76 mm gun M1
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The 76 mm M1 Gun was an American Forces World War II-era tank gun, which replaced the 75 mm gun on late Medium tank M4s, and was equipped on all 76 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 tank destroyers. Developmentally, it was a new gun with breech similar to that of the 75 mm M3 Gun. It fired the same shell as the 3 inch gun of the 3in Gun Motor Carriage M10 tank destroyer, but in a different case. The gun received a muzzle brake and faster rifle twist during production.
While the 76 mm had less High Explosive (HE) and smoke performance than the 75 mm, the higher-velocity 76 mm gave better anti-tank performance, with firepower comparable to the Soviet ZiS-S-5 85 mm gun of the T-34-85 and many of the armoured fighting vehicles it encountered, particularly the Panzer IV and StuG vehicles.
From 1943 on instigation of the head of the Armored force General Jacob Devers US Ordnance worked on a towed anti-tank gun based on the barrel of the M1, known as 76 mm gun T2 on carriage T3. Later interest in the project declined and in 1945 the program was officially cancelled.[1]
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[edit] Vehicles used on
- 76 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 (Hellcat)
- Medium Tank M4A1(76)W (Sherman IIA)
- Medium Tank M4A1(76)W HVSS (Sherman IIAY)
- Medium Tank M4A2(76)W (Sherman IIIA)
- Medium Tank M4A2(76)W HVSS (Sherman IIIAY)
- Medium Tank M4A3(76)W(Sherman IVA)
[edit] Comparison of US 76 mm and Soviet 85 mm guns
| Ammunition Type | Abbrev. | US 76 mm Penetration at | Soviet 85 mm Penetration at | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 1,000 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | ||
| Armour-Piercing Capped, US M62 or Soviet APC | APC | 98 mm,[2] 93 mm[3] | 90 mm,[2] 88 mm[3] | 96 mm[4] | 88 mm[4] |
| Armour-Piercing Capped Ballistic Capped[5] | APCBC | 94 mm[4] | 89 mm[4] | 103 mm | 94 mm |
| Armour-Piercing Composite Rigid (BR-365P)[6] | APCR | – | – | 138 mm | 100 mm |
| Armour-Piercing High-Explosive (BR-365)[6] | APHE | – | – | 111 mm | 102 mm[7] |
| High-Velocity Armour-Piercing[4] | HVAP | 158 mm[5] | 134 mm[5] | 121 mm | 130 mm,[7] 80 mm[4] |
| High-Velocity Armour-Piercing M93[3] | HVAP | 157 mm | 135 mm | – | – |
| High-Velocity Armour-Piercing T-4[2] | HVAP | 150 mm | 132 mm | – | – |
| United States artillery of World War II |
|---|
| Tank guns |
| 37 mm M5/M6 | 75 mm M2/M3/M6 | 76 mm M1 | 3in M7 | 90 mm M3 |
| Anti-tank guns |
| 37 mm M3 | 57 mm M1 | 3in M5 |
| Field, Medium and Heavy guns |
| 75 mm M1/M116 | 105 mm M2/M101 | 105 mm M3 155 mm M1/M114 | 155 mm M1/M2/M59 "Long Tom" | 203 mm M1/M2/M115 |
| Other vehicle mounted |
| 75 mm M2/M3 | 105 mm M1/M2 | 105 mm M4 | 155 mm M1918M1 | 155 mm M2 |
| Anti-aircraft guns |
| 37 mm M1 | 40 mm M1 | 3in M3 | 90 mm M1 |
[edit] References
- ^ Steven J. Zaloga, Brian Delf - US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45, Osprey Publishing 2005 (New Vanguard 107), ISBN 1-84176-690-9, page 20.
- ^ a b c Steven J. Zaloga. and Peter Sarson (1993). Sherman Medium Tank.
- ^ a b c R.P. Hunnicutt (1978). Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank.
- ^ a b c d e f Harry Woodman (1991). Tank Armament in World War Two.
- ^ a b c Bovington Tank Museum (1975). Fire and Movement.
- ^ a b Steven J. Zaloga and James Grandsen (1984). Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two, p 225. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-606-8.
- ^ a b Chris Foss (1974). Artillery of the World.
[edit] See also
- QF 17 pounder - British 76 mm gun of the same period
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