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

[@kyle857]

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

[@TheArklyte]

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

[@deeznoots6241]

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]

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]

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]

@@paint4pain how much fps are other guns?

[@daveshrum1749]

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

[@LukeBunyip]

A link, perchance? 😉

[@AGS363]

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

[@MarvinCZ]

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

[@KorbinX]

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

[@raifsevrence]

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.

[@onsesejoo2605]

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]

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

[@maxkennedy8075]

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]

@@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]

@@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]

@@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.

[@jackmcslay]

3:52 Ian showing his teleporting powers

[@proCaylak]

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

[@whitelegion666]

@Biliary Clinton and can fire Chauchat in 30.06 without jamming

[@alcoles9660]

Gun Jesus csn feed 5 thoudand guns with 5 cartridges

[@evilassaultweaponeer]

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

[@theobuzat9091]

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]

Buzat Théo stay safe, mon ami.

[@theobuzat9091]

@@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]

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]

@@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]

@@theobuzat9091 How do you get the paper?

[@Internetspaceships]

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]

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]

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

[@Treblaine]

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.

[@pierreferrer7237]

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.

[@jondon808]

🧢

[@Briselance]

What unit was he from, pray tell? And did he survive the war?

[@dareka9425]

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]

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]

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

[@littlebigheroman]

@@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]

Same! Was wondering why the eyepiece was perforated!

[@Ob1sdarkside]

Glad I'm not the only one

[@Hillbilly_Papist]

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.

[@casadelshed9128]

Philip Farley Ba Bom Tish

[@eleithias]

lmao!

[@christhesmith]

@@zulubeatz1 bsnurk

[@maxpulido4268]

Are you proud of yourself?

[@belthesheep3550]

The only kind of date coaching I would accept

[@Ethnarches]

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]

@@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.

[@Hybris51129]

"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.

[@chrisd8866]

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.

[@jimlahey2905]

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

[@mclare9817]

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

[@marcusott5054]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@giantskunk]

I remember that place!

[@kennethquesenberry2610]

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.

[@ThorneyedWT]

Not the best concealed carry I'd say.

[@anthonyhayes1267]

Don't be absurd. It's practically ideal

[@slashingraven]

@@anthonyhayes1267 Dirty Harry, eat your heart out.

[@Key_highway]

@@slashingraven so overt it’s covert

[@lucasward9506]

no, this is the best pistol for men.

[@PolishCaptainC4]

Conceal it in a garage, rain hellfire on the ATF

[@dr.johnpaladinshow9747]

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

[@enfield_the_enigmatic2989]

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

[@MilesStratton]

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]

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

[@slerverysnake7299]

Didn know I'd find you here but ok

[@MilesStratton]

@@thhseeking damn autocorrect

[@Treblaine]

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]

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

[@SirSaladhead]

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]

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]

See also naval dazzle camo

[@a.t6066]

@@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]

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

[@ramjb]

@@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.

[@snafuequals]

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

[@jackmcslay]

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]

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

[@Hansengineering]

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

[@jonmeray713]

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

[@futuresonex]

It'll buff out! 😁

[@joelhume]

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.

[@arnocharrier3438]

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]

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).

[@Di-sc3wm]

Happy to see such beautiful mechanics

[@dennislloyd494]

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

[@esquad5406]

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.

[@adamak47miller90]

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

[@sergepetiteau765]

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.

[@Fortress60]

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

[@JanoTuotanto]

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]

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

[@lelanderickson1045]

These guns also gave a number of Panzer IIIs, Panzer IVs, and other assorted German tanks a nasty reception in 1940. The early mark Panzers all suffered from thin armor, with even the frontal plates on a Panzer IV were readily defeated by the 25mm AP fired by both the Hotchkiss and the Puteaux weapons.

[@criffermaclennan]

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]

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

[@arlord9172]

Yep cause the bef came with little at weapons

[@silverfingerthesilverstack5062]

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 .

[@joet.s.6283]

A poker? Sounds like you need something patented and plastic

[@3DGunner]

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

[@ajsparx4133]

French name: Puteaux Me: *laughs in Spanish*

[@arnaudpascal1691]

Do you mean "jajaja" ? ^^

[@damienpeladan481]

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

[@S7midnight]

what does it mean in Spanish?

[@ajsparx4133]

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

[@Ned-Ryerson]

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

[@jukkakopol7355]

In Finland those had nickname "Marianne".

