Uboat Gun - Video/Pics - Need ID Help

Greeting and Salutations
We are currently working on a project I would like to share with the community and hope to acquire more information on.

I am hoping that someone can shed some light on the nomenclature stamped into the rings.


They are as follows: (my notes)

3.7cm SK C / 30 U (37mm U boat Gun) ​

L.C / 39 (U Boat Mount) ​

(the rest of the markings are what I need to verify) ​

Eagle and Swastika
M (on left side)
B (on right side)
U (below) ​

One gun follows this arrangement with 1601.​

It has 57847 above the Swastika /1601

It also has 639 (6 may be an 8) on top of the ring. ​

The other gun follows the MBU and Swastika with a 1590 ​

Has 57847 and 516 on top of the ring.

I was told that the MB is the area of operation or group and that the following # is the catalogue #. ​

Any way to substantiate this or to follow the catalogue #? ​

Any way to identify the # on top of the ring? Both of these are Boats, but neither boat seems likely. ​

Both of the #s on the tops of the rings and catolage #s were hand stamped after the gun had been factory marked.​

These guns were put into service for the Spanish navy on the Dedalo (USS Cabot Independence Class Aircraft Carrier) post war and then the ship was scraped back in the US after leaving Spanish service. The guns would have been in Spanish inventory post war. Since the guns were largely considered obsolete they may have been on boats turned over prior or during the war by the Germans.


I am hoping someone has records or contacts in reference to the markings or history of these guns.


Here is a link to some pics of one of the guns.


http://www.ordnance.com/37mmuboatdeckgun.html


Here is a link to Video of us firing one of the guns. I would think this is the only one in the world that is functioning. I hope I am wrong. Hope you enjoy and Thank You in advance.


http://www.ordnance.com/uboat-deck-gun.html


We are working on quite a few unusual items and I will post some material from time to time to share. ​

 

if MB is the area of Operation the M could stand for "Mittelmeer"

 

the M stands for Marine

 

What type of boats were outfitted with the 3.7cm SK C / 30 U on the L.C / 39 mount? I have a partial list below and was looking for help at filling in the blanks.
It appears that the early type IX boats were fitted with it and commonly omitted later due to the extended Wintergarten platforms being fitted to the boats.
I have seen pictures of the IX (U-66),IXC (U-163), IXB (U-108 Scuttled),IXC (U161 Sunk),IXD (U-188 Scuttled), XIV (U-461 sunk) all with SK Cs.
There is a large list of boats with 3.7cm guns, IXA, IXC/40, IXD1, IXD2, IXD2/42 listed as aft armament.
Other boats have the 3.7cm Flak listed. I am not to sure how often this is confused though with the SKC or the other way around.
These guns came out of Spain post war. But it seems that the Type 1(E1) project did not have the 3.7cm gun on it.
Was there any retention of U-boats or Germen armament by Spain after the war?

Thank You
Ira

 

It appears that 2 (573-760) boats were interned by Spain but both boats were VIIC class boats and would not have had the 3.7 SK C on them?

 

this might be helpful. German U-Boat Weapons: Torpedoes, Mines and Guns

 

That page also skips the 3.7 SCU gun and just lists the Flak gun.
I am very curious as to how often the old guns were yanked off and the boats were fitted with newer weapons like the Flak. This may attribute why the guns were in post war inventory and not at the bottom of the ocean.
There is a IXC boat (U166) verified in the gulf with this gun pictured quite prominently.
2nd set of pictures down.
http://www.pastfoundation.org/U166/WreckPhotos2003_2.htm
We hung a print of one of these pics on the gun to remind us all of the historical significance of what we are working with.
I will post some pics of the final touch ups soon.

 

Dear Ira: In first place, welcome to WW2F!

I answer you any questions that you planned:
The U573 will be sold to Spain on August 9, 1942 for a million and a half Reich Marks and served in our "Marina de Guerra" as G-7 and after S-01, in consequence, don't fitted this 3.7 cm gun.

The U-760, atacked by British Wellingtons and interned in Spain at September 1943, also don't fit this 3.7 cm gun. At the end of war, the U-Boot be captured by British Troops and sunked in British waters in postwar (Operation Deadlight).



If you understand Spanish, can be also available the use of translators online, you could will follow this route, http://www.u-historia.com/ > Técnica > Armamento > Artillería Antiaérea

Seems that you know these amazing webpage: www.navweaps.com. Using his search function enclosed and the links and books related, you can reach more details.


Ah!....How do you obtain his ammunittion? Seems a hard task, as is an old piece.
This PDF, I think that could will likes you: http://www.lexpev.nl/downloads/mdv17031944.pdf [1346 KB] (1944). Enjoy it!


I observed in your videos that this automatic gun suffers a minimum of back movement -in Spanish designation as "retroceso"- in each hit. Your platform are very quiet in your test.







Jan.

 

Yes, the naveweaps.com webpage for the gun mentions that some quantity of these weapons were exported to Spain

 

Here is a link to a group of completion pics we have posted.
We have taken liberty on polishing the brass and keeping the entire gun black.
I have seen pictures now with different parts and pieces of the gun black but not the entire piece.
Considering what we started with I think it turned out well.

http://www.ordnance.com/37mmu-boatdeckgun-completion.html

 

Ah!....How do you obtain his ammunittion? Seems a hard task, as is an old piece.
This PDF, I think that could will likes you: http://www.lexpev.nl/downloads/mdv17031944.pdf [1346 KB] (1944). Enjoy it!

Gracias Jan.

The info you supplied was most appreciated.
I am from New Mexico so my Spanish dialect tends to be something that would probably make you cringe.

We shot the gun with black powder and polypropylene projectiles. This was intentionally done to keep the action from recoiling much, though with black powder you have to worry about volume of smoke. I did not want to stress some of the existing seals at the time.
We will be shooting for full recoil and extraction out of the rebuilt cylinder next go around. Patience is a virtue when it comes to these items.

You are correct on the rarity of the ammo. You pretty much have to make all the components yourself for all of the large guns if you want to shoot them, once again patience and testing.

I observed in your videos that this automatic gun suffers a minimum of back movement -in Spanish designation as "retroceso"- in each hit. Your platform are very quiet in your test.

 

Dear Ira:

Thanks for your kind words. You are welcome!

My English, is precisely refine through my intervention in Forums as this in wich both are stayed.





Jan.