i l I

German Anti-tank Guns 1939-1945

T. J. Gander

ALMARK PUBLICATIONS LTD, LONDON

© 1973 Almark Publishing Co. Ltd Text © T. J. Gander

AI! rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced. stored in a retrieval system. or transmitted by any means. electronic. mechanical. or by photo copying. without prior permission from the publishers.

First Published-July 1973

ISBN 0 85524 141 1 (bound edition)

ISBN 0 85524 142 X (soft cover edition)

Printed in Great Britain by Silver End Press Ltd, Witham, Essex CM8 3QO, for the publishers, Almark Publishing Co. Ltd, 49 M alden Way, New Malden, Surrey KT3 6EA, England.

2

Introduction - : -., :: :2 p ilosophy for the use of anti-tank guns in World War 2

=- ?'~ :! 9 ca Iy between the Allied and German Armies. The Allies ~:'O :J: em as a defence against tanks but the Germans used them ~ ~ 'Oapon to attack enemy armour. This basic idea colours ther

_ = : oncept of the Panzerabwehrkanonen (Pak) in use with the c- iorces in World War 2 and this book sets out to give an out­

- ~ '::' 1 e various types of gun that saw service between 1939 and • 0- = .! s such it deals only with guns that were specifically designed -: . : - c anti-tank role. Thus the various 20 mm, 3·7 cm and other .:_~ - ;3 rpose (anti-a ;rcraft and anti-tank) weapons have been : - '::00 . However the 8·8 cm Flak weapons are included since these

'O'S 25 important as other anti-tank types and were, in fact, better · - " ,'" as anti-tank weapons than as AA weapons. Also omitted are : -= .·arious experimental weapons under development at the end of · -" ... ar. but a list of the main models is included.

::csically, the types of weapons used as Panzerabwehrkanonen '~ under three main headings-the 'standard' service weapons, the : : oered bore guns and captured guns pressed into large-scale service. - -urther category that could be mentioned is the use of captured .. .eapons that were employed against their former owners on the

::-att lefield but never taken into full service. Examples of this group are ;' e British 6 pounder and Russian 45 mm, but this category is too y oad to deserve inclusion in a book of this nature.

Tables of characteristics are included and, where known, the size of the gun detachment is given.

For assistance with the provision of illustrations for this volume, author and publisher wish to thank Peter Chamberlain, John Milsom, F. J. Stephens, and the Imperial War Museum, London (IWM).

3

Contents 7: The Standard Weapons . ....... . .......... . . , ........... . . . 5

2: Captured Guns . .......... ..... . . . . .......... . ..... . ....... 37

3: Miscellaneous Types . ...................... . .... . .. .. .....47

4: Tapered-bore Guns . . . . ............ . ... . ................ .48

5: Self-propelled Anti-tank Guns . ........... .. ....... . ... .... .55

Appendices

7: Experimental Anti-tank Guns """"""""""'" . . . .... 63

2: Armour Penetration Powers . .. .. ..... , . . . . ...... . .. . . ...... 63

3: Comparative Data .... 64

In 1940 the Pak 35/36 was still the principal German anti-tank gun. This team is in action at the Meuse crossing, May 1940, during the invasion of Holland. Note the ammunition box on the left in front of the detachment commander. in this case an unteroffizier. The men wear helmet

bands for the attachment of camouflage.

4

I: The Standard Weapons

-- =:~ :or: sisted of the 3·7 cm Pak 35/ 36 L/ 45 , the 5 cm Pak 38 _ : : = - ~ "he 7·5 cm Pak 40 L/ 46. Added to these are the 8·8 cm Pak - -: _ -. c d the 8·8 cm Pak 43/ 41 L/71 , but the first three mentioned

~.~ - -.erically the most important. : =~ 1 of the 3·7 cm Pak 35/36 L/45 began in late 1933. Built by

=-= - r ettal-Borsig the 3·7 cm gun was a very successful design - c ' greatly influenced contemporary gun designers. The gun __ $S ed to units in 1936 and was blooded during the Spanish

ar. After 1940, however, it was withdrawn from first-line use , u epl aced by heavier weapons. It continued in use with second­- ~ training, and occupying units up till 1944 as there is evidence of - - 5i. g used in the Normandy campaign. In attempts to prolong its _:",iu l life the tungsten cored pz Gr 40 was developed as was the :- ned 3· 7 cm Stielgranate 41 or 42. This was a hollow charge :. jectile fitted over the muzzle with a steel rod fitting into the bore . - 'I e accurate range of this weapon was less than 200 yds but it could p netrate up to 7 in of armour. When first designed the 3·7 cm Pak :ould cope with any contemporary armour but the rapid development of heavier tanks greatly reduced its fighting capabilities until the 3·7 cm became known as the 'Wehrmachfs door-knocker'. However It was built in large numbers and saw widespread service. Special versions for use in casements (the 3·7 cm Pak K), and by airborne troops , were used in small numbers. Weights and dimensions of this and the other weapons mentioned in the text are given in tables at the end of the book.

Second of the standard weapons to enter service was the 5 cm Pak 38 L/ 60 . The need for heavier w eapons than the 3·7 cm had been foreseen by German designers and tacticians as early as 1936. The 5 cm Pak 38 was built in 1938 and entered service in late 1940. Again designed by Rheinmettal-Borsig the 5 cm Pak 38 was a sound design and remained in service until 1945. The carriage was rather unusual in that it employed a third wheel under the trail spades when the

5

split trails were joined for towing . The shield was curved which distinguished it from the 7·5 cm Pak 40.

Perhaps the most important of all the German Pak was the 7 ·5 cm Pak 40 L/ 46 . Virtually a scaled-up 5 cm Pak 38 the design was begun in 1939, again by Rheinmettal- Borsig , and began to see service in 1942 when it became the standard weapon of all Panzerabwehr un its throughout the remainder of the conflict . The 7 ·5 cm Pak 40 was issued to all arms of the service including Infantry, Panzer and Luft­waffe units and there were numerous variations such as the shortened 7·5 cm Pak 50, the increased elevation 7 ·5 cm 7M59 and the 7·5 cm 7M85 which was a 7·5 cm Pak 40 barrel on a 10·5 cm Ie FH 18/ 40 carriage. The 7·5 cm Pak 40 also went airborne in the Henschel Hs 129B-3/WA as the much modified Pak 40L, later known as the BK 7·5 . However, as the 7·5 cm Pak 40 L/ 46 the gun was encountered on all fronts and could tackle nearly all Allied armour. The split carriage dispensed with the third wheel of the 5 cm Pak 38 and the shield was

A 3 · 7 em Pak 35/36 being manhandled into position during winter exercises in 7940 (lWM-HU 3778).

Though in theory there were standardised types of towing vehicle for anti-tank guns, in practice there were never sufficient to g o round. A big variety of types of vehicle could be seen pressed into service as gun tractors. This 3· 7 em gun is being to wed b y an impressed com­mercial light truck which accommodates th e ammunition and the gun detachment under a primitive wood and canvas till . The picture dates from June 1940 during the campaign in France (IWM-HU

1754).

made up of straight plates rather than the curves of its predecessor. Very large numbers were built and production remained at a high priority level throughout the war in an attempt to stem the floods of Allied armour.

As the war went on this priority given to anti-tank guns was in­creased as it became apparent that the material strength of the Allies could not be matched by German resources. Increased numbers of anti-tank guns of heavier calibres were needed, and the 8·8 cm Pak 43 L/71 was developed from the earlier dual - purpose 8·8 cm Flak family. The 8'8 cm Pak 43 was a large and well-designed weapon which was intended for the anti-tank role only. Its travelling carriage was similar to that of the Flak 41. The gun could be fired from this wheeled carriage but traverse was limited to 30 0 each side. For full 360 0 traverse t he gun was dug in on its cruciform platform (kreuzlafette) and protection for the crew came from the sharply slop ­ing shield. The design was initiated by Krupps in 1940 and the first entered service in 1943 when the excellent performance of the gun greatly assisted the hard-pressed front-line troops. As always, there were never enough 8·8 cm Pak 43s wh ere they were really needed, as the production of the Pak 43 carriage was held up. Th e result was the stop-gap but successful 8 ·8 cm Pak 43/ 41 L/71. This employed the 8'8 cm Pak 43 barrel on the carriage of the 10'5 cm Ie FH 18 with the wheels of the 15 cm Feldhaubitze (a Russian 15·2 cm howitzer cilrriage was considered as an alternative). Employed mainly in Russia the 8 ·8 cm Pak 43/ 41 was also encountered in NW Europe.

