3-inch anti-aircraft gun M3

3-inch anti-aircraft gun M3
3-inch anti-aircraft gun M3
	A 3-inch M3 anti-aircraft gun on a M2A2 carriage, preserved in Brazil
Type	Anti-aircraft gun
Place of origin	USA
Service history
In service	1928–1945
Used by	USA
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designed	1927
Produced	1928
Variants	Anti-tank
Specifications
Mass	Complete: 16,800 lb (7,600 kg); Barrel: 2,302 lb (1,044 kg)
Length	25 ft (7.6 m)
Barrel length	12.6 ft (3.8 m) 50 caliber
Width	7 ft (2.1 m)
Height	9.4 ft (2.9 m)[1]
Shell	Fixed QF 76.2 x 585R
Shell weight	Complete: 24.6 lb (11.2 kg); Projectile: 12.8 lb (5.8 kg)
Caliber	76.2 mm (3 in)
Action	Semi-automatic
Breech	Vertical sliding-wedge
Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic
Carriage	Four wheel with four collapsible outriggers
Elevation	−1° to +80°[1]
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	25 rpm
Muzzle velocity	854 m/s (2,800 ft/s)
Effective firing range	21,000 ft (6,400 m) +85°
Maximum firing range	8.3 mi (13.4 km) +45°[1]

The 3-inch anti-aircraft gun M3 was an anti-aircraft gun developed from the earlier 3-inch M1917 and 3-inch M1918 guns which served throughout the 1930s, some into early World War II. By the time of the US entry into World War II, the 3-inch M3 was in the process of being replaced and may have seen action in the Pacific during World War II.[2]

History

During the late 1920s, M1917 and M1918 guns were fitted with removable barrel liners and re-designated as 3-inch M1, M2, or M3 guns, depending on the variant they were upgraded from. The most numerous variant was the M3 which was introduced in 1928 and consisted of a new barrel with a removable autofretted liner. During the 1930s further upgrades were proposed but these were abandoned with the adoption of the 90 mm gun M1 in 1938.[2]

Design

The M3 consisted of a 76.2 mm (3 in) barrel 50 calibers in length, which had a removable liner and a semi-automatic vertical sliding-wedge breech. The barrel had a hydro-pneumatic recoil system and when fired the breech ejected the shell casing and remained open until a new round was loaded. The M2A2 cruciform carriage had a circular center section and four perforated steel outriggers for stability. For transport, the outriggers folded and a two-wheeled, single axle bogie could be screwed onto the outriggers at each end. The carriage had pneumatic tires, electric brakes and was capable of being towed at high speeds. The gun was provided with a set of equilibrators and was capable of both high angle fire +80° and 360° of traverse.[1]

Anti-tank gun

In September 1940 a project started to adapt the 3-inch gun to the anti-tank role, starting with the T9 experimental model but equipping it with the breech, recoil system and carriage borrowed from the 105mm M2 howitzer. The gun was accepted for service as the 3-inch M5.[3]

A similar derivative of the T9 – the 3-inch M6 – was intended to be mounted on the M5 self-propelled gun, which was eventually abandoned. A final adaptation was the 3-inch M7, which included minor modifications for mounting on the M6 heavy tank and M10 tank destroyer. The M7 saw wide use although it was supplanted to some extent by more powerful weapons such as the 90mm M3 and the British QF 17 pounder. A total of 6,824 M7 guns were manufactured.[3]

Ammunition

The M3 fired a Fixed QF 76.2 × 585R round and a number of different styles of ammunition were available:

Photo gallery

The predecessor of the M3; the M1918 in traveling position.
No. 2 Gun Crew, Btry D, 208th CA AA, man their 3-inch AA gun at New Fighter Strip, Dobodura, New Guinea (17 May 1943).
Secretary of War James W. Good inspects an M3 in traveling position near the White House in 1929.
3-inch anti-tank gun M6 at Fort Lewis, Washington, USA.
M10 tank destroyer with the 3-inch gun M7.

References

Hogg, Ian (2014-11-02). The American Arsenal: The World War II Official Standard Ordnance Catalogue. Barnsley, South Yorkshire. pp. 189–190. ISBN 9781473897021. OCLC 958355682.
Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Anti-aircraft guns. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 56. ISBN 978-0668038188. OCLC 2000222.
Chamberlain, Peter (1974). Anti-tank weapons. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 49. ISBN 978-0668036078. OCLC 1299755.

External links

Media related to 3-inch anti-aircraft gun M3 at Wikimedia Commons

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[Hogg_2014-1] Hogg, Ian (2014-11-02). The American Arsenal: The World War II Official Standard Ordnance Catalogue. Barnsley, South Yorkshire. pp. 189–190. ISBN 9781473897021. OCLC 958355682.

[Chamberlain_1975-2] Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Anti-aircraft guns. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 56. ISBN 978-0668038188. OCLC 2000222.

[Chamberlain_1974-3] Chamberlain, Peter (1974). Anti-tank weapons. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 49. ISBN 978-0668036078. OCLC 1299755.

United States artillery of World War II
Tank guns	37 mm gun M5/M6 75 mm gun M2/M3/M6 76 mm gun M1 3 inch gun M7 90 mm gun M3 105 mm howitzer M4
Anti-tank guns	37 mm M3 57 mm M1 75 mm M1897 3 inch M5 90 mm T8 105mm T8
Field, medium and heavy guns	75 mm M1897 75 mm howitzer M1 105 mm howitzer M2 105 mm howitzer M3 4.5 inch gun M1 155 mm howitzer M1918 155 mm howitzer M1 155 mm gun M1918MI 155 mm gun M1/M2 "Long Tom" 8 inch howitzer M1/M2 8-inch gun M1 240 mm howitzer M1
Mortars	60 mm mortar M2 81 mm mortar M1 4.2 inch mortar M2 Little David
Other vehicle-mounted	75 mm howitzer M2/M3 75 mm gun M1897 105 mm howitzer M2 155 mm gun M1917MI 155 mm gun M2 8 inch howitzer M1/M2
Anti-aircraft guns	37 mm M1 40 mm M1 3-inch gun M1917 3-inch gun M1918 3-inch anti-aircraft gun M3 90 mm M1 120 mm M1
Coast artillery guns	3-inch gun M1903 90 mm M1 6-inch gun M1903 155 mm gun M1918MI 7"/45 caliber gun 8-inch Mk. VI 8-inch gun M1888 10-inch gun M1895 12-inch coast defense mortar 12-inch gun M1895 14-inch gun M1907 16-inch gun M1895 16-inch gun M1919 16-inch Marks 2 and 3 16-inch howitzer M1920
Railway artillery	8-inch Mk. VI 8-inch M1888 12-inch coast defense mortar 14-inch M1920