[@guyclair1]

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

[@liubeier]

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

[@braddl9442]

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.

[@randomlyentertaining8287]

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

[@davidburt1763]

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]

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

[@SteamCrane]

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

[@crabyman3555]

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]

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]

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]

@@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]

@@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]

​@@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.

[@Anlushac11]

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

[@90mankku]

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.

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

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

[@Hipas_Account]

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

[@yalelingoz6346]

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

[@alexisseydoux3174]

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...

[@philipkelly7369]

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

[@searpaintball]

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.

[@danepatterson8107]

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

[@OriginalEric]

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

[@harrisonrawlinson5650]

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 KZbin

[@stoneylonesome4062]

Peace to Ian McCollum from Albania 🇦🇱

[@djkledlincurve9277]

I'am a french and i'am living in the city (Puteaux) where this got build in 1937

[@solidsnake4167]

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

[@redoredo6445]

I think you mean Francophile, mon ami.

[@solidsnake4167]

redo redo ooof yeah you're right lol

[@futuresonex]

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

[@ethanwiley7605]

@@futuresonex hilarious, never heard that one before

[@AlexGarcia-ie9wy]

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

[@pierremoreau7262]

I work at nexter who is a far sucessor of Puteaux compagny (amx apx). Thanks for this beautiful vidéo

[@MayDayMei98]

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

[@Blei1986]

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

[@bunkerairsoft8721]

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.

[@unclejoeoakland]

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

[@hurdygurdyman3134]

unclejoeoakland why

[@unclejoeoakland]

@@hurdygurdyman3134 just look at the thumbnail!

[@channel5980]

@@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]

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

[@46bovine]

Ian, a great video. Thanks, young man.

[@ostsan8598]

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.

[@eleithias]

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

[@niilolahti4851]

7:28 Suomihan se siellä perkele

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you , Ian .

[@TheAsbeth]

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 ?

[@michaelh6702]

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!

[@shrekthecrusader8111]

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

[@heathroi]

rhymes with Gateaux

[@SlowrideSteve]

Pate is what he is getting at baguette

[@vulpsturm]

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

[@amesbancal]

Again good vidéo well documented well narrated

[@apathetk]

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

[@theJellyjoker]

That was my thought as well.

[@adamwebster9784]

I thought more about the spanish word for whore

[@markfergerson2145]

Considering its admitted rapid obsolescence, maybe "spitball".

[@Bobbymaccys]

I can’t un hear this now 😆

[@ericvionnet]

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

[@Stannum-Aura]

Great Job Ian!

[@govolsfightvolsfight2908]

I rarely get through to my KZbin guys I watch, but there's something about this channel that chills me out when the ptsd kicks in. You're my go to for that situation and it helps a lot! I basically wanted to thank you for what you do, and the unknowingly ability to help me, and I'm sure others as well.

[@vsk2377]

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

[@DC2022]

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]

Unlike any other mechanics

[@dereksg7510]

If only the Commonwealth forces in the Pacific have adequate number of these 25mm Puteaux AT guns in the early WW2 years. They might be obsolete in Europe by 1941/42, but I think these guns are suitable for jungle/island hopping warfare against the occasional Japanese tank, especially during the Malayan Campaign.

[@charles_wipman]

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

[@chadmysliviec8449]

This AT gun was actually pretty powerful for it's caliber. It used a large cartridge. It fired a 25x193.5mm cartridge. That is very large for a 20-25mm shell. The Panzer II used a 20x158mm shell. The British and US used a 20x110mm shell, but for AA use. The American 37mm cartridge was 37x223mm. So the 25mm shell was nearly as long as an American 37mm shell, and the 25mm cartridge was given wide shoulders to hold a large amount of propellant. It's standard AP round had a muzzle velocity of about 3,015 FPS. Small and portable and able to have a high rate of fire, these would have no problems knocking out Panzer I and II, and early Panzer III and IV from short range at the right angle. A quick burst from a co-axial machine gun and a 37mm HE shell could silence a gun crew of the 25mm.

[@eastcorkcheeses6448]

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

[@oOkenzoOo]

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

[@davidbocquelet-dbodesign]

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

[@chaz8758]

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

[@k.r.baylor8825]

@@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]

@@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

[@WildBillCox13]

A thought. As I recall, you and Karl experimented with rifle caliber exploding ammunition and were quite favorably impressed when it worked properly. Imagine what one of the Mle 1937's 25mm HE rounds would do to a block of ballistic gel.

