The size of the shells, when combined with the more elaborate autoloading facilities available in the wider spaces of a ship, makes an autoloader much faster than human loaders. Īfter the middle 20th century, autoloading became common on large 76.2mm caliber or greater naval guns. Their use has been mostly shunned by American and British tanks, despite the American T22E1 medium tank being one of the first tank designs to use an autoloader. Every Soviet and Russian-derived tank since the T-64 main battle tank has used an autoloader.

Their first combat use was in 'tank-buster' aircraft such as the 75 mm (3.0 in) caliber Bordkanone BK 7.5 cannon-equipped Henschel Hs 129 B-3. ( August 2021)Īutoloaders were developed at the beginning of World War II. With a lower profile, the tank is harder both to spot and to hit. This reduces the amount of surface area that needs to be armored, meaning the vehicle, especially the turret, can be smaller and lighter. With a smaller crew, the vehicle can also be made smaller inside. Automation can streamline and speed the loading process, resulting in a more effective design. Īn autoloader extracts a shell and propellant charge from the ammunition storage rack/compartment and loads it into a magazine or belt, if the gun has one, or directly into the chamber of the gun if it does not. The term is generally only applied to larger weapons, such as naval weapons, tanks, and artillery that would otherwise have a dedicated person or persons loading them. ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Īn autoloader or auto-loader is a mechanical aid or replacement for the personnel that load ammunition into crew-served weapons without being an integrated part of the gun itself.

( August 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Please help improve it by rewriting it in a balanced fashion that contextualizes different points of view. This article may lend undue weight to certain ideas, incidents, or controversies.

Modern tank US tanks