Light, Mobile, and Deadly: the French Mle 1937 25mm Puteaux AT Gun

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  • Опубліковано 19 бер 2020
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    After World War One, the French military set up a program to modernize all of its weaponry, and that included a replacement for the Mle 1916 light infantry cannon. An anti-tank gun had not been necessary during the Great War, as Germany never fielded tanks in substantial numbers - but as a pioneer of the modern tank, the French recognized the need for a good AT gun. Taking a lesson from World War One, they wanted a light gun that was flexible and mobile, easily moved around the battlefield and easily concealed from enemy fire. A 25mm cartridge was specified, and both the Hotchkiss company and the Puteaux arsenal created guns to use it. Both were adopted into service, with the Hotchkiss Mle 1934 being a bit heavier and the Puteaux Mle 1937 being a bit lighter, at only about 600 pounds. The Puteaux gun was quite small, easily moved by a horse or virtually any motorized vehicle. It had a long barrel and the 25mm AP projectile had a muzzle velocity of about 3150 fps, making it quite effective on the light and medium tanks of the 1930s. It was also remarkably accurate, and the long barrel and flash hider gave it a very small firing signature. Aiming was done with either a 4x magnified optic or a set of backup iron sights.
    A total of 1285 of these guns were made before the armistice of June 1940, and they served ably in the Battle of France. A few were also used by the British before Dunkirk, and after the armistice they were used by German forces in limited numbers, and also supplied to Spain and Finland as military aid (this particular one has a Finnish property tag on it).
    Thanks to DriveTanks.com in Uvalde Texas for giving me access to film this Puteaux cannon for you!
    Contact:
    Forgotten Weapons
    6281 N. Oracle #36270
    Tucson, AZ 85740

КОМЕНТАРІ • 905

  • @kyle857
    @kyle857 4 роки тому +2253

    Early war: "This 25mm should be more than enough. "
    Late war: "Well that 75mm just bounced right off..."

    • @TheArklyte
      @TheArklyte 4 роки тому +121

      Well, it wasn't enough for pre-War tanks of France herself. So. There's that.

    • @deeznoots6241
      @deeznoots6241 4 роки тому +207

      Tbf the 25mm was enough for France seeing as how they lost before the Germans had anything armoured enough to be safe from it.

    • @oleggusarov8514
      @oleggusarov8514 4 роки тому +100

      indeed, but the german 36mm wasn't that much up to the task neither, targeting a b1bis or somua was considered to be suicidal too (not even talking a t34!). Things changed so quickly that weapon got obsolete before entering services !

    • @paint4pain
      @paint4pain 4 роки тому +76

      Well this is a high velocity gun, 3150 fps is screaming fast, with Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot they could have cranked that up to 5500+ fps. The French developed APDS in 1940 just before the armistice but only for 75mm and 37mm AT cannons. It still would have been stopped by frontal armor but would easily punch holes in the sides and rear of most tanks and could damage tracks and turret rings.

    • @TheTheRay
      @TheTheRay 4 роки тому +3

      @@paint4pain how much fps are other guns?

  • @jackmcslay
    @jackmcslay 4 роки тому +200

    3:52 Ian showing his teleporting powers

    • @proCaylak
      @proCaylak 4 роки тому +20

      maybe the scene loops when you get beyond the edge, like snake game on nokia phones :D

    • @whitelegion666
      @whitelegion666 4 роки тому +21

      @Biliary Clinton and can fire Chauchat in 30.06 without jamming

    • @alcoles9660
      @alcoles9660 4 роки тому +10

      Gun Jesus csn feed 5 thoudand guns with 5 cartridges

    • @evilassaultweaponeer
      @evilassaultweaponeer 3 роки тому +3

      @@alcoles9660 he can also resurrect from the range bin perfectly fireable 7.65 French Long!

  • @Hillbilly_Papist
    @Hillbilly_Papist 4 роки тому +437

    16 minutes of Ian showing us how to spread an old french gals legs, drop her breeches, and making sure we know to mind the tip if we fire when dry.

  • @onsesejoo2605
    @onsesejoo2605 4 роки тому +238

    In Finnish army during the Winter War the Hotchkiss gun was known for its aim of excellent quality which contributed to the precision well over the average. They were officially called "Panssarintorjuntakanuuna 25 K/34" = "Anti-tank cannon 25 K/34" where K / 34 = Kanuuna = Cannon year 1934. A total of 40 guns did arrive in time to that war of 50 ordered. They were phased out from frontline use in 1941. Due to the pros it was a well liked gun, the accuracy filling in quite a lot for the power. The troops gave it a nickname "Marianne", obviously Mary Ann in English version of the name. :) 7:30 The plaque says "Repaired" Tampella (engineering workshop) Tampere (town in Finland).

    • @gastonjaillet9512
      @gastonjaillet9512 3 роки тому +20

      Marianne is the symbol of France, that's very interesting, thanks!

    • @maxkennedy8075
      @maxkennedy8075 2 роки тому +7

      Fighting from their trademark concealed positions I can see the Fins getting good use out of this sort of small, mobile AT gun. Even if it couldn’t deal with heavy vehicles

    • @mitch075fr
      @mitch075fr 2 роки тому +7

      @@maxkennedy8075 not against front armor, but its precision allowed stuff like taking out tracks, wheels and shooting at the weak points of a tank, made easier by its mobility. Too bad about the lack of suspension though.

    • @IncredibleMD
      @IncredibleMD 2 роки тому +1

      @@maxkennedy8075 To be fair, Soviet armor in the Continuation War was kinda a joke. The Germans even sent Panzer IIs to the front lines of the Eastern Front, which is what made weapons like the PTRD realistic tank-killers, and accounted for a lot of the T-34s initial successes. This could do some work against a T-26.

