Summit in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
3 Anti-Tank Gun M5
U.S. Army - 1943
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 16, 2024
1. U.S. Army - 3" Anti-Tank Gun M5 - 1943 Marker
Inscription.
3 Anti-Tank Gun M5. U.S. Army - 1943.
The MS Anti-Tank Gun in Action. The 3 ATG MS was issued only to Tank Destroyer Battalions during World War 2. These were created specifically to stop massed German tank attacks. The Anti-Tank Guns equipped about half (28) of the Tank Destroyer Battalions that saw combat (60). These 28 battalions each had 36 guns. Although designed to destroy tanks, these guns were frequently employed against other targets and often used in the indirect fire role. They first saw action in October 1943 in Italy. During the war 58 were lost in combat in Italy and 228 in the European Theatre of Operations. 86 were lost during the Battle of the Bulge alone. The 3 ATG M5 finished the war with a favorable loss ratio in an integrated defense against attacking tanks of about 1:1.3. Meanwhile the Tank Destroyer Battalions equipped with the same 3 gun but mounted on a self-propelled carriage (M10) racked up a much better 1:6 kill ratio vs. enemy tanks. As a result, Towed 3 Anti-Tank Guns were gradually withdrawn from service during WW2 and replaced with self-propelled guns. In 1941 America watched with growing concern as the seemingly unstoppable Nazi Panzer Tank Divisions raced through Poland, France, North Africa and the Soviet Union. The US Army was ill equipped to deal with this new threat. One hasty solution developed by US Army Ordnance mated a World War I era 3 anti-aircraft gun to the carriage, breech and recoil system of the 105mm howitzer M2. This expedient weapon was eventually standardized as the 3 Anti-Tank Gun M5 on the M6 Carriage.
Specifications. Production: 2500 were produced from December 1942 through September 1944 Manufacture: M5 Gun - Rock Island Arsenal (1943) / M6 Carriage - Pullman Standard (1942) Weight: 4875 lbs Towing Vehicle: M3 Half-Track Rate of Fire: Up to 15 rounds per Minute Crew: 10 - Gun Commander, Gunner, Driver, and Cannoneers numbered 1 to 7 Gun/Ammunition Performance Projectile: M62A1 Armor Piercing Capped; Weight: 15.44 lbs; Muzzle Velocity: 2,600 ft/sec; Armor Penetration: 4.5 @ 500 yds, 4 @ 1000 yds Projectile: M93 Hypervelocity Armor Piercing; Weight: 9.4 lbs; Muzzle Velocity: 3,400 ft/sec; Armor Penetration: 8.3 @ 500 yds; 7.2 @ 1000 yds Projectile: M42A1 High Explosive; Weight: 12.66 lbs; Max. Range 14,780 yards (8.4 Miles)
The Summit 3 Anti-Tank Gun M5 in Legion Park. The U.S. Army Anti-Tank Gun on display here in Legion Park is dedicated to the Men and Women of the Armed Services of The United States of America. As with all surplus Military equipment, the M5 remains the property of the US Army. A New Life for a Proud Veteran - This proud piece of Military History was refurbished in 2018 by Veteran and Patriot Volunteers of The Veterans Garage on behalf of The Summit Park District. The entire unit was media blasted and repairs made to repair or replace severely corroded components. The Gun was then recoated with 2 coats of epoxy primer and painted per original color specifications. A re-dedication ceremony was held on October 30th, 2018. This project would not have been possible without the hard work and generosity of The Summit Park District, The Veterans Garage, Crown Painting, South Suburban Welding, Image 360 Mokena, Alpha Graphics and Renovation Associates, Inc.
The MS Anti-Tank Gun in Action
The 3 ATG MS was issued only to Tank Destroyer Battalions during World War 2. These were created specifically to stop massed German tank attacks. The Anti-Tank Guns equipped about half (28) of the Tank Destroyer Battalions that saw combat (60). These 28 battalions each had 36 guns. Although designed to destroy tanks, these guns were frequently employed against other targets and often used in the indirect fire role. They first saw action in October 1943 in Italy. During the war 58 were lost in combat in Italy and 228 in the European Theatre of Operations. 86 were lost during the Battle of the Bulge alone. The 3 ATG M5 finished the war with a favorable loss ratio in an integrated defense against attacking tanks of about 1:1.3. Meanwhile the Tank Destroyer Battalions equipped with the same 3 gun but mounted on a self-propelled carriage (M10) racked up a much better 1:6 kill ratio vs. enemy tanks. As a result, Towed 3 Anti-Tank Guns were gradually withdrawn from service during WW2 and replaced with self-propelled guns.
In 1941 America watched with growing concern as the seemingly unstoppable Nazi Panzer Tank Divisions raced through Poland, France, North Africa and the Soviet Union. The US Army was ill equipped to deal with this new threat. One hasty solution developed
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by US Army Ordnance mated a World War I era 3 anti-aircraft gun to the carriage, breech and recoil system of the 105mm howitzer M2. This expedient weapon was eventually standardized as the 3 Anti-Tank Gun M5 on the M6 Carriage.
Specifications
Production: 2500 were produced from December 1942 through September 1944 Manufacture: M5 Gun - Rock Island Arsenal (1943) / M6 Carriage - Pullman Standard (1942) Weight: 4875 lbs Towing Vehicle: M3 Half-Track Rate of Fire: Up to 15 rounds per Minute Crew: 10 - Gun Commander, Gunner, Driver, and Cannoneers numbered 1 to 7
The U.S. Army Anti-Tank Gun on display here in Legion Park is dedicated to the Men and Women of the Armed Services of The United States of America. As with all surplus Military equipment, the M5 remains the property
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 16, 2024
2. 3" Anti-Tank Gun M5 Marker
of the US Army.
A New Life for a Proud Veteran - This proud piece of Military History was refurbished in 2018 by Veteran and Patriot Volunteers of The Veterans Garage on behalf of The Summit Park District. The entire unit was media blasted and repairs made to repair or replace severely corroded components. The Gun was then recoated with 2 coats of epoxy primer and painted per original color specifications. A re-dedication ceremony was held on October 30th, 2018. This project would not have been possible without the hard work and generosity of The Summit Park District, The Veterans Garage, Crown Painting, South Suburban Welding, Image 360 Mokena, Alpha Graphics and Renovation Associates, Inc.
Erected 2018 by Summit Park District; Veterans Garage; Argo Summit American Legion Post 735.
Location. 41° 46.861′ N, 87° 48.206′ W. Memorial is in Summit, Illinois, in Cook County. It is at the intersection of 61st Street and 73rd Avenue, on the right when traveling west on 61st Street. The marker is in front of the gun it describes, which is located in the southwest corner of Legion Park. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 6043 South 73rd Avenue, Summit Argo IL 60501, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 16, 2024
3. 3" Anti-Tank Gun M5 Marker
The stone below the marker, by the Argo Summit American Legion Post 735, was dedicated with the gun at its original location at Summit Park, about three-quarters of a mile northwest of here.
Regionally, this memorial is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
More about this memorial. A small stone dedicated by the Argo Summit American Legion Post 735 sits in front of the gun and its historical marker. The stone had been with the gun at its original site at Summit Park, about Ύ of a mile northwest of here, near the police station and next to the village's 1895 memorial to the explorer Father Marquette. The gun was refurbished in 2018 and re-located here at Legion Park at a spot that had previously been a baseball field. The Post 735 building, originally on this block at Harlem Avenue, was sold in 2017 and is now an animal hospital.
Also see . . . 1. M5 Re-dedication. Veterans Garage website entry (Submitted on August 21, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 17, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 499 times since then and 97 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on October 17, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
