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Breda 20/65 mod.35

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"Breda Model 35" redirects here. For the Italian hand grenade by the same name, seeBreda Mod. 35.

Breda 20/65 mod.35
Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/65 modello 35
A 20/65 Breda anti-aircraft gun in Beijing. This example lacks the usual predictor sight and muzzle booster.
TypeLight anti-aircraft gun
Light anti-tank gun
Place of originItaly
Service history
In service1935–ca 1985
Used bySeeUsers
WarsSecond Sino-Japanese War,Spanish Civil War,World War II,Ecuadorian–Peruvian War
Production history
Designed1932
ManufacturerBreda Meccanica Bresciana
No.builtunknown, 1088 as of June 1940[1]
Specifications
Mass330 kg (730 lb)
Length3.34 m (10 ft 11 in)
Barrellength1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Crew3–6
Shell20×138mmB
Caliber20 mm (0.79 in)
Barrels1
ActionGas-operated
Elevation-10 degrees to +80
Traverse360 degrees
Rate of fire240 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity840 m/s (2,800 ft/s)
Effective firing range1,500 m (4,900 ft) (against aerial targets)
Maximum firing range5.5 km (3.4 mi)
Feed system12 round strip
SightsTelescopic predictor sight
A surviving 20/65 Breda

TheBreda 20/65 mod.35("Breda20 mmL/65model 1935 "),[2][3]also simply known as20 mm Breda[4]orBreda Model 35,[5]among other variations,[3]was an Italian 20 mm (0.787 in)anti-aircraft gunproduced by theSocietà Italiana Ernesto Breda of Bresciacompany during the1930sand early1940s.It saw heavy usage during theSpanish Civil WarandWorld War II,among other conflicts. It was designed in 1932 and adopted by the Italian armed forces in 1935,[3]becoming one of two major20 mm caliberanti-aircraft guns used by Italy during World War II, along with theScotti-Isotta Fraschini 20/70(Scotti 20 mm), both of which fired theSwiss20x138mmB"Solothurn Long" cartridge.

TheRoyal Italian Armydesignated the gunCannone-Mitragliera da 20/65(lit."Cannon-Machinegun 20/65" ),[3]and the mountmodello 35(model 1935), ormod.35for short.[3][4]Later, amod.39(1939) and amod.40(1940) system were introduced, featuring the same gun but in new mounts.[4][6]The"20/65"part of the name refers to thecaliberandbarrel lengthof the gun (20 mmL/65).

Design

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Designed for use against aircraft and ground targets, it was effective against light tanks; its armour-piercing round could penetrate 30 millimeters of armour at 500 meters. It had a two-wheeled trailer, but due to its structural weakness that limited the towing speed to 20 km/h, the weapon was usually transported on a truck bed.

  • Breda 20/65 mod 35 on its two-wheeled trailer drawn by a mule
    Breda 20/65 mod 35 on its two-wheeled trailer drawn by a mule
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This gun was widely employed by theRegia Marinaas adeck-mounted anti-aircraft weapon in most Italian warships, in both single and twin mountings; considered a fairly efficient weapon, in the widespread Model 1935 twin mounting, it shared with the similarCannone-Mitragliera da 37/54the operating systems and therefore its flaws, namely high vibrations and the requirement for a strong supporting structure. Of the two single mountings (Model 1939 and 1940), the latter (widely used on small units likecorvettes,andMAS), partly corrected these faults and had a better sight; however, overall the Breda 20 mm was considered somewhat inferior to theOerlikon 20 mm cannon(used by the Regia Marina from 1941). All the mountings had an elevation of −10 to +90 degrees.[7][8]The 1935 twin mounting fitted the guns next to each other with the left gun (in direction of aim) placed on a level above the right gun so as to clear the horizontal ammunition feeding port.

In 1940 theSwedish Navyreceived a number of Breda 20/65 naval guns as part of their purchase of twoSpica-class torpedo boats,in Sweden becomingHSwMS Romulus (27)&HSwMS Remus (28)in the "Romulus-class". In Swedish service the guns were designated '20 mm automatkanon m/38' (20 mm autocannon m/38), or '20 mm akan m/38' for short. The guns primarily used the Italian naval twin-mount and shared ammunition commonality with the Swedish army's '20 mm akan m/39' (2 cm Flak 30) anti air guns purchased around the same time.[9]

  • Swedish 20 mm akan m/38 (20/65 Breda in naval twin-mount) on the Italian built HSwMS Remus (28)
    Swedish 20 mm akan m/38 (20/65 Breda in naval twin-mount) on the Italian builtHSwMS Remus (28)
  • Swedish torpedo boat HSwMS Romulus (27) with 20 mm akan m/38
    Swedish torpedo boatHSwMS Romulus (27)with 20 mm akan m/38
  • 20 mm akan m/38 during a firing exercise
    20 mm akan m/38 during a firing exercise

Use

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In addition to use as ananti-aircraft gun,the Model 35 was mounted as the main armament in several vehicles. It was initially fitted in fourPanzer Isconverted during theSpanish Civil War,by theNationalists,in an effort to improve their fighting capability against theSovietT-26sfielded by theRepublicanforces. Later the gun was fitted toFiat L6/40light tanksand theAB 41armoured cars.