    • @IncredibleMD
      @IncredibleMD 2 роки тому

      @@Br1cht At the start of Operation Barbarossa, the Soviets had just started replacing tanks like the T-26, T-28, and BT series with T-34s. There were less than 1000 T-34s, and about 500 KVs of both types during the initial German invasion, and most of them were destroyed due to mechanical issues, poorly trained crews, and a purged officer corps. During Barbarossa, Soviets lost seven tanks for each German one, and the best regarded tanks by Soviet tankers were Lend-Lease Shermans.
      By the end of the war, only 210 KV-2s were fielded. Out of an initial armored force of 22,000. In comparison, about 200 M26 PERSHINGS were issued to troops by V-E Day.
      The Germans didn't send what they had, they sent what they could spare, and it was only after the Soviets worked out the mechanical defects and had trained crews that the Germans decided it was time to send Panzer Vs and VIs.

  • @pierreferrer7237
    @pierreferrer7237 4 роки тому +42

    My uncle, Albert Ferrer, used these with great results on the first waves of motorized infantry, in the beginning of the invasion of France. Then ammunition went scarce and all they received from the rear lines were... 75 mm. shells (!?!!).
    They had to pack up under fire and flee the Stukas.

  • @daveshrum1749
    @daveshrum1749 4 роки тому +701

    Just wanted to say congratulations on the Forbes article Ian. As always love the show learn something new everyday.

    • @LukeBunyip
      @LukeBunyip 4 роки тому +12

      A link, perchance? 😉

    • @AGS363
      @AGS363 4 роки тому +35

      The funny thing is that the videos get far more views than the article.

    • @MarvinCZ
      @MarvinCZ 4 роки тому +21

      I didn't even know about that article, thanks. And congratulations to Ian.

    • @KorbinX
      @KorbinX 4 роки тому +10

      @@AGS363 I don't often read Forbes, so I didn't see it.

    • @raifsevrence
      @raifsevrence 4 роки тому +42

      Decent article. Is it just me or does the author seem to have an unspecified bias of some sort ?
      The author placed obvious focus on actively firing the weapons featured on Forgotten Weapons.
      It is as if he implied that a large portion of the content of this channel/project is dedicated to shooting guns on a range etc.
      It comes off as a bit disingenuous when any fan of the channel knows that the majority of the videos are done on a table in a museum or display area and not on a gun range.
      Very few of these rare devices are actively used.

  • @Ethnarches
    @Ethnarches 4 роки тому +100

    The Finnish plate, with the word "KORJATTU", means "fixed" and then it has place names and dates so it's basically a list of repairs done to the gun in Finnish service.

    • @Ethnarches
      @Ethnarches 2 роки тому +1

      @@justforever96 That’s right, in Finnish it has only the meaning of repaired. I should have used "repaired" instead of "fixed", that's a better translation anyway.

  • @dareka9425
    @dareka9425 4 роки тому +209

    Early in video I honestly thought the optical sight has a weirdly large eyepiece. Then Ian pulled the cone out and showed it as the muzzle brake.

    • @ramjb
      @ramjb 4 роки тому +23

      Same here. I was kinda thinking "wow, that's some weird scope they had on that gun"
      Then "POP" - nope it's a muzzle brake. Lol.

    • @richardhunter9995
      @richardhunter9995 4 роки тому +18

      I was thinking, "Why is there a klaxon pointed at the crew?"

    • @littlebigheroman
      @littlebigheroman 4 роки тому +11

      @@richardhunter9995 Anti-tank gun crewmen developed really terrible hearing loss after a few weeks of service. This was a solution for notifying them of air raids, lol.

    • @joe2987
      @joe2987 4 роки тому +1

      Same! Was wondering why the eyepiece was perforated!

    • @Ob1sdarkside
      @Ob1sdarkside 4 роки тому +1

      Glad I'm not the only one

  • @snafuequals
    @snafuequals 4 роки тому +415

    Ian just going to pretend he didn't scratch the hell out of that floor 😂

    • @jackmcslay
      @jackmcslay 4 роки тому +27

      It was already scratched, you can see them before he opens it. so it's the owner's fault for not putting some pads to prevent scratching

    • @Torus2112
      @Torus2112 4 роки тому +5

      Can't you just buff it out if it's concrete?

    • @Hansengineering
      @Hansengineering 4 роки тому +17

      @@Torus2112 It's a polyurethane mop-on "wax" finish.

    • @jonmeray713
      @jonmeray713 4 роки тому +14

      Lol look at the steel tracks,i doubt they care.

    • @futuresonex
      @futuresonex 4 роки тому +13

      It'll buff out! 😁

  • @ThorneyedWT
    @ThorneyedWT 4 роки тому +464

    Not the best concealed carry I'd say.

    • @anthonyhayes1267
      @anthonyhayes1267 3 роки тому +24

      Don't be absurd. It's practically ideal

    • @slashingraven
      @slashingraven 3 роки тому +7

      @@anthonyhayes1267 Dirty Harry, eat your heart out.

    • @Key_highway
      @Key_highway 3 роки тому +3

      @@slashingraven so overt it’s covert

    • @lucasward9506
      @lucasward9506 3 роки тому +4

      no, this is the best pistol for men.

    • @PolishCaptainC4
      @PolishCaptainC4 3 роки тому +3

      Conceal it in a garage, rain hellfire on the ATF

  • @Internetspaceships
    @Internetspaceships 4 роки тому +128

    11:50 Nice to include the size of the cartridge. It usually gives a small pointer to what the velocity of the projectile is going to be and how good its going to be at penetrating armor.

    • @samhansen9771
      @samhansen9771 4 роки тому +7

      Yeah, with the dummy cartridge case I thought it was straight walled and was confused as to why there would be such a big gun for such an anemic round!

    • @Paul-ie1xp
      @Paul-ie1xp 4 роки тому +6

      The French had a 25mm Anti Aircraft, guess what? it was a different cartridge, because that would have been too simple.

    • @Treblaine
      @Treblaine 2 роки тому

      The base diameter is about the same as 37mm anti-tank guns of the era for pretty similar performance to most 37mm anti-tank guns.

