The PT Boat Forum
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboard.cgi

» Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboard.cgi?cid=101&fct=showf

» Forum Name: PT Boats - General
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboard.cgi?fct=gotoforum&cid=101&fid=102

» Topic: 37mm Manuals
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?cid=101&fid=102&tid=4193

David Waples did some research on a rare (for PT use) 37mm automatic gun M1A2 and located a manual for it. He also identified an image I sent him (probably from Gene Kirklands site but I can't find it there now) of most likely a 300 series Elco 80 with one mounted to the bow.

Technical Manual 37-mm Antiaircraft Automatic Gun M1A2
TM 9-235 37-mm AA Gun Materiel, 1944-01-24
[url]https://archive.org/download/TM9-235/TM9-235.pdf[/url]

I did some digging and found a few other 37mm manuals on the site:

TM 9-1235 Ordnance Maintenance: 37-mm Antiaircraft Gun Materiel, 1942-05-16
[url]https://archive.org/download/1942TM9-1235/1942TM9-1235.pdf[/url]

TM 9-1235 Ordnance Maintenance-37-mm Antiaircraft Gun Materiel 1943-04-01
[url]https://archive.org/download/1943TM9-1235/1943TM9-1235.pdf[/url]

************************

The gun PT 109 had lashed to her forward deck when she went down, not an automatic gun like the others posted here:

TM 9-1245 37-mm Gun, M3, and Carriage, M4, 1941-01-15
[url]https://archive.org/download/TM9-1245/TM9-1245.pdf[/url]

TM 9-1245 37-mm Antitank Guns M3 And M3A1, And Carriages M4 And M4A1, 1943-02-06
[url]https://archive.org/download/1943TM9-1245/1943TM9-1245.pdf[/url]

FM 23-70 37-mm Gun, Antitank, M3 1942-11-28
[url]https://archive.org/download/FM23-70/FM23-70.pdf[/url]

************************

Probably the most common automatic 37mm gun mounted on PTs, the M4:

TM 9-240 37-mm Aircraft Gun Materiel M4, 1942-03-30
[url]https://archive.org/download/TM9-240/TM9-240.pdf[/url]

************************

No luck finding a manual for the later M9.

This site has a lot of WW2 manuals including TM 9-240, 37mm Automatic Guns AN-M4 and M10 (Aircraft) in this section:
[url]http://bulletpicker.com/technical-manuals.html[/url]

Posted By: Jeff D | Posted on: Jan 2, 2017 - 11:32am
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined: Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am

Great finds, Jeff. Thanks for posting them.

Some trivia: the 37 mm gun shown being installed on the 109's foredeck in the movie "PT 109" was a WWII German Pak 35/36 field piece.

Posted By: Drew Cook | Posted on: Jan 2, 2017 - 3:01pm
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined: Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am

You're welcome Drew! I've been looking for a M4 manual for some time.

Posted By: Jeff D | Posted on: Jan 2, 2017 - 3:45pm
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined: Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am

Jeff . . .

Again thanks as always, specially for all your resource link posting.
Great job.

Dick . . .

Posted By: Dick | Posted on: Jan 2, 2017 - 4:57pm
Total Posts: 1417 | Joined: Aug 27, 2006 - 6:36pm

You're very welcome Dick, and DITTO for your comment on the .50 manual thread! [:-lookhappy-:]

Posted By: Jeff D | Posted on: Jan 3, 2017 - 5:15am
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined: Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am

Great job as always Jeff, I have a copy of the M4 manual released by Oldsmobile but it doesn't cover the endless belt magazine in great detail,nor gives detail about ammunition packing crates...So thank yuo very much for posting this stuff.[:-cheers-:]
Greetings

Daniele Kläy

Posted By: Daniele Klay | Posted on: Jan 4, 2017 - 12:46am
Total Posts: 126 | Joined: Jun 23, 2015 - 12:43pm

P.S. Does anybody have hints on how stores were secured in the forward passageway(on the" stowage bench" as plans refer to it) I am planning to have spare ammunition for the foredeck guns stored there and don't know how to keep it from flying aroun in heavy seas;ropes, straps, cargo net, ???

Greetings

Posted By: Daniele Klay | Posted on: Jan 4, 2017 - 12:46am
Total Posts: 126 | Joined: Jun 23, 2015 - 12:43pm

As always I look forward to seeing your work Daniele!

The updated manuals appear to have gotten better, a 1942 .50 manual I downloaded wasn't as graphically nice as a 1944 one I had.

Posted By: Jeff D | Posted on: Jan 4, 2017 - 7:57am
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined: Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am