[@murderouskitten2577]

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

[@ianpaterson5000]

Development occurred rapidly during the war. The Hispano-Suiza 20mm autocannon introduced during the war had high explosive shells and armour piercing shells and these apparently performed well in fighters and anti aircraft applications.

[@casualobserver]

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

[@shawnr771]

He is not going to advertise.

[@wierdalien1]

@@shawnr771 yeah thatd be stupid

[@NBSV1]

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]

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

[@theotherwaldo]

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

[@DJ-bh1ju]

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

[@nicolasrey-coquais1463]

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

[@556bc]

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

[@RebelSonBand]

Ian got the best job in the world

[@anttitheinternetguy3213]

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

[@xXxTripleHxXx]

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]

Hyvää Suomi. I used to live in Uusikaupunki

[@jankaas4504]

@@stoneylonesome4062 are yoy suomi gun jesus?

[@stoneylonesome4062]

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

[@jankaas4504]

@@stoneylonesome4062 i dont judge

[@SordoBjorn]

14:12 The Belgian military had the 47mm as well (some of them even mounted on rudimentary tank-destroyer type vehicles), I remember reading somewhere that after capitulation the germans captured a fair few of them and they were eventually sent east to be given to Romanian devisions to help deal with russian tanks on that front.

[@SordoBjorn]

@@quentintin1 You're right about the first part actually, the second is possibly also true but the Belgian gun was still better than most of it's contemporaries (including the pak36 and QF2 2pounder) penetrating almost 50mm of armour at 300m, and the tiny belgian army had over 700 of these guns. Also the germans gave them to the hungarians, not the romanians (looked it up) they were just used in Romania

[@DC2022]

@@SordoBjorn the 47 SA37 was the state of the art of light antitank guns at the time, achieving 106mm @100m and 89mm@500m using high speed APDS shells. The Belgian looks like the SA35 in terms of performances

[@clevermcgenericname891]

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

[@mudcrab3420]

The engineering draftsman in me likes the way this gun unfolds and everything clicks out and slots into place. The cold dead hearted pragmatic part of me looks at all these bits that fold and slot on and get connected and wonders why they didn't just make 10 really loud. I mean those little fold down part of the gun shield that are about the size of a large post card? Are we really convinced they are going to make a massive difference when your target is spraying masses of MG fire at you and your team mates? Strikes me as one of those peace time designs where Industry shows off all these 'good ideas' and the Customer nods out of respect for all the effort that has been put in. Or, to word it another way, it looks like the sort of thing I would happily design only to have the senior engineer politely but firmly tell me to stop over thinking it and just make a one piece fixed gunshield. Cool vid. Always good to see some of the 'larger caliber' weapons get some Ian Love :)

[@troublingword3669]

Yeeeettt the panzer twos meat

[@bobjoned3398]

@ 9:40 gives new meaning to garand thumb.

[@worldtraveler930]

Whenever I see a kettenkrad I just smile. 😁

[@MrDgwphotos]

If you watch the first Back to the Future closely, one of these (it could also be the Hotchkiss version) is in front of the courthouse where the famed clock tower is.

[@matthewspencer5086]

Interesting sight picture for arachnophobes...

[@silverfingerthesilverstack5062]

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

[@IRLHistory]

Yeet

[@roadsweeper1]

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

[@thechilledonion9313]

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]

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

[@jameslawrie3807]

Given the low quality episcopes or just plain little vision slits of tanks of the Interwar and Early War period these things were almost invisible until they fired. Usually set off to one side of a line of approach AT guns were the major fear of tankers for most of the war and even the bigger guns like the 7.5 cm Pak 40, the 57 mm anti-tank gun M1943 (ZiS-2) and other similar guns of the Mid War to Late War periods were usually only detected after they'd opened fire, meaning the could wait for the optimum shooting movement. The bigger guns lost out in that they were practically immobile once set up so you fought in place and won or you had to abandon the gun and thus they were often encountered on stop lines and other well-supported areas. To destroy the gun so it didn't fall into enemy hands you quickly dumped the oil out of the recuperator and fired the gun, the recoil would then wreck the trunnions and make the gun unusable.

[@Strelnikov403]

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

[@robertobarazzutti3807]

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

[@Strelnikov403]

@@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]

@@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

[@thomasgargano8813]

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