90 mm gun M1/M2/M3

90 mm M1/M2
A 90 mm M1 at CFB Borden
Type	Anti-aircraft gun
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1938–1960[1]
Used by	United States United States Army Canada France[2] Turkey
Wars	World War II Korean War
Production history
Produced	1940 -
No. built	133,833 (M1,M2) (1940–1945) 6,648 (M1A1)
Variants	T2 M1 M1A1 M2
Specifications
Mass	M1A1: 19,000 lb (8,600 kg) M2: 32,300 lb (14,700 kg)
Length	M1A1: 29.6 ft (9.0 m)
Barrel length	200 in (5,100 mm) L/55 (55 caliber)
Width	M1A1: 13.6 ft (4.1 m)
Height	M1A1: 10.1 ft (3.1 m)
Crew	M1: 8 (1× gunner 7× loader) M2: 8 (1× gunner 7× loader)
Shell	90 x 600-615mmR M3 HE: 3.5 in × 37.44 in (90 mm × 950 mm) (M71 complete round) M3 APC: 3.5 in × 38.24 in (90 mm × 970 mm) (M82 complete round) M3 AP: 3.5 in × 32.75 in (90 mm × 830 mm) (M77 complete round)
Shell weight	M71 HE: 23.29 lb (10.56 kg) projectile, 41.93 lb (19.02 kg) complete M82 APC: 24.11 lb (10.94 kg) projectile, 42.75 lb (19.39 kg) complete M77 AP: 23.40 lb (10.61 kg) projectile, 42.04 lb (19.07 kg) complete
Calibre	90 mm (3.5 in)
Elevation	M1: -10° to +90° M2: -10° to +90°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	10 rpm
Muzzle velocity	M3 HE and AP: 2,700 ft/s (820 m/s) M3 APC: 2,670 ft/s (810 m/s)
Maximum firing range	Maximum horizontal: M1A1: 62,474 ft (19,042 m) Maximum ceiling: M1A1: 43,500 ft (13,300 m)

The 90 mm gun M1/M2/M3 was an American heavy

barrel, giving it a length of 15 ft (4.6 m). It was capable of firing a 3.5 in × 23.6 in (90 mm × 600 mm) shell 62,474 ft (19,042 m) horizontally, or a maximum altitude of 43,500 ft (13,300 m).

The 90 mm gun was the US Army's primary heavy anti-aircraft gun from just prior to the opening of World War II into 1946, complemented by small numbers of the much larger

As a

History

Prior to

Soviet

and other arsenals. There had been several upgrades to the weapon over its history, including the experimental T8 and T9 versions developed in the early 1930s, that were intended to enter service later in that decade.

However, the US Army became interested in a much more capable weapon instead, and on 9 June 1938, it issued a development contract calling for two new guns, one of 90 mm caliber, which it felt had the largest possible projectiles that were capable of being manually loaded when the gun was at high elevations, and another (using mechanically assisted loading) of 120 mm (4.7 in) caliber. On 18 August 1938 the development of the Mount T1 was approved as well. The new design seemed so much better than developments of the older three-inch that work on the three-inch T9 was canceled in 1938, just as it became production-ready. On 21 March 1940, the second development of the 90 mm design, the T2, was standardized as the 90 mm M1, while its larger cousin became the

120 mm M1 gun

.

A few hundred M1s were completed when several improvements were added to produce the 90 mm M1A1, which entered production in late 1940, and was accepted as standard on 22 May 1941. Since national arsenals had limited capacity, production of the first 300 gun mounts was contracted to Allis-Chalmers in November 1940, with the first unit shipped to the Army in September 1941.^[5] The M1A1 included an improved mount and spring-rammer on the breech, with the result that firing rates went up to 20 rounds per minute. Several thousand were available when the US entered the war, and the M1A1 was the standard anti-aircraft gun for the rest of the conflict. Production rates continued to improve, topping out in a few thousand per month.^[when?]

Year	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
Production[6]	171	3286	4074	300	0	7831

Like the German

, the M1A1 was used against tanks in combat but, unlike the others, the original mount design could not be depressed low enough to allow fire against them. On 11 September 1942, the Army issued specifications for a new mount to allow it to be used in this role, which resulted in the 90 mm M2, introducing a new mount that could be depressed to 10 degrees below the horizontal and featured a new electrically assisted rammer. It became the standard weapon from 13 May 1943.

