Canon de 37 mm Modèle 1925

Canon de 37 mm Modèle 1925
Type Anti-aircraft gun
Place of origin France
Service history
Used by France
Wars World War II
Production history
Designed 1925
Produced 1925
Variants Modèle 1933
Specifications
Weight 300 kg (660 lb)
Length 2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Barrel length 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)

Shell 37 x 278 mm
Complete length: 408 mm (16.1 in)
Complete weight: 2.8 kg (6.2 lb)
Shell weight .72 kg (1.6 lb)
Caliber 37 millimeters (1.5 in) 50 caliber
Action Semi-Automatic
Elevation -15° to +80°
Traverse 360°
Rate of fire 15-21 rpm
Muzzle velocity 810 m/s (2,700 ft/s)
Effective firing range 5.4 km (3.4 mi) at +45°
Maximum firing range 7 km (4.3 mi) at +45°[1]

The Canon de 37 mm Modèle 1925 was a widely used family of French anti-aircraft guns used by the French Navy during World War II.

Design & Construction

The Modèle 1925 was a single gun mount while the later Modèle 1933 was a twin mount. Both were hand-loaded, semi-automatic guns with a low rate of fire compared to its clip-fed contemporaries. A combination of low rate of fire, low projectile weight and small numbers of guns per ship led to a reputation of it being a poor anti-aircraft weapon.[2]

Ship classes that carried Modèle 1925 & Modèle 1933 include:

Comparison of anti-aircraft guns

Country Gun Model RPM Projectile Weight Weight of fire
 France Canon de 37 mm Modèle 1925 15-21 .72 kg (1.6 lb)[1] 10.8–15.12 kg (23.8–33.3 lb)
 Nazi Germany 3.7 cm SK C/30 30 .74 kg (1.6 lb)[3] 22.2 kg (49 lb)
 Italy Cannone-Mitragliera da 37/54 (Breda) 60-120 .82 kg (1.8 lb)[4] 49.2–98.4 kg (108–217 lb)
 United States 37 mm Gun M1 120 .87 kg (1.9 lb) 104.4 kg (230 lb)
 Nazi Germany 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/43 150 .64 kg (1.4 lb)[5] 96 kg (212 lb)
 Soviet Union 37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) 80[6] .73 kg (1.6 lb)[7] 58.4 kg (129 lb)
 United Kingdom QF 2-pounder naval gun 115 .91 kg (2.0 lb)[8] 104.6 kg (231 lb)
 Sweden Bofors 40 mm gun 120 .9 kg (2.0 lb)[9] 108 kg (238 lb)

Career

Ships of the Free French Navy refitted in the United States during World War II had these guns were replaced by 40 mm Bofors and 20 mm Oerlikon guns.[2] Ships of the Vichy French Navy continued to carry the Canon de 37 mm Modèle 1925 until the remnants of that force were captured or scuttled during 1942. Ships salvaged by the Germans and Italians also replaced this gun with their equivalents.

References

  1. 1 2 DiGiulian, Tony. "France 37 mm/50 (1.46") Model 1925 and CAIL Model 1933 - NavWeaps". www.navweaps.com. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
  2. 1 2 Campbell, John (1985). Naval weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870214594. OCLC 13085151.
  3. DiGiulian, Tony. "Germany 3.7 cm/83 SK C/30 - NavWeaps". www.navweaps.com. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
  4. DiGiulian, Tony. "Italy 37 mm/54 (1.5") Models 1932, 1938 and 1939 - NavWeaps". www.navweaps.com. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
  5. DiGiulian, Tony. "Germany 3.7 cm/57 (1.5") Flak M43 - NavWeaps". www.navweaps.com. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
  6. Foss, Christopher (1977). Jane's pocket book of towed artillery. New York: Collier. p. 27. ISBN 0020806000. OCLC 911907988.
  7. DiGiulian, Tony. "Russia / USSR 37 mm/67 (1.5") 70-K - NavWeaps". www.navweaps.com. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
  8. DiGiulian, Tony. "United Kingdom / Britain 2-pdr QF Mark VIII - NavWeaps". www.navweaps.com. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
  9. DiGiulian, Tony. "USA Bofors 40 mm/60 Model 1936 - NavWeaps". www.navweaps.com. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
  • Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
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