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.[3]

3,7cm KPÚV vz. 34
In Armádní muzeum Žižkov
TypeAnti-tank gun
Place of originCzechoslovakia
Service history
In service1934–1944
Used byCzechoslovakia
Slovakia[1]
Nazi Germany
WarsWorld War II
Production history
DesignerŠkoda Works
Designed1934
ManufacturerŠkoda Works
Produced1934–1939
VariantsÚV vz. 34 tank gun
Specifications
Barrel length1.48 m (4 ft 10 in) L/40

ShellFixed QF 37 x 268 mm R[2]
Shell weight.815 kg (1 lb 12.7 oz)
Caliber37.2 mm (1.46 in)
BreechSemi-automatic
CarriageSplit-trail
Rate of fire12 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity675 m/s (2,210 ft/s)
Effective firing range1,000 m (1,100 yd)
Maximum firing range4,000 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.[4]

ÚV vz. 34 tank gun

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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:

Performance

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Armor penetration table[5]
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).

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "ztráty slovenské armády v letech 1939 - 1944 – Druhá světová válka – druhasvetova.com". druhasvetova.com (in Czech). Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  2. ^ "31-37 MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  3. ^ Kliment and Nakládal, p. 121
  4. ^ a b Kliment and Francev, p. 138
  5. ^ Chamberlain and Doyle, p. 245

References

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  • 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.