72-K
25mm anti-aircraft gun M1940
Overview
25mm 72-K
Soviet 25mm towed anti-aircraft gun 72-K (M1940) on display in a museum photographed in 2015.
Source: Mike1979 Russia -
© CC BY-SA 4.0
276 pcs in 1941
Soviet Union - No. 4 factory, Krasnoyarsk
125 pcs in 1942
Soviet Union - No. 172 factory, Molotov
163 pcs from 1941 to 1942
Soviet Union - No. 88 factory, Mytishchi
4.324 pcs from 1943 to 1945
25-мм автоматическая зенитная пушка образца 1940 года (Soviet service)
25 mm armata przeciwlotnicza wz. 1940 (Polish service)
Description
Introduction
The 72-K is a World War 2 era towed anti-aircraft gun of Soviet origin. The design is heavily influenced by the larger 37mm 61-K that was introduced a year before the 72-K. Production issues delayed large scale introduction until the second half of the war. The 25mm 72-K had a shorter range than the larger caliber 37mm 61-K, but within that range proved rather effective for a manually operated gun.
Design
The 72-K uses a four wheel carriage with two outriggers and four jacks. The single barrel 25mm autocannon is mounted on a turntable and is fed by 7 round clips. In 1943 a gun shield was introduced. The 72-K is manually aimed using gun sights on the mount. There is no external fire control.
Firepower
The single barrel on the 72-K has a cyclic rate of fire of 240 rpm. The gun is fed from 7 round clips. The barrel heats up quite fast. A high rate of fire can only be maintained for a short duration. Maximum range for anti-aircraft shells is 3 km at which point they self-destruct. Armor piercing shells have a maximum range of 2 km, but are more effective at shorter distances. The high muzzle velocity results in a rather flat trajectory, improving its effectiveness. However, the larger 37mm 61-K proved more effective and was used in greater numbers.
Fire control
Upon introduction the 72-K was issued with a collimator sight. In 1943 an automated sight was introduced that calculated lead upon configuration of target range, speed and dive angles out to a range of 2.4 km. Maximum target speeds for these calculations was 200 m/s. Traverse and elevation are manual. There is no external fire control capability.
Protection
The 72-K started out as an open gun mount without any protection for the crew. From 1943 onward a gun shield was installed. This provided protection against rifle caliber bullets over the frontal arc. This was mostly effective against ground fire, since the gun shield is too low to protect from strafing aircraft.
Mobility
Normal operations for the 72-K was for it to be towed by light trucks. Maximum towed speed is 60 km/h on good roads and 15 km/h in the field. Over short distances the wheeled mount can be manhandled by the crew. About 200 of the 72-K gun mounts were fitted on GAZ-MM light trucks. Possibly as much as a 100 were mounted on other trucks such as the ZiS-11 during the war. Late in 1944 the ZiS-12 with the twin 94-KM gun mount was introduced. At least 40 72-K were mounted on flatbed carriages on armored trains from late 1941 onward.
Users
The 72-K was used extensively during World War 2 by the Soviet army. With 600 to 700 combat losses these guns these guns suffered relatively few losses during the war. The 72-K remained in Soviet use until it was replaced by the 23mm ZU-23-2 in 1960. After World War 2 these guns were exported to several Soviet allies in Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. These nations include Poland.
Details
Media
25mm 72-K
25mm towed anti-aircraft gun 72-K (M1940) on display in the Saint Petersburg Artillery Museum.
Source: One half 3544
Copyright: Public domain
25mm 72-K
Forward view of Soviet 25mm towed anti-aircraft gun 72-K (M1940) on display in a museum. Photographed in 2007.
Source: Saiga20K
Copyright: CC BY-SA 3.0
25mm 72-K
Close-up of the feed hopper of the 25mm towed anti-aircraft gun 72-K (M1940) on display in the Saint Petersburg Artillery Museum in 2007.
Source: Saiga20K
Copyright: CC BY-SA 3.0
25mm 72-K
25mm 72-K anti-aircraft gun at the Muzeum Polskiej Techniki Wojskowej in Warsaw in 2010.
Source: SuperTank17
Copyright: CC BY-SA 3.0
25mm 72-K
25mm 72-K anti-aircraft gun at the Muzeum Polskiej Techniki Wojskowej in Warsaw in 2010.
Source: SuperTank17
Copyright: CC BY-SA 3.0
Related articles
23mm ZU-23-2
In 1960 the ZU-23-2 became the official replacement for the 72-K in Soviet service.
37mm 61-K (M1939)
The 72-K design is based on the 37mm 61-K (M1939) anti-aircraft gun introduced a year earlier.