German 75mm Pak 97/38 gun

These guns were a hybrid between the French 75 M1897 famous for saving the town of Verdun in World War One and the standard French artillery piece in both World Wars. The Germans captured large numbers of French 75s in the Battle of France in 1940. Taking those guns, they mounted them on more advanced 50mm Pak 38 gun carriages creating the Pak 97. These guns were employed heavily on the Atlantic Wall and Allied soldiers landing in Normandy encountered them frequently. Note the large muzzle brake at the end of the gun. The United States also mounted M1897 guns on M3 halftracks to use against tanks in North Africa, but they were hard to maneuver and were lightly armored to tangle with panzers. Right-click and choose "view image" to enlarge.

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