  • @theobuzat9091
    @theobuzat9091 4 роки тому +183

    Ahh this beauty is one of my favorite. Here in France, Covid19 is very present, everybody is stuck in their home so watching your videos is really nice for me. Thank you Ian 👍👍

    • @cenzgullo3097
      @cenzgullo3097 4 роки тому +2

      Buzat Théo stay safe, mon ami.

    • @theobuzat9091
      @theobuzat9091 4 роки тому +8

      @@cenzgullo3097 Don't worry bro, if we go outside we need a paper to explain why we are going out. So I don't go outside alot😂

    • @cenzgullo3097
      @cenzgullo3097 4 роки тому +3

      Buzat Théo I was supposed to be visiting my aunt in Marseille, she says it is like martial law at the moment. Anyway, our thoughts are with you all. This too shall pass.

    • @theobuzat9091
      @theobuzat9091 4 роки тому +5

      @@cenzgullo3097 well Marseille is now as bad as other places but still, yeah if you are arrested by the police and u dont have this paper OR you have the paper but u are not going were u r suppose too, that's a fine of 135euros if not more if you get caught more than once...pretty salty 😅

    • @5000rgb
      @5000rgb 4 роки тому

      @@theobuzat9091 How do you get the paper?

  • @Hybris51129
    @Hybris51129 4 роки тому +108

    "This particular gun has had its original French muzzle device replaced with this aftermarket one" I saw those muzzle brakes for sale on MidwayUSA on Black Friday last year.

  • @dr.johnpaladinshow9747
    @dr.johnpaladinshow9747 4 роки тому +140

    Ian, You're really starting to get the hang of this.

    • @enfield_the_enigmatic2989
      @enfield_the_enigmatic2989 4 роки тому +32

      I know right? He's a total natural, it's like he's been doing it for almost a decade!

  • @jimlahey2905
    @jimlahey2905 4 роки тому +45

    I can’t stop looking at the spokes on the wheels of that gun in the background. So pretty.

    • @mclare9817
      @mclare9817 4 роки тому +5

      They did them in 5 Spoke chrome as well as an upgrade😃

    • @marcusott5054
      @marcusott5054 4 роки тому

      Do you mean the wheels on the 25mm, or the ones on the Pak40? (I think?). I think the 25mm's wheels are nice, but I dislike the Pak40's.

  • @jamesdiggs847
    @jamesdiggs847 4 роки тому +62

    In the 70s my friends and I used to occasionally go down to the old Potomac Firearms in Alexandria VA. For years they had at least 2 of these in their back lot. A good memory.

    • @k.r.baylor8825
      @k.r.baylor8825 4 роки тому +5

      Interarms and their still-active warehouses were just down Prince Street from Potomac Arms (which was the civilian sales front for Interarms). Cummings bought the property expecting it to jump in price someday, which it did. It was also convenient being near one of their biggest customers for surplus arms (Hint: they are headquartered in Langley, Virginia).

    • @edmundlibby2215
      @edmundlibby2215 4 роки тому +1

      One of these guns sat right in front of the PF retail store in the 80s and 90s...

    • @giantskunk
      @giantskunk 4 роки тому

      I remember that place!

    • @kennethquesenberry2610
      @kennethquesenberry2610 3 роки тому +1

      I remember them. In fact, one Saturday morning when I was there, before they opened, I was looking them over. One of them must have been a Hotchkiss because it had the inscription in beautiful flowery script somewhere on the gun. It had been made in 1940, just a couple of months before the invasion. I decided that the inscription would make a good rubbing and that I'd do that on my next visit. But on my next visit I discovered that all the artillery pieces had been sold. But I thought the German 75mm infantry gun was much more interesting. The breech even opened.
      There was no ownership connection between Potomac Arms and Interarms, which was next door. Potomac Arms closed about fifteen years ago but I happened to run into the old owner just a few days ago at a militaria shop that his brother runs.

  • @SirSaladhead
    @SirSaladhead 4 роки тому +75

    Straight-edged front shield: Dangerous and obvious high-caliber gun to be immediately flanked and destroyed
    Wavy-edged front shield: clearly a natural feature of the landscape, no need to be alarmed Herr Offizier

    • @ramjb
      @ramjb 4 роки тому +48

      It may sound stupid, it's not. Human vision is naturally able to clearly distinguish straight shapes out of very irregular backgrounds with ease. Meanwhile, wavy and curved shapes, not so much as those blend much better against it's background. Most camouflage schemes used in actual battlefields weren't focused so much in actually "hiding" something as to "break it's lines" to make straight shapes look straight no more and thus far less likely to stand out for the human eye against a natural background. Ditto with camouflage paint schemes.

    • @ScottKenny1978
      @ScottKenny1978 4 роки тому +3

      See also naval dazzle camo

    • @a.t6066
      @a.t6066 4 роки тому

      @@ramjb well evidently it didn't work too well and wasn't worth the effort because everyone totally threw this idea out the window after 1940

    • @Rhynome
      @Rhynome 4 роки тому +4

      @@a.t6066 We make wide use of camo netting nowadays.

    • @ramjb
      @ramjb 4 роки тому +5

      @@a.t6066 not completely, there were several different guns with shields like that during WW2. And in the cases where they weren't built that way, on the field everything that could be done to hide their regular shapes was done through camouflage nets, tree branches, paint, whatever that was available.
      it did work, it did work well and as it has already been noted avobe, the principle is widely in use even nowadays.

