Bofors 57 mm anti-tank gun
TypeAnti-tank gun
Place of originSweden
Service history
In service1940s to 1960s
Used bySweden
WarsWorld War II
Production history
Designed1943
ManufacturerBofors AB
Produced1944-47
No. built215
Specifications
Mass975 kg (2,150 lb)
Length4.08 m (13 ft 5 in)
Barrel length2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) L/46.8
Width1.09 m (3 ft 7 in)[1]
Crew4-5
Shell57 mm × 385R mm
2.5 kg (5 lb 8 oz)
Caliber57 mm (2.2 in)
BarrelsSingle barrel
BreechVertical sliding-block
RecoilHydro-pneumatic
800 mm (2 ft 7 in)
CarriageSplit trail[2]
Elevation-10° to +25°
Traverse55°
Rate of fire12 rpm
Muzzle velocity850 m/s (2,800 ft/s)[3]
Effective firing range1 km (0.62 mi) Anti-tank
4 km (2.5 mi) Indirect fire
Maximum firing range8.5 km (5 mi)
SightsBinocular sight w/43[4]

The Bofors 57 mm anti-tank gun was an anti-tank gun that was designed by Bofors during the mid 1940s and was designated the 57 mm Pvkan m/43. The gun was a scaled-up version of the 37 mm anti-tank gun m/38. The gun armed the Pansarskyddskompani (Panzer Protection Companies) of infantry regiments. However, the increased weight of the gun made it difficult to pull by hand in Sweden's rugged terrain. The gun could be fitted with a 20 mm sub-caliber training barrel for gunnery practice. When heavier tanks began to become common in the late 1940s, the gun was quickly relegated to other roles. The gun was replaced by the 9 cm pvp 1110 recoilless rifle and guided anti-tank missiles.[5]

Variants

Armor Penetration

With SLPGR M/43 APHE round.
Penetration Range Angle
35 mm (1.4 in) 1,000 m (1,100 yd) 90°
15 mm (0.59 in) 1,400 m (1,500 yd) 50°
15 mm (0.59 in) 1,800 m (2,000 yd) 90°[7]

Gallery

References

  1. ^ "Kringla - 57 mm pansarvärnskanon m/1943". Kringla (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  2. ^ "57 mm Pansarvärnskanon m/43". www.gotlandsforsvarshistoria.se. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Swedish Military Ammunition and Artillery | PDF | Caliber | Ammunition". Scribd. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  4. ^ "57 mm pansarvärnskanon m/1943". digitaltmuseum.se. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  5. ^ "57 mm pvkanon m/43". Smålands Militärhistoriska Sällskap • SMHS. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Marder по-шведски". warspot.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Armor penetration of Swedish tank and anti-tank weapons – Swedish tank archives". Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
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