Bob Carruthers - German Artillery in Combat

Self-propelled guns represent one of the technical advances made in ordnance during this war. The following account, from British sources, of German, Italian, and Japanese equipment shows the considerable interest which this development has aroused. Several descriptions and sketches of these guns have already been published in earlier issues of Tactical and Technical Trends.

With reference to German self-propelled guns the following general points are worthy of note:

There are no known German self-propelled heavy antiaircraft guns;

With regard to antitank guns, while there have been many local improvisations, the present German tendency is to provide self-propelled mounts for the heavier antitank weapons only;

In every case standard guns and standard chassis, whether semi- or full-tracked, are used;

All self-propelled guns are provided with AP and HE ammunition, and can thus effectively engage both "soft" and armored targets.

(1) 20-mm AA AT Gun

Although primarily an antiaircraft gun, this piece can also be used against tanks. Mounted on a 1-ton half-track (see figure 1) with a gasoline engine, it usually tows a single-axle ammunition trailer. The armament is a long, thin-barreled, 20-mm, high-velocity gun. The weight in action is 4.5 tons; the length, 15 ft. 7 in., the width, 7 ft. 1 in. and the height, 6 ft. 7 in. On roads, the radius of action is about 137 miles; cross country, about 93. The crew is seven men.

There are two versions of the gun itself, namely the 20-mm Flak 30 and the 20-mm Flak 38. The gun, mounted in front, may or may not be shielded. It fires 20-mm, .260-pound, high-explosive shells at a high muzzle velocity of 2,950 f/s, the .327-pound AP shell at 2,625 f/s, and the .223-pound AP 40 shot at 3,270 f/s. The firing rate is 120 rpm. The horizontal range is 5,320 yards. The mount gives an all-around traverse and an elevation varying from minus 12 degrees to plus 90. At 400 yards, the AP shell will pierce .98 inch of homogenous armor at an impact angle of 30 degrees, and 1.50 inches at normal. At 400 yards' range, the AP 40 shot will pierce 1.46 inches at 30 degrees, and 1.69 inches at normal.

(2) 20-mm Four-Barreled AA/AT Gun

This is a Vierling (quadruple) gun on an 8-ton half-track (see Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 4, p. 4) 22 ft. 6 in. long by 7 ft. 11 in. wide and 10 ft. 10 in. high, weighing, ready for action, 11.5 tons. The gasoline engine develops 140 brake horse power, giving a radius of action on the road of 155 miles, and about 62 cross country. The crew is probably eight. The armament is "a quadruple 20-mm Flak 38, with an all-around traverse and an elevation stated as from "minus 10 to plus 100" (apparently 10 degrees past vertical--which seems odd, but may be useful when firing at planes passing directly overhead). The range, penetration, and ammunition are substantially the same as for the Flak 30 and 38 previously noted.

(3) 37-mm AA/AT Gun

While like the 20-mm primarily an antiaircraft gun, this 37-mm gun can be used for horizontal fire. It may be identified by the long, slender barrel with a conical muzzle brake (see figure 2), and it usually tows an ammunition trailer. The mount is a 5-ton, half-tracked vehicle, with a 130-HP gasoline motor giving a 156-mile radius on the road, and about 62 miles cross country (which seems rather small). The length and breadth are 20 ft. 7 in. by 7 ft. 6 in.; the height is 9 ft. 2 in. The crew is eight men.