  • @chrisd8866
    @chrisd8866 4 роки тому +41

    I've been looking forward to this ever since spotting this guy in that Pak 37 video!
    14:13 What also doomed the 47mm batteries was the doctrinal error in their use, early in the battle of France the guns were put too close to the frontline and lacked coordination with the infantry units they were tasked to defend. So a lot of guns only had time to fire a few rounds before they were spotted. The guns were also not fitted with HE rounds despite the larger caliber of this gun, so every AT battery was fitted with 8 Chattellerault LMGs or Hotckiss MGs. This proved to be insufficient sadly, and a lot of gun crews ended up focusing more on the infantry attacking them rather than on the tanks they were supposed to destroy.
    Moreover, most batteries were still horse-drawned, hence once in place they couldn't be moved to a safer position since the horses had to be kept away from the fight.
    Much like the rest of the french artillery, there was a plan to motorise every AT unit, but since the new Hotchkiss/Laffly W15 T 6x6 trucks suffered from production delays, they were instead given hand-me-downs obsolete late 1920's Citroën P17 half-tracks from the regular artillery.
    Still, reading the accounts of the gunners is pretty telling of the quality of the 47mm and the bravery of their crews who often died at their post after knocking out a handful of german tanks. One can only wonder how differently things could've turned out if they'd been used properly in May-June 1940. Then a few months later most batteries would've received their all-terrain trucks and an improved version capable of spinning at 360° without moving position would've begun to come off the assembly lines.

  • @joelhume
    @joelhume 4 роки тому +28

    Could you do a video on the British 6-pounder AT gun. It was really a great compromise between power and mobility and was still a very capable AT gun at the end of the war while still being able to be easily hidden and moved around.

  • @ajsparx4133
    @ajsparx4133 4 роки тому +281

    French name: Puteaux
    Me: *laughs in Spanish*

    • @arnaudpascal1691
      @arnaudpascal1691 4 роки тому +44

      Do you mean "jajaja" ? ^^

    • @damienpeladan481
      @damienpeladan481 4 роки тому +42

      @@arnaudpascal1691 Well it sounds weird in French too, for exactly the same reason

    • @S7midnight
      @S7midnight 4 роки тому +4

      what does it mean in Spanish?

    • @ajsparx4133
      @ajsparx4133 4 роки тому +8

      @@S7midnight its slang probably closest to the f-word in rudeness

    • @Ned-Ryerson
      @Ned-Ryerson 4 роки тому +32

      @@S7midnight He is referring to a word that is used to refer to ladies that work mainly in the horizontal.

  • @MilesStratton
    @MilesStratton 4 роки тому +47

    Hey Ian, its important to point out there that the Russian testing regiment is slightly different to western nations. The russians rate a penetration value at a consistency of at least 50% whereas most western countries tend to rate a penetration around 80% which explains the differences in penetration between the French and Russian tests.

    • @thhseeking
      @thhseeking 4 роки тому +4

      Let me guess...written on a mobile? "The rations rate..." :P The evil Autocorrect Demon strikes again :D

    • @slerverysnake7299
      @slerverysnake7299 4 роки тому +1

      Didn know I'd find you here but ok

    • @MilesStratton
      @MilesStratton 2 роки тому +1

      @@thhseeking damn autocorrect

    • @Treblaine
      @Treblaine 2 роки тому +2

      It think it's the other way around. Western nations had the more forgiving 50% chance while USSR had the more stringent 80% chance of penetration.
      Projectiles don't always penetrate the exact same amount, there's a smaller chance (50% rather than 80%) it'll penetrate deeper to 40mm rather than 32mm.

    • @eleithias
      @eleithias 2 роки тому +1

      Hey Mr. Unicorn Reviews
      If true, that makes one wonder why Russian tests yielded worse penetration results. Were they firing at Stalinium?

  • @arnocharrier3438
    @arnocharrier3438 4 роки тому +8

    In fact this was a really good gun early war, because most german tanks did have fairly light armor, during the battle of Hannut (May 1940, Belgium) some infantrymen with AT canons and AMD 178 (armored car armed with the Hotchkiss 25mm) scored kill hits on german tanks at around 1800m of distance (Ligne de Front, n°84, march/april 2020). That's cool to see a video about it, thanks Ian!

    • @Akm72
      @Akm72 4 роки тому +4

      Most pre-war tanks had 14 to 15mm of armour so these 25mm AT guns were perfectly optimised against them. Their only problem was limited growth potential (as events proved).

  • @jukkakopol7355
    @jukkakopol7355 4 роки тому +44

    In Finland those had nickname "Marianne".

    • @guyclair1
      @guyclair1 3 роки тому

      "Marianne" is another name given in France to the French Republic.

  • @joet.s.6283
    @joet.s.6283 4 роки тому +63

    A poker?
    Sounds like you need something patented and plastic

  • @dennislloyd494
    @dennislloyd494 4 роки тому +9

    Ian that was excellent! Hope to see more of the big guns in the future, some armoured fighting vehicles would be great.

  • @JanoTuotanto
    @JanoTuotanto 4 роки тому +6

    The plate says "Repaired by Tampella, February 12th 1941 and February 19th 1942 "
    This one is may have been French aid to Finland during Winter War rather than later German origin.
    Tampella factory was licence manufacturer of Bofors guns in Finland- btw.

    • @arlord9172
      @arlord9172 Рік тому

      @CipiRipi00 France actually gave weapons to the finns up until march 1940 i think

  • @masaharumorimoto4761
    @masaharumorimoto4761 4 роки тому

    Thanks Ian!!! we appreciate all the videos as always!!

  • @silverfingerthesilverstack5062
    @silverfingerthesilverstack5062 4 роки тому

    Its about time you were offered and appeared on one of the discovery channels with your own show doing these times of programs, I love the way you do these programs, you keep me interested all the way through .

  • @Hipas_Account
    @Hipas_Account 4 роки тому +11

    that "korjattu" tag with Tampella really caught me off guard... having lived in Tampere its a neat thing to see a tag like that.

  • @criffermaclennan
    @criffermaclennan 4 роки тому +9

    My grandfathers units anti tank platoon (1st Cameron Highlanders) were issued with the hotchkiss...but encountered the same problems as units issued with this gun....most came with no instructions or,if they did, they were in french

    • @agentoranj5858
      @agentoranj5858 2 роки тому +5

      Le canon? What the hell is that supposed to mean?

