[EncDescription_data/units/artillery/ger/75mm_LeIG_18_afrika]
75mm Infantry Support Gun, leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18

The 75mm le.IG 18 Light Infantry Gun was designed by Rheinmetall AG in 1927, and German armed forces began receiving the gun by 1932.  The Gun 18 was designed as a regimental gun. Each infantry or mechanized infantry division was to have a field artillery battery made up of six le.IG 18s and two heavy s.I.G.33 guns; the reconnaissance battalion was two have two more light infantry guns.

The weapon was of a rather unusual construction, combining design elements of an artillery gun and a mortar. The weapon’s elevation could be set from -10 to +73 degrees, which, in conjunction with separate loading and five different shot types allowed this weapon to be fired both directly and indirectly. The weapon’s traverse was only 11 degrees; however the weapon could be easily rotated by its crew.

Another interesting design element was the lack of a conventional breech, as it appears on other contemporary weapons. Instead the weapon had a barrel hinged at the business end, which could be elevated shotgun-style, ejecting a shell casing, and allowing a new shell to be loaded.

The gun was very light, weighing only 400 kg (882 lbs), which allowed the gun crew to easily move it manually in the field. When needed, the weapon could be broken down into five parts, transported separately. Several modifications of the weapon existed, with wooden wheels, and metal rims with conventional tires. When equipped with the latter, the gun could be moved as fast as 50 km/h.

The gun could fire two types of High Explosive shells, two types of HEAT rounds, and a target marking shell, containing 220 cardboard circles of various colors, easily visible on terrain.

One of the main advantages of the gun was its unique flexibility. Due to its indirect fire capability, the gun was very useful when attacking fixed fortifications. Other advantages included its low weight, compact size, ease of use, and reliability. The gun however was not without disadvantages, which included its short range of only 3,570 meters (which however was usually enough on battalion level), and a low rate of fire of about 12 rounds per minute. Also, limited traverse angles and the limited speed of the APCR round made the weapon of limited use as an anti-tank gun. Still, the  le.IG 18 was one of the best infantry support weapons of the Wehrmacht.

The le.IG 18 remained in production throughout the war. A total of 8,266 were built between 1939 and 1945. By September 1st, 1939 German armed forces had 2,933 in active service; by June 1st of 1941 the numbers grew to 4,176. In addition to the le.IG 18, Germany produced several other 75mm guns, including the I.G.37, created with the use of captured Soviet 45mm guns, with 2,279 produced in 1944; and the I.G.42, with 527 produced in 1944 and 1945.

Many le.IG 18 were captured and used by the Allies; Soviet High Command even published a gunnery manual for it in 1943.

[EncDescription_data/units/artillery/ger/75mm_PaK_40_afrika]
75mm Panzerabwehrkanone 40 Anti-Tank Gun

Rheinmetall AG began work on the PaK 40 75mm anti-tank gun in 1938. Initially the work proceeded slowly. Army brass saw little need for such a powerful anti-tank weapon, believing that the 37mm PaK 35/36 and the 50mm PaK 38 would be more than sufficient. The situation drastically changed when Germany invaded Soviet Union in the summer of 1941, encountering heavily-armored Soviet KV and T-34 tanks, which could easily withstand multiple hits from existing weapons. Design work on the new anti-tank gun then became a priority, and by November of 1941 a prototype was ready to be tested. The weapon wasn’t quite ready for production however; first mass-production variants were accepted for service in February of 1941. Altogether, only 2,144 PaK 40s were produced in 1942. The lack of heavy anti-tank weapons was temporarily addressed by using captured Soviet and French guns, designated PaK 36(R) and PaK 97/38.

Technically, the PaK 40 was a further redesign of the PaK 38 gun. The weapon had a semi-automatic horizontal breech, which provided for a high rate of fire. Several modifications of the gun were produced, differing in part in wheel types. 

PaK 40 was without a doubt one of the best anti-tank guns in the world. The weapon’s performance was excellent, allowing it to penetrate the armor of virtually any tank; only the frontal armor of the late-war IS-2 and Churchill tanks could withstand a direct hit. A wide variety of shot types further increased the gun’s capabilities; however few effective APCR rounds were produced. The gun was not without its disadvantages, however. It was a highly specialized anti-tank weapon, with a maximum elevation of only 22 degrees; comparable anti-tank guns, such as the Soviet ZIS-3 were more universal. The gun was also inferior to others in its technological design, which made manufacturing costly. The weapon’s heavy weight meant that, after firing, its wheels would get pounded into the ground by the recoil, making it nearly impossible to rotate or move the weapon manually afterwards. 

