Military Model Scene

Title: The U.S. 37-mm Gun in World War II
Author: Charles C. Roberts Jr.
Publisher: Casemate
ISBN: 978-1-63624-252-1

A new hardback edition of this Casemate Illustrated Special title, from author Charles C. Roberts, who is an engineer and founder of Roberts Armory WW2 Museum in the USA. A 168-page book though also available in digital format.
This one starts with some interesting background and context, with the WW1 US built M1916 37mm gun along with details of other 37mm anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns built in Sweden, Germany, Russia and Czechoslovakia during the 1930s, at the same time as the US developed their new M3. Even with the new M3 in production, the older M1916 still had a role to play, as a sub-calibre training device that we see fitted on both the 155mm howitzer and the slightly smaller 75mm Pack Howitzer. Good clear explanations of internal, external and target ballistics and new to me is coverage of the muzzle brake that was never used in combat. Added to all this there is detail on the M4 carriage as well. All this is followed with lots more on the M3 gun being fitted to a wide range of both armoured and unarmoured vehicles. They include the M3 Lee/Grant tanks, the M3/M5 light tanks, Staghound, M8 and a number of others, some of which were in service and others which never went beyond the experimental stages. Even more was the use of the same weapon fitted in the P39 Airacobra and on American PT boats. With hundreds of illustrations, with archive photos along with copies of original manufacturers drawings, the book is packed with detail.
One of the things I enjoyed with this one was in learning something new right from the get go. As an anti-tank weapon the 37mm was obsolete in NW Europe by the end of the war, as heavier armour developments rendered it ineffective. In the Far East, it was still effective against the lighter Japanese AFVs through to the end of the war. I learnt a lot in this one, it is a marvellous reference for modellers and historians alike.
Thanks to Casemate for our review copy.

Robin