    • @arlord9172
      @arlord9172 Рік тому

      Yep cause the bef came with little at weapons

  • @adamak47miller90
    @adamak47miller90 4 роки тому +2

    You have the BEST channel on UA-cam. I love History and firearms and you know your stuff. Thanks for what you do

  • @Fortress60
    @Fortress60 2 роки тому +2

    That was a great presentation - clear, accurate and comprehensive. Thanks!

  • @randomlyentertaining8287
    @randomlyentertaining8287 4 роки тому +9

    My cat started looking around the kitchen when that "artillery snap cap" hit the ground.

  • @liubeier
    @liubeier 4 роки тому +15

    the virgin patented plastic pokey hand vs the chad artilery push rod

  • @philipkelly7369
    @philipkelly7369 4 роки тому

    This channel is just so neat, thanks so much for highlighting all these different cool weapons

  • @3DGunner
    @3DGunner 4 роки тому

    Great video. I have been following your channel for years now and really appreciate your videos. Thanks

  • @sergepetiteau765
    @sergepetiteau765 4 роки тому +3

    Very funny : i lived in Puteaux (which is close to Paris) some years ago and never knew that military weapons were made there. Thanks for (another) amazing info and video.

  • @esquad5406
    @esquad5406 4 роки тому +22

    A family friend had one of them in his shed and would bring it out 2 or 3 times a year and we would shoot the hell out of old cars and stumps and the like. I was a little kid 10 or 12. It was really something. He is long passed away and don't know what became of the gun or all that high explosive ammo.

  • @harrisonrawlinson5650
    @harrisonrawlinson5650 4 роки тому

    Your videos are honestly amazing, you’re really good in front of the camera and I’ve learnt so much about the mechanics and workings of so many different weapons thanks to you. 10/10 best weapons channel on UA-cam

  • @90mankku
    @90mankku 4 роки тому +3

    findin some finnish writing on a french gun stationed in america is like finding a fellow finnish person from other country. Easily distinguishable but hearth warming.

  • @OriginalEric
    @OriginalEric 4 роки тому +7

    10:27 is that a giant spider hanging out in front of the rear sight??

  • @Di-sc3wm
    @Di-sc3wm 2 роки тому +1

    Happy to see such beautiful mechanics

  • @yalelingoz6346
    @yalelingoz6346 4 роки тому

    Oh! I never expected to see one of these up close. Thanks Ian and Drive Tanks.

  • @CP1871
    @CP1871 4 роки тому +10

    "French 25mm AT Gun"
    Me: Oh it must be something from world war 1
    "1937"
    Toi quoi, mec???

    • @Blei1986
      @Blei1986 3 роки тому +3

      lol... nah it was totally fine for 1937.
      it's not always the diameter of the gun that counts, at least when it's not shooting HEAT rounds.
      small diameter, large shell and long barrel = high velocity

  • @ostsan8598
    @ostsan8598 4 роки тому +5

    It's impressive how the French were able to make their infantry support weapons so compact in the interbellum. This Puteaux, their mortar, some of their solutions were really quite elegant. Also, appreciate your use of the Oxford comma in the video title. It's nice to see some proper usage of that ole comma.

  • @braddl9442
    @braddl9442 4 роки тому

    Its always fun when you do some AT or field gun videos. Most people only focus on exciting things like Tanks, Planes, and such. Nice that you do these videos on top of your usual videos.

  • @eleithias
    @eleithias 2 роки тому

    Another interesting video, thank you Ian, I love your clear, factual approach with really insightful analysis

  • @niilolahti4851
    @niilolahti4851 4 роки тому +12

    7:28 Suomihan se siellä perkele

  • @unclejoeoakland
    @unclejoeoakland 4 роки тому +56

    Not calling this cannon "L'elefant" is simply a lost opportunity.

    • @hurdygurdyman3134
      @hurdygurdyman3134 4 роки тому

      unclejoeoakland why

    • @unclejoeoakland
      @unclejoeoakland 4 роки тому

      @@hurdygurdyman3134 just look at the thumbnail!

    • @channel5980
      @channel5980 4 роки тому +3

      @@unclejoeoakland Maybe the armor plates kinda look like an elephant's ears, but this anti-tank gun is relatively light, so that name wouldn't fit that well.

    • @TruthNerds
      @TruthNerds 2 роки тому +2

      @@channel5980 How about "l'enfant d´éléphant"? 😁

  • @-TheRealPatriot-
    @-TheRealPatriot- 4 роки тому +1

    Great Job Ian!

  • @46bovine
    @46bovine 2 роки тому

    Ian, a great video. Thanks, young man.

  • @crabyman3555
    @crabyman3555 4 роки тому +34

    pretty much a equivalent to what all other big players were fielding at the time for anti-tank needs. Good for first year, increasing outdated every coming year

    • @ramjb
      @ramjb 4 роки тому +7

      I wouldn't call it an equivalent. Both the british 2pdr and the german 37mm (and by extension the american one, which was more or less a copy of the german gun) had quite better penetration capabilities while being almost as mobile and as small. Unsurprisingly enough, of course because a 37mm or a 40mm gun will obviously have AP advantages a 25mm round won't be able to match.
      25mm was far too small a caliber to remain relevant past one year of conflict against the growing armored plates seen in the battlefield even by then. Meanwhile the british 2pdr was still a credible threat (barely, but still credible enough) for uparmoured marks of the PzIII on North Africa 2 years later. Similar thing with the german 37mm.
      So nope, not equivalent.

    • @romainlapie6362
      @romainlapie6362 4 роки тому +9

      Actually in North Africa the 25mm continue to have a briliant carreer against Italians tanks and armored vehicle, as they never realy develop better armor during the war.

    • @crabyman3555
      @crabyman3555 4 роки тому +8

      @@ramjb ''had quite better penetration capabilities'' - in real life that didnt matter since they all could destroy early war tanks, and couldnt do much of anything against mid-late war ones. It didnt matter if you had british 2pdr or French 25mm or German 37mm, none of them could take out mid war Panzer 4 or T-34 anymore so the different there is academic more than anything. By the way, british 2pdr was struggling even with Panzer 3 once they uparmored it with 50mm front armour in around 1941/1942, so again, they were all obsolete around the same time and their HE shell was too small as well (25mm, 37mm, still way to small, its only at 50+mm when it gets a respectable blast radios).

