"7.62 cm PaK 39 (r)"

[The Edge]

The picture in wikipedia is the one to which Jos refers earlier: "The most used picture for the 7.62 cm PaK 39 (r) is a gun that was towed by a lend-lease jeep, without any soldiers".

Hmm... think I see a soldier/driver here (from Ian Hogg's book - he said it's from Tunisia 1942 - maybe the same gun as from Manuferey's photo)

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

I found this image (in color!!) on Internet (I do not remenber the exactly source):
Canadians soldiers inspect a ex-german (ex-russian) abandoned 7.62cm FK 39 in France, 1944

Regards Sturm78

[Carl Schwamberger]

Manuferey... do you have any other information on the use of the captured gun/s? Can you point me to the source? I'm curious if this use was by a field unit of intelligence unit?

The US soldiers are clearly not firng the weapon in the AT or direct fire mode. The higer elevation of the tube indicates a long range indirect fire shot. I cant see if the indrect fire sight is in place.

[Manuferey]

Hi Carl,

Unfortunately, I do not have any other information on the captured gun.

There was just the ebay picture (possibly from US Signal Corps) and its caption: "76mm M1939 ex-URSS captured from Germans in North Africa and used by US Army in 1943".

Emmanuel

[Bill 13]

Good Day
Another 3rd hand 7.62 cm Pak 39 (r) in US Usage. Again no idea of unit or place.
It could be just a regular field unit as there is film of the US using a captured 8.5/8.8 cm Flak M 39 (r) as
artillery by the 44 Division. Clips of said film (poor but all I have) temporarily at
http://www.members.shaw.ca/pzpflak/GE3.html
Bill

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

I found this nice image on the net (sorry, I do not remeber the exact source).

It is interesting to note the gun wheels, because they are not the original Russian wheels. It seems that the Germans (for a reason unknown to me ) changed the wheels by a design with solid tire.

Any idea about this?

I think that the gun of the last image posted by Bill also have these new wheels.

Regards Sturm78

[Manuferey]

Interesting remark about the wheels. Thanks Sturm 78 !

Other 7,62 cm FK39 guns with the same wheels as above at Klinteborg (Denmark) in 1945:

http://pics.zuport.dk/imageuploads/1238 ... %204-5.jpg

Emmanuel

[ain92]

I know about at least two surviving guns that have significant differences:
one with a leFH18/40-like muzzle brake in Sofia

and another that was in Fort Sill with an unusual PaK43-like muzzle brake

Both have different wheels.

[Clive Mortimore]

I know about at least two surviving guns that have significant differences:
one with a leFH18/40-like muzzle brake in Sofia
and another that was in Fort Sill with an unusual PaK43-like muzzle brake
Both have different wheels.

Hi Ain92

Are you sure the Sofia gun is a 7.62 cm Pak 39 not a Soviet 76mm M1939 field gun with a post-war muzzle brake? The Germans moved the elevation handwheel to the left side of the gun along with the traverse handwheel so that it was aimed by one man. They also fitted new sights and their design of muzzle brake. The Sofia gun has a left hand side elevation handwheel.

Edit. Forgot to mention the most important part, the chamber was bored out to take the Pak 40 cartridge case.

[ain92]

Hello, Clive.

No, I'm not, but I know nothing about post-war modernisations of 76 mm guns in the Eastern European countries or in the USSR. Maybe the museum staff modified USV so as to resemble PaK-39(r)?

And what about Ft. Sill?

Thank you beforehands.

[Erik E]

Hallo
Happy newyear to everyone

I managed to vistit Ft. Sill just before Christmas, here are some photos + what`s written on the infosign:
(Click photos for bigger version)

Rgds
Erik E

[ain92]

Hello, Erik. You too!
Hand-wheels on the left and right sides of the gun? It's rather strange. Do you have any photos of them?

[AvB]

Can anyone explain how this field artillery gun was effective as anti-tank weapon?

[JKernwerk]

Hi Arthur,
I am not a specialist but i thought it was designed for a dual role.
Do not know of you need two different optics.
Maybe they had something combined in one.
For the rest it is more the ammo that does it (it had to be modified
for the AT ammo) and the carriage can be more or less a FK design,
that does not matter for the role as PaK.
Anyone else?
JK

[ain92]

Well, all sources say that the USV (as opposed to F-22) was designed as divisional (light field) gun, although the pre-production models had 75° elevation. Also the breeches of guns producted before the war were strong enough to be reammed and then bear modified PaK 40 ammunition.