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 | |
|---|---|
 National Defense days, Esplanade des Invalides, Paris, France, September 24-25, 2005 | |
| 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.