3.7" Ram
 

I have seen photos of a Ram chassis cut down and mounting a 3.7" AA gun in a rather awkward open mount.
While surfing the net I noticed a statement that General Mc Naughton while reviewing a parade in which the 3.7" AA Ram was present made the statement this vehicle is not so much the basis mobile heavy AA capability, as it was to provide a heavy anti tank platform in case the Germans are developing heavy tanks.

Some info from web scores says prolonged firing of 3.7" at low angles overstressed recoil system, could a muzzle brake had solved this?

Instead of the open turret mount could the Ram chassis have been fitted with a casemate mounting a 3.7" for anti tank work.
A la the German tank destroyers and Soviet SU types.

In February 1943 CMHQ did a study which showed it was feasible to put either a 17-pdr or a 3.7 inch gun in the Sexton.
In May 1943 DND's Directorate of Artillery proposed a 3.7 inch assault gun on the Grizzly platform - as it would have been lightly armoured it would have been more like a Nasehorn than an Elefant. None of these studies raised any concerns about using the 3.7 inch in a a direct fire role. In an anti-tank role, the 3.7-inch round could penetrate 90mm (at a 30o angle) at a range of 2,000 yards.

More details will be forthcoming in "Secret Weapons of the Canadian" Army www.servicepub.com

According to some research that a friend of mine in Fort Worth performed, the 3.7" HAA guns were in fact used in one instance to stop a German Heavy tank attack cold in North Africa. The 3.7" guns were in the right place at the right time and the Tigers just didn't know what hit them.

Your friend in Ft. Worth, is he still alive and active? If so, perhaps you wouldn't mind passing my name and email (Derek Heuring sapper740@charter.net) on to him, I'd like to meet him and get his autograph. One of my hobbies is collecting Veteran's autographs in a book showing what they flew, drove, crewed, sailed or fired. Thanks!


:cheers: CHIMO! :drunk:

Ahh, you misread me. He's not a vet, (least not a WWII vet). He just did some research on the 3.7" and even got footage of vickie up at larkhill demonstrating her auto-loader function.

I believe I know who you are referring to. If I am not mistaken, he is also located in Texas. I made a scan of the Regimental History of 2nd HAA Regt some time ago and e-mailed a copy to him. He in turn sent me some interesting info, including the film clip of Vickie.

He wrote the following in one of his e-mails:

“Don’t remember whether I mentioned it but I also have a gunners account of 3.7"s engaging Tigers outside of Nijmegan in 1944. (Successful shoot with AP)”

Yeah, that sounds like Derrek Ward. Worls at Lockheed Martin. Given how fast those later models of 3.7" could cycle, (fuzing, loading, ramming, etc all automatic), that shoot must have been over before it anyone could really start paying attention.

A good friend of mine works at Lockheed Martin. I'll ask him if knows this fellow.



:cheers: CHIMO! :drunk: