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German tank weapon
The 5 cm KwK 38 L/42 (5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 38 L/42) was a German 50 mm calibre cannon used as the main armament of variants of the German Sd.Kfz. 141 Panzerkampfwagen III medium tank during the Second World War . (The towed anti-tank gun equivalent was the PaK.37 of which 2,600 were produced from 1937 until 1940).[1]
History [ edit ]
Breech of a 5 cm KwK 38 L/42 in a Panzer III Ausf. F
The Panzer III was intended to fight other tanks; in the initial design stage a 50-millimetre (1.97 in) gun was specified. However, the infantry at the time were being equipped with the 37-millimetre (1.46 in) PaK 36 , and it was thought that, in the interest of standardization, the tanks should carry the same armament. As a compromise, the turret ring was made large enough to accommodate a 50-millimetre (1.97 in) gun should a future upgrade be required. This single decision later assured the Panzer III a prolonged life in the German Army .[2]
The early Panzer III Ausf. A to early Ausf. G were equipped with a 3.7 cm KwK 36 L/45 , which proved adequate during the campaigns of 1939 and 1940.[3] In response to increasingly better armed and armored opponents, the later Panzer III Ausf. F to Ausf. J were upgraded with the 5 cm KwK 38 L/42.[4] And the later Panzer III Ausf. J¹ to M went with the longer 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 gun.[5]
Ammunition [ edit ]
Average penetration performance established against rolled homogenous steel armour plate laid back at 30° from the vertical.[6]
PzGr (Armour Piercing)
Weight of projectile : 2.06 kg (4.5 lb)
Muzzle velocity : 685 m/s (2,250 ft/s)
Range
100 m (330 ft)
500 m (1,600 ft)
1,000 m (3,300 ft)
1,500 m (4,900 ft)
Penetration
53 mm (2.1 in)
43 mm (1.7 in)
32 mm (1.3 in)
24 mm (0.94 in)
PzGr. 39 (Armour-piercing, capped, ballistic cap )
Weight of projectile : 2.06 kg
Muzzle velocity : 685 m/s
Range
100 m (330 ft)
500 m (1,600 ft)
1,000 m (3,300 ft)
1,500 m (4,900 ft)
Penetration
55 mm (2.2 in)
47 mm (1.9 in)
37 mm (1.5 in)
28 mm (1.1 in)
PzGr. 40 (Armour-piercing, composite, rigid )
Weight of projectile : 0.925 kg (2.04 lb)
Muzzle velocity : 1,050 m/s (3,400 ft/s)
Range
100 m (330 ft)
500 m (1,600 ft)
1,000 m (3,300 ft)
1,500 m (4,900 ft)
Penetration
94 mm (3.7 in)
55 mm (2.2 in)
—
—
Calculated penetration (at 90 degrees) using American and British 50% success criteria, and allowing comparison to performance of other guns.[7]
Ammunition type
Muzzle velocity
Penetration
100 m
500 m
1000 m
1500 m
2,000 m (6,600 ft)
Pzgr. 39 APCBC
685 m/s
76 mm (3.0 in)
62 mm (2.4 in)
48 mm (1.9 in)
38 mm (1.5 in)
29 mm (1.1 in)
Pzgr. 40 APCR
1,050 m/s
107 mm (4.2 in)
74 mm
47 mm (1.9 in)
30 mm (1.2 in)
20 mm
Vehicles mounted on [ edit ]
Panzerkampfwagen III (Sd. Kfz. 141) - Ausf. F to J (serial production), several earlier models were re-equipped with this gun.[1]
VK 20 series proposed replacement of the Panzer III and IV[8]
See also [ edit ]
Weapons of comparable role, performance and era [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Citations [ edit ]
^ a b Rottman, Gordon L. (2008). M3 Medium Tank Vs Panzer III: Kasserine Pass 1943 . Duel 10. Osprey Publishing. p. 20 . ISBN 978-1-84603-261-5 .
^ Perrett (1999), p. 4.
^ Perrett (1999), p. 6.
^ Perrett (1999), p. 7.
^ Perrett (1999), p. 8.
^ Ankerstjerne, Christian (13 August 2014). "5 cm Kw K" . Panzerworld . Retrieved 24 May 2019 .
^ Bird, Lorrin Rexford; Livingston, Robert D. (2001). WWII Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery . Overmatch Press. p. 61.
^ Jentz, Thomas; Doyle, Hilary (1995). Germany's Panther Tank . Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. pp. 11 . ISBN 0887408125 .
Bibliography [ edit ]
Perrett, Bryan (1999). Panzerkampfwagen III: Medium Tank 1936–44 . New Vanguard 27. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-845-3 .
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