Organizationally, the PaK 40 was used in separate anti-tank divisions, as well as with anti-tank detachments of infantry, panzergrenadier and panzer divisions. By as late as the summer of 1943 the weapon was still outnumbered by the lighter PaK 38; PaK 40 finally began to dominate the battlefield by late 1943. A total of 23,303 PaK 40s were produced between 1942 and 1945, making it the most mass-produced large-caliber gun of the Wehrmacht. PaK 40 was also installed on a wide variety of self-propelled mounts, e.g. on the Pz.II chassis as the Marder II, on the Pz.38(t) chassis as the Marder III, and on a variety of captured French tanks, among others.

[EncDescription_data/units/artillery/ger/50mm_PaK_38_afrika]
58mm Panzerabwehrkanone 38 Anti-Tank Gun

Rheinmetall AG began designing the PaK 38 50mm anti-tank gun in 1935. First prototypes of the new weapon were ready by 1936; however the initial trials were less than successful. The weapon needed serious changes, many of which were due to the weapon’s poor initial ballistics. Getting the gun into serial production took years, with production beginning in late 1939, and the first 17 guns accepted for service even later, in July of 1940. The gun was too late to see action in the Battle of France. However, analysis of engagements with French and British armor led to the decision to increase production. By the time Germany invaded Soviet Union in June of 1941 over a thousand guns were available. They played a large role in the initial engagements with Soviet T-34 tanks.

Technically, the PaK 38 was a rather modern design with a split trail carriage and a semiautomatic breech. The barrel had a muzzle brake. A shield of twin armor plates offered reliable protection against small-arms fire for the gun crew.

Overall, the weapon was rather successful. The gun had formidable performance, allowing it to engage light and medium tanks. When using APCR rounds, of which two variants were available, PaK 38 could even engage heavy tanks. The gun was rather lightweight, and could easily be moved manually when needed. At the same time, the weapon was difficult to manufacture, and was not much cheaper than its more powerful successor the PaK 40. Both of these facts spelled its doom. 

Organizationally the PaK 38 was used in separate anti-tank divisions, as well as with anti-tank detachments of infantry, panzergrenadier and panzer divisions. By 1941 relatively few of these guns reached front-line service, but by 1942 the PaK 38 became the most common offensive gun of the Wehrmacht. It kept the honor until late 1943, when it began to be replaced by the PaK 40. A total of 9,568 PaK 38s were produced between 1939 and 1943, and it remained in active service until the end of the war on all fronts. Unlike other German anti-tank guns, the PaK 38 saw little use with self-propelled guns. A 5 cm KwK L/60 tank gun was created based on it, and used on late Pz.III variants.

[EncDescription_data/units/artillery/ger/37mm_PaK_35_36_afrika]
37mm Panzerabwehrkanone 35/36 anti-tank gun

Germany created its first anti-tank gun during the Great War. It was the 37mm Model 18 gun. According to the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was not allowed to have anti-tank artillery, so subsequent work in the area was conducted in secrecy. Work on the new design began as early as 1924, and by 1926 Rheinmetall AG had a prototype ready, a 3.7 cm Model 26 anti-tank gun. The weapon was accepted for service in 1928 as TaK 28, followed by the TaK 29 variant that went into mass production. This gun, despite having wooden wheels with no tires, was used as a base for the PaK 35/36. Interestingly enough, several examples of the TaK 29 were sold to the Soviet Union, where they became the basis for the famous M1937 45mm anti-tank gun. 

The PaK 35/36 was a very advanced weapon for its time, combining good armor penetration, high rate of fire, and low weight. One of the main drawbacks was a HE shell of limited effectiveness.

PaK 35/36 became the mainstay anti-tank gun of the Wehrmacht between 1935 and 1941, used in separate anti-tank divisions, as well as with anti-tank detachments of infantry, panzergrenadier and panzer divisions. For example, on paper each infantry division was supposed to have 75 guns of this type.

