-mm anti-tank gun model 1942 года (М-42)
M-42 in Museum on Sapun Mountain, Sevastopol.
Type Anti-tank gun
Place of origin USSR
Service history
Used by USSR
Warsaw Pact
North Korea[1]
Wars World War II
Korean War[1]
Production history
Designer No. 172 Plant
Manufacturer Artillery Plant #172, at Perm
Produced 1942-1945
No. built 10,843
Specifications
Weight combat: 625 kg (1,378 lbs)
travel: 1,250 kg (2,756 lbs)
Barrel length 3.09 m (10 ft 2 in) 66 calibers[1]
Width 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in)[1]
Height 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)[1]
Crew 6[1]
Shell Fixed QF 45x386 mm. SR[1]
Caliber 45 mm/ 68 (1.77 in)
Breech Semi-automatic vertical sliding wedge[1]
Recoil Hydro-spring[1]
Carriage Split trail
Elevation -8° to 25°
Traverse 60°
Rate of fire 15-20 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity 870 m/s (2,854 ft/s)
Maximum firing range 4.55 km (2.84 mi)

M-42 was a 45-mm Soviet light semi-automatic anti-tank gun. Its full official name is 45-mm anti-tank gun model 1942 (M-42) (Russian: 45-мм противотанковая пушка образца 1942 года (М-42)). These guns were used from 1942 until the end of World War II.

History

M-42 45 mm anti-tank gun in Finnish Tank Museum in Parola

The M-42 was developed by the No. 172 Plant in Motovilikha as an upgrade of the 45 mm anti-tank gun M1937 (53-K). The gun received a longer barrel (L66, 20 calibers more than the previous one, so it was a 45 mm/L66), shells with more powerful cartridges, and a thicker shield (7 mm instead of 4.5 mm), but of hinged construction as a need for reduced profile, requiring crews to kneel while serving the weapon. Some minor changes were also introduced in order to speed up production.

These guns were used from 1942 until the end of World War II. In 1943, due to its insufficient anti-armor capabilities against new German tanks such as Tiger, Panther and Panzer IV Ausf H, the M-42 was partially replaced in mass production by more powerful 57 mm ZiS-2 anti-tank gun. The M-42 remained in production however, as it was quite effective against lighter vehicles and could pierce the side armour of Panther and Panzer IV Ausf H. Fragmentation shell and canister shot gave the gun some anti-personnel capability.

Mass production of M-42 ceased in mid-1945. The total number of guns produced is 10,843.

Ammunition

  • Ammunition types:
    • Armor-piercing
    • Fragmentation
    • Canister
    • Smoke
  • Projectile weight:
    • AP: 1.43 kg (3.15 lbs)
    • APCR: 0.85 kg (1.87 lbs)
    • Fragmentation: 2.14 kg (4.71 lbs)

Performance

Penetration[2]
Type 100 m (110 yd) 500 m (550 yd) 1,000 m (1,100 yd) 1,500 m (1,600 yd) 2,000 m (2,200 yd)
APBC-HE 71 mm (2.8 in) 54 mm (2.1 in) 40 mm (1.6 in) 32 mm (1.3 in) 28 mm (1.1 in)
APCR 108 mm (4.3 in) 74 mm (2.9 in) 46 mm (1.8 in) - -

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Foss, Christopher (1977). Jane's pocket book of towed artillery. New York: Collier. p. 13. ISBN 0020806000. OCLC 911907988.
  2. ↑ Bird, Lorrin; Lingston, Robert (2001). World War II Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery. Albany, NY USA: Overmatch Press. OCLC 71143143.

References

  • Shunkov V. N. - The Weapons of the Red Army, Mn. Harvest, 1999 (Шунков В. Н. - Оружие Красной Армии. — Мн.: Харвест, 1999.) ISBN 985-433-469-4
  • Koll, Christian (2009). Soviet Cannon - A Comprehensive Study of Soviet Arms and Ammunition in Calibres 12.7mm to 57mm. Austria: Koll. p. 423. ISBN 978-3-200-01445-9.
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