In anti-aircraft use, the guns were normally operated in groups of four, controlled by the M7 or

, and M9 director, which could direct and lay the guns automatically, all the crews had to do was load the guns.

90 mm M3
M3 gun on M36 GMC, Tankfest 2024
Type	Anti-tank gun (T8) Tank gun (M3)
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1938 – 1973
Wars	World War II Korean War Vietnam War
Production history
Designer	U.S. Army Ordnance Department
Manufacturer	Rock Island Arsenal (U.S.)
Produced	1940 – 1945
Variants	See variants
Specifications
Mass	2,260 lb (1,030 kg) (gun only)
Barrel length	M3: 186 in (4.7 m) L/53 (53 caliber)
Crew	1× gunner; 1× loader
Shell	90 x 600-615mmR M3 HE: 3.5 in × 37.44 in (90 mm × 950 mm) (M71 complete round) M3 APC: 3.5 in × 38.24 in (90 mm × 970 mm) (M82 complete round) M3 AP: 3.5 in × 32.75 in (90 mm × 830 mm) (M77 complete round)
Shell weight	M71 HE: 23.29 lb (10.56 kg) projectile, 41.93 lb (19.02 kg) complete M82 APC: 24.11 lb (10.94 kg) projectile, 42.75 lb (19.39 kg) complete M77 AP: 23.40 lb (10.61 kg) projectile, 42.04 lb (19.07 kg) complete
Calibre	90 mm (3.5 in)
Elevation	M3: -10° to +23°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	6 rpm
Muzzle velocity	M3 HE and AP: 2,700 ft/s (820 m/s) M3 APC: 2,670 ft/s (810 m/s)

The M3 was also adapted as the main gun for various armored vehicles, starting with the experimental T7 which was accepted as the 90 mm M3. The test firing of the M3 took place on an

The HVAP could compete with the KwK 43's penetration performance when firing standard APCBC, but tungsten ammunition was always in short supply.

Ammunition (M3 gun)

• M71 HE – 23.29 lb (10.56 kg) (projectile)
• M77 AP – 23.40 lb (10.61 kg) (projectile)
• M82 APC – 24.11 lb (10.94 kg) (projectile)[9]

Calculated penetration at range (90 degrees) using 50% success criteria.^[10]

Ammo	Muzzle velocity (m/s)	Penetration (mm)
		100 m	250 m	500 m	750 m	1,000 m	1,250 m	1,500 m	1,750 m	2,000 m	2,500 m	3,000 m
M77 AP versus FHA	823 m/s (2,700 ft/s)	168	159	146	134	122	112	102	94	86	72	60
M77 AP versus RHA	823 m/s (2,700 ft/s)	188	179	163	150	137	125	115	105	96	81	68
M82 APC versus FHA	808 m/s (2,650 ft/s)	151	150	147	144	140	135	131	127	123	115	107
M82 APC versus RHA	808 m/s (2,650 ft/s)	164	156	150	143	137	131	125	119	114	104	92
Late M82 APC versus RHA	853 m/s (2,800 ft/s)	169	168	164	157	151	144	140	136	132	123	116
Late M82 APC versus FHA	853 m/s (2,800 ft/s)	161	159	155	151	147	144	138	133	127	115	104
T33 AP versus RHA	853 m/s (2,800 ft/s)	206	201	193	185	178	170	164	157	150	139	128
T30E16 HVAP	1,018 m/s (3,340 ft/s)	306	295	278	262	246	232	218	205	193	171	151

An unsuccessful anti-tank variant was the T8 gun on the T5 carriage. The gun was an M1 with the recoil mechanism from the

90 mm gun T15

Because the standard fifteen-and-a-half foot long M3 90 mm main tank gun proved incapable of penetrating the heaviest frontal armor of the heaviest German tanks such as the Tiger II tank and the rarer Jagdtiger tank destroyer variant, a number of improved versions of the M3 were developed, including the T14 which included a standard muzzle brake and the T15 series.^[7] The 90 mm T15E1 L/73, with its 21 ft (6.4 m) long barrel, was designed and developed as an AT gun that could match or surpass the performance of the 8.8 cm KwK43 L/71 cannon, the famous long 88 on the Tiger II.

Two versions of the T15 were made: the T15E1 with single-piece ammunition and the T15E2 with two-piece ammunition.