Two further weapons that just deserve inclusion in this category are the Krupp 12·8 cm K44 L/ 54·8 and the Rheinmettal- Borsig Pak 44 (or KWK82) . These were both super-heavy tank destroyers of very large dimensions which were just out of the experimental stage as the war ended (the prototypes were finished in 1943). Th e large carriages were not finished at the same time as th e barrels however so 51 barrels were mounted on captured Russian 15·2 cm carriages and saw service with front-line troops.

6

em Pak 35/ 36 _ . "s the principal anti-tank gun at the start of World War 2

__ splaced by the 5 cm Pak 38 from about 1941 onwards. - : =- ." I e weapon remained in service throughout the war, being :2£:=-'= ~ to reserve and second-line formations. It was also mounted - ::" gu s (see appendix) a typical application being the platoon

- : - ~ 3 der's version of the Sd Kfz 251 half-track where an obsoles­=~-: " a, 35/ 36 was mounted to give a degree of anti-tank defence

--" alf-tracks of panzer-grenadier companies. A typical infantry -:-c.; -sot i ncluded an anti-tank battalion equipped with 123·7 cm

~-" ns.

ABOVE: A 3·7 cm Pak on pre-war manoeuvres, about 1937. Th e folding leg-shield is in its lowered position. The men are wearing

red battle practice bands on their helmets (IWM-PC606A).

Table of Characteristics Muzzle velocity:

AP . ............... . ..... ... .. ........... 2,625 feet per second AP 40 .................. . . .. ...... ... ... 3,450 feet per second

Effective range .. . .... .... . .. . ...... . . ..... 600 yards Rate of fire . .. .... . ....... ... .... . . ... ..... 8-10 rounds per

minute Length of gun ..... . ...... . ... .. .. ... . .... .. 65·52 inches Elevation ... . ..... .... .. ... . .... . .. 25 degrees Depression ........... . .... ... . .. ... .. . .... 8 degrees Traverse . .... ... . ... .... . ........ . ...... .. 60 degrees (6 degrees

with trails closed) Detachment ........ . . . . . ..... .. . .•. ... ... 6

7

LEFT: Russian troops examine a captured 3· 7 em Pak 35/36. Visible are numerous 3· 7 em rounds and their carrying boxes marked Palr37 em Pak' (IWM-RUS 964),

BELOW: Plan view of the Pak 35/36 with traversing and elevating mechanism clearly

marked (US Official) .

BELO W. LEFT: Breech and rear detail of 3 7 em Pak 35/36 (US Official).

LI'Ilr lo adj"," I U IPln.lon~ == ..............-_ _ . ,/b. fat. lo t;:"lIn9

l..elll ri;lJ.r

EI,vOl in; hon(h,hu' Low ,r carriage

Flulble couplln; "1ft trl"...

Tfov.rsln; hondwheel Ecc,nlrlc adJullm'n! fO( Irove"ln~ mechanlun

~upp.rcarrloge ,£I''101In9 pinion["voUn9

1'I.n4~.1 "-1911t 'tl".,

=---------:::r~:J-" "____ L"k;". ''''eo !"

I(overa~~on",",Trl"., ea...

Tr.......'",-8

.:; 30VE: A captured 3· 7 em Pak with a Stielgranate 47 or 42 filled over the barrel (May 1943). - 'lese finned grenades were fired by a blank cartridge. A normal 3· 7 cm round can be seen <1nder the grenade. The cylindrical device hanging on the front of the shield is a muzzle cap . .'/hile the white cross on the jerrican shows that it was used for drinking water only. The Suelgranate 41 or 42 was a hollow-charge round effective only at short ranges-about 400 yards maximum. Nonetheless it did give a new lease oflffe to what was then an obsolete gun. The anti-tank battalions of infanty regiments were the main users of the Pak 35/36 by 1943. anti-tank artillery units having been eqUipped with newer. more effective weapons.

Note the di~isional sign on the shield of this gun (IWM-NA2586).

9

Nose fuze

_

Bursting chargeAir space

Sleeve, t~ fi1 Base fuze

over the barrel:

Rod, to fi1 Fin s (six in number)inside the barrel

ABOVE: Detailed diagram of the Stielgranate 41 or 42 round. showing cross-section (US

Official).

OPPOSITE, TOP: 3· 7 cm Pak 35/36s on parade before the war. They are being towed by Kfz II Kubelwagens (Horch or Wanderer). At this period the mobility of specialised anti-tank

units was well in advance of ideas in other nations (John Milsom Collection).

