Post-war anti-tank artillery. 45 mm anti-tank gun M-5
German captured anti-tank guns 75 / 55-mm PACK.41 on the Soviet designers made a strong impression. In OKB-172, TsAKK Grabin, OKB-8, as well as other design bureaus created several experienced trunks with a conical channel. However, in the Soviet Union no weapons with such a channel were accepted for service. The main reasons were the high cost of trunks, the technical complexity of production, as well as the relatively low survivability.
The second highlight of the 75 / 55 millimeter PACK.41 was the carrying shield, which replaced the lower carriage - also found use.
In the design office of the plant number 172 (not to be confused with OKB-172) in 44, they designed the 76-millimeter regimental cannon M-3-1, in which the 75 / 55-millimeter PAK.41 scheme was implemented. In November 1944, the ground tests of the experienced M-3-1 began. In 1945, on the basis of the M-3-1 created 45-millimeter anti-tank gun M-5. The plant has assigned this index to an anti-tank gun either because of ignorance of the work of its design bureau, or in order to confuse the “unwaking enemy”. Index M-5 in 1930-ies. had a 122-mm regimental mortar, and in the 44-th year tested 122-millimeter cannon, also received the designation M-5. Of course, both guns were manufactured by plant number 172.
But back to the 45-millimeter anti-tank gun. Its barrel was normal, cutting the same as the old 45-millimeter anti-tank guns, with the same 16 cuts. Valve wedge vertical semi-automatic. The main parts of the anti-tank gun were installed on the supporting shield: the upper machine with a sight and guidance mechanisms, sliding beds, torsion suspension with axles and motorcycle disc wheels having 3,75 and 19 tires. The upper machine, which is a spherical mask, was fixed in the shield with the help of vertical trunnions. Swivel and lifting mechanisms screw. The horizontal guidance angle was 55 °. and the vertical guidance angle is from -9 ° to + 25 °. The thumb spring, the recoil brake is hydraulic, the maximum recoil length was 750 millimeters. The height of the line of fire 570 millimeters. The shield is shielded, consisted of a pair of sheets of different thickness: front - 4 mm; rear - 3 mm. The mass of the system in a combat position was 493 kg.
The ammunition and ballistics of the M-5 cannon completely coincided with the M-42 (the mass of the 1430 g armor-piercing projectile, the initial speed of 870 meters per second, and so on).
The design of the 45 mm M-5 anti-tank gun had several advantages over anti-tank guns with a "classic" carriage in terms of simplicity of the device and greater compactness, greater manufacturability in production and gain in weight. However, the mass of the gun was large enough for a battalion gun. Due to the small height of the axis of the gun and the long trunk, when driving on uneven terrain, sticking into the ground occurred. Armor growth tanks American production, on the one hand, and the development of recoilless guns and domestic rocket-propelled grenade launchers, on the other hand, deprived the prospects of 45 mm anti-tank guns. M-5 was not adopted for service.
The second highlight of the 75 / 55 millimeter PACK.41 was the carrying shield, which replaced the lower carriage - also found use.
In the design office of the plant number 172 (not to be confused with OKB-172) in 44, they designed the 76-millimeter regimental cannon M-3-1, in which the 75 / 55-millimeter PAK.41 scheme was implemented. In November 1944, the ground tests of the experienced M-3-1 began. In 1945, on the basis of the M-3-1 created 45-millimeter anti-tank gun M-5. The plant has assigned this index to an anti-tank gun either because of ignorance of the work of its design bureau, or in order to confuse the “unwaking enemy”. Index M-5 in 1930-ies. had a 122-mm regimental mortar, and in the 44-th year tested 122-millimeter cannon, also received the designation M-5. Of course, both guns were manufactured by plant number 172.
45 mm gun M-5
But back to the 45-millimeter anti-tank gun. Its barrel was normal, cutting the same as the old 45-millimeter anti-tank guns, with the same 16 cuts. Valve wedge vertical semi-automatic. The main parts of the anti-tank gun were installed on the supporting shield: the upper machine with a sight and guidance mechanisms, sliding beds, torsion suspension with axles and motorcycle disc wheels having 3,75 and 19 tires. The upper machine, which is a spherical mask, was fixed in the shield with the help of vertical trunnions. Swivel and lifting mechanisms screw. The horizontal guidance angle was 55 °. and the vertical guidance angle is from -9 ° to + 25 °. The thumb spring, the recoil brake is hydraulic, the maximum recoil length was 750 millimeters. The height of the line of fire 570 millimeters. The shield is shielded, consisted of a pair of sheets of different thickness: front - 4 mm; rear - 3 mm. The mass of the system in a combat position was 493 kg.
The ammunition and ballistics of the M-5 cannon completely coincided with the M-42 (the mass of the 1430 g armor-piercing projectile, the initial speed of 870 meters per second, and so on).
The design of the 45 mm M-5 anti-tank gun had several advantages over anti-tank guns with a "classic" carriage in terms of simplicity of the device and greater compactness, greater manufacturability in production and gain in weight. However, the mass of the gun was large enough for a battalion gun. Due to the small height of the axis of the gun and the long trunk, when driving on uneven terrain, sticking into the ground occurred. Armor growth tanks American production, on the one hand, and the development of recoilless guns and domestic rocket-propelled grenade launchers, on the other hand, deprived the prospects of 45 mm anti-tank guns. M-5 was not adopted for service.
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