85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K)
| 85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-К) | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Air defense gun |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1939-1945 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | combat: 4,500 kg (9,921 lbs) travel: 4,500 kg (9,921 lbs) |
| Length | 7.05 m (23 ft 2 in) |
| Barrel length | 55 Calibers |
| Width | 2.15 m (7 ft 1 in) |
| Height | 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in) |
| Crew | 7 |
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| Shell | 85×629 mm. R |
| Caliber | 85 mm (3.34 in) |
| Breech | vertical sliding wedge |
| Recoil | hydraulic buffer |
| Carriage | 2-axle and 4-wheeled |
| Elevation | -3° to 82° |
| Traverse | 360° |
| Rate of fire | 10-12 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 792 m/s (2,598 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 10,500 m (34,448 ft) (vertical range) |
| Maximum firing range | 15.65 km (9.72 mi) |
The 85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) (Russian: 85-мм зенитная пушка обр. 1939 г. (52-К)) was an 85-mm Soviet air defense gun, developed under guidance of leading Soviet designers M. N. Loginov and G. D. Dorokhin. This gun was successfully used throughout the German-Soviet War against level bombers and other high- and medium-altitude targets. In emergencies they were utilized as powerful anti-tank weapons. The barrel of the 52-K was the basis for the family of 85-mm Soviet tank guns. Crews of 85-mm AD guns have claimed to have shot down 4,047 Axis aircraft (likely over-reported by factor of 3 to 10). The claimed quantity of 85-mm ammunition required to shoot down one enemy plane was 598 rounds, although actual number may be in range 2000-7000 rounds per kill. After the war some 52-Ks were refitted for peaceful purposes as anti-avalanche guns in mountainous terrain.
Virtually every country behind the Iron Curtain received this gun after World War II for their air defense. In the Soviet Union itself, these guns were largely superseded by the 100 and 130 mm guns.
Adopted in 1939, the 85-mm M1939, like its counterpart the 88-mm gun, was meant for air defense. Like many anti-aircraft (AA) guns of the era it was provided with antitank ammunition in the event a tank should appear. Later during the war, an improved M1944 version of the gun was pressed into service, which fired a more powerful round and had a longer gun barrel
85-mm M1939 guns were organized into heavy anti-aircraft regiments of 16 guns. The regiments were organized into divisions of the field anti-aircraft forces.
By 1942, the 76.2mm F-34 tank gun of the T-34 medium tank was found to be lacking in range and penetration compared to the German 75 mm Pak 40 anti-tank gun, new mounted on the Stug III and Panzer IV, and markedly inferior to the 88-mm gun of the Tiger I. Military planners directed the design bureaus of both Gen. Vasiliy Grabin and Gen. Fyodor Petrov to modify the 85mm anti-aircraft gun for use as an anti-tank weapon.
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Wikipedia