Brossel

I had a computer crash recently and I lost a e-licence key of ToW in the process (I didn't had the time to unlicense it). I mail to the following adres my key (is it the one on the box on a sticky?)in order to reset my account: elicense@battlefront.com NB: I bought the DVD version when the game came out. Should there be an answer from Battlefront saying that everything is OK? Thanks for the help...

I know that there already is the 75 mm. But it was a artillery gun used occasionally as a AT gun. The main french AT guns were the 25mm SA34/SA37 and the 47 mm SA37. What follows comes from David Lehmann, a specialist in french equipment of May 1940. In a classical French infantry division there are theoretically up to 61-64x AT guns : • 12x 25mm SA34/SA37 AT guns in each of the 3 infantry regiments : --o 2 in each of the 3 infantry battalions --o 6 in the regimental heavy company • 12x 25mm SA34/SA37 AT guns in the divisional AT company (CDAC) • 2x 25mm SA34/SA37 AT guns in the divisional training centre (CID) • 3-6x 25mm SA34/SA37 AT guns in the reconnaissance battalion (GRDI) • 8x 47mm Mle1937 or 75mm Mle1897/33 AT guns in the BDAC (AT divisional battery) Many divisions had no CDAC or CID and many had not the theoretical numbers of AT guns, some had only a dozen. Several divisions had also no 25mm AT guns but used instead the 37mm TR16 infantry gun in AT role. Canon de 25mm SA Mle1934 (Hotchkiss) and SA-L Mle1937 (Puteaux) L/72 Caliber : 25x194R mm Crew : 1 NCO + 5 men (+ 1 driver) Weight : 480kg (SA34 carriage) or 300kg (SA37 carriage, L = light) Length : 3.71m Width : 1.05m Height : 1.10m (at the shield) Protection : the shield is 7mm thick Barrel length : 1.80m Rate of fire : 25 rpm against fixed target and 15 rpm against moving target Traverse : 60° Elevation : -5° to +15° Telescopic sight : 4x (L.711 telescopic sight, with a 3450m range drum, field of view 10.13°, V reticle) V° : 920 m/s Practical range : 800m (heavy armored vehicles), 1000m (medium armored vehicles) and 1500m (light armoured vehicles and softskins) Penetration : 40mm/0° at 500m; 32mm/35° at 200m Accuracy : at 800m H+L = 80+80 = 160cm German tests : The test was carried out 1/8-1941 with a 2,5cm KwK 121(f) by HWA on a 120 kg/mm2 armor plate. (source : "Kennblätter fremden geräts heft 8a, Munition bis 3,6 cm" Released in Berlin 1941) 100 meters = 47mm /0° 500 meters = 40mm /0° 1000 meters = 30mm /0° 100 meters = 35mm /30° 500 meters = 30mm /30° 1000 meters = 20mm /30° 100 meters = 18mm /45° 500 meters = 16mm /45° 1000 meters = 15mm /45° The French 25mm AT guns were very modern in 1934. About 4500 of these guns were in service in May 1940. They were especially known as being very discreet, the flash hider used on them made them difficult to spot according to both French and German AARs. They proved to be very accurate guns, and able to destroy all the German tanks up to 800m if the impact angle was good enough. Only the PzIV Ausf.D at long range was tricky to be engaged by the 25mm AT gun in May/June 1940 if not at close range. In the first 500m the penetration efficiency was equal to the penetration of the 3.7cm L/45 Pak36 and at longer range the KE felt slightly more rapidly due to the lightweight projectile. The Germans captured such guns in large numbers in 1940 and used them in secondary roles as coastal defence and in some garrisons. Finland used also about 240 of these AT guns. There were theoretically 12 of these AT guns in each French infantry regiment in 1940 but several regiments had only 4 or no AT gun at all. For example the 55th infantry B series division at Sedan had no AT guns in its infantry regiments, 12 AT guns in divisional AT company and 4 AT guns in the 4th GRDI, a total of 16 AT guns for the whole division on a large front (26% of the number of the paper). It was also deployed on an over-stretched front whereas a division should defend a 5-7 kilometers wide front. The 37mm TR infantry gun was often still in service even in AT role. The 25mm AT gun was lacking HE shells to neutralize human/soft targets and therefore the 37mm TR infantry gun was still liked since it could fire HE shells. About 220 25mm AT guns were also given to the British Expeditionnary Force (BEF) to