Today in WW II: 9 Jul 1940 Battle of Calabria [Battle of Punta Stilo, the toe of Italy] fought between the Italian Royal Navy and the British/Australian Royal Navies, 30 miles [48km] east of Punta Stilo.  More ↓
9 Jul 1943 US-British invasion of Sicily begins [night of 9-10 Jul].
9 Jul 1944 British and Canadian forces capture Caen from the Germans, a critical post-D-Day objective in Normandy, France.
9 Jul 1944 US forces reach the northern end of Saipan, finding thousands of Japanese civilian men, women, and children who commit suicide by leaping off the cliffs rather than be captured.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

M1 37mm Anti-Aircraft Artillery

Early in World War II U.S. forces were equipped with the M1 37mm Anti-Aircraft Gun for light anti-aircraft duty. The M1 was adopted in 1938 and had variants M1A1 and M1A2. It was superceded by the Bofors 40mm Anti-Aircraft Artillery as that weapon became available, with most of the 37mm anti-aircraft guns replaced by early 1943.

The light and mobile M1 37mm Anti-Aircraft Gun was mounted on a four-wheel carriage operated by a crew of seven, one of several mounts used. The platform allowed the gun to traverse a full 360° -- folding outriggers gave stability to the gun when emplaced. The ammunition was fed in a ten round clip for a sustained rate of fire of 90 rounds per minute. It could reach a ceiling of 18,500 feet with high explosive rounds, guided by the M5 Director system.

The Technical Manual is TM 9-235.

M1 37mm Anti-Aircraft Artillery
M1 37mm Anti-Aircraft Artillery.

37mm Anti-Aircraft Gun in production at a Pennsylvania factory, December 1941
37mm Anti-Aircraft Gun in production at a Pennsylvania factory, December 1941.

African-American U.S. Army Engineer unit on a transport to Liberia, Africa, conducting live fire training with 37mm Anti-Aircraft Artillery, early World War II
African-American U.S. Army Engineer unit on a transport to Liberia, Africa, conducting live fire training with 37mm Anti-Aircraft Artillery, early World War II.

37mm Anti-Aircraft Artillery at Nellis AFB, NV
37mm Anti-Aircraft Artillery at Nellis AFB, NV.