- Yes
- No
In the full size photo there are 4 of these trucks. Crew count is either 7 or 8.
A textbook example of a milk truck with an AA-gun used by Finnish Defence Forces. There isn’t a whole lot known about this combination, but from the photo we can tell it’s just as simple as it gets: AA gun with it’s original mount lifted on back of a truck and bolted on. Both the truck and AA-gun are relatively well known.
Thousands of Ford 098T vm.40 were bought from USA to Finland during and after the Winter War. Majority of them were shipped in parts and assembled in Boden, Sweden. However the order was cut at some point and before start of the Continuation War, the total count delivered to Finland was about 1800. Even so with such numbers it became one of the main trucks in FDF and for early 1940s it was quite simple, yet advanced and well performing medium truck. In addition the practically identical Ford V3000S was manufactured in Germany and these started arriving to Finland already in 1941. In total about 500 German Fords arrived to Finland, but this count includes unknown number of other Ford truck models. One source has a vague mention that the German made trucks might have been handed to Soviet Union in late 1944 or 45. In the same go Finns had to repair and return hundreds of captured Soviet trucks.
Empty 2540kg
95hp V-8 gasoline engine
5 forward and 1 reverse gears
85 km/h top speed
20 ItK/40 VKT = 20mm, AA-cannon, adopted to service in 1940, manufactured by Valtion Kone Tehdas
A modern light anti-air cannon by all accounts. It was designed by Aimo Lahti, based on his Lahti L-39 anti-tank rifle. The first guns got into service in 1941, though it only got into real numbers in 1943 and production ceased soon after the war. The only modification done to them after the war was the switch to pendulum-sights. The 200 guns remained in service until 1970s and in storage until 1988.
The gun shared certain similarities with the German 20mm Flak guns: The same 20x138mmB cartridge, same barrel length and was fed from 20 round box magazines. For single gun the theoretical fire rate was 700-750rpm, meaning the twin guns could throw their 40 rounds into air in two seconds. Practical fire rate was 250-350rpm for one gun. The twin mount had weight of 652kg in action and had elevation from -10 to +90 degrees.
Notice the magazine racks attached to the gun mount. It is apparent these were not always used due to their size.
In addition to German ammunation, Oy Tikkakoski Ab designed and produced their own types. Unfortunately I do not have any data about possible post WWII ammo, but here is a self-destructing HEF-T from 1943:
20 ittkr-Vj5,5
-880-890m/s muzzle velocity
-116g with fuze
-6g TNT
-5,5 second tracer
It is not known exactly how long and widely used the combination of this truck and AA-gun was. Despite numerous photos of the gun, I haven’t found a single one being pulled by a vehicle or horses. The simple wheeled carriage is very light construction and doesn’t appear suitable for high speed movement at all, rather it’s just for the crew to move it into position. It appears the gun was used on board truck to cover movement of heavy artillery units. In destination the light gun would be quickly dismounted and dug in ground for cover and camouflage.
The pegs where magazine racks were attached are well visible in this photo.
WWII veteran Ford trucks were retired from FDF use by 1966, making them the last war time trucks to do so, but this was not the end of AA-gun trucks in their use. It is likely other trucks were use to mount the same 20mm VKT, but the real successor in this line was the German Unimog truck with 30 ItK/62 (HS.831) cannon. Later came different Sisu trucks with twin 23 ITK 61 (ZU-23-2) and some also with the highly upgraded 23 ITK 95. Lack of designation for the truck with the AA-gun still remains an issue for one who tries to search information about them.
I finally found a photo of the magazine crates and only now noticed how two of the trucks on the parade both have seven such boxes on board. The larger box next to front cabin is a box containing spare parts and maintenance equipment for the gun.
7 boxes x 4 magazines in box x 20 rounds in each magazine we get 560 rounds stored. If we include those 8 magazines on racks on the gun mount, we get 720 rounds and if the gun is readily loaded, we get to 760 rounds. I am not certain how things go with other SPAA in game.
Sources
Spoiler
D 666/9 Lastkraftwagen 3 t Ford V 3000 S
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:D_666-9_Lastkraftwagen_3_t_Ford_V_3000_S.p
Puolustusvoimien moottoriajoneuvot 1919-1959, Markku Mäkipirtti, 2006, ISBN-10 952-5026-51-5
Puolustusvoimien moottoriajoneuvot 1960-2000, Markku Mäkipirtti, 2006, ISBN-10 952-5026-50-7
20mm in Finland - Weapons and Ammunation prior to 1945, Mika Pitkänen, Timo Simpanen, 2007, ISBN 978-952-5026-59-7
Itsenäisen Suomen Ilmatorjuntatykit 1917-2000, Raimo Vehviläinen, Ahti Lappi, Markku Palokangas, 2005, ISBN 951-91-8449-2
Autocannon, Anthony G. Williams, 17.2.2023, ISBN 1785009206
