Chris,
Apart from enjoying the nice T16 pics (I
like them!), I was amazed when I read your message. Like Nuyt, I had always assumed the 37-mm gun supplied to the KNIL were the standard US Army 37mm AT gun. And here we are, with two survivors of this rare and intriguing gun!
Since the KNIL was re-arming in a period where the rest of the free world was doing the same, it is well known they had problems to procure any type of weaponry. That is why the ended up doing business with commercial companies like Marmon-Herrington and, as I just learned, the National Forge and Ordnance Co. The Netherlands Purchasing Commission (NPC) must have travelled the US from coast to coast to find manufacturers to fill in their huge and sudden demands. As for 37-mm guns,
US Mission reports show requirements for 400 tank guns (to be supplied by the American Armament Corp) and 250 AT guns, all to be supplied by the end of 1941.
A huge task, which was not completed, as we learn from the document
Lend-Lease Shipments World War II (War Department, 31 December 1946). Under Light Artillery Guns, it lists delivery of (only) six "37mm, AT, w/limbers", all of them to the Netherlands. It does not list a type designation, and the fact that they were delivered with limbers point towards these being those National Forge & Ordnance Co. guns.
Out of a grand total of 2,284 "37mm, M5 & M6, f/CV's", fifty were delivered to the Netherlands. I believe these are the 37mm guns destined for the
Marmon-Herrington CTMS-1TBI and MTLS-1GI4 tanks (although some sources state they were fitted with twin 20-mm guns).
Strangely, according to this overview no other types of 37-mm guns were delivered.
Remaining questions:
- How many guns of those ordered and shipped to the Netherlands East-Indies actually arrived?
- How many were diverted to Australia (at least one)?
- How many of those produced never left the USA (also at least one)?
As long as people will continue asking intelligent questions like you, it will trigger others to dig up more information. To be continued!
Regards,
Hanno