Armament |
The
main armament of the M1 Bofors includes a 40 mm cannon caliber.
The ammunition was packed in clips of four rounds that fed via
a chute on the top of the gun. The rapid-firing gun could operate
up to 120 rounds per minute in bursts, faster than they could
be fed by the crew. The M1 40mm anti-aircraft gun used a standard
high-explosive shell with a sensitive point-detonating fuse
designed to burst upon impact with the relatively lighter materials
used in aircraft construction. If the shell did not make contact
with a target, the fuse destroyed the projectile at the tracer
burnout range of approximately 3,500 yards. Armor-piercing shot
was also available to take on ground targets. Each 40mm round
weighed about two pounds.
|
Design |
The
M1 40mm anti-aircraft gun was mounted on a four-wheel trailer
which can be towed by a light truck. The platform allowed the
gun a 360° traverse and outriggers were provided to stabilize
the turntable platform for firing. No shield for the crew was
provided. The carriage is equipped with electric 4-wheel brakes
operated from the prime mover and manually operated mechanical
rear wheel brakes. The crew of each weapon had an azimuth and
elevation tracker seated in bucket seats on each side of the
weapon. The elevation tracker had a foot pedal to fire the gun
when the sight picture was right.
|
Operations |
The
M1 40mm anti-aircraft gun was operated either by sight control
or by director control. The carriage is equipped with manual
and power operated elevating and traversing mechanisms. Manual
elevation is between -6° and +90°. Power elevation is
normally between zero and +88°. Traverse is 360 degrees.
The carriage is provided with a mechanical firing linkage operated
by means of foot pedals.
|
Accessories |
Each
gun platoon (four guns) had an M5 Director, connected by cables
to the guns and all fed by a common generator. Later, M-5 Director
was replaced by the M-7 Computing Sight ("Weissight"),
an "on-carriage" aiming device mounted on the gun
with tracking telescopes for the azimuth and elevation trackers.
The M7 Computing Sight eliminated the need for a separate director
section, its director, generator, cables, and centralized control.
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|
Specifications |
Back
to top |
Armament |
One
40mm caliber barrel |
Country
users |
Some
countries in Middle East and Africa. |
Designer
Company |
Bofors
a
a
|
Accessories |
Fire
control director M5 or M7- computing Sight
a |
Crew |
4
minimum |
|
Ammunition |
Armor-Piercing
(AP), High-Explosive (HE). |
Weight |
2,680
kg |
Range
of fire |
AP:
8,664 m horizontal
HE: 4,754 m horizontal
HE: 4,665 m vertical
|
Traverse
- elevation |
Traverse:
360°
Elevation: +90°/-6°
|
Dimensions |
Length,
5.48 m; Width, 1.82 m; Height, 3.96 m |
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