THE 76-MM GUN M1A1 AND M1A2: AN ANALYSIS OF U.S. ANTI-TANK ...

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AD-E403 980

Technical Report ARMET-TR-17002

THE 76-MM GUN M1A1 AND M1A2: AN ANALYSIS OF U.S. ANTI-TANK

CAPABILITIES DURING WORLD WAR II

Jose Cosme

Jeff Ranu

Shawn Spickert-Fulton

January 2018

U.S. ARMY ARMAMENT RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND

ENGINEERING CENTER

Munitions Engineering Technology Center

Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

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The views, opinions, and/or findings contained in this report are those of the

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Destroy by any means possible to prevent disclosure of contents or

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1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY)

3. DATES COVERED (From ¨C To)

2. REPORT TYPE

January 2018

Final

1939 to 1945

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

5a. CONTRACT NUMBER

THE 76-MM GUN M1A1 AND M1A2: AN ANALYSIS OF U.S.

ANTI-TANK CAPABILITIES DURING WORLD WAR II

5b. GRANT NUMBER

6. AUTHORS

5d. PROJECT NUMBER

Jose Cosme, Jeff Ranu, and Shawn Spickert-Fulton

5e. TASK NUMBER

5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER

5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER

7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)

8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION

REPORT NUMBER

U.S. Army ARDEC, METC

Munitions Systems Directorate

(RDAR-MEM-M)

Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806-5000

9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)

10. SPONSOR/MONITOR¡¯S ACRONYM(S)

U.S. Army ARDEC, ESIC

Knowledge & Process Management (RDAR-EIK)

Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806-5000

11. SPONSOR/MONITOR¡¯S REPORT

NUMBER(S)

Technical Report ARMET-TR-17002

12. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

14. ABSTRACT

This report provides an analysis of the U.S. anti-tank technology during World War II. A ballistic analysis is

used to corroborate the battlefield history and gain an understanding of the physical and technological factors

that spurred the development of the M1 series 76-mm Gun and family of ammunition.

The technical manual (TM) 9-1907 was published 23 September 1944, but it was missing performance data

for the 76-mm hyper-velocity, armor-piercing (HVAP) shell and any information for performance of the U.S.

anti-tank capabilities against the German Panther tank. Battle history indicates there was a technological

capability gap against upgraded Panzer armor. This report attempts to use hand calculations and modeling and

simulation (PRODAS) to fill in the information that is missing in TM 9-1907. The analysis offers the reader a

greater engineering comprehension of the challenges faced between June 1944 and May 1945 and the

circumstances necessitating the rapid fielding of the 76-mm HVAP shell after German capability upgrades were

encountered in the European Theater of Operations from Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge (June to

December 1944).

15. SUBJECT TERMS

Ballistic performance analysis

Historic tank ammunition of World War II

Lambert-Zukas

Thompson

PRODAS

76-mm gun

M62A1 76-mm armor piercing capped (APC)

M93 76-mm hyper-velocity, armor-piercing tracer (HVAP-T)

TM 9-1907

Tank Destroyer

Armor penetration

Panzer IV

Panther

M4A3E8 Sherman tank

M4A3 (76) Sherman tank

M4A1 (76) Sherman tank

M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer

Limit velocity

V50

16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF:

a. REPORT

b. ABSTRACT

c. THIS PAGE

U

U

U

17. LIMITATION OF

ABSTRACT

18. NUMBER

OF

PAGES

SAR

55

19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON

Jeff Ranu

19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (Include area

(973) 724-2733

Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8/98)

code)

Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18

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CONTENTS

Page

Introduction

1

Early World War II Anti-tank Efforts

1

U.S. Anti-tank Options circa 1940 versus the German Threat

2

The 76-mm Gun M1A1 and M1A2

3

Performance Assessment at Aberdeen Proving Ground

5

Ammunition Issued for 76-mm in 1943

6

Initial Fielding ¨C Anzio

7

The Panther Problem ¨C Tank Troubles in France

7

Finding a Solution with Sub-caliber Penetrators

8

Hyper-velocity Armor-piercing Tracer 76-mm M93

9

What Happened in Normandy?

10

Ballistics Modeling and Calculations

13

Velocity Degradation versus Range

Determination of Velocity versus Range using PRODAS

Limit Velocity Calculation

Armor Penetration Performance

13

14

17

18

Limit Velocity Calculations for 76-mm M62A1 Armor Piercing Capped versus Panther

Limit Velocity Calculations for 76-mm M62A1 Armor Piercing Capped versus Panzer IV

Limit Velocity Calculations for 76-mm M93 Hyper-velocity, Armor-piercing Tracer

Effective Range Determination

18

20

21

21

Comparing Effective Ranges ¨C PRODAS and Ballistic Analysis Laboratory Technical

Report No. 66

25

Fighting Back ¨C M1A2 76-mm September 1944 to January 1945

28

Conclusions

30

References

33

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

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