Tank Gun Systems of the Early Cold War 1946-1975: A Technical Examination

Much has been written about the use of tanks in battle.Little, however, has appeared about the gunnery systems that are at their core.This book describes and examines the main gun systems of medium and heavy tanks from the end of the Second World War (1946) through the early cold war years until 1975.Specifically considered are guns having calibres of 75 mm and greater, which have been deployed in numbers greater than 100. The treatment of gun systems includes sighting and fire control equipment, gun laying equipment, mounts and the array of munitions fired, as well as the actual gun, including its, barrel, cradle, breech, firing mechanism and recoil system.Related to this are issues of crew command, gun handling (loading and unloading) and rates of fire.Also examined are the maximum impulse and energy generated by firing some of the munitions available that must be absorbed by the gun recoil system.