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Patton
By Copyright 2015, J.D. Neal, All Rights Reserved
Patton on 37mm Gun M3 after the Sicilian campaign; US Anti-Tank Artillery
1941-45; Zaloga; Osprey; 2005
If a projectile can be developed for the 37mm gun with more penetrating effect, it is superior to the
57mm as an offensive anti-tank weapon ... it can be pulled by the low relief 1/4-ton truck (while) the
57mm cannot and must be towed either by a half-track or a high relief 3/4-ton truck. Second, with
limited crews available, the 57mm cannot be manhandled any distance over bad country while the
37mm can. Even with the present ammunition, the 37mm is deadly against tanks up to 400yds.
"...a projectile can be developed for the 37mm gun with more penetrating effect...
is a kicker. He could very well have said:
If a projectile can be developed for the .45 caliber pistol with more penetrating effect, it is superior to
the 37mm or 57mm as an offensive anti-tank weapon ... it can carried in hand by one man (while)
the 37mm or 57mm cannot and must be towed either by a half-track or a high relief 3/4-ton truck.
Second, with limited crews available, the 37mm or 57mm cannot be manhandled any distance over
bad country while the .45 can simply be carried where needed.
The Ordnance Department developed a HVAP round for the 37-mm in 1942 that could
penetrate 50% more than normal shot (about 90-mm/3.5" to 95-mm/3.75" to even
4"/100-mm according to whose quote is used) but tungsten was deemed too valuable
for high speed machining for the upper staffers to allow its use in munitions.
Although a single ton of tungsten (2,000 pounds)could (using common weights)
supplied 4,000 rounds and 10 tons (20,000 pounds) 40,000 rounds - out of the tens
of millions of pounds of tungsten being used each year. Pumping out 18,000+ 37s,
15,000+ 57s (5,000 for the British), 50,000 M4 tanks, 10,000 tank destroyers, and
22,000+ pathetic M3/M5 light tanks, meant far more than supplying reasonable
weapons for the men doing the fighting and dieing.
infantry; anti-tank guns (tank destroyers) destroy enemy tanks." Not immediately
supplying U.S. gunners with HE rounds and canister for the 57-mm (despite having
produced the guns since 1942) was one of those asinine disconnects of the Ordnance
Department from the needs of the ground forces during the war.