The 37 mm gun M1 was an anti-aircraft autocannon developed in the United States. It was used by the US Army in World War II.
The gun was produced in a towed variant, or mounted along with two M2 machine guns on the M2/M3 half-track, resulting in the T28/T28E1/M15/M15A1 series of multiple gun motor carriages.
In early World War II, each Army Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Auto-Weapons battalion was authorized a total of thirty-two 37 mm guns in its four firing batteries, plus other weapons.
During World War II, the 37 mm gun M1 was deployed in coast defense anti-motor torpedo boat batteries (AMTB) alongside 90 mm guns, usually four 90 mm and two 37 mm guns per battery. Some AMTB batteries consisted of four 37 mm guns, but most sources have little information on these batteries. In the later part of the war, the 37 mm gun was typically replaced by the 40 mm Bofors gun M1.McGovern and Smith, p. 43
Components One or two gun units were coupled to the M5 gun director using the M1 remote control system. The system was powered by the M5 generating unit. If the remote system was inoperative, the M5 sighting system was used, but it was only usable up to 25 degrees of elevation.
Ammunition The M1 utilized fixed ammunition. Projectiles were fitted with a 37×223mmSR cartridge case.
+Available ammunition Type ModelWeight (round/projectile) Filler Muzzle velocity Range horizontal/verticalShell destroying tracer limited the range to about 3,200 m. APC-T APC-T M59A1 Shot 1.44/0.87 kg(3.17/1.91 lbs) - 625 m/s(2,050 ft/s) 5,290/3,660 m(17,355/12,007 ft) HE-T HE-T SD M54 Shell 1.21/0.61 kg(2.66/1.34 lbs) 792 m/s(2,598 ft/s) 8,275/5,760 m(27,149/18,897 ft)
+Armor penetration tableDifferent methods of armor penetration measurement were used in different countries / periods. Therefore, direct comparison is often impossible. Ammunition / Distance 457 m(500 yds) 914 m(1000 yds) 1,371 m(1,500 yds) 1,828 m(2,000 yds) APC-T M59A1 Shot (homogeneous armor, meet angle 30°) 23 mm(.90 in) 18 mm(.70 in) 15 mm(.59 in) 13 mm(.51 in) APC-T M59A1 Shot (face-hardened armor, meet angle 30°) 25 mm(.98 in) 18 mm(.70 in) 15 mm(.59 in) 13 mm(.51 in)
Variants The 37 mm M9 autocannon was a derivative of the M1A2 anti-aircraft gun. It had a barrel, weighed (the barrel alone weighing 120 pounds), had a muzzle velocity of , and had a rate of fire of 150 rounds per minute. It was used on PT boats around 1944 in the Pacific theater during World War II, replacing the M4 autocannon.
Comparison of anti-aircraft guns CountryGun modelRPMProjectile weight37 mm gun M1120 3.7 cm SK C/3030 Canon de 37 mm Modèle 192515-21Cannone-Mitragliera da 37/54 (Breda)60-1203.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/4315037 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K)80QF 2-pounder naval gun115Bofors 40 mm gun120
See also List of U.S. Army weapons by supply catalog designation Kerrison Predictor
Notes
References Hogg, Ian. Twentieth-Century Artillery. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 2000. Pg.106
TM 9-2300 standard artillery and fire control material. dated 1944 TM 9-235 TM 9-1235 SNL A-29
External links
"US Army Gets A New Antiaircraft Gun", September 1940, Popular Science FM 4-112 Coast Artillery Field Manual: Antiaircraft Artillery gunnery, Fire Control, Position Finding, and Horizontal Fire, Antiaircraft Automatic Weapons (Case I Firing) History of the Americanization of the Bofors 40mm Automatic Antiaircraft Gun—some references to the 37mm 37mm Antiaircraft Automatic Gun—Antiaircraft.org