The gun saw action for the first time during the Spanish Civil War, where it proved highly effective against lightly armored T-26 and BT tanks. Engaging Polish armor in 1939 also proved easy; however during the Battle of France the gun proved less than capable when facing better armored French and British tanks. Based on the experience, Germany quickly began to replace the gun with a more powerful 50mm PaK 38. However by the invasion of the Soviet Union in June of 1941 the 35/36 remained the most numerous anti-tank gun in active service.  Engagements with Soviet T-34 and KV tanks quickly proved the gun obsolete. However, despite a common myth, PaK 35/36 was not completely ineffective against a T-34. At short range, a regular armor-piercing shell could penetrate 40mm of T-34’s side armor or the turret.  The gun was made even more competitive when using APCR shells, effective at short range. Additionally, a Stiel.Gr.41 muzzle bomb was developed for the weapon in late 1941, capable of penetrating 180 mm of armor; however accuracy and range of this shot were very limited. By late 1941 PaK 35/36 was being actively replaced by the more powerful PaK 40, but remained in active service until the end of the war as a light infantry gun. A total of 15,000-some PaK 35/36s were produced by 1942.

The gun was also installed on Sd Kfz 251 and Sd Kfz 250 half-tracks (platoon commander’s vehicles), and also on make-shift anti-tank SPGs based on trucks, prime movers, and captured allied vehicles. A 3.7 cm KwK 36 L/45 tank gun was also created based on the PaK 35/36, and used on early Pz.III variants.

[EncDescription_data/units/artillery/usa/105mm_Howitzer_M2A1_afrika]
105mm M2A1 Light Field Howitzer

In 1919, based on the results of the First World War, work began in the US to create a new 105mm field howitzer. By 1921 three prototypes were submitted for competition, and the best one, designated M1921E, was awarded the contract, simultaneously being sent back for some changes. These changes took a long time to implement due to what was at the time a very modern design. The new howitzer was finally accepted for service in 1928, designated M1; however the weapon never went into mass production due to the great depression. US military budget was depleted. Nevertheless the manufacturer continued to refine the weapon, and a modernized 1934 variant was once again accepted for service, designated M2. It also didn’t go into mass production, due to the same reasons as the M1.

By 1940 the US economy was doing a lot better, and a war was raging in Europe, making rearmament and modernization of the armed forces a top priority. As a result the howitzer, modernized once again, was finally ordered into production in March of 1941, this time designated M2A1.

The weapon was a light field artillery gun of a modern design with a split trail carriage, recoil sleigh assembly, and a horizontal lock breech. It used semi-fixed ammunition, with up to seven propellant charges. The weapon was a rather successful design, generally equal to the German le.F.H.18.

105mm howitzers were deployed as part of division artillery. A standard US infantry division had a division artillery unit of three 105mm howitzer battalions and one 155mm howitzer battalion. The M2A1 was most often used for indirect fire from prepared positions, but when needed, could also be used in a direct fire anti-tank role, for which a HEAT round existed. M2A1 saw service with the US armed forces in all theaters of war. After the war it was designated M101 and remained in service well into the Vietnam War era. Additionally, a large number of howitzers were exported to Allied countries, and it remains in active service with some armed forces to this day. A total of 8,536 M2A1 and M2A2 howitzers were produced between 1940 and 1945.

[EncDescription_data/units/artillery/uk/87mm_25pdr_gun_howitzer_Mk2_afrika]
87.6mm Ordnance QF 25-pounder Mark II Field Gun / Howitzer

Work began in 1935 in the United Kingdom to design a new general purpose field weapon. Until that time, British division artillery consisted of an 18-pdr (84mm) field gun and a 4.5-in (114mm) howitzer. The new 25-pdr gun was to replace both, which meant that the new weapon had to combine features of a field gun and a howitzer; not an easy task. Carriage design for the new weapon took some time, and the first production variant, the Mk.I, still used the 18-pdr gun’s carriage. Production of Mk.IIs with its own Carriage 25-pdr began by late 1939.

The 25-pdr was a rather unique artillery gun, which can be classified as a field gun / howitzer. With a maximum elevation angle of 45 degrees, the weapon used semi-fixed ammunition with up to three propellant charges, giving it indirect fire capability. At the same time, the weapon was quite capable of direct fire. With a box trail carriage, the gun’s traverse was 4 degrees in each direction. However, the weapon could be mounted on a special firing platform, transportable with the gun, which allowed it to rotate 360 degrees. Semiautomatic breech allowed for high rate of fire. Late model variants were also equipped with a muzzle brake. Generally the 25-pdr was a successful design, making it one of the best artillery pieces of the war.

