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German tank doctrine in early part of the WWII called for both Pz III armed with light gun with good penetration power but also capable to fire HE shells and a support tank with heavier gun for more powerful HE (Pz IV). What killed this was the impact of Soviet T-34s and KVs
Let's refer to the historical timeline.
September 1939. Britain and France declare war on Germany.
This changes priorities. Germany needs weapons ASAP. They cannot wait for the 32 ton VK3001 main battle tank.
September 1939. Panzer Mk III ausf F enters production.
This is the first mass production German medium tank. 435 produced Sep 1939 to July 1940.
October 1939. Panzer Mk IV ausf D, E and F enter production.
Similiar vehicles so I have lumped them together
229 Panzer IV D. Oct 1939 to May 1941.
233 Panzer IV E. Sep 1940 to April 1941.
487 Panzer IV F1. April 1941 to March 1942.
IMO Germany did not originally intend for the Panzer Mk III and Panzer Mk IV to enter mass production. The 32 ton VK3001 was intended to be the Heer main battle tank. It would have been capable against both soft targets and enemy tanks. WWII derailed these pre-war German tank development plans.
Unless you believe that there no advances in barrel forging technology, metallurgy, and propellant technology in the 15 years or so between 1942 and the coming of the 105 L7 gun. The fact that the L7 didn't fire full bore AP rounds might have something to do with it being successful from a 43 ton tank without a muzzle brake.
No, the Germans didn't have a "prototype high velocity 105mm tank cannon". They had a modified 10cm field gun. It used two piece ammunition, shell loaded separately from the cartridge case. Fitting "on" a rather modified 25 ton tank chassis (accounts differ, it might have used only a six cylinder engine) is somewhat different that fitting "inside" a turret. The 10cm field gun barrel was interchangeable (not in the field) with the 15 cm sFH 18 barrel on the same carriage. They fit in Hummels, does that mean they can fit in a Panther turret?Achtung Panzer! - Prototypes !
WWII Germany actually produced a prototype high velocity 105mm tank cannon. If it will fit on a 25 ton Panzer IV ausf A chassis I think it could be made to fit in the turret of a 45 ton Panther, 51 ton Centurion or 55 ton Tiger tank.
If this has been discussed before, please forgive me. Why, in the M4 Sherman, was it equipped with the 75 mm low velocity gun initially, when later on a high velocity 76 mm gun was fitted? It seems like the high velocity gun would have been fitted in the beginning.
US had a decent 76mm tank gun why there would have been demand for a decent 75mm tank gun. US 76mm was a accurate weapon and had more penetration power than than German 75mm L/43 and L/46 (the main guns of late Pz IVs) and had almost as good penetration power than Soviet 85mmL/53 tank gun of T-34/85. It wasn't as good A/T weapon than excellent Panther's 75mm L/70 or the British 17pdr (76,2mm) but was more accurate than the latter. So IMHO US 76mm wasa decent gun for its size.
Juha
WWII era American technology amazes me. We built the atomic bomb. Yet we couldn't build a decent torpedo, 75mm tank cannon, 20mm aircraft cannon or army light machinegun. Nor did American infantry have proper winter clothing prior to 1944. They froze during the 1943 winter in Italy.
The 75mm gun was the product of standardization, as regulated by the general Board. and thank goodness they did, because as the allies proved time an again, numbers counted far more than quality in determining victory. And standardization ensured that numbers were maximized, and the 75mm was adequate, if it fell short of outstanding
As an anti tank gun when it first went into action the 75mm was outstanding, by the end of its war service as anti tank gun it was barely adequate. However I believe as a infantry support gun which lets face it was the primary job of a tank gun in WWII it was an outstanding gun for the duration.