    • @sparkling925
      @sparkling925 4 роки тому +2

      @@GerardMenvussa ikr panzer 3s and early panzer 4s with low armor got used all the way, same for m3 stuart tanks its not like at the end of the war everything was a pershing and king tiger

    • @ramjb
      @ramjb 4 роки тому +1

      ​@@crabyman3555 It did matter. In 1942 a 25mm like this would've done nothing against the uparmored versions of the PzIII and IV that were roaming in Northern Africa.
      the 2pdr was still relevant against those by then. VERY barely, and at rather minimum ranges, but they still were useful for the job. You correctly mention that once the tank was uparmoured to 50mm it was a hell of a task, but even then what was strenghtened was the front of the hull only and the tank itself had plenty of places where a 2pdr still could do the job (I mean you only have to read about the 1942 encounters to see how relevant the gun still was even against those uparmoured versions of the Mark III).
      this one would've been like shooting peas against them.
      So yes, it did matter. A lot, actually.

  • @searpaintball
    @searpaintball 4 роки тому +4

    It is a nice little gun. What is a pity is the lack of HE. Small HE is better than no HE. A paintball replica would make a handy AT asset though.

  • @amesbancal
    @amesbancal 3 роки тому

    Again good vidéo well documented well narrated

  • @Anlushac11
    @Anlushac11 2 роки тому +1

    I like how everything unfolds and sets up without needing any tools.

  • @apathetk
    @apathetk 4 роки тому +33

    Anyone else feel like "Puteaux" should be the French equivalent of an onomatopoeia for spitting?

    • @theJellyjoker
      @theJellyjoker 4 роки тому +1

      That was my thought as well.

    • @adamwebster9784
      @adamwebster9784 4 роки тому +9

      I thought more about the spanish word for whore

    • @markfergerson2145
      @markfergerson2145 4 роки тому +3

      Considering its admitted rapid obsolescence, maybe "spitball".

    • @Bobbymaccys
      @Bobbymaccys 4 роки тому

      I can’t un hear this now 😆

    • @ericvionnet
      @ericvionnet 4 роки тому +1

      Puteaux is the name of a city in the suburb of Paris

  • @alexisseydoux3174
    @alexisseydoux3174 4 роки тому +9

    This gun was the infantry anti-gun ; the artillery developed the 47mm anti-tank gun. And that was one of the problem of the French Army : two differnt guns maned by two different arm (Infantry and artillery) and with two different doctrine. The 25mm was in service into the Compagnie antichar at the regimental level ; the 47mm in the Batterie antichar divisionnaire at the divisional level. There were twelve gun by company and twelve in the batterie (a total of 48 guns... were the German infantry division had 72 guns, usually the PaK-36 37mm gun).
    With the two different guns, the anti-tank strength of the Infantry division was two small... and two dispersed. The 25mm were to be used In frontline regiment ; the 47mm as a special antitank force, but with no coordination.
    So, the French division did not have the strength to put enough antitank fire against a Panzer Division... even of the two guns were quite good...

  • @MrHalonoob117
    @MrHalonoob117 4 роки тому +1

    Great Video as always!

  • @nicolasrey-coquais1463
    @nicolasrey-coquais1463 2 роки тому

    Merci beaucoup pour cette présentation très instructive ! Thank you for this video, it’s a well-balanced weapon delivering packs of knowledge!

  • @shrekthecrusader8111
    @shrekthecrusader8111 4 роки тому +17

    Of course the French would design a weapon that sounds like some sort of Cuisine

    • @heathroi
      @heathroi 4 роки тому +1

      rhymes with Gateaux

    • @SlowrideSteve
      @SlowrideSteve 4 роки тому

      Pate is what he is getting at baguette

    • @vulpsturm
      @vulpsturm 4 роки тому +2

      And shears the firing pin off if you fail to do something simple.

  • @solidsnake4167
    @solidsnake4167 4 роки тому +49

    So many French weapons lately! You gonna make me a Francophile Ian!!!!

    • @redoredo6445
      @redoredo6445 4 роки тому +11

      I think you mean Francophile, mon ami.

    • @solidsnake4167
      @solidsnake4167 4 роки тому

      redo redo ooof yeah you're right lol

    • @futuresonex
      @futuresonex 4 роки тому +2

      What kind of ad do you put with a French weapon?
      Only dropped once, never fired! 😁

    • @ethanwiley7605
      @ethanwiley7605 4 роки тому +7

      @@futuresonex hilarious, never heard that one before

    • @AlexGarcia-ie9wy
      @AlexGarcia-ie9wy 4 роки тому +6

      @@futuresonex The same ad that goes with 'Murica brain cells then?

  • @thomasgargano8813
    @thomasgargano8813 4 роки тому

    Love to see this in action,please make a video of this gun firing,thanks

  • @McRocket
    @McRocket 4 роки тому

    Very interesting video.
    Thank you for this.

  • @murderouskitten2577
    @murderouskitten2577 4 роки тому +7

    last time i was up this early , this at was modern

  • @clevermcgenericname891
    @clevermcgenericname891 4 роки тому +6

    That looks familiar...oh I get it.
    *happy gas mask noises*

  • @alexspalding4945
    @alexspalding4945 4 роки тому

    Good review

  • @loupiscanis9449
    @loupiscanis9449 4 роки тому

    Thank you , Ian .

  • @DJ-bh1ju
    @DJ-bh1ju 4 роки тому +7

    Cute little peashooter... Even now it could probably make a hole in many of our lighter vehicles....

