40 mm Bofors AA gun

Right! See Polish export plan from April '39 to February '40 (till February 1940 export production should be completed): 163 guns for Great Britain (produced all this time month by month) and 40 for Netherlands (produced from July 39 to November 1939). In both cases some guns was made before April 1939 - at least from spring 1938 (Netherlands). There were signed at least two commercial agreements with Great Britain (three - I suppose) and two with Netherlands.

No.

Hungarian export of Bofors guns

Of 42 guns ordered from Mavag by Finland 24 were delivered in December 1939. The next batch of 12 guns was stopped by the Germans but later released in January 1940. The last batch of 6 guns never reached Finland.

In Finland the Hungarian made guns were designed 40 ItK /38 U.

Itk = Ilmatorjuntatykki = AA gun.
U = Unkarilainen = Hungarian.

Stellan

Attached: Finnish AA gun at Rukajärvi 10th Oct 1941. (Source: "Boforskanonen", Stockholm 1961).

This post has been edited by Stellan on October 16, 2004 06:10 am

Attached Image

Thank You Woj!

Very interesting indeed!

So 163 guns for GB Apr 39 - Feb 40 and 40 for NL Jul 39 - Nov 39. And so the Germans attacked on 1st Sep 39 and the export stopped.

Then 144 delivered to GB and 24 to NL could be right. Or?

Stellan

Stelian - I found official documents. I have some copies.
24 guns was sold to Spain by SEPEWE (oh - to "Peru" ) in 1938 - a lot of time before end of the Civil War. I know that nobody so far has confirmed use of this guns. I had no idea what happened with this delivery. But guns was sent, sure! (I found even names of ships).

I am impressed!

But as allways a question: This export to "Peru" of 24 guns - I think it was not for the Republican side - more likely for Franco.

But the problem starts. These 24 guns makes a minus on the GB export or the NL export - or both.

But I am very glad to be able to put Spain with 24 guns on my list! The name of the ship should be interesting.

Thanks a lot!

Stellan

Export stopped. In September some guns was taken by Polish army troops during transport (some in railway stations, some in Gdynia). It is possible to count how many Polish guns was exported - but not so easy. Me and my friend have written a book about export of the Polish weapons and military equipment during the interwar period. This book will be probably published in December. You will be able to find all data needed. Be patient, please. The number 168 (or - if you like - 144+24) is - according to my research - just a myth (simply - is incorrect).

This post has been edited by woj on October 14, 2004 02:02 pm

I am glad!

Coming down to facts - wonderful. When those myths are quoted in cicles and published one time after another they tend to become the "truth".

I thank you sincerely for this Entmythologisierung.

Of ex-Polish war booty Sweden bought a number of guns from Germany. They were known here as m/36 P. The 1940 AA inventory mentioned that there were 60 such guns in the Swedish Army.

Thanks again!

Stellan

I think so. But I'm not sure.

I don't understand. Guns sent to "Peru" was "borrowed" from Polish army mobilization stocks - for some months (then SEPEWE purchased the same number of guns from new production).

I found your article concerning KNIL Artillery in the internet. You wrote "After trials on Java an order for 40 mm L/60 M/1936 automatic AA-guns was 1938 placed in Bofors. The guns were delivered 1938-39. 40 such guns reached Java."
I suppose that guns ordered from Bofors, but made in Starachowice (first order - 48, second - 40) could be sent to Dutch Indies. I read similiar information somewhere, long time ago. Sorry - I forgot where.

KNIL Bofors guns

Very interesting about Bofors guns made in Starachowice for the Netherlands East Indies. My book on Bofors says: Ordered Dec 1936 "Holland, Kol." 72 mobile and 58 fixed.

The problems are that this Book does not make a difference between the Dutch Army, Navy and Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL). So "Holland, Kol." could be read 1) KNIL 2) NL Army + KNIL or 3) NL Army + Navy + KNIL.

The answer is somewhere in the Bofors archieves. Some day I will go there, but it means 4 hours driving.

SEPEWE - is that the gun factory?

Stellan

Guns for China

In 1936 China ordered 8 guns for the defence of Kanton. These were delivered from MÁVAG in summer 1937. What is known more about Hungarian export of Bofors guns?

Stellan

I asked Bofors about archival documents concerning Polish export of their guns realized before WWII - about 10 years ago. They answered that data didn't exist (and included the book written by J. T. Gander to the answer). I doubt, but...

Oh, no! SEPEWE (from 1926 to 1937: Eksport Przemysłu Obronnego SEPEWE - limited liability company; from the end of 1937 - Eksport Wytworów Polskiego Przemysłu SEPEWE - joint stock company (AG)) was private company (official) or company under control of the Polish military authorities (true). SEPEWE prepared and realized nearly all Polish export deals for weapons and military equipment during this period.

BTW - I have sent you scanned copy of interesting Polish document yesterday evening, but your e-mail address (......@fhs.mil.se, I cut first part) doesn't work. Is it correct address, or you have another one?

This post has been edited by woj on October 15, 2004 10:41 am

Hello!

Yes I have another e-mail adress. The fhs-adress was to my work but I retired last year. The new one you will find by using the e-mail button attached to this message.

In Bofors there is nowadays limited knowledge about what happened 60-70 years ago. But the Bofors Sales Manager, LtCdr - later Major - Bertil Boström wrote a report that existed in Bofors archieves at least in 1961.

I do not have the book Terry Gander wrote, but I think a copy is under way to me from a friend in USA.

Thank You for explaining SEPEWE.

Stellan

KNIL 40 mm AA Guns

I think what I wrote is outdated now. The number of guns I have calculated from various KNIL Orders of Battle.

The first order seems to have ben placed already before the trials on Java. The prototype gun was demonstrated in Den Haag, Utrecht and Den Helder in the Netherlands in Oct 1936.

The Java trials seems to have been carried out early 1938 at Batoedjadar (some km:s SW Bandoeng). See attached picture. (Source: Bofors 350 år, Stockholm 1996).

Stellan

This post has been edited by Stellan on October 16, 2004 06:11 am

Attached Image

The guns for Netherlands was produced in Starachowice under supervision of cpt. Antonio Jan Hendrik Kornelius Christian von Huizer. Do you know anything about this person?