3,7cm KPÚV vz. 34
| 3,7cm KPÚV vz. 34 | |
|---|---|
 In Armádní muzeum Žižkov | |
| Type | Anti-tank gun |
| Place of origin | Czechoslovakia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1934–1944 |
| Used by |
Czechoslovakia Slovakia Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1934 |
| Manufacturer | Škoda Works |
| Produced | 1934–1939 |
| Variants | ÚV vz. 34 tank gun |
| Specifications (3,7cm KPÚV vz. 34) | |
| Barrel length | 1.48 m (4 ft 10 in) L/40 |
|
| |
| Shell | fixed |
| Shell weight | .85 kg (1 lb 14 oz) |
| Caliber | 37.2 mm (1.46 in) |
| Breech | semi-automatic |
| Carriage | split trail |
| Rate of fire | 12 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 675 m/s (2,210 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 1,000 m (1,100 yd) |
| Maximum firing range | 4,000 m (4,400 yd) |
The 3,7 cm KPÚV vz. 34 (Czech: kanón proti útočné vozbě) (designated 3,7 cm PaK 34(t) in German service) was an anti-tank gun produced by the Škoda Works in Czechoslovakia. Škoda's own designation for it was A3. It is not known if guns seized by German after the occupation of Bohemia-Moravia saw service in World War II. Slovakia acquired 113 when it declared independence from Czechoslovakia in March 1939.[1] The ÚV vz. 34 version that equipped the Czech LT vz. 35 tanks also seized was used during the war.
It was designed to a Czech Army requirement to penetrate 30 millimetres (1.2 in) of armor at 1,000 metres (1,100 yd) in 1934. It also fired a HE shell out to a maximum range of 4,000 metres (4,400 yd). The gun had a small shield and wooden-spoked wheels, although some were fitted with pneumatic wheels.[2]
The ÚV vz. 34 tank gun fired a .815 kg (1.80 lb) armor-piercing shell at 690 metres per second (2,300 ft/s). It was credited with penetrating a plate inclined at 30° from the vertical 37 millimetres (1.5 in) thick at 100 metres (110 yd), 31 millimetres (1.2 in) thick at 500 metres (550 yd), 26 millimetres (1.0 in) thick at 1,000 metres (1,100 yd), and 22 millimetres (0.87 in) thick at 1,500 metres (1,600 yd).[3] Another source quotes penetration of a vertical plate 45 millimetres (1.8 in) thick at 500 metres (550 yd). It was mounted on the T-32 (S-I-D) tank destroyer, as well as the LT vz. 34 and LT vz. 35 tanks built by the Czechs.[2]
Notes
References
- Chamberlain, Peter; Doyle, Hilary L. (1993) [1978]. Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two: A Complete Illustrated Directory of German Battle Tanks, Armoured Cars, Self-propelled Guns, and Semi-tracked Vehicles, 1933–1945. Jentz, Thomas L. (Revised ed.). London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 1-85409-214-6.
- Kliment, Charles K.; Francev, Vladimír (1997). Czechoslovak Armored Fighting Vehicles. Atglen, PA: Schiffer. ISBN 0-7643-0141-1.