  • @vsk2377
    @vsk2377 4 роки тому +7

    Man, when the French get it right, they make some handsome guns

    • @DC2022
      @DC2022 4 роки тому +1

      The 47mm SA37 was even more effective. This 25mm was not very destructive, you had to aim to internal components to cripple the tank (its penetration though was able to pass through any german tank in 39 and 40 up to 500m) but the 47mm... Man, this beast could RIP any tank with its APDS shells. The penetrating shell creating spalls while the 40mm tungsten core passed through the tank destroyed pipes and circuits, ruptured fuel tanks and liquified crews. Even up armored PzIV feared this gun and you could pierce Tigers I flank @500m and longer range against Panthers, around 400m for Tiger 2 since its side armor plates are a bit angled. Sad we hadn't time to build more of these...

    • @silvadossantos6803
      @silvadossantos6803 4 роки тому

      Unlike any other mechanics

  • @martiniv8924
    @martiniv8924 4 роки тому

    It looks really well built 👌🏻

  • @MrRedbeard762
    @MrRedbeard762 4 роки тому

    Excellent video on a little known gun. Thank you.

  • @davidburt1763
    @davidburt1763 4 роки тому +5

    Everyone please take some time to help out all the new gun owners. I have been asked so many questions from scared people in the last few weeks who are buying their first firearm. It is up to us to help them learn how to store and use guns safely. These people's mistakes can affect the future of the second amendment. We can control the future. Please take the time. I am hoping all content creators do the same.

    • @jaybee9269
      @jaybee9269 4 роки тому

      David Burt >> Great point and thank you! I noticed Ian has 1.5+ million subscribers; they should all read your comment.

    • @SteamCrane
      @SteamCrane 3 роки тому

      Like those careless idiots in front of their house in St. Louis. Bad image.

  • @casualobserver
    @casualobserver 4 роки тому +5

    If you have to stay home due to CV I would like to see forgotten weapons of Ian's gun safe

    • @shawnr771
      @shawnr771 4 роки тому +1

      He is not going to advertise.

    • @wierdalien1
      @wierdalien1 4 роки тому +1

      @@shawnr771 yeah thatd be stupid

    • @NBSV1
      @NBSV1 4 роки тому +1

      He’s shown some of his collection. There’s a video of him putting in a special wall to hold guns. But, he isn’t going to show everything as that is just asking for trouble.

    • @CarrotConsumer
      @CarrotConsumer 4 роки тому

      I'm petty sure any would be thieves already know he has an expensive old gun collection.

  • @danepatterson8107
    @danepatterson8107 4 роки тому

    No one else does anything like your large caliber weapons. Simply engrossing.

  • @nicholasmaugeri759
    @nicholasmaugeri759 4 роки тому

    Thanks Ian. I read about these in a Book called Case Red...amazing read

  • @eastcorkcheeses6448
    @eastcorkcheeses6448 4 роки тому +7

    I could see that being stuck on the back of a light truck to make it super mobile ...

    • @oOkenzoOo
      @oOkenzoOo 4 роки тому +6

      Say no more XD
      i.pinimg.com/originals/c8/c2/ee/c8c2eea9dcaf94e122985b127fd9bd30.jpg
      i.redd.it/u5e4gpdvar401.jpg

    • @davidbocquelet-dbodesign
      @davidbocquelet-dbodesign 4 роки тому +1

      @@quentintin1 Good point ! - A modified version was also used on the Panhard 178, our best armoured car of WW2.

    • @chaz8758
      @chaz8758 4 роки тому +1

      They were mounted on German Sdkfz 251's and still around during the Narmandy fighting.

    • @k.r.baylor8825
      @k.r.baylor8825 4 роки тому

      @@oOkenzoOo That Italian tankette with the 25mm Puteax is one sweet looking technical. I'd buy that just for the cool factor at the range.

    • @oOkenzoOo
      @oOkenzoOo 4 роки тому

      @@k.r.baylor8825 That's actually a prototype of a French Renault UE armed with the Hotchkiss 25 mm gun. In June 1940, around 150 of those were ordered but none were build before the armistice. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_UE_Chenillette#Armed_Renault_Chenillettes
      Bonus round : various weaponery mounted on the same chassis XD
      ost-front.ru/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/467413_10150645588082389_1580639336_o.jpg
      s31.wheelsage.org/format/picture/picture-preview-large/r/renault/ue_chenillette/renault_ue_chenillette_00d300950325027c.jpg
      i.pinimg.com/originals/b9/f8/a0/b9f8a030745297e7e6618bbffdfb27d2.jpg
      1.bp.blogspot.com/-Il0C_rSTJA4/WTNuB6JAqoI/AAAAAAAANks/Curt_3P3IBUUKPIn0fBPZ0bwCAyqX91FgCEw/s1600/25_7-d94a31a7136065e6f0b85c7bacbf062a.jpg
      i.pinimg.com/originals/6d/6c/a5/6d6ca53f56b29879db30cdef8f26b4af.jpg
      upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/vi/c/c5/Renault_UE_Chenillette_with_3%2C7_cm_Pak_36.jpg
      www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/1271d0625161.jpg

  • @TheAsbeth
    @TheAsbeth 4 роки тому +3

    considering the French approach considering sabotaging equipment, I think I remember something about rendering 2 MAS unusable, couldn't the firing pin sticking out be there for the same reason? If you need to leave the gun just break the pin so the other side won't use it against you ?

  • @theotherwaldo
    @theotherwaldo 4 роки тому

    When I was a kid, one of these was in the toy department in Import Plaza in Portland, Oregon.
    One of my favorite toys.

  • @demonprinces17
    @demonprinces17 2 роки тому

    So good watching again

  • @charles_wipman
    @charles_wipman 4 роки тому +4

    Looks well enough for 1939 to me, and pretty easy to operate even for just a two men crew.

