Bofors 57 mm anti-tank gun explained
| Bofors 57 mm anti-tank gun |
| Origin: | Sweden |
| Type: | Anti-tank gun |
| Is Ranged: | yes |
| Is Artillery: | yes |
| Service: | 1940s to 1960s |
| Used By: | Sweden |
| Wars: | World War II |
| Design Date: | 1943 |
| Manufacturer: | Bofors AB |
| Production Date: | 1944-47 |
| Number: | 215 |
| Part Length: | L/46.8 |
| Width: | [1] |
| Crew: | 4-5 |
| Cartridge: | 57 mm × 385R mm
2.5kg (05.5lb) |
| Barrels: | Single barrel |
| Rate: | 12 rpm |
| Velocity: | [2] |
| Range: | Anti-tank
Indirect fire |
| Sights: | Binocular sight w/43[3] |
| Breech: | Vertical sliding-block |
| Recoil: | Hydro-pneumatic
|
| Carriage: | Split trail[4] |
| Elevation: | -10° to +25° |
| Traverse: | 55° |
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
- An experimental tank destroyer with a Pvkan m/43 that was mounted in a large square open-topped turret on the chassis of the Strv m/41 light tank and given the designation Pansarvärnskanonvagn III (Armor defense cannon car), or Pvkv III for short. However, by the time it began testing increases in the armor protection of contemporary tanks led to the design of the related Pansarvärnskanonvagn II, or Pvkv II for short. It used the same turret and chassis but was armed with a more powerful lvkan m/37 A 75 mm gun.[6]
- Another experimental tank destroyer with a fully enclosed turret based on the chassis of the Landsverk L-60 and designated Pansarvärnskanonvagn IV, or Pvkv IV for short was also tested but was also unsuccessful.
Armor Penetration
With SLPGR M/43 APHE round.!Penetration!Range!Angle | | 0° |
| | 0°[7] |
| | 90° |
| | 50° |
| | 90°[8] | |
Notes and References
- Web site: Kringla - 57 mm pansarvärnskanon m/1943 . 2023-01-21 . Kringla . sv . https://web.archive.org/web/20230121170851/https://www.kringla.nu/kringla/objekt?referens=arme/object/AM016986 . 2023-01-21 . live.
- Web site: Swedish Military Ammunition and Artillery PDF Caliber Ammunition . 2023-01-22 . Scribd . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20230122215027/https://www.scribd.com/document/260745010/Swedish-Military-Ammunition-and-Artillery . 2023-01-22 . live.
- Web site: 57 mm pansarvärnskanon m/1943 . 2023-01-21 . digitaltmuseum.se . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20230121170850/https://digitaltmuseum.se/021029676565/57-mm-pansarvarnskanon-m-1943 . 2023-01-21 . live.
- Web site: 57 mm Pansarvärnskanon m/43 . 2023-01-21 . www.gotlandsforsvarshistoria.se . https://web.archive.org/web/20230121170847/https://www.gotlandsforsvarshistoria.se/vapen/4-46.htm . 2023-01-21 . live.
- Web site: 57 mm pvkanon m/43 . 2023-01-21 . Smålands Militärhistoriska Sällskap • SMHS . https://web.archive.org/web/20230121170850/http://smhs.com.dinstudio.se/gallery_104.html . 2023-01-21 . live.
- Web site: Marder по-шведски . 2023-01-21 . warspot.ru . 17 March 2022 . ru . https://web.archive.org/web/20230121170850/https://warspot.ru/9532-marder-po-shvedski . 2023-01-21 . live.
- Web site: Simon . Details of guns produced/used in Sweden between 1930-1945 . 2024-06-01 . wwiitanks.co.uk . en.
- Web site: Armor penetration of Swedish tank and anti-tank weapons – Swedish tank archives . 2023-01-21 . en-US . https://web.archive.org/web/20230125001219/https://tanks.mod16.org/2015/09/25/armor-penetration-of-swedish-tank-and-anti-tank-weapons/ . 2023-01-25 . live.