Organizationally 25-pdr guns were part of infantry division artillery numbering 72 guns (3 regiments of 24 guns each); one (or two, later in the war) 25-pdr regiments would also be attached to armored divisions. Most often the weapon was used for indirect fire, but when needed could be used in a direct-fire anti-tank role. 25-pdrs served with Commonwealth nations throughout WWII, and remained in active service into the 1970s. Some of the former colonies continue to use the gun to this day. Ammunition for the 25-pdr is still being manufactured in Pakistan.

[EncDescription_data/units/artillery/uk/57mm_6pdr_AT_Gun_Mk_II_afrika]
57mm Ordnance Q.F. 6-pounder 7-cwt. gun Mark II Anti-Tank Gun

By 1938, the British military began to realize that the 2-pdr anti-tank gun then in service was inadequate for modern armored warfare. The realization was based, in part, on internal developments, such as the development of the Matilda tank with 60mm armor in 1937. Woolwich Arsenal then began work on a new weapon, choosing the caliber of 57mm for it. 57mm weapons were already used by the Royal Navy, and Woolwich had manufacturing equipment in place. The weapon was designed with the potential of being used as a tank main gun; however, a towed artillery piece was the main priority. By January of 1940 the weapon finished the final round of tests, and it was accepted for service in April of 1940, both in a tank-gun and towed piece variant, even though the carriage for the latter was still incomplete.

The disastrous Battle of France, and the subsequent Dunkirk Evacuation with loss of tremendous amount of heavy equipment led to an increase in demand for new anti-tank guns. Due to assembly lines still set to manufacture the obsolete 2-pdr guns, it was decided that a delay in switching production to the 6-pdr, and in adopting and retraining gun crews was unacceptable. The 6-pdr project was therefore put on the backburner, and a large run of 2-pdr guns was produced instead; interestingly enough, the situation parallels the decision in the Soviet Union to freeze production of their 57mm anti-tank gun in 1941. With the 6-pdr, a decision was made to later concentrate on the tank gun variant, as opposed to the anti-tank artillery piece.

As originally designed, the weapon’s barrel length was 50 calibers; however that made the weapon difficult to install in existing tank turrets. The simplest solution was to redesign the gun, shortening the barrel to 43 calibers. This shortened variant went into production in June 1941 as a tank gun.

After Germany invaded the Soviet Union, it became clear that an invasion of the British Isles would be unlikely for some time; and British forces fighting in North Africa urgently needed a more powerful anti-tank weapon. Considering these conditions, a decision was made to green light the anti-tank variant of the 6-pdr. To unify it with the tank variant, the barrel was also shortened to 43 calibers. Serial production began in November of 1941.

Technically, the gun was a light anti-tank artillery piece of modern construction with recoil sleigh assembly on a split trail carriage. The shortened barrel affected performance, which however remained acceptable; compared to the German PaK 38, the British gun had lower muzzle velocity, but better armor penetration on a direct hit with an AP shell. While it was inferior to the Soviet 57mm ZIS-2, the Russian gun went into service only in the summer of 1943. 

The main initial shortcoming of the 6-pdr was its limited ammunition types. Until 1943 only a basic AP round was available, which had limited post-penetration effectiveness, and was ineffective against sloped or reinforced armor. Improved APC and APCBC rounds became available in early 1943, APCR shot in October of 1943, and a highly effective APDS sabot round in March of 1944. HE shells, were produced since 1942 initially in very limited quantities.

Altogether, by early 1942 standards, the 6-pdr Mk.II was a very successful design, capable of all intended tasks. However the situation changed by 1943 with the introduction of heavy Tiger tanks, and armor increase to 80mm on later Pz IV and StuG III variants. The 6-pdr was of limited effectiveness against such armor, only penetrating it when impacting at shallow angles at close range. To remedy the problem, the Mk.IV variant returned to the initial 50-caliber barrel length.

57mm QF 6-pdr Mk.II saw a lot of action in North Africa, starting with the Battle of Gazala in May of 1942, and subsequently in Italy. The Mk.II was almost phased out by the time the Allies landed in France, being replaced by the 6-pdr Mk.IV and the new 17-pdr guns. The gun was also produced in the US, in its 50-caliber barrel variant. 400 QF 6-pdr Mk.IIs were also sent to the USSR via the lend-lease program.