  • @worldtraveler930
    @worldtraveler930 4 роки тому +3

    Whenever I see a kettenkrad I just smile. 😁

  • @TheRumbles13
    @TheRumbles13 4 роки тому

    It's cool how the mechanism for the "trigger" goes through a swiveling hand wheel

  • @roadsweeper1
    @roadsweeper1 4 роки тому

    Loving the Kettenkrad in the background :) Always wanted to have a play around on one of those

  • @stoneylonesome4062
    @stoneylonesome4062 4 роки тому +7

    Peace to Ian McCollum from Albania 🇦🇱

  • @anttitheinternetguy3213
    @anttitheinternetguy3213 4 роки тому +41

    Everytime you see something strange and desperate you know its used in finland 🥵 and somehow finns were just fine with it

    • @xXxTripleHxXx
      @xXxTripleHxXx 4 роки тому +13

      Well tbh the russians did not have the T34 in production jet and attacked with T-26 and BT7 lighttanks both of wich could be taken out by this 25mm gun

    • @stoneylonesome4062
      @stoneylonesome4062 4 роки тому +4

      Hyvää Suomi. I used to live in Uusikaupunki

    • @jankaas4504
      @jankaas4504 4 роки тому +1

      @@stoneylonesome4062 are yoy suomi gun jesus?

    • @stoneylonesome4062
      @stoneylonesome4062 4 роки тому +3

      jan kaas No, I’m an Albanian guy. I just used to live there.

    • @jankaas4504
      @jankaas4504 4 роки тому +1

      @@stoneylonesome4062 i dont judge

  • @markskelton2693
    @markskelton2693 2 роки тому

    Excellent presentation!
    would've like to see it shoot

  • @silverfingerthesilverstack5062
    @silverfingerthesilverstack5062 4 роки тому

    I am dripping with anticipation at this vid, I love these guns and have quite a few inert rounds from them.

  • @troublingword3669
    @troublingword3669 4 роки тому +11

    Yeeeettt the panzer twos meat

  • @556bc
    @556bc 4 роки тому +5

    New Gun Jesus Drinking Game. Take a shot everytime he says "actually".

  • @bobjoned3398
    @bobjoned3398 2 роки тому

    @ 9:40 gives new meaning to garand thumb.

  • @badbudgie1539
    @badbudgie1539 4 роки тому

    What a neat little unit.

  • @alexanderdimaria3326
    @alexanderdimaria3326 4 роки тому +11

    too bad they never had enough of them

    • @wazzabear
      @wazzabear 4 роки тому +1

      They had heaps, they traded them to the Brits Boyes AT rifles

    • @kyle857
      @kyle857 4 роки тому

      The Chirftan talks about this in his TD video. After the fall of France the US looked at what happened and made the assumption, with the enemy tank force able to concentrate and attack at a point of their choosing, you are probably not going to be able to have enough anti tank guns spread out everywhere to stop such an attack. What is important is what you do after the penetration. Much like on prom night.

    • @ramjb
      @ramjb 4 роки тому

      what do you consider as "enough"?...there were more than 4000 of these built (including the Hotchkiss variant).
      It's very plain and simple here, the battle of France had nothing to do with numbers or quality of equipment (as can be clearly seen just by looking at the correlation of tank forces involved), but with differing doctrines on the use of armor, combined forces and operational principles. The french were in the jurassic in those compared with the germans. Mix that with a killer strategic plan (attract the strongest enemy into Belgium to outflank and surround it against the channel from the south), the FAR better officer leadership in the german side, the far better command of the operational level of the german generals, and the general immobilism and ineptude of most of the high hierarchy of the french army, and you get what happened.
      none of that was based on insufficient, or inadequate, weapons. The French army was a very strong, well equipped force. But it was led by incompetents and was living in WW1 doctrinary speaking. What happened to it was pretty much unavoidable in 1940.

    • @charliemcfacefuck4798
      @charliemcfacefuck4798 4 роки тому +2

      It's a shame the good guys lost the war...

    • @silure9502
      @silure9502 4 роки тому

      @@charliemcfacefuck4798 bruh xd

  • @shwattzfredrick4950
    @shwattzfredrick4950 4 роки тому +4

    Yeet

  • @bunkerairsoft8721
    @bunkerairsoft8721 4 роки тому

    As french thanks a lot Ian for this show of a major AT gun of french army in WW2. Basically for some details (f.e. the shield) this piece of artilelry is clearly an engineer one but it did its goal during the fights agains german armored vehicules.

  • @michaelh6702
    @michaelh6702 4 роки тому

    I was just at DriveTanks before the social distancing practices were put into effect. This gun was one I hadn't seen before, so many thanks for making a video about it!

  • @matthewspencer5086
    @matthewspencer5086 4 роки тому +5

    Interesting sight picture for arachnophobes...

  • @thechilledonion9313
    @thechilledonion9313 4 роки тому +7

    I believe in Gun Jesus and he saved me!
    I just got His book today. Perfectly timed with the containment we have here in Switzerland because of the Covid-19.

    • @jaybee9269
      @jaybee9269 4 роки тому +1

      0nionjack >> I didn’t know Gun Jesus has a book! Awesome.

  • @Kumimono
    @Kumimono 4 роки тому

    Would be interesting to see the whole career of that particular piece, from Battle of France to Continuation War. Probably saw some action in the latter.

  • @ken0272
    @ken0272 4 роки тому

    Love to see you review the 2 pounder AT gun, which was supposed to be quite advanced for its' day.

  • @Strelnikov403
    @Strelnikov403 4 роки тому +3

    Man, the French got their small arms so right, which is such a shame because their artillery was so wrong...

    • @robertobarazzutti3807
      @robertobarazzutti3807 4 роки тому

      Not all artillery was wrong. Did you see some 155 or 280 mm? Look at the battle the destruction of the Chaberton.

    • @Strelnikov403
      @Strelnikov403 4 роки тому +1

      @@robertobarazzutti3807 Their heavy guns and larger howitzers were alright, but their small-caliber guns - especially the anti-armour developments - were piss-poor in comparison to their counterparts fielded by the Soviets, Germans, and British.

    • @a.t6066
      @a.t6066 4 роки тому

      @@Strelnikov403 the French 47mm and 75mm guns were great in 1940. Better than what the Germans and brits were using at the time. Even the long 37mm was a good gun. Though the leftover short 37mm tank guns were a bit lacking