World War 2 In Review No. 46

By Merriam Press

Merriam Press World War 2 In Review Series. The following articles on World War II are in this issue: (1) Anti-tank Guns Part 4 (Italian, Japanese, Romanian) (2) Sidi Bou Zid: Case History of Failure (3) American T40 3-in Gun Motor Carriage (4) Camouflaging America’s Aircraft Plants (5) Guadalcanal Navy Cross: Al Schmid, USMC (6) Notes on Bastogne Operation (7) Occupation of the Philippines and Dutch East Indies: Interrogation of Vice Adm. Kzutaka Shirachi, IJN (8) New Zealand Prisoners of Japan (9) Russo-German Collaboration During the Weimar Republic (10) Italian Trento Division (11) Smoky: Yorkshire Terrier Hero (12) Under the Nose of the Gestapo (13) Beheading of Coastwatcher Leonard Siffleet (14) Mitchell Paige Medal of Honor (15) Hitler’s Final Offensive: Operation Nordwind (16) Barbarossa to Kursk: A Chronology (17) U.S. Hunt for Axis Agent Radios (18) “Charlemagne” Division in Pomerania, February-March 1945. 362 B&W/color photos/illustrations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781387869916

Book preview

World War 2 In Review No. 46

World War 2 In Review No. 46

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Hoosick Falls, New York

2018

First eBook Edition

Copyright © 2018 by Merriam Press

Additional material copyright of named contributors.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

The views expressed are solely those of the author.

ISBN 9781387869916

This work was designed, produced, and published in the United States of America by the Merriam Press, 489 South Street, Hoosick Falls NY 12090.

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Mission Statement

This series presents articles and pictorials on topics covering many aspects of World War 2. In addition to new articles and pictorials on topics not previously covered, future volumes may include additional material on the subjects covered in this volume. The volumes in this series will comprise a single source for innumerable articles and tens of thousands of images of interest to anyone interested in the history and study of World War 2. While no doubt some of these images and other materials could be found online, countless hours could be spent searching thousands of web sites to find at least some of this material.

The Images

These photos are seventy-plus years old, were taken under less than ideal conditions, and some were taken by individuals who were neither professional photographers nor using professional equipment. Thus, the quality of the original image may be less than perfect. While Merriam Press tries to obtain the best quality images possible, the quality of the images in this publication will no doubt vary greatly.

This series of publications utilizes the editor’s collection of tens of thousands of photographs and other illustrative material acquired since 1968. Hundreds of sources over the years have been searched for material on every subject.

Photographs Needed

Merriam Press welcomes any contributions of photographs

of this or any subject for future volumes in this series.

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•

Welcome to No. 46 of the World War 2 In Review Series

The following articles are in this issue of World War 2 In Review:

(1) Anti-tank Guns Part 4

Italian Anti-tank Guns

Cannone da 47/32

Cannone da 65/17 modello 13

Japanese Anti-tank Guns

Type 97 Automatic Cannon (20mm Anti-tank Rifle)

Type 1 37mm Anti-tank Gun

Type 94 37mm Anti-tank Gun

Type 97 37mm Anti-tank Gun

Type 97 Ra 37mm Anti-tank Gun

Experimental 37mm Anti-tank Guns

Type 1 47mm Anti-tank Gun

Type 97 Experimental 47mm Anti-tank Gun

Experimental 57mm Anti-tank Gun

Type 5 Experimental 75mm Anti-tank Gun

Romanian Anti-tank Guns

75 mm Reşiţa Model 1943

(2) Sidi Bou Zid: A Case History of Failure

(3) American T40 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage

(4) Camouflaging America’s Aircraft Plants

(5) Guadalcanal Navy Cross: Al Schmid, USMC

(6) Notes on Bastogne Operation

(7) Occupation of the Philippines and Dutch East Indies: Interrogation of Vice Adm. Kzutaka Shirachi, IJN

(8) New Zealand Prisoners of Japan

(9) Russo-German Collaboration During the Weimar Republic

(10) The Italian Trento Division

(11) Smoky: Yorkshire Terrier Hero

(12) Under the Nose of the Gestapo: In Wartime France, Two Canadians Organized an Escape Route for Allied Prisoners of War

(13) The Beheading of Coastwatcher Leonard Siffleet

(14) Mitchell Paige: Medal of Honor Recipient

(15) Hitler’s Final Offensive: Operation Nordwind

(16) Barbarossa to Kursk: A Chronology

(17) The U.S. Hunt for Axis Agent Radios

(18) The Charlemagne Division in Pomerania, February-March 1945

with 362 B&W and color photographs, maps and illustrations.

Watch for future issues of this series with more articles on the history of World War II.

Anti-tank Guns Part 4

This continues the series on the anti-tank guns of World War 2. See World War 2 In Review Number 43 for American and British anti-tank guns; Number 44 for Belgian, Czech and French anti-tank guns; Number 45 for German anti-tank guns; Number 47 for Russian and Swedish anti-tank guns.