By mid-March 1945, a T26E1 pilot was equipped with the 90 mm T15E1 and was sent to Europe in a ''trial by combat''. It was given to the

According to the memoirs of John P. Irwin, it knocked out a King Tiger in Dessau as well as a Panzer IV and a Panther. However, the Tiger II claim is disputed by historians on the grounds that the nearest unit known to be equipped with Tiger IIs was 70 miles from Dessau on the date when the kill was claimed.

Near the end of World War II, more experimental versions of the 90 mm gun were tested including the higher-velocity T18 and T19 main guns. The T19 was a T18 modified in an attempt to reduce barrel wear. Other versions included the T21, which was intended for wheeled vehicles, and the T22, which used the breech from the standard 105 mm M2 howitzer. The T21 and T22 were designed to use larger powder charges. None of these versions entered service.

In the post-World War II era, development of the T15 continued redesignated as the T54, which used a slightly shorter and fatter propellent casing than that of the T15E1.^[13] The T54 served as the main gun on the M26E1 Pershing.^[13]

The T15 90 mm L/73 anti-tank gun utilized many types of armor piercing ammunition.

• T43 APBC: A solid shot, it was a modified T33 for use by the T15. It had a muzzle velocity of 3,200 ft/s (980 m/s) and therefore increased penetration capabilities. It could punch through 4 in (100 mm) of armor angled at 60°(from vertical) up to about 1,300 ft (400 m).
• T41 APCBC: Modified M82 projectile of the M3 cannon, fired at a much higher velocity of 3,200 ft/s, than the normal 2,670 ft/s. It could defeat up to 8.5 in (220 mm) of vertical armor at 30 ft (9.1 m).
• T44 HVAP: Modified M304(T30E16) for use out of the T15. Muzzle velocity of 3,750 ft/s (1,140 m/s). Maximum penetration of 15 in (380 mm) of vertical armor at 30 ft.
• T50 APCBC: An M82 projectile with increased nose hardness and overall better design. Same muzzle velocity 3,200 ft/s, but increased penetration, equal to the KwK43. 9.1–9.3 in (231–236 mm) against vertical armor at point-blank range.^[14][15]

Ammunition type	Muzzle velocity (m/s)	H.E. filler	Penetration (mm) PB (10yards)	0° 1,000 yards	0° 2,000 yards
T43 APBC	975	Solid shot
T41 APCBC(M82)	975	140g explosive D.	216 mm	190 mm	175 mm
T50 APCBC	975	140 g explosive D.	235 mm	~205 mm	~180 mm
T44 HVAP	1,143	Solid shot	373 mm	302 mm	241 mm

In 1948 an improved version of the M3A1, designated as the T119, was designed to be used on the T42 (and later M47 Patton) and had a higher muzzle velocity using new ammunition loaded to produce higher chamber pressures. The new ammunition had a slightly longer shoulder to prevent accidental chambering in the older M3 variants. The T119 was backwards compatible with the ammunition used on the M3A1. Upon standardization of the M47 in 1951, the T119E1 version was redesignated as the 90 mm gun M36.^[16]

The lightweight variant of the T119, designated as the T139 and standardized as the 90 mm gun M41, equipped the M48 Patton tanks used in the Vietnam War.^[16] The M41 with a modified recoil system was mounted as the 90 mm gun M54 on the M56 Scorpion anti-tank vehicle. This gun was found to be inadequate and incapable of penetrating modern armor, requiring a stop gap of HEAT-FS shells to be utilized until the 105mm L7 derivative could become more prevalent.

During World War II the

Variants

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• Towed anti-aircraft gun. Approved for service in 1940.
• Fixed on T3/M3 mount for coastal artillery service

Towed anti-aircraft gun. Production began in 1940. It featured the M8A1 spring rammer. Its rate of fire was 20 rounds per minute.

United States Army Ordnance Museum

A complete redesign to make the gun dual role, functioning as an anti-tank gun as well as an anti-aircraft gun. The ammunition feed was upgraded and an automatic fuze setter-rammer, the M20, was added. This enabled the rate of fire to reach up to 24 rounds per minute. Elevation was improved with the gun able to depress to −10 degrees. To protect the crew, a large metal shield was added. The M2 was the standard weapon by 13 May 1943. From the march, it could fire from its wheels in three minutes and, from a fully emplaced position, in seven minutes. In 1944, the weapon was enhanced with the addition of

shells.

A tank-mounted anti-tank version of the gun. It was used to equip the M36 tank destroyer and the M26 Pershing tank. It is also known as the 90 mm L/53.

