ACE 72522 French 25mm Anti-tank gun S.A.L. Mle 1937

The 25 mm mle 1934 cannon was a French anti-tank cannon from the interwar period and World War II. Its first prototypes were made in 1932, and serial production continued in the years 1934-1940, ending with the production of about 5,600-6,000 copies of this weapon. The initial velocity of the missile oscillated around 900 m / s, and the rate of fire was up to 25 rounds per minute, with a maximum range of 1,800 meters.

The 25 mm mle 1934 gun was built by the Hotchkiss company on the basis of a tank gun of the same caliber. The new gun was characterized by a compact design with a semi-automatic breech and a relatively low weight. It also had good ballistic properties, allowing it to destroy enemy, mainly German tanks, of that period. Two variants of this gun appeared in series production. The first (mle 1935) was a shortened version, used in tanks and armored vehicles. The second variant, designated mle 1937, had an elongated barrel from 72 to 77 calibers and a reduced own weight. In addition to the French army, the Hotchkiss 25 mm cannon was used by the Turkish army and the British Expeditionary Corps, which used it in 1939-1940. Some numbers of these guns were also used by the Wehrmacht as captured weapons after 1940.