76 mm divisional gun M1936 ( F - 22 ) The 76 - mm divisional gun M1936 ( F - 22 ) was a Soviet divisional semi - universal gun , adopted for Red Army service in 1936 . This gun was used in conflicts between the USSR and Japan on the Far East , in the Winter War and in World War II . Many F - 22s were captured by Wehrmacht , modernized by the Germans and used against Soviet forces . Description . The F - 22 was a semi - universal gun which combined the capabilities of a divisional gun and - to some extent - of an anti - aircraft gun . It had a split - trail carriage with suspension and steel wheels with rubber tires . The gun was equipped with a semi - automatic vertical sliding breech block ; the recoil mechanism consisted of a hydraulic recoil buffer and a hydropneumatic recuperator . The sights and the elevation controls were located on different sides of the barrel . The chamber fitted the standard model 1900 cartridge , which meant that the gun could use ammunition of older 76 . 2 - mm divisional and regimental guns . Development and production history . In the early 1930s the RKKA command considered the idea of universal guns - i . e . guns which could be used both as field and anti - aircraft weapons . Mikhail Tukhachevsky , the head of the ordnance department between 1931 and 1934 , ordered the development of universal ( with 360° traverse ) and semi - universal divisional pieces . Among other artillery design bureaus joining the program were the design bureau of the " " Krasniy Putilovets " " plant ( L - 1 and L - 2 universal guns ) , the design bureau of the no . 8 plant ( semi - universal guns 25K , 31K and 32K ) and GKB - 38 ( universal A - 52 and semi - universal A - 51 ) . GKB - 38 was closed in 1933 , and V . G . Grabin , the leading developer of the team that was working on the A - 51 project - became the head of a design bureau of the new Novoye Sormovo ( no . 92 ) plant in Gorky . In 1934 the A - 51 - redesignated F - 20 - was finished , but Grabin wasn ' t satisfied with the result and started to work on a new gun , the F - 22 . In April 1935 three prototypes of the F - 22 were ready , two of them with split - trail carriages . All prototypes had muzzle brake s and lengthened chambers for a new experimental shell ( 7 . 1 kg , muzzle velocity 710 m / s , range up to 14 , 060 m ) . Factory trials started on 8 May ; on 9 June prototypes were brought to the Sofrinsky firing ground near Moscow . On 14 June the gun , along with other artillery pieces , was demonstrated to the country leaders including Joseph Stalin . The F - 22 made a good impression and was sent for ground testing , which was finished on 16 December . In July 1935 the plant was required to produce 10 pieces . In March 1936 four guns were given to the RKKA for testing , which continued until 22 April . Despite some shortcomings , on 11 May 1936 the gun was adopted as the 76 mm divisional gun model 1936 ( F - 22 ) ( ) . The final model lacked a muzzle brake ( which - the army said - raised too much dust , revealing the position of the gun ) and was rechambered for the model 1900 cartridge to allow use of old 76 . 2 mm ammunition . The F - 22 was produced by two plants , no . 92 and Kirov Plant , possibly also by " " UZTM " " ( Ural Heavy Machinery Building Plant ) . Production rate was slow because of more sophisticated construction compared to older guns and because of constant need to fix faults in the design . In 1936 only 10 pieces were produced , in 1937 - 417 , in 1938 - 1 , 002 , in 1939 - 1 , 503 . Production was stopped due to adoption of a new gun , the 76 mm divisional gun model 1939 ( USV ) . Organization and service . RKKA . According to the organization of 1939 , each rifle division had two artillery regiments - the light regiment ( a battalion of 76 mm guns in three batteries of four guns ; two mixed battalions with one battery of 76 mm guns and two batteries of 122 mm howitzers ) and the howitzer regiment , totaling 20 76 mm guns per division . In June 1940 the battalion of 76 mm guns was removed , and only 8 guns remained . In March 1942 a third mixed battalion ( a battery of 76 mm and a battery of 122 mm ) was added , which brought the number of 76 mm guns to 12 . Motorized divisions had two mixed battalions ( a battery of 76 mm guns , two batteries of 122 mm howitzers ) , totaling 8 76 mm guns . Cavalry divisions until August 1941 also had 8 76 mm guns , then the divisional artillery was removed . The F - 22 was also used by anti - tank artillery brigade s ( 24 pieces ) , from 1942 by tank destroyer brigades with 16 pieces , and by light artillery brigades ( 60 - 72 pieces ) . The F - 22 saw combat for the first time in the Battle of Lake Khasan in 1938 . The gun was also used in the Winter War . On 1 June 1941 RKKA possessed 2 , 844 F - 22s . Many were lost , but a limited number remained in service until the end of the war . For example , two artillery regiments ( 40 pieces ) took part in the Battle of Kursk . It was mostly employed as a field gun , sometimes as anti - tank gun and was apparently never used as anti - aircraft weapon . Other operators . In 1941 - 42 the Wehrmacht captured hundreds of F - 22s . Initially they were adopted as field guns , designated FK 296 ( r ) . In late 1941 it was decided to rebuild the gun as an anti - tank weapon , 7 . 62 cm PaK 36 ( r ) . The modifications included rechambering for a bigger cartridge , a modified recoil system , elevation controls that were moved to the left side of the barrel where the sights resided . Additionally the elevation was limited and most of the guns received a muzzle brake . New ammunition was produced for the gun . The PaK 36 ( r ) reached the battlefield in the spring of 1942 . 560 pieces were converted and some of them were used to arm Marder II and Marder III tank destroyers . Nine F - 22s in the original configuration were mounted on SdKfz 6 halftrack tractors , resulting in the SdKfz 6 mit 7 . 62 cm FK 36 ( r ) . In Romania , some captured F - 22s were mounted on a T - 60 light tank chassis to create the TACAM T - 60 self - propelled gun . 30 units were built . The Finnish Army captured 29 guns and bought an additional 47 from German surplus stocks during World War II . The gun was called 76 K 36 in Finnish service . The gun was in active service until the 1960s and was stored until the 1990s . Summary . The very idea of a 76 mm divisional gun with anti - aircraft capabilities was doomed for the following reasons : In case of the F - 22 , the attempt produced a gun which was both a poor anti - aircraft weapon and a mediocre field piece . It lacked 360° traverse and its muzzle velocity fell behind that of even the old 76 mm AA gun model 1915 / 1928 ( 730 m / s ) . The breech automatic mechanism was failing at elevations higher than 60° , reducing the rate of fire . After initial investigations , the RKKA apparently dropped the idea of using the F - 22 as anti - aircraft gun - the gun was never equipped with AA shells and with sights suited for the role . There are no reports about actual use of the gun against aircraft . As a divisional gun , the F - 22 also had significant shortcomings . It was relatively large and heavy , which limited its mobility . Employment in the anti - tank role was hindered by inconvenient placement of sights and elevation controls on different sides of the barrel . The gun was hard to produce and unreliable . It offered some advantages in range and armor - piercing capability over the 76 - mm divisional gun M1902 / 30 , but wasn ' t significantly better . As a result , in 1937 requirements for a new divisional gun were issued , eventually resulting in the F - 22USV . However , its German derivative , the 7 . 62 cm PaK 36 ( r ) , performed well in the anti - tank role .