45 mm anti-tank gun M1942 (M-42)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

45-mm anti-tank gun model 1942 года (М-42)
M-42 in Museum on Sapun Mountain, Sevastopol.
Type	anti-tank gun
Place of origin	USSR
Production history
Designer	No. 172 Plant
Produced	1942-1945
Number built	10,843
Specifications
Weight	combat: 625 kg travel: 1,250 kg
Caliber	45 mm
Carriage	split trail
Elevation	-8° to 25°
Traverse	60°
Rate of fire	15-20 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	870 m/s
Maximum range	4.55 km

M-42 was a 45-mm Soviet light semi-automatic anti-tank gun. Full official name is 45-mm anti-tank gun model 1942 (M-42) (Russian: 45-мм противотанковая пушка образца 1942 года (М-42)). These guns were used from 1942 until the end of Great Patriotic War.

Contents 1 History 2 Ammunition 3 References 4 External links

[edit] History

The M-42 was developed by the No. 172 Plant in Motovilikha as an upgrade of the 45-mm anti-tank gun M1937. The gun received longer barrel, shells with more powerful cartridge and thicker shield (7 mm instead of 4.5 mm). Some minor changes were also introduced in order to speed up production.

These guns were used from 1942 until the end of Great Patriotic War. In 1943, due to its insufficient anti-armor capabilities against new German tanks such as Tiger, Panther and Panzer IV Ausf H, the M-42 was partially replaced in mass production by more powerful 57-mm ZiS-2 anti-tank gun. However the M-42 remained in production as it was quite effective against lighter vehicles and could pierce the side armour of Panther and Panzer IV Ausf H. Fragmentation shell and canister shot gave the gun some anti-personnel capability.

Mass production of M-42 ceased in mid-1945. The total number of guns produced is 10,843.

[edit] Ammunition

• Ammunition types:
  • Armor piercing.
  • Fragmentation.
  • Canister.
  • Smoke.
• Projectile weight:
  • AP: 1.43 kg
  • APCR: 0.85 kg
  • Fragmentation: 2.14 kg
• Armor penetration, AP shell, 90 degrees:
  • at 500 m: 61 mm
  • at 1000 m: 51 mm

[edit] References

• Shunkov V. N. - The Weapons of the Red Army, Mn. Harvest, 1999 (Шунков В. Н. - Оружие Красной Армии. — Мн.: Харвест, 1999.) ISBN 985-433-469-4

[edit] External links

• 45 mm anti-tank gun model 1942 ar rustrana.ru (Russian)

Soviet Artillery of Great Patriotic War
Anti-tank guns
37 mm anti-tank gun M1930 (1-K) | 45 mm anti-tank gun M1937 (53-K) | 45 mm anti-tank gun M1942 (M-42) 57 mm anti-tank gun M1943 (ZiS-2) | 100 mm field gun M1944 (BS-3)
Mountain guns
76 mm mountain gun M1938
Regimental guns
76 mm regimental gun M1927 | 76 mm regimental gun M1943
Divisional guns
76 mm divisional gun M1902/30 | 76 mm divisional gun M1936 (F-22) | 76 mm divisional gun M1939 (USV) 76 mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3) | 107 mm divisional gun M1940 (M-60) |122 mm howitzer M1909/37 122 mm howitzer M1910/30 | 122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30) | 152 mm mortar M1931 (NM)
Corps and Army level guns
107 mm gun M1910/30 | 122 mm gun M1931/37 (A-19) | 152 mm howitzer M1909/30 152 mm howitzer M1910/37 | 152 mm howitzer M1938 (M-10) | 152 mm howitzer M1943 (D-1) 152 mm gun M1910/30 | 152 mm gun M1910/34 | 152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 (ML-20)
Very heavy guns
152 mm gun M1935 (Br-2) | 203 mm howitzer M1931 (B-4) | 210 mm gun M1939 (Br-17) 280 mm mortar M1939 (Br-5) | 305 mm howitzer M1939 (Br-18)
Air defense guns
25 mm automatic air defense gun M1940 (72-K) | 37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) 76 mm air defense gun M1938 | 85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K)