After theWinter Warhad begun, Finland bought 88 Breda guns from Italy, the last arriving during theInterim Peacein June 1940. Five of the Finnish Bredas were lost in action during theContinuation War.In addition, the four Italian-builtJymy class motor torpedo boatsoperated by theFinnish Navyeach had one 20 mm Breda cannon on the rear deck. TheFinnish Defence Forcesused the 20 ItK/35 Breda, as the gun was officially known in that service, as a training weapon for anti-aircraft crews for several decades after the end of World War II. In 1985 there were still 76 guns remaining in the inventory, but all of these were discarded later during that decade.

Free French anti-aircraft crew using a captured Italian Breda 20/65 anti-aircraft gun, May 1942. The predictor sight and a 12-round ammunition strip can be seen in this image.

In North Africa, theCommonwealthforces captured many Breda Model 35s duringOperation Compass,enabling the Australian 2/3 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment,[10]parts of the 4th Anti-Aircraft Brigade (which had a total of 42 Bredas in its Light Anti-Aircraft batteries during theSiege of Tobruk) and one battery of 106th (Lancashire Hussars) Regiment, RHA to be equipped with them.

Captured Bredas were used by theLong Range Desert GroupandRoyal Australian NavyandRoyal Navyvessels includingHMASVendetta,HMASPerth[11]andHMSLadybird,and at least oneMarmon-Herrington Mk IIarmoured car.[12]

During theSecond Sino-Japanese War(World War 2 in China),Chinese Nationalist Armysoldiers used the Breda Model 35 during theBattle of Xinkou,shooting down 3 Japanese planes. The Breda Model 35 was not only used in the anti-aircraft role but was also used to destroy Japanese tanks and armored vehicles.

TheEcuadorian Armybought some Breda guns before theEcuadorian–Peruvian Warbut lost 9 of them during the war.[13]

TheKingdom of Yugoslaviabought 120 Breda guns in 1939 and they were delivered beforeinvasion of Yugoslavia.[14]

Users

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Anti-aircraft gunner of 8th Battery, Australian 2/3 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment with a Breda Model 35 gun at Derna, Libya, March 1941

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^"CANNONE-MITRAGLIERE DA 20/65 MODELLO 35 - Quartermaster Section".
  2. ^Carlbom, Lars (2014).Svenska jagare: fyrtio legendariska fartyg med detaljerade ritningar(in Swedish). Fischer & Co. p. 314.ISBN9789186597788.
  3. ^abcde"Canon mitrailleur Breda de 20/65 mod.35".italie1935-45.com.Retrieved7 June2022.
  4. ^abcdefgh"Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/65 modello 35 (Breda)".africaaxisandallied.blogspot.com.13 March 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 23 August 2017.Retrieved5 March2022.
  5. ^"This captured Italian Breda Model 35 20mm cannon was manned by Australians of No 8 Battery, 3rd..."awm.gov.au.Australian War Memorial.Retrieved7 June2022.
  6. ^"20 mm/65 Models 1935, 1939 and 1940 (Breda)".navweaps.com.NavWeaps.Retrieved7 June2022.
  7. ^Campbell, p. 346
  8. ^Bagnasco, p. 85-7
  9. ^abAMREG, Ammunitionsregister, Flottan, 1947 års utgåva(in Swedish). Stockholm, Sweden:Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration(KMF). 1947.
  10. ^"Rae, CJE, Harris, AL & Bryant, RK 1987,On target: the story of the 2/3 Australian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment from formation on 18th July 1940 until disbandment on 14 July 1943 and the subsequent service of 7th Battery, 8th Battery, and 9th Battery, until the end of World War II,2/3rd Australian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Association, Melbourne ".Archived fromthe originalon 22 January 2016.Retrieved2 October2011.
  11. ^[1]Australian War Memorialphotograph collection, ID Numbers P00219.015 and P01915.015.
  12. ^"The British Army in North Africa 1941: E 2872 (photograph)".Imperial War MuseumCollection Search.Retrieved2 July2012.
  13. ^Jowett, Philip (28 June 2018).Latin American Wars 1900–1941: "Banana Wars," Border Wars & Revolutions.Men-at-Arms 519. Osprey Publishing. pp. 40, 42.ISBN9781472826282.
  14. ^Nebojša Đokić and Branko Nadoveza: NABAVKA NAORUŽANjA IZ INOSTRANSTVAZA POTREBE VOJSKE I MORNARICE KRALjEVINE SHS/JUGOSLAVIJE,NABAVKE IZ POLjSKE, SAD, ČEHOSLOVAČKE I ITALIJE p.159
  15. ^FINNISH ARMY 1918 – 1945: ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS PART 1
  16. ^"Some were captured during the war and pressed into service".Archived fromthe originalon 13 September 2007.

Bibliography

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