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Topic: 37mm Anti-Tank Gun + 40mm Bofors Gun? |
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Gary Szot
MASTER
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 Posted on: Oct 31, 2008 - 7:31am
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TG
I am not that well versed on armament but isn't an M4 a 75 MM cannon used as the primary weopon on a Sherman Tank?
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Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Oct 31, 2008 - 8:16am
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Gary, no Garth is correct. The M-4, which early in its development was known as the T-9, was used in the Bell-P-39 and the P-63 fighters. This was the autocannon I spoke about earlier and had a rate of fire of about 150 rounds per minute. The M-4 was not the single shot army 37MM on the 109............
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Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Oct 31, 2008 - 8:33am
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As I am thinking about this ( my brain is now in gear ) the type of 37MM that was lashed on the 109 was the early M3. This was used by the Army on armored cars, some early tanks, and towed by Army trucks and Jeeps. The big difference with this cannon and the ones that found their way onto the PT BOATS was the rate of fire. The M3 could only fire about 25 Rounds Per Minute. As I said in the earlier post, the M4, had a rate of fire of about 150............
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Gary Szot
MASTER
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Posted on: Oct 31, 2008 - 8:55am
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Thanks for clearing that up for me Frank. This picture looks like this gun had once been attached to an axle and towed.
It seems as if this gun is a fixed position weapon. Is it mounted on any kind of swivel so that it could be aimed?
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TGConnelly
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Posted on: Oct 31, 2008 - 9:11am
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Right, and the M9 had a longer barrel than the M4.
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Frank J Andruss Sr
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Posted on: Nov 1, 2008 - 6:32am
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When you atop and think about it, the 2 main punch weapons for the PT BOATS, the 37MM and the 40MM were pretty much useless against air targets. That left the twin 50's and 20MM's to fend off the air attackers. I can't prove it, but I doubt any planes were ever knocked out by those weapons on the boats. Now, blasting thru barges, and shore batteries, that was a different story. You had to be pretty good to hit a moving target with the 40MM.
Although an awesome weapon, the main drawback was one man controlled the up and down movemnet, while another controlled the back and forth movement. Man, if you were not in sync, your target would be long gone. Plus, those boys out on the deck while under fire, had nothing to protect them. Imagine being a loader on the 40MM, just atnding up there exposed. Wallace McNeish was doing just that one night, while on PT 374. They had come across several barges, and were making thier run, when up on a hill Jap Shore batteries opened up on them. They went to work on the batteries with their 40MM, when a shell screamed in, went right past Mcnesh's head, crashed thru his tool box, and smashed into the day room. He never forgot that night. I would like to hear from some of our PT BOYS who had simular experiences.............
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TGConnelly
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Posted on: Nov 1, 2008 - 11:03am
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Frank,
Hmmm ...
I dunno. PT-23 brought down a torpedo bomber over Pearl Harbor, on December 7th - the Expendables had some successes ... the 190 and 191 fended off 40 Japanese planes - downing 4 in the process ...
So, I think the guns on board could (and did) down aircraft ...
Just an observation mind you ...
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CJ Willis
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Nov 1, 2008 - 12:21pm
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Frank: I posted this a couple of years ago regarding one encounter we had with shore batteries but I will post it again.. We were fired at several other times by shore guns and barges but this was our closest call. Early April 1944 ( I recall being near my 19th birthday- April 4th) PT 242 was sent from our base at Green Island to patrol the the Buka- Bougainville area. Lt. Gillman, section leader, Lt. jg Alpine Mclane, skipper, Ensign Don Hanna, exec. We arrived on station and patroled around for a while. The officers got the wise idea to check Buka Passage for shore batteries and maybe go through the Passage. Buka passage is a narrow body of water separating Buka Island from Bougainville. It was a clear night and as we entered the narrow body of water, the shore line was very visible and I am sure we were very visible out in the water to the Japs. We were at General Quarters. We were idling and approximately 500 yds. off shore when all hell broke loose from the Buka side. 3 or 4 shore battery locations opened up. These were big guns 5 inch or bigger. The shells were going over the boat and exploding in the water beyond and all around. I can still hear the whirr and swosh as they went just over our heads They were really close.I just knew the next volly would find our range. We were out of range for our guns to return fire. Mr. McLane immediately opened the throttles and turned to get out of there. He opened the throttles too quickly and one engine conked out so we had only two engines. McLane ordered John Grace, torpedoman, to open the smoke generator and I do believe that was the only thing that saved us. We were immediately enveloped in smoke. Down in the engine room Warren Trosclair had gotten on the wobble pump to get fuel flowing to the dead engine. Got it going and we picked up speed. Shells continued to fall around us but we were zig-zagging and laying puffs of smoke for them to shoot at. They fired on us until we were out about 4 miles. I don't know if any boats ever went through Buka passage, all I know we never tried it again. I do know the gun locations were reported to the Air Force and am sure they softened them up. That was the most frightening situation I had. Over the years I have wondered why why we were spared when others were not. You just have to believe the Lord works in wonderous ways.
C. J. Willis |
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QM
New Member
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Posted on: Nov 1, 2008 - 12:41pm
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I can not add any information as to the types of 37 mm guns mounted on the boats, and I am uncertain as to when and where they were installed. All of those that I saw were the auto loaders. In later years they may have been installed at the factory.
I believe that Adm. Harllee would have installed a 40 mm on every boat if he could have prevailed. Because of opposition of superiors he had to compromise with the 40 mm on only four boats. They later became standard on all boats, but those already in action were on a long waiting list. Every skipper wanted one. In the Dec. 27, 1943, battle with aircraft, the boats were the 190 and 191. Neither had a 40 mm. The 190 did have a 37mm. The 191 had two 20mm's. I believe that one aircraft was hit with the 37 mm. The 40 mm was a more effective antiaircraft gun, but they were not there that morning. The lack of a 37mm on the 191 leads me to believe that these guns may have been installed in the field on the Ron 12 boats. They definitely were installed in the field on many of the older boats.
Everyone on the boat was just as exposed was the 40 mm gun crew. |
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TGConnelly
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Posted on: Nov 1, 2008 - 1:29pm
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QM,
As far as I can ascertain in my research ...
The 191 got her 40mm after that incident and before the squadron made the 1,500 mile trek to the Philippines on their own bottoms ...
There is a photo of the 191 undergoing refuelling during that trek in Victor Chun's book and you can see the 40mm on her after deck.
Garth
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