The U.S. 37-MM Gun in World War II
Author: Charles C. Roberts, Jr.
Casemate Illustrated Special
ISBN: 978-1-63624-252-1
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2023
MSRP: $45.00
ISBN: 978-1-63624-252-1
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2023
MSRP: $45.00
HISTORY:
Developed in response to the 1899 Hague Convention, the 37mm gun met the restrictions on the size of weapons that could fire explosive shells, yet was also light and lethal enough to be used in battle. After WWI, in which the French Model 1916, 37mm was used extensively, several countries developed or adopted the 37mm gun.
Behind their development of an anti-tank gun, the United States relied on the German Pak 36, 37mm design as a basis for development. By the mid 1930’s, the U.S. Ordnance Department designed the M3-37mm gun and M4 carriage, resulting in a towed anti-tank gun. The first anti-tank gun in the U.S. Army.
The gun proved effective at the beginning of WWII, but as German armor protection increased, it could not penetrate the frontal armor of many German tanks and was relegated to lesser roles. However, the gun proved effective against the Japanese tanks and Japanese strong points in the Far East.
The U.S. military used the gun on several production and experimental armored vehicles, including the M3 Lee Medium Tank, thr M3 Stuart Light Tank, the M5 Stuart Light Tank, the M8 Armored Car, the T17E1 Staghound Armored Car and the M3A1E3 Scout Car. The gun was also used on several non-armored vehicles. Despite its small size, the U.S. M3-37mm gun served throughout the war, on many vehicles and performed exactly as designed.
THE BOOK:
Casemate Publishers is an old prolific publisher of their own line of books and are the distributor of other company's books.
This book is hard-bound of 196 pages (4 pages are blank) in 8” x 10” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a 37mm on its wheeled-carriage on a grassy field. Below, on the left, is a color photo of the breech of the gun inside a tank turret. To the right is a black and white photo of the gun on its wheeled-carriage , again on a grassy field. Over a color photo of the turret of a tank with the 37mm mounted in it.
The back cover shows a color photo at the top of a 37mm mounted in the rear of a pickup truck, that is overall olive-drab, with a white star on its tail-gate. Over a black and white photo of a 37mm on its wheeled-carriage with crewmen. Next is a color photo of a Stuart tank mounted with the gun, that is overall olive-drab with a white star and serial no.U.S.A. 40150503 on its side and one crewman looking out of the top turret hatch. At the bottom is a black and white photo of a 6 man crew that is manning a 37mm on its wheeled-carriage.
The book holds photos of the gun in the many versions and tanks that mounted it. Including the boats. There are many data lists at the end of the book.
This book will be of interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate for this review sample.
All Casemate books can be viewed on their website at:
Developed in response to the 1899 Hague Convention, the 37mm gun met the restrictions on the size of weapons that could fire explosive shells, yet was also light and lethal enough to be used in battle. After WWI, in which the French Model 1916, 37mm was used extensively, several countries developed or adopted the 37mm gun.
Behind their development of an anti-tank gun, the United States relied on the German Pak 36, 37mm design as a basis for development. By the mid 1930’s, the U.S. Ordnance Department designed the M3-37mm gun and M4 carriage, resulting in a towed anti-tank gun. The first anti-tank gun in the U.S. Army.
The gun proved effective at the beginning of WWII, but as German armor protection increased, it could not penetrate the frontal armor of many German tanks and was relegated to lesser roles. However, the gun proved effective against the Japanese tanks and Japanese strong points in the Far East.
The U.S. military used the gun on several production and experimental armored vehicles, including the M3 Lee Medium Tank, thr M3 Stuart Light Tank, the M5 Stuart Light Tank, the M8 Armored Car, the T17E1 Staghound Armored Car and the M3A1E3 Scout Car. The gun was also used on several non-armored vehicles. Despite its small size, the U.S. M3-37mm gun served throughout the war, on many vehicles and performed exactly as designed.
THE BOOK:
Casemate Publishers is an old prolific publisher of their own line of books and are the distributor of other company's books.
This book is hard-bound of 196 pages (4 pages are blank) in 8” x 10” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a 37mm on its wheeled-carriage on a grassy field. Below, on the left, is a color photo of the breech of the gun inside a tank turret. To the right is a black and white photo of the gun on its wheeled-carriage , again on a grassy field. Over a color photo of the turret of a tank with the 37mm mounted in it.
The back cover shows a color photo at the top of a 37mm mounted in the rear of a pickup truck, that is overall olive-drab, with a white star on its tail-gate. Over a black and white photo of a 37mm on its wheeled-carriage with crewmen. Next is a color photo of a Stuart tank mounted with the gun, that is overall olive-drab with a white star and serial no.U.S.A. 40150503 on its side and one crewman looking out of the top turret hatch. At the bottom is a black and white photo of a 6 man crew that is manning a 37mm on its wheeled-carriage.
The book holds photos of the gun in the many versions and tanks that mounted it. Including the boats. There are many data lists at the end of the book.
This book will be of interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate for this review sample.
All Casemate books can be viewed on their website at:
Highly Recommended.