OPPOSITE, BOTTOM: A 3· 7 cm Pak 35/36 being towed across a river by a Kfz 81 (Krupp) L2HI43 Protze. The muzzle cap is fitted. The crew and ammunition are carried on the vehicle, Note the coil of wire on a frame at the rear of the vehicle. The L2H143 was a purpose-built

light artillery tractor with ammunition storage locker.

11

LEFT: A 3 7 cm Pak 35/36 being towed by a captured French half-track which was desIgnated Leichter Zugkraftwagen U 304 (t). Captured vehicles were extensively used by the Germans to supplement their own shortage of suitable tractors (IWM-MH

4201).

BELOW. LEFT: Old symbol for towed anti­tank units. BELOW. RIGHT: New symbol for towed anti-tank units. The latter came into use in the 1942-43 period. The symbols were painted in white (sometimes yellow) on front and rear of the vehicle, though were

not always dIsplayed.

ABOVE: The crew of a 3· 7 cm Pak 35/36 using a rubber assault raft (Flossack) to make an unopposed river crossing during the 1940 campaign in France The muzzle cap is fitted to the gun for the crossing over water. The wheels are supported on planks

carried over the sides of the raft.

RIGHT: The 3· 7 cm Pak could be man­hauled by its detachment when necessary, one useful advantage of its small size. Two leather bandoliers for hauling and lifting the gun were issued to each detachment. These can be seen in wear by the centre pair of men who are hauling the main drag ropes. Note the ready- use ammunition boxes slung over the gunshield. This picture was taken in Luxembourg during exercises in the

fall of 1940 (IWM-HU 3824).

12

~- - ~ - ::m Pak 36 covering a road in . _ " ntains of Russia in late 1941.

- 7 "-=: : ~ r shown in the background is an _ 3:::J ,. . fz 12). one of the Kubel type

- : ~ 'Nas also used to tow light anti­~_ - , I I was a widely used type similar =­ . "z i 1 shown on page 10. The gun

_=-; :: have a 'speckled' winter camou--._ - ::-:rieved by 'throwing' whitewash

shield from a wet brush (IWM­HU1193).

LEFT: A 3· 7 cm Pak 36 in action. The heavy leather bandoliers shown in the p icture on the opposite page can here be seen worn by the gunner and layer. The drag ropes can be seen on {h e ground still atrached ro the

trail.

13

A good side view of a 5 em Pak 38 showing i ts very low overall height and the distinctive cast wheels with solid-rubber tyres. The soldier :; this captured gun affords a good size comparison (IWM- E6958) .

5 em Pak 38 FIRST used-in action during the Greek and libyan campaigns of early though this was not used, of course, w hen the gun was emplacec ~ 1941, this weapon became one of the most widely deployed of all under tow. Solid tyres, cast-disc w heels , and an all-weldeo c :;- ­German anti-tank guns. There were a number of interesting design struction made this a study piece. rela tive ly simple to p rod tJ~ --= features, advanced for their time. The carriage was sprung on torsion 5 mm armour shield included a lower hinged flap as ;n t'la ::: arms for towing and th ese were automatically locked w hen the split weapon . The barre l was of monobloc ( one - o i ec ~ : O' 3:n_cx ;- H': ­trail was opened out. A small castoring wheel w as attached under the a screw -on . dou ble- baf' l" r ' u;cz S G'ck" 0> =,,: -, .'. '00 :' l -" ;.~- ­

end of the trail to assist in manhandling the wea pon w hen necessa ry . a uto "'71a-.: ic \:\'0 0:;- ::- 0 t l- 5 . ~ '::: ;: - I /] r.:;:_: -=" ::: :- 3'. ="::- - ,,_=": - .-: -::­

-------------------------------------------- - --- - --

~~ _ - 3 ·c in action. ~ :-s latter half of the w ar the Pak 38 was allocated to the anti­

compa nies of many first-lin e infa ntry regiments, as the 7'5 ­_- =c' 40 rep laced it in anti-tank artillery regiments. The Pak 38 :s sver completely supplanted by heavier weapons due to the

~- -:~ge of th e latter as production facilities w ere disrupted or inter­_:: :sd by A llied action.

= :: -, T: British ordnance personnel demonstrate the loading and : '==ch operation on one of the first Pak 38s to be captured. Tobruk . ;..:;. BELOW: Details of the semi-automatic breech. BELOW,

<,;rlT: General view of piece ready for towing. Note lifting handles at end of trail (US Official).