[EncDescription_data/units/artillery/uk/40mm_2pdr_AT_Gun_Mk_II_afrika]
40mm Ordnance Q.F. 2-pounder gun Mark IX on Carriage Mark II

British pre-war 2-pounder anti-tank guns were based on a 40mm tank gun, designed to replace the obsolescent 3-pdr Hotchkiss gun of WWI provenance. The new tank gun was quite good for its time, and a decision was made to create an anti-tank gun version, thus simplifying manufacture and logistics. A new tank gun prototype was ready by 1934, and was accepted for service in January of 1935. Work immediately began on an anti-tank carriage variant, with proposals being put forward by both Woolwich Arsenal and Vickers. Field trials completed by July 1936, with both competing designs being awarded contracts, as their performance was nearly identical, and manufacturing realities at both factories meant that selecting a single variant would not be cost-effective. Later on, mainly the Woolwich Arsenal variant was produced due to lower cost. Serial production began in late 1936.

2-pdr anti-tank guns were of rather original design, drastically different from other comparable light anti-tank guns of the period. The carriage was a three-leg platform; this design element made it possible to rotate the weapon 360 degrees with legs unfolded. This however made the weapon much larger and heavier than comparable guns (it weighed 1,994 lbs (814 kg), when a Soviet 45mm M1937 gun weighed only 1,234 lbs (560 kg)). It also increased the amount of time to position the weapon for combat. Two main carriage variants existed, Mark I from Vickers, and Mark II from Woolwich, differing in recoil sleigh assembly and wheel construction. In combat position, the Mk.I’s wheels were lifted up, and Mk.II’s were removed. The 2-pdr’s ammunition included a basic AP round and a pre-war APHE shot. By 1943 a more advanced APCBC shot went into production. Initially no HE rounds were provided altogether, which made the piece of limited use when facing infantry and other soft targets. HE rounds became available only in late 1942, as the 2-pdr was becoming hopelessly obsolete. While in early war the 2-pdr could successfully engage German armor, the entry of heavy Tiger tanks and the armor increase to 80mm on later Pz IV and StuG III variants meant that the gun quickly became ineffective. An interesting interim solution was the so-called Littlejohn adapter, a reducing bore attachment for the business end of the barrel, which when firing the special APCNR round greatly increased muzzle velocity, thus improving armor penetration. These adaptors went into production in January of 1943, but saw limited use, mainly used on Daimler Armored Cars. The 2-pdr’s production was stopped in 1943, being replaced by the more powerful 6- and 17-pounders.

2-pdr anti-tank guns were actively used in 1940 in France, in North Africa in 1941-1943, and in South-East Asia. In addition to UK, the gun was also used by Belgium and Australia. A small batch was also sent to USSR. A total of 11,038 2-pdr anti-tank guns were produced between 1936 and 1943.

[EncDescription_data/units/artillery/uk/76mm_17_25_Pdr_Pheasant_afrika]
Although it had not yet entered service, the British predicted that the QF 6-pounder would soon be inadequate given the increasing armour of German tanks. In late 1940 a design effort was started to create a replacement, and the effort was largely complete by the end of 1941. A prototype production line was set up that spring, and with the appearance of Tiger I tanks in North Africa, the first 100 prototype 17-pdr anti-tank guns were quickly sent off to help counter this new threat. So great was the rush that they were sent before proper carriages had been developed, and the guns had to be mounted in the carriages of 25-pounder gun-howitzers. These early weapons were known as 17/25-pounders and given the codename Pheasant. They first saw action in February 1943.

Fully developed 17-pdrs were placed into production in 1943 and were first used during the Italian Campaign. 

[EncDescription_data/units/artillery/usa/76_2mm_M5_afrika]
Late in 1940 the Ordnance Corps started a project - an anti-tank gun based on the 3 inch anti-aircraft gun T9. The barrel of the T9 was combined with breech, recoil system and carriage, all adapted from the 105 mm howitzer M2. The pilot of the weapon, named 3 inch Gun T10, was ready by September 1941. Although the subsequent testing revealed minor problems, it was clear that the gun, eventually standardized as M5 on carriage M1, presents major performance improvement over existing designs.

Production began in December 1942. In November 1943 a slightly modified carriage was standardized as M6. In this carriage a flat shield borrowed from the 105 mm howitzer was replaced by a new sloped one. A total of 2500 M5 anti-tank guns were produced till 1944.
