3,7cm KPÚV vz. 34
The 3,7 cm KPÚV vz. 34 (Czech: kanón proti útočné vozbě) (designated 3,7 cm PaK 34(t) in German service) was an anti-tank gun produced by the Škoda Works in Czechoslovakia. Škoda's own designation for it was A3. It is not known if guns seized by Germany after the occupation of Bohemia-Moravia saw service in World War II. Slovakia acquired 113 when it declared independence from Czechoslovakia in March 1939.[2]
| 3,7cm KPÚV vz. 34 | |
|---|---|
 In Armádní muzeum Žižkov | |
| Type | Anti-tank gun |
| Place of origin | Czechoslovakia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1934–1944 |
| Used by | Czechoslovakia Slovakia Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Škoda Works |
| Designed | 1934 |
| Manufacturer | Škoda Works |
| Produced | 1934–1939 |
| Variants | ÚV vz. 34 tank gun |
| Specifications | |
| Barrel length | 1.48 m (4 ft 10 in) L/40 |
| Shell | Fixed QF 37 x 268 mm R[1] |
| Shell weight | .815 kg (1 lb 12.7 oz) |
| Caliber | 37.2 mm (1.46 in) |
| Breech | Semi-automatic |
| Carriage | Split-trail |
| Rate of fire | 12 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 675 m/s (2,210 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 1,000 m (1,100 yd) |
| Maximum firing range | 4,000 m (4,400 yd) |
It was designed to a Czech Army requirement to penetrate 30 mm (1.2 in) of armor at 1,000 m (1,100 yd) in 1934. It also fired a HE shell out to a maximum range of 4,000 m (4,400 yd). The gun had a small shield and wooden-spoked wheels, although some were fitted with pneumatic wheels.[3]
ÚV vz. 34 tank gun
The ÚV vz. 34 fired a .815 kg (1.80 lb) armor-piercing shell at a velocity of 690 m/s (2,300 ft/s). The vz.34 comprised the main armament of a number of Czech/German armored vehicles.
Armored vehicles:
- T-32 (Š-I-D) - Czech tank-destroyer.
- LT vz. 34 - Czech light-tank.
- LT vz. 35/Panzer 35(t) - Czech/German light-tank.[3]
Performance
| Armor penetration table[4] | |
| Range | Contact angle 30° |
| 100 m (110 yd) | 37 mm (1.5 in) |
| 500 m (550 yd) | 31 mm (1.2 in)* |
| 1,000 m (1,100 yd) | 26 mm (1.0 in) |
| 1,500 m (1,600 yd) | 22 mm (0.87 in) |
*Another source quotes penetration of a vertical plate of 45 mm (1.8 in) thick armor at 500 m (550 yd).
Notes
- "31-37 MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
- Kliment and Nakládal, p. 121
- Kliment and Francev, p. 138
- Chamberlain and Doyle, p. 245
References
- Chamberlain, Peter; Doyle, Hilary L. (1993) [1978]. Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two: A Complete Illustrated Directory of German Battle Tanks, Armoured Cars, Self-propelled Guns, and Semi-tracked Vehicles, 1933–1945. Jentz, Thomas L. (Revised ed.). London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 1-85409-214-6.
- Kliment, Charles K.; Francev, Vladimír (1997). Czechoslovak Armored Fighting Vehicles. Atglen, PA: Schiffer. ISBN 0-7643-0141-1.