Spring cas. Breech-mechanism lever

Safe.•nd-fire lever

15

Breech-mechanism spring case

I

I ij

~ r

DOUBlf BAFflE MUZZLE ' BRAKE

/Dle ·CAST WHEElS

W SOLID RUBBER TIRES

ABOVE: From view of Pak 38. Note sighunq port (righ t) and the lowered protective fie;.· which was hinged up and secured when or tow. This gun, used in Tunis, appears to Do sand overall with random green patches. (IWM-E23799). ABOVE, LEFT: Overa/, view of barrel and breech, in this case wi:r the muzzle brake unscrewed (US Offici3/ ·.

LEFT: Characteristics of the Pak 38 are ~E shown in this US Army recognition phoc : · graph. Note in particular the twin lifii,- ; handles folded back to clear the towing eJ ~ and the 'sandwich'-Iype shield (US Offici",

16

I1: 76 scale Drawn by G. L. Dooley IPanzerabwehrkanone

5 em PAK 38 l/60

':'30VE: General arrangement drawing showing trail closed and front protective armour flap dropped.

RIGHT: A close-up of the breech mechanism of the 5 cm Pak 38 in the Imperial War Museum, London. The box on the shield over the barrel contained the sights. Note the double-thickness of the gun snield. Just visible here are the cams on the trail which engage and lock out the torsion-spring wheel suspension when the

trails are opened,

17

ABOVE: Both 3-ton and 7-IOn half-tracks, as weI! as trucks, were used as tractors for the Pak 38. Most commonly used was the 7-ton half-track. 5d Kfz 70 (Oemag 0 7) shown here. Note the ready-use ammunition boxes on the vehicle 's track covers. The castor wheel for the trail is seen in its normal lOwing position atop the trail on the nearest gun (a pin was provided to secure it) (IWM­

5TT667)

RIGHT: The detachment commander gives a cheer as a direct hit is scored on an advanc­ing 50viet tank, Russian Front, late 7943. This Pak 38 is from a Waffen-55 division and the men wear the standard- issue Waffen -55

winter anorak.

= ~ -iT: Waffen -SS Pak 38 in action in :: _ ,5Ia, 1942, well out in the open but _=-'ouflaged to some extent with locallv ~= : "' 9red wood and wreckage. The gun is -=, ,Jrsed to its full extent right. Note the

·~ c :Jy - use ammunition boxes. T- 34 tanks -=~ being engaged, one knocked- out vehicle

being close to the gun.

Table of Characteristics Muzzle velocity:

AP .. ........ ...... , ..... , , .. ..... , , . .... 2,700 feet per second AP 40 ... , . . . .. ... " .. ..... , ...... 3,940 feet per second HE, . . . .. . .. " . ...... .. ....... 1,800 feet per second

Maximum range : AP .. . .......... ... . . . ........ 1,540 yards AP 40 . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. ....... .. ......... 770 yards HE. . ... . . . ..... . .. .... .. ......... 2,640 yards

Effective range : AP ................... . . .. .. .. . ..... ... .. 880 yards AP 40 . .. .. ... . ... . . .. ... ... .. .. ... . .... 500 yards HE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... . .... 2,000 yards

Rate of fire ... .. .. ... .... . ........ .. . .. .... 10-15 rounds per min

Length of gun (overall) . . . .... . .. . ... . .. . .. 124·96 inches Depression. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . .. 18 degrees Elevation .... . .• ...... .. ..... . .. 27 degrees Traverse .................. ... . . . . .. . ...... 65 degrees Weight (gun only) ............ .. ... . .675 pounds Weight (complete equipment) . ........... 2,145 pounds Detachment ...................... .. .... ... 8 Ranging: to obviate the need for frequent changing of the sight setting during close combat it was usual to set '8 pz' on the ra nge drum and then lay the gun between the top and centre line of the target for ranges of 1,000 to 880 yards, between the centre line and bottom for ranges of 880 to 550 yards, and the centre of the target for ranges below 500 yards.

19

7·5 em Pak 40

TH IS piece entered service late in 1942 and was produced quickly to meet the need for an even more powerful weapon to counter the heaviest Soviet tanks. I n essence it was a scaled- up version of the Pak 38 with the same form of construction but heavier all round. The shield shape was simplified to make production easier, but was still of the twin layer 'sandwich' type. Barrel, breech and carriage were all similar in design and operation to the corresponding parts of the Pak 38. There was an additional hydraulic buffer in the recoil system and were two braking systems. For towing an airbrake was operated from the tractor and there were hand brakes on the carriage as well. There were a number of detail differences between different production batches, one good example being in the size of the sighting port in the shield. The castoring trail wheel was not perpetuated in the Pak 40 design. Basically the same gun was used in many German AFVs of

ABOVE: Side view of the 7·5 cm Pak 40 showing the close similarity to the 5 cm Pak 38 from which it was developed. Note the large muzzle brake. (IWM-MH 285.) BELOW: A Pak 38 captured in Tunis in 1943 shows how well this low-profile weapon could hug the ground, even in open country. AP round stands by the shield

(IWM-E23799).