M3 gun with single baffle muzzle brake and bore evacuator, used on M46 Patton and early versions of the M48 Patton tanks and refurbished M36 tank destroyers during the Korean War.

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• One AAA at
  Fort Irwin
  NTC, California, post museum
• One, possibly M1,
  Travis AFB
  , Fairfield, California, near the entrance to the skeet range
• One AAA at CFB Borden, Ontario, Canada
• One AAA at Labelle, Quebec, Canada
• One AAA at Sangudo, Alberta, Canada.
• One AAA at Whycocomagh, Nova Scotia, Canada.
• Two AAA at CFB Shilo, Manitoba, Canada, RCA Museum
• One AAA at
  Shilo, Manitoba
  , Canada (private collection)
• One AAA at Lemberg, Saskatchewan, Canada (private collection)
• One AAA at
  Fort Rodd Hill
• One at Savannah, Georgia, National Guard Fairgrounds
• One at Arundel, Quebec, Canada, Legion Hall
• One AAA at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
• One AAA M2 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, US Army Air Defense Artillery Museum.
• One AAA M1A1 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, US Army Air Defense Artillery Museum.
• One AAA M2A2 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, US Army Air Defense Artillery Museum
• One AAA M1A1 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, 31st ADA Brigade
• One AAA M1A1 at US Veterans Memorial Museum, Huntsville, AL
• One AAA at
  Broadalbin, New York
  .
• One AAA at Roswell, New Mexico
• One AAA at Greenville, South Carolina
• One AAA at Anderson, South Carolina, VFW post
• One AAA at
  Deming Luna Mimbres Museum
• One AAA at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Manche, France, Utah Beach D-Day Museum. This gun belonged to the 116th AAA Gun Battalion and was lost in the Channel 6 June 1944. The gun was recovered by locals after the war.
• One AAA M1A3 (built 1954) at Raton, New Mexico
• One AAA M1A1 at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Royal Artillery Park
• One AAA M1A1 at Fort Bliss, Texas, Fort Bliss Museum
• One AAA M1A1 at Linthicum, Maryland, National Electronics Museum
• Two Anti/Tank T-8 at
  Fort Moore
  , Georgia.
• One M1A3 at Reidsville, Georgia, National Guard Armory
• One M1A3 at Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, located at an open museum which belongs to the 11ª Brigade of the Brazilian Army
• One seacoast M1 (No. 6931 Chevrolet) on barbette, carriage Model T3, at Battery Parrott, Fort Monroe, Virginia
• One seacoast M1 on barbette, carriage Model T3 (shield scrapped), Eareckson Air Station (formerly Shemya AFB), Shemya, Alaska, outside Bldg 600
• One seacoast on barbette, carriage Model T3, at San Pedro, California, Fort MacArthur Military Museum, (the museum has several barrels and was restoring at least one weapon as of October 2014)
• Two AAA M1A1s in Moscow, Russia, Museum of the Great Patriotic War, supplied as Lend-Lease during WWII
• One 90 mm M2A1 at
  Tucson, Arizona, Pima Air & Space Museum
• One M1A3 at Historical Military Museum of Cartagena (Spain)
• One at the
  Kalmthoutse Heide, Belgium
• One at Ft Miles Artillery Museum, Delaware
• One at Mémorial du Débarquement et de la Libération en Provence, Toulon, France

• 184th AAA Battalion (United States)
• Fire-control system
• List of U.S. Army weapons by supply catalog designation
• Rangekeeper
• Seacoast defense in the United States

• 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41: contemporary German anti-aircraft gun
• 8.8 cm KwK 36: contemporary German tank gun, mounted on Tiger I Tanks
• Cannone da 90/53: contemporary Italian anti-aircraft gun
• QF 3.7-inch AA gun: contemporary British anti-aircraft gun, firing a 28 pounds (13 kg) shell
• 85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K): contemporary Soviet anti-aircraft gun

• TM 9-2300 standard artillery and fire control material. dated 1944
• TM 9-370
• TM 9-1370
• SNL D-28

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 90 mm gun M1/M2.

• United States War Department TM 9-374 Technical Manual 90-MM Gun M3 Mounted in Combat Vehicles. 11 September 1944
• M3 armor penetration table
• List of all US coastal forts and batteries at the Coastal Defense Study Group, Inc. website
• FortWiki, lists all CONUS and Canadian forts
• "90mm M1A1 & M2 ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS". Retrieved 12 July 2017.