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Concept
Autoloader
Summary
An 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. 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.
An 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. It often replaces a human loader. Automation can streamline and speed the loading process, resulting in a more effective design.
With a smaller crew, the vehicle can also be made smaller inside. 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 lower profile, the tank is harder both to spot and to hit.
Autoloaders were developed at the beginning of World War II. Their first combat use was in "tank-buster" aircraft such as the caliber Bordkanone BK 7.5 cannon-equipped Henschel Hs 129 B-3. Every Soviet and Russian-derived tank since the T-64 main battle tank has used an autoloader. 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.
After the middle 20th century, autoloading became common on large 76.2mm caliber or greater naval guns. 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. For example, the US 5"/38 Mark 12 can load about 20 rounds per minute.
The advent of jet aircraft, and the rate of fire required to engage them, hastened the adoption of automatic loaders on naval artillery. Development was often problematic, and reliability was seriously compromised in many cases. The US 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 gun was derated from 40 rounds per minute to 34 to improve reliability.
Official source
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