Lahti L-39 (Elephant Gun)

History of Lahti L-39 (Elephant Gun)

The Lahti L-39 is a Finnish native 20mm anti-tank rifle used in the "Winter War" of World War II. The system was designed in 1939, with approximately 1,900 prototypes produced at the end of the operation and expanded to accommodate the fully automatic L-39/44 anti-aircraft variant. For a while, the weapon proved effective in engaging Soviet tanks head-on, but as armor protection for new Soviet tanks soon increased, the Lahti L-39 was relegated to other necessary battlefield rolesthough still useful .

Ultimately, two schools of anti-tank thought developed in Finland. On the one hand, some believe in the effectiveness of the smaller 13mm cartridge, which is associated with rapid-fire machine gun action and provides better penetration through higher muzzle velocity.

On the other side are those who believe in larger caliber 20mm rifles. Although the 20mm shell was slower to fire, it had sufficient advantages on its own to penetrate the armor thickness of the then-known enemy tanks. The Finnish patriot Aimo Johannes Lahti (1896-1970), a self-taught gun designer, tried to quell the debate - he himself preferred the larger 20mm shotgun . Lahti set out to design a 13.2mm anti-tank machine gun and a 20mm anti-tank rifle.

Evaluations will soon show that 20mm cartridges are the way things are.

By the Winter War - the Soviet invasion of Finland - anti-tank weapons were very scarce for the Finns, with only a few 20mm and a few 13.2mm guns in circulation. The 13.2mm armor quickly proved useless against Soviet base armor. Although these 13.2mm systems offer high rates of fire, projectiles are barely able to penetrate armor.

However, the 20mm system in use provided significantly better results. So prioritizing 20mm anti-tank weapons, Amios Lahti ended up producing his memorable L-39.

The L-39 retains a very unique look. The operator is supported by curved padded shoulders. The pistol grip and trigger group are located behind the receiver. The huge curved magazine is mounted on top of the receiver.

The front of the gun is carried by a pronounced Finnish bipod with a ski-like device - suitable for winter weather conflicts. The barrel is elongated and features prominent cooling holes, similar to pepper shakers. The 20mm cartridge of choice became the 20x138mm Solotum Long, designed to fire from a 10-round detachable magazine.

Muzzle velocity is listed as 2,600 feet per second, and the firing action is semi-automatic. The gun weighs a staggering 109 pounds and is 88 inches long, 51.2 inches of which is the barrel. The L-39 was aptly nicknamed "Norsupyssy" (meaning "Elephant Cannon").

In practice, the Lahti L-39 initially proved very effective. Adding to its legacy may be that the L-39 is equally adept at hitting any type of Soviet target - armored or unarmored - in the Finnish sun. The L-39 was used against cover positions, low-flying enemy aircraft and enemy forces, including other enemy snipers. The fully automatic variant, the L-39/44, was introduced in limited quantities in 1944 as a dedicated anti-aircraft weapon system and continued in service after World War II.

Regardless, ranged power and penetration are a godsend for defending the Finnish border.

When the L-39 gunners were unable to penetrate the armor directly, they also started targeting certain vulnerable parts of the tank. The arrival of the heavier T-34 and KV-1 tanks proved this. Until the end of the war, the Soviet approach was evidenced by the thick armor, which essentially reduced the L-39's range to some extent.

In addition, large weapon systems are cumbersome to deploy and relocate, have a high sense of efficiency, and are often left to the enemy when positions are overtaken.

While they never had much Allied support, outnumbered the Finns (3 to 1) using what they had - a special combination of weapons and winter tactics - against well-trained Soviet soldiers . The result was several notable early victories over the mighty Red Army, which at times led to the disastrous defeat of entire armies and the seizure of Soviet weapons, weapons and ammunition. Although Finland finally surrendered on March 12, 1940, with the signing of the Treaty of Moscow, the losses were finally takensome 126,875 Soviet soldiers were killed or missing and another 264,908 wounded. By comparison, 25,904 Finns were killed or missing and 43,557 were wounded.

Finland lost 11 percent of its pre-war territory and more than a quarter of its economic power. Their resistance, however, prevented the Soviet Union from taking full control of Finland - making the communist power an international black eye.

In the coming "continued war", Finland will once again take up arms against the Soviet Union - this time with German and Italian material support at a time when Germany and the Soviet Union are at full-scale engagement.

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