Italian Anti-tank Guns

Cannone da 47/32

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The Cannone da 47/32 mod. 1935 was an Italian artillery piece that saw service during World War II. It was originally designed by Austrian firm Böhler and produced in Italy under license. The Cannone da 47/32 was used both as an infantry gun and an anti-tank gun; it was effective against lightly armored tanks.

The Austrian firm of Böhler originally designed and manufactured the gun. In the 1930s Italy bought some of these guns from Böhler, and then began to produce the weapon under license, continuing its development. The Cannone da 47/32 M35 was the main armament in the M13/40 medium tank, the M14/41 medium tank, and experimentally on the AB 41 armored car (see photograph), and the 47/32 self-propelled gun.

The 47/32 was built in two versions, the first with semi-pneumatic disk wheels, and the second (in 1939, from which the name 47/32 mod. 39) with improved barrel and suspension (in some series also light-alloy wheels with semi-pneumatic tires). To tow this piece, the Fiat-OCI 708 CM tractor and the L3 tankette were used, but these projects were soon abandoned as the gun was subjected to breaking at the axles spindles and shanks. Due to its shape, the 47/32 was commonly called elefantino (little elephant) by the troops.

The 47/32 was primarily an anti-tank gun; however, it was also used as a close support weapon. In 1940 it was nonetheless an adequate weapon: it had roughly the same degree of armor penetration of its contemporaries (like the British 2-pounder gun, the German PaK 36 and the Soviet 45 mm gun, outperformed the French 25 mm gun), and its HE shell was at least successful (while the 2-Pounder was limited to the anti-tank role). Its major drawbacks were the inadequacy of the gun to be towed by truck, and the lack of a gun shield. The failure of the Italian Army to produce and deploy a more powerful gun in numbers meant that by 1942 the 47/32 gun was still seeing frontline service despite being inefficient against the improved tanks it had to face.

For use in the M15/42 tank the 47/32 gun was redesigned with a longer L/40 barrel and an enlarged ammunition chamber. The larger amount of propellant combined with the longer barrel greatly increased the armor penetration capability of the 47/40 gun.

Caliber: 47 mm (1.85 in)

Barrel length: 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)

Length of Bore: 1.525 m (5 ft)

Length of Rifling: 1.33 m (4 ft 4.3 in)

Travelling Weight: 315 kg (694.5 lb)

Weight in Action: 277 kg (610.6 lb)

Elevation: -15 degrees to +56 degrees

Traverse: 62 degrees

Muzzle Velocity: 630 m/s (2,067 ft/s) for AP; 250 m/s (820 ft/s) HEAT [L/40 Variant: 829 m/s for AP and 310 m/s for HEAT]

Range: 7,000 m (7,655 feet) - HEAT

Shell Weight: 1.44 kg (3.175 lb) AP; 2.37 kg (5.225 lb) HEAT

Armor Penetration AP (L/32): 58 mm (2.3 in) at 100 m (110 yards); 43 mm (1.7 in) at 500 m (550 yards)

Armor Penetration AP (L/40 Variant for Medium tank M15/42): 70 mm at 100 m, 50 mm at 500 m, 38 mm at 1000 m, 25 mm at 1500 m, 20 mm at 2000 m

Armor Penetration HEAT: 55 mm at 90 degrees contact

The original Böhler and license-produced versions were also used in the Austrian, Chinese, Dutch, Finnish, Romanian, Estonian, Latvian, Soviet (Captured Ex-Latvian guns) and Swiss armies.

While not an original user, the German army captured several of these guns during their annexation of Austria and their conquest of the Netherlands (4.7 cm PaK 187(h)) and the Soviet Union (4.7 cm PaK 196(r)) and took them into service. Some of these guns were donated to the Italians. After their surrender, these were recaptured along with Italian models (4.7 cm PaK 177(i)). These guns were then reassigned to German and RSI (Axis-aligned Italian) units or donated to Croatia.

Type: Infantry gun / anti-tank gun

Place of origin: Austria

Designer: Böhler

Weight: Travel: 315 kg (694 lb)

Combat: 277 kg (611 lb)

Barrel length: 1.525 m (5 ft 0 in) L/32

Shell: Fixed QF 47 x 195 mm R

Caliber: 47 mm (1.9 in)

Breech: Horizontal sliding wedge

Carriage: Split-trail

Elevation: -15° to +56°

Traverse: 62°

Muzzle velocity:

630 m/s (2,067 ft/s) AP

250 m/s (820 ft/s) HEAT

Maximum firing range: 7,000 m (7,700 yd)

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Italian paratroopers with Cannone da 47/32, North Africa.

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Bersaglieri defend their position in Bardia with a Cannone da 47/32 anti-tank gun.

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Bardia, Cyrenaica, Libya. c. 1941.

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Austrian 47mm Bohler anti-tank gun.

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Austrian 47mm Bohler anti-tank gun.

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Dutch Army Ford DAF pulling a 47mm Bohler anti-tank gun model 1935.

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Dutch Army Ford/DAF 81Y 1938 pulling 47mm Bohler anti-tank gun model 1935.

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Chevrolet DAF trekker pulling a 47mm Bohler anti-tank gun with crew, in drills, Holland, 1938.

