The Tarasque Type 53 T2 is a 20 mm anti-aircraft gun adopted by the French Army. The Tarasque is based on the M693 F2 20 mm auto-cannon and mounted on a light two-wheeled trailer that can be towed by a jeep and brought into action in only 20 seconds. The Tarasque can be used against both aerial and ground targets and there is a 5× magnification telescopic sight for use against ground targets and a 1× magnification sight for anti-aircraft use. The Tarasque carriage is powered by an auxiliary hydraulic pump which provides power for both traverse and elevation. As a backup the Tarasque can also be powered manually if the hydraulic system fails.
20 mm Tarasque | |
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Type | Anti-aircraft gun |
Place of origin | France |
Service history | |
Used by | France |
Specifications | |
Mass | Travel: 840 kg (1,850 lb) Combat: 650 kg (1,430 lb) |
Length | Travel: 4.30 m (14 ft 1 in) |
Barrel length | 2.065 m (6 ft 9 in) |
Width | Travel: 1.27 m (4 ft 2 in) |
Height | Travel: 1.47 m (4 ft 10 in) |
Crew | 6 |
Shell | HE/I; 125 g (4.4 oz) |
Caliber | 20 mm (0.79 in) |
Barrels | 1 |
Action | Gas-operated reloading |
Elevation | -8 degrees to +83 |
Traverse | 360 degrees |
Rate of fire | 740 rpm (cyclic) |
Muzzle velocity | 1,050 m/s (3,400 ft/s) |
Effective firing range | Horizontal: 2,500 m (8,200 ft) Vertical: 2,000 m (6,600 ft) |
Maximum firing range | Horizontal: 6,000 m (20,000 ft) Vertical: 4,500 m (14,800 ft) |
References
edit- Hogg, Ian. Twentieth-Century Artillery. New York: Barnes & Nobles, 2000. ISBN 0-7607-1994-2.
- The Encyclopedia of World Military Weapons. 1988. ISBN 0-517-65341-9.