French Tank and Armoured Vehicles Armament

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This a summary table of French tank and armoured vehicles armament complied by the General Staff's Armaments and Technical Studies Section.

Note : the angle in the perforation data is defined as "the angle, at the point of impact, between the perpendicar to the surface fired on and the tangent of the projectile's trajectory" while German angles of impact are taken between the surface fired on and  the tangent of the projectile's trajectory. Thirty degrees from the perpendicular was considered to be the best angle achievable under battlefield conditions (SAET, Note annexe sur l'efficacité pratique des armes anti-char, November 1936).
 

Gun	Ammunition	Projectile Weight	Muzzle Velocity	Explosive charge	Perforation
75 SA 35	HE Shell Mle 1915	5.550 kg	490 m/s	740 gr	-
	AP Shell Mle 1910	6.400 kg	470 m/s	90 gr	40mm at 400 metres at 30°
B1 bis hull gun. Same internal outline as the Mle 31 fortress gun with the semi-automatic breech of the Mle 33 fortress gun. Recoil length 320 mm. Vertical traverse +23° -18°. Rate of fire : 15/minute. AP Shell Mle 1910 is uncapped (non coiffé).
47 SA 35	HE Shell Mle 1932	1.415 kg	590 m/s	142 gr	-
	AP Shot Mle 1935	1.500 kg	700 m/s	-	40mm at 400 metres at 30°
B1 bis, SOMUA S.35 and late D2 batches turret gun. Vertical traverse +20° -18°. Rate of fire : 15/minute. AP Shot Mle 1935 is capped (coiffé sans f. ogive)
47 SA 34	HE Shell Mle 1932	1.415 kg	480 m/s	142 gr	-
	AP Shot Mle 1892	1.480 kg	450 m/s	-	14mm at 400 metres at 25°
B1, D1 and D2 turret gun. Modified naval, semi-automatic breech, hydraulic brake shortened by 100 mm. Rate of fire : 15/minute. AP Shot Mle 1892 is uncapped (non coiffé).
37 SA 18,  37 SA 17 and  37 SA 18 m. 37	HE Shell Mle 1916	555 gr	367 m/s	30 gr	-
	HE Shell Mle 1937	555 gr	440 m/s	56 gr	-
	AP Shell Mle 1892 m.24	500 gr	388 m/s	15 gr	12mm at 0 metres
	AP Shot Mle 1935	390 gr	600 m/s	-	18mm at 400 metres at 35° (?) 21mm at 400 metres at 35° (?)
SA 18 is the FT 17's gun, semi-automatic breech. SA 17 is the same gun modified for use in armoured car (Laffly 50, etc) turrets. SA 18 m. 37 is the same gun modified for use in modern turrets (R.35, H.35, H.35  m. 39). Rate of fire : 15/min.. AP Shell Mle 1892 is uncapped (non coiffé). AP Shot Mle 1935 is capped and has a ballistic cap (coiffé avec f. ogive).
37 SA 38	HE Shell Mle 1938	670 gr	600 m/s	60 gr	-
	AP Shot Mle 1938	700 gr	700 m/s	-	32mm at 400 metres at 25°
Used on R.35, H.35 and H.35 m. 39. Barrel length : 28 calibres, semi-automatic breech. Rate of fire : 15/minute. AP Shot Mle 1938 is capped (coiffé sans f. ogive).
25 SA 35	APT Round Mle 1934	320 gr	880 m/s	-	40mm at 500 metres at 0°  32mm at 200 metres at 35°
Used on AMD 35. Same gun as the 25mm AT gun with shortened barrel. Same ammunition but with more propellent to offset shorter barrel length. Rate of fire : 15/minute. APT Round Mle 1934 is AP and Tracer.
13.2mm HMG	AP Round Mle 1935	52 gr	800 m/s	-	20mm at 500 metres at 0°
	APT Round Mle 1935	52 gr	800 m/s	-	20mm at 200 metres at 25°
Used on some AMR 1935. Same gun as the 13.2mm AA machinegun.  APT Round Mle 1935 is AP and Tracer.
7.5mm Mle 31 MG	Heavy Ball Round Mle 1929	-	805 m/s	-	-
	AP Round Mle 1929	-	805 m/s	-	8mm at 50 metres at 15°
Used on AMR 1933 and most AMR 1935. Based on the infantry LMG. Ammunition feed : 150 rounds magazine on right or left side.

Sources : [ Top of Page ]

• Armement des chars et véhicules blindés (undated but in 1936-1939 file) - Etat-Major de l'Armée - Section de l'Armement et des Etudes Techniques. SHAT 7 N 4205-2 SAET - Chars et armements anti-chars