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Dutch Army Ford DAF trekker pulling a 47mm Bohler anti-tank gun with crew.

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Dutch Army 47mm Bohler anti-tank gun model 1935 in position. Chevrolet DAF in background.

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KNIL 47mm Bohler anti-tank gun model 1935, Dutch East Indies.

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Finnish gun crews posing with their 47mm PstK/35 anti-tank-guns, Hytti, June 1941.

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47 PstK/39 anti-tank-gun being used for beach defense. Soldier behind the gun has captured SVT-40 semi-automatic rifle. Taipale, February 1942.

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47mm anti-tank gun in Chinese service in late 1930s.

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47mm anti-tank gun in Chinese service.

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Romanian 47mm anti-tank gun on the shore of the Azov Sea, June 1942.

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47mm Panzerabwehrkanone M1935.

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Captured Italian 47mm anti-tank gun being inspected by Australian soldiers, Tocra, Libya, 1941.

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Australian soldiers firing a captured Italian 47mm anti-tank gun on a beach in the northern sector near El Alamein.

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Captured Italian 47mm guns used by 27th Australian Brigade troops in Malaya.

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Captured Italian 47mm guns used by 27th Australian Brigade troops in Malaya.

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Italian 47mm anti-tank gun, River Don, 1942.

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Cannone da 47/32 modello 35.

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Cannone da 47/32 modello 35.

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47mm anti-tank gun (Cannone da 47/32) displayed on the grounds of CFB Borden (Base Borden Military Museum).

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47mm anti-tank gun (Cannone da 47/32) displayed on the grounds of CFB Borden (Base Borden Military Museum).

Cannone da 65/17 modello 13

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The cannone da 65/17 modello 13 was an artillery piece developed by Italy for use with its mountain and infantry units. The designation means 65 mm caliber gun, barrel length 17 calibers, which entered service in 1913. The designation is often shortened to cannone da 65/17.

A lightweight design, the 65 mm gun was designed for use in difficult terrain and extreme weather conditions. The barrel had a 17-caliber length and was designed for firing low-trajectory shots. The carriage was likewise simple in nature, consisting of a single trailing arm and solid-rim spoked wheels for horse draft. The weapon could be broken-down into five loads for transport. A simple folding gun shield was also provided in 1935.

The 65 mm gun was first accepted into service with Italian mountain troops in 1913, and it served with them throughout World War I. Replacements arrived in the 1920s and the gun was transferred to the regular infantry. It was well liked by the infantry due to its minimal weight and high reliability in adverse conditions. Despite its light caliber, it served through World War II with Italian forces as a close support weapon. It was effective also mounted on truck, in North Africa, as anti-tank artillery. Guns captured by the Germans after the Italian defeat were given the designation 6.5 cm GebK 246(i).

Type: Mountain artillery

Place of origin: Italy

In service: 1913-1940s

Used by:

Italy

Kingdom of Albania

Wars:

World War I

Spanish Civil War

World War II

Weight: 560 kg (1,225 lb) (combat ready)

Barrel length: 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) L/17.7

Shell: 65 x 172 mm R

Shell weight: 4.3 kilograms (9.5 lb)

Caliber: 65 mm (2.55 in)

Carriage: Drawn single trail

Elevation: -10° to +20°

Traverse: 8°

Muzzle velocity: 345 m/s (1,130 ft/s)

Effective firing range: 6.8 km (4.2 mi)

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Ford F15 with Breda 20mm and Autocannone da 65/17 on Morris CS8 Light Truck.

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Cannone da 65/17 modello 13 in use by SS-Karstwehr-Bataillon, 1942.

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Japanese Anti-tank Guns

Type 97 Automatic Cannon (20mm Anti-tank Rifle)

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Type 97 anti-tank rifle, with magazine and carrying handles attached.

The Type 97 automatic cannon is a 20-millimeter (0.79 in) Japanese anti-tank rifle that began development in the 1930s. It was used by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Soviet–Japanese border conflicts and the Pacific War. Ever-greater thicknesses of armor on tanks rendered the Type 97 obsolete by about 1942.

Concerned by reports of Chinese purchases of Vickers 6-Ton tanks and rising tensions with the Soviet Red Army along the Manchurian border, the IJA issued a requirement for an anti-tank rifle in 1935. The Nagoya Arsenal submitted a weapon derived from their copy of the 13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun while the Kokura Arsenal submitted a new design using a 20×125 mm cartridge. The first round of testing in March 1936 was not satisfactory and both guns were returned to their designers to rectify problems encountered during the trials. The Kokura Arsenal built eight prototypes for the second round of trials held at the Army Infantry School in 1937, after which the IJA rejected the Nagoya weapon. It identified several problems that needed to be fixed and a batch of fifty guns was built for operational trials in 1938. After another round of trials in December at the infantry and cavalry schools, the weapon was accepted as the Type 97 Automatic Cannon.

The gun has a gas-operated delayed-blowback mechanism in which the barrel and receiver also recoiled to help steady the weapon. Despite reports that it can