The 76 mm air defense gun M1931 (Russian: 76-мм зенитная пушка обр. 1931 г.) was an anti-aircraft gun used by the Soviet Union during the Winter War and the first stages of World War II.
| 76 mm air defense gun M1931 | |
|---|---|
 76 mm M1931 at Kempele, Finland. | |
| Type | Anti-aircraft gun |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Soviet Union Finland Nazi Germany |
| Wars | Winter War World War II |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1931–1938 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Travel: 4,820 kg (10,630 lb) Combat: 3,650 kg (8,050 lb) |
| Barrel length | 4.1 m (13 ft 5 in) L/55 |
| Crew | 10[1] |
| Shell | Fixed QF 76.2 × 558 mm. R[2] |
| Shell weight | 6.6 kg (14 lb 9 oz) |
| Caliber | 76.2 mm (3 in) |
| Breech | Semi-automatic vertical sliding-wedge |
| Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic |
| Carriage | Two-wheeled carriage with collapsible cruciform outriggers |
| Elevation | −2° to +82° |
| Traverse | 360°[1] |
| Rate of fire | 10–20 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 815 m/s (2,670 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 9.3 km (31,000 ft) AA ceiling[1] |
History
editDesigned by German company Rheinmetall, the configuration of the air defense gun M1931 is similar to the design of the contemporary Vickers 3-inch anti-aircraft guns. The Soviet M1931 had a two-wheeled carriage with collapsible cruciform outriggers.[1]
The M1931 was replaced in production in 1938 by the 76 mm air defense gun M1938 which had a four-wheeled dual-axle carriage with two collapsible outriggers. The M1931 and M1938 had nearly identical performance and were gradually replaced by the more powerful 85 mm air defense gun M1939.[1]
A number of M1931 guns were captured by Finland during the Winter War and were employed by them as the 76 ItK/31 ss during World War II.[3] Likewise, M1931 guns captured by the Germans were given the designation 7.62 cm Flak M.31(r) and used until they were either worn out or their ammunition supply ran out. A few were rebored to fire German 8.8 cm ammunition and redesignated the 7.62/8.8 cm Flak M.31(r). However, the majority were scrapped in 1944.[1]
After the war, a number of Finnish guns were converted into light coastal guns (76 ItK 31 Rt, where "Rt" stands for "rannikkotykistö" = coastal artillery) by the addition of a scope site with manual lead mechanism for direct fire against moving surface targets. These guns were still in use as training guns of the coastal artillery into the 1980s.[4]
Photo Gallery
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AA guns of the 268th Separate Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion during the defense of Nikolayev, August 1941
Notes
edit- ^ a b c d e f Chamberlain, Peter; Gander, Terry (1975). Anti-aircraft guns. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 62. ISBN 0668038187. OCLC 2000222.
- ^ "77-77 MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-01-17. Retrieved 2017-09-13.
- ^ "FINNISH ARMY 1918 - 1945: ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS PART 3". www.jaegerplatoon.net. Retrieved 2017-09-13.
- ^ Enqvist, Ove 1999, Itsenäisen Suomen rannikkotykit 1918-1998. Helsinki: Sotamuseo
References
edit- 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