Anti-tank gun
An anti-tank gun is a form of artillery designed to destroy tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, normally from a static defensive position.[1] The development of specialized anti-tank munitions and anti-tank guns was prompted by the appearance of tanks during World War I.[2] To destroy hostile tanks, artillerymen often used field guns depressed to fire directly at their targets, but this practice expended too much valuable ammunition and was of increasingly limited effectiveness as tank armor became thicker.[2] The first dedicated anti-tank artillery began appearing in the 1920s, and by World War II was a common appearance in many European armies.[3] To penetrate armor, they fired specialized ammunition from longer barrels to achieve a higher muzzle velocity than field guns.[4] Most anti-tank guns were developed in the 1930s as improvements in tanks were noted,[5] and nearly every major arms manufacturer produced one type or another.[3]
Anti-tank guns deployed during World War II were often manned by specialist infantry rather than artillery crews, and issued to light infantry units accordingly.
Although several large-caliber guns were developed during the war that were capable of knocking out the most heavily armored tanks, they proved expensive and difficult to conceal.
History
World War I and Interwar period
The first specialized anti-tank weaponry consisted of
World War II
At the outbreak of World War II, most armies were fielding light anti-tank guns firing 3.7-cm (37-mm) ammunition.
Introducing improved ammunition and increasing muzzle velocity initially helped compensate for their mediocre performance, but small-caliber anti-tank guns clearly would soon be overtaken by yet more heavily armored tanks.
Towards the end of World War II, armor plating became still thicker, with tanks such as the Tiger II being fitted with armor over 100 mm (3.9 in) in thickness, as compared to 15 mm (0.59 in) which was more typical in 1939.[3] This prompted the development of a third generation of anti-tank guns, large-caliber pieces in the 57- to 100-mm range.[5] The British Army adopted the Ordnance QF 6-pounder and Ordnance QF 17-pounder, which were then considered great advances in firepower, and the Wehrmacht fielded the even larger 7.5 cm Pak 41 and 8.8 cm Pak 43.[2] While the early 37-mm anti-tank guns were easily concealed and moved, the large-caliber weapons available late in the war required equally large vehicles to tow them into place, and were difficult to conceal, dig in, withdraw, or reposition.[5] By 1945, large anti-tank guns had become almost impractical in their role, and their size and weight were considered liabilities.[5] They were also expensive to produce[3] and although they were capable of defeating the most formidable of opponents, most tank units still consisted of less heavily armoured models that remained vulnerable to less expensive and more practical guns, as well. Many heavy anti-tank guns were issued, at least initially, on the divisional level, but gradually made their way to individual infantry battalions.[5]
Meanwhile, the effect of very compact
Towed anti-tank guns disappeared from most Western countries, such as the United States, after World War II, to be replaced by shoulder-fired rocket launchers, recoilless rifles, and eventually,
Postwar period
At the end of the war, German engineers had proposed a new, large-caliber anti-tank gun that used less propellant than a rocket or recoilless weapon, yet fired similar compact hollow-charge shells.
Anti-tank guns continued to be used in a number of conflicts around the world, such as the Six-Day War[17] and the South African Border War.[7] Soviet anti-tank guns in particular were exported to at least 18 other countries after being retired from service, and have continued to see action.[18]
Self-propelled anti-tank guns
Although still being drawn by horses or towed by trucks, towed anti-tank guns were initially much lighter and more portable than field guns, making them well-suited to infantry maneuvers.[19] As their size and caliber increased, though, the guns likewise became increasingly heavy and cumbersome, restricting their role to static defense. In consequence, during World War II, both sides were compelled to make anti-tank guns self-propelled, which greatly increased their mobility.[19]
The first self-propelled anti-tank guns were merely belated attempts to make use of obsolete tanks, such as the
The US Army's early self-propelled anti-tank guns were 75mm on M2 half-tracks (entering service in 1941) to complement towed artillery and M6 Gun Motor Carriage a 37mm on 4-wheel drive Dodge truck (1942). US Tank Destroyer doctrine emphasised mobility to place the tank destroyers into positions to ambush tank attacks.
Tank destroyers offered some advantages over towed anti-tank guns, since a static gun emplacement sacrificed concealment and surprise after firing the first shot, but the same gun mounted on a tracked or wheeled chassis could open fire and throw a tank formation into substantial disarray before quickly withdrawing to repeat the same tactic elsewhere.[21] The introduction of tank destroyers also put an end to the traditional tactic of suppressing anti-tank gun batteries with heavy artillery bombardments, as their crews were now well-protected under armor.[21] They were not without their own series of disadvantages, however, namely presenting a much larger target than a towed gun, the added responsibilities of vehicle maintenance and logistical support, and the limited spaces in which the crew had to operate and stow all their available ammunition.[21]
By the end of the war, dedicated tank destroyers had been superseded by tanks, which were just as effective at destroying other tanks, and little incentive remained to continue their separate development.[19] Nevertheless, much like towed anti-tank guns, they were widely exported and are still in service with some militaries in the late 20th and early 21st century.[18][14]
See also
Notes
- ^ The Panzer I was a light tank that had been brought into service for training and developing German armor divisions and made up large proportion of German forces until the large scale production of medium tanks (Panzer III and Panzer IV
References
- ^ OXFORD Advanced Lerner's DICTIONARY opf Current English, NEW EDITION, Cornelsen & OXFORD, A. S. Hornby, 5th edition, page 42.
- ^ ISBN 978-1857531770.
- ^ ISBN 978-0668036078.
- ^ MILITÄRISCHES STUDIENGLOSAR ENGLISCH Teil II/ Teil III, Deutsch – Englisch, Abkürzung Begriff, Bundessprachenamt (Stand Januar 2001), page. 283, anti-tank ammunition.
- ^ ISBN 978-1841768427.
- ^ ISBN 978-0710605955.
- ^ a b "Ratel teen tenk en". Port Elizabeth: International Veterans' Association/South African Forces Club. 2011. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
- ^ a b "China – Ordnance". Jane's Defence Weekly: 161. 1988.
- ^ Trevithick, Joseph. "Ukraine Rolls Out Soviet-Era Radar-Equipped Anti-Tank Guns". The War Zone. The Drive. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
- OCLC 44779672.
- ISSN 0195-3451, archived from the original(PDF) on 1 June 2011
- ^ ISBN 978-0811716598.
- ISBN 978-1841766904.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-531-03299-2.
- ISBN 978-0-13-451154-2.
- ISBN 978-0-7106-0964-9.
- ISBN 978-0-345-46192-6.
- ^ a b "Trade Registers". Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
- ^ ISBN 978-0030520914.
- ^ ISBN 978-1841769011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0714653235.
Soviet artillery of World War II (naming convention) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Anti-tank guns |   | |
| Mountain guns |
| |
| Regimental guns | ||
| Divisional guns |
| |
| Corps and army level guns | ||
| Very heavy guns | ||
| Air defense guns | ||
.svg){kind=small}
