3.7 cm TAK 1918
3.7 cm TAK 1918 | |
---|---|
Type | Anti-tank gun |
Place of origin | German Empire |
Service history | |
Used by | German Empire |
Wars | World War I |
Production history | |
Designer | Rheinmetall |
Designed | 1918 |
Manufacturer | Rheinmetall |
Produced | 1918 |
No. built | ~600 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 463 kg (1,020 lb) travel 175 kg (386 lb) combat |
Length | 2.17 m (7 ft 1 in) |
Barrel length | 780 mm (2 ft 7 in) L/21[1] |
Width | 730 mm (2 ft 5 in) |
Height | 515 mm (1 ft 8 in)[2] |
Crew | 7[2] |
Shell | Fixed 37x94mm R 460 g (1 lb) |
Action | Manual |
Recoil | None |
Carriage | Box trail |
Elevation | -6° to +9° |
Traverse | 21°[3] |
Muzzle velocity | 435 m/s (1,427 ft/s) |
Effective firing range | 300 m (328 yd) |
Maximum firing range | 2,621 m (2,866 yd)[2] |
The 3.7 cm Tankabwehrkanone 1918 in starrer Räderlafette or 3.7 cm TAK 1918, was an anti-tank gun built by
History
At first, the German High Command was indifferent to the idea of developing specialized anti-tank weapons. The problem of dealing with tanks was considered to be a tactical problem and not a technical problem. Riflemen and machine gunners were given armor-piercing k bullets, while artillery units were trained to engage the tanks with direct fire.[4] However, once allied tanks began to be encountered in greater numbers and employed with better tactical coordination an emergency program was launched to develop weapons and tactics to counter the threat from tanks.[2]
The first response to the tank threat was an
In July 1918, the OHL asked both Krupp and Rheinmetall to submit designs for a competition for a new anti-tank weapon with greater range and better penetration than previous weapons. Both companies presented a number of prototypes for the competition and after tests, during August 1918 at the Kummersdorf Proving Grounds, the Rheinmetall design was declared the winner. The Rheinmetall design was considered mobile, stable and accurate enough to be useful in combat.[3]
Description
The 3.7 cm TAK 1918 was not a rifle or machine gun but instead was a small artillery piece. The barrel was rigidly mounted with no recoil mechanism or
Deployment
The 3.7 cm TAK 1918 was to be deployed by Minenwerfer Battalions, with each receiving 32 guns. Training was to be conducted by instructors of the Infanteriegeschützbatterien (Infantry Gun Batteries) who would teach the new gunners anti-tank tactics. Each gun would have a seven-member crew consisting of a gunner, a loader, a commander, and four assistants who would provide covering fire and protection from infantry attacks. Two guns would form a team under the command of a four-member team consisting of a commander, a second in command, and two dispatch runners.[2] The two guns would then be deployed to provide overlapping fields of fire and mutual assistance. An initial order for 300 guns was placed and this was soon raised to 1,020 guns. At the end of the war, approximately 600 guns had been delivered.[4]
The Bundeswehr Museum of German Defense Technology in Koblenz has one of this specimen in its collection.
Similar Weapons
- 3.7 cm Infanteriegeschütz M.15
- 37 mm trench gun M1915
- Canon d'Infanterie de 37 modèle 1916 TRP
- Type 11 37 mm infantry gun
References
- ^ )
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "3.7cm Tankabwehrkanone Rheinmetall - Tank Encyclopedia". www.tanks-encyclopedia.com. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
- ^ OCLC 44779672.
- ^ a b "TAK anti-tank". www.landships.info. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
- ^ "Противотанковый пулемет MG 18 TUF". ww1.milua.org. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2018-06-01.