increase its firepower, in exchange the British gave the French some Boys AT rifles which were not efficient and had a weaker penetrating power than the Hotchkiss 13.2mm HMG. The two ‘infanterie de l’air’ companies and several reconnaissance groups used some of these AT rifles. Each 25mm AT gun crew had 72 AP/APT shells immediately available and a total of 156 AP/APT shells per AT gun in a French 1940 infantry regiment. In typical infantry or cavalry units the 25mm AT guns were generally towed behind a Mle1937 infantry or cavalry trailer with horses. On the front the Renault UE tractor generally towed them. In motorized infantry regiments the towing vehicle was also often the Renault UE tractor and for long-range movements various halftracks and trucks were used. The AT guns could also be directly transported on a truck or towed on additional "wheels" (train rouleur). In the divisional AT company/squadron of motorized units the official towing vehicle could be the Laffly V15T in cavalry units or the Latil M7 T1 in infantry units. The Unic TU1 was also used for that task. Canon de 47mm Mle1937 L/53 (SA37 APX) In german use Caliber : 47x380R mm Weight : 1070kg Length : 4.10m Width : 1.62m Height : 1.10m Barrel length : 2497mm (2350mm rifling) Rate of fire : 15-20 rpm Traverse : 68° Elevation : -13° to +16.50° Telescopic sight : 4x (field of view 10.13°, + reticle, adjustable drum up to 3500m) V° : 855 m/s Practical AT range : 1000m Penetration : French tests with Mle1936 APCBC (source : French Ministry of Defence, 24th September 1939) 0 meters = 110mm /0° 100 meters = 106mm /0° 200 meters = 101mm /0° 300 meters = 97mm /0° 400 meters = 93mm /0° 500 meters = 89mm /0° 600 meters = 85mm /0° 700 meters = 82mm /0° 800 meters = 78mm /0° 900 meters = 75mm /0° 1000 meters = 72mm /0° 1100 meters = 68mm /0° 1200 meters = 65mm /0° 1300 meters = 62mm /0° 1400 meters = 59mm /0° 1500 meters = 57mm /0° 1600 meters = 54mm /0° 1700 meters = 51mm /0° 1800 meters = 49mm /0° 1900 meters = 47mm /0° 2000 meters = 45mm /0° German tests with 4.7cm Pzgr. 178(f) mH (source : Thomas Jentz) : 100 meters = 57mm /30° 500 meters = 50mm /30° 1000 meters = 42mm /30° 1500 meters = 36mm /30° The French AT gun was the best AT gun on the French battlefield in 1940, after the 8.8cm Flak18 used in AT role and perhaps the best one before the arrival of the 5.0cm Pak38. It exceeded widely the German 3.7cm Pak36 in terms of penetration. The French army had about 1200 of them in service in May 1940, they were depending from the artillery regiments and not all came into service. Initially a BDAC should have included 12 47mm AT guns but due to the lack of guns this number was reduced to 6 or 8. The Citroën-Kégresse P17, Unic P107, Laffly S15T or Laffly W15T generally towed the 47mm Mle1937 AT gun. An example of report concerning the 47mm Mle1937 AT gun : the French 18th infantry division on the Aisne river on 9-10th June 1940 faced the 10.ID, 26.ID, the SS "Polizei" and elements of the 6.PzD. First they stopped all the German assaults in part thanks to their good supporting artillery and took about 800 German POWs, then they had to pull back because of the collapse of the 2nd infantry division facing two Panzerdivisionen more west. During the retreat, one 47mm SA37 gun destroyed successively 3 moving German tanks at 1500m. Of course that gives not much info in terms of penetration, these tanks could be PzIs as well as PzIVs but the gunsight, accuracy and crew of this gun seem to be rather good ones. About 823 4.7cm Pak181/182(f) (captured on the front or in factories / repaired / newly built) were used after the campaign of France by the Germans. The Germans produced also a dedicated 4.7cm APCR shell for this gun. But already in May/June 1940 some of the captured guns were immediately used against French tanks, especially the dreaded Renault B1bis. The German reports indicate that 1226 shells were fired with these booty guns furing the battle of France. General Heinz Guderian himself in his memories ("Achtung Panzer !") indicates that he led the fire of a captured French 47mm AT gun against a Renault B1bis. [ May 28, 2007, 12:29 PM: Message edited by: Brossel ]

Nothing in Belgium either. I ordered end April...