20

":BOVE: Breecl) mechanism of the 7·5 cm Pak 38. The double thick­7ess of the shield can be seen clear/y. (IWM-MH7807). RIGHT: /Ie w from towing end showing (cemre) the cIJp arrangement for

securing or releasing the arms of the spl i t trail (IWM-MH286).

the latter war period , being designated KwK 40 in the latter form. Shortage of light alloys forced the inclusion of heavier steels into

the manufacture of the Pak 40 carriage making it proportionately much heavier than those of the 3· 7 -cm and 5-cm carriages.

1 :76 scale Drawn by Gerald Dooley

f[tlll

~!0$3C> ~~ Panzerabwehrkanone 7-5 em PAK 40 l/48

ABOVE: Drawing shows fronl lower apron plate raised.

RIGHT: Waffen-55 Pak 40 going into action in open country on the Russian 519ppes in 1942. Gun is al maximum lravarse to right; note wire on shield to rake

foliage for camouflage.

I.L!~ .

~ GH T: A Pak 40 is loaded and prepared -:' fir ing on the qua yside at Venice in ~ ~wber 1943 when the city was fortified in '0:3 face of the Allied advance. Note wire on 3- - 'eld and wound round the barrel to facili­-~ ie the attachment of local foliage for :=mouflage purposes. The men are wearing

the olive-green tropical dress.

Characteristics

Muzzle velocity (A PC round) .. .... 2,525 feet per second

Maximum effective range. . ....... 3,200 yards

Length of gun (overa ll) .... 228 inches

Depressioll 5 degrees Elevation . 22 degrees Traverse . ... 65 degrees Weight. . .3,350 pounds Ammunition ..... AP, APC, HE,

Hollow Charge Detachment. ... 8

23

RIGHT: Waffen-SS Pak 40 in action with an AP round being loaded as the gunner lavs the piece on target. The huge size of the

round will be noted.

OPPOSITE PAGE: The three basic standard anti- tank guns lined up to show their relative sizes. and visiblV portraving how this class of weapon developed in size in less than five vears. The Pak 40 is nearest, the Pak 38 is in the centre and the Pak 35/36 at the back

(IWM-STT7697 ).

BELO W: A Pak 40 in Italy covering an approach road and well con­cealed in scrub. Wire for foliage attachment can be seen. The pit dug below the breech was a favoured facilitV when conditions

allowed. giving the gunner more room (IWM-NA 7883). BELOW: A 7-5 cm Feldkanone 7M85. This gun entered service during 7944, and hada strange ancestry. It used a 7·5 cm Pak 40 barrel on the carriage of the 70·5 cm Ie FH 78/40. which itself was a conversion of the 70·5 cm Ie FH 78M 10 take the I(ghter Pak 40 carriage! This is

typical of several variations on the standard Pak 40 design.

8·8 em Flak 18 and Flak 36 ONE of the most famous weapons of World War 2, this 8·8 cm piece was originally designed and employed as an anti-aircraft (Flakartil­lerie) gun in pre-war days. It was found to have a good secondary performance in the ground firing role, however, and with suitable ammunition (H E and AP) it could be used for indirect fire support or for anti-tank work. It was first used extensively in an anti-tank role in North Africa where a few well-sited guns at Halfaya Pass decimated a British tank attack in May 1942. It could outrange most British tanks and though only available in limited numbers was wisely used. The carriage was of the cruciform type carried on

26

bogies. It was emplaced by lowering the cruciform to the ground, removing the bogies, lowering the outriggers, and levelling. In an emergency it could be fired from the carriage with the bogie brakes applied, the side outriggers lowered, and with the gun levelled inde­pendently of the carriage. Towing vehicle was the half-track Sd Kfz 7. The Flak 18 and Flak 36 were similar but the latter model had an improved barrel, heavier bogies, and an automatic rammer. There was also a Flak 37 but this was fitted for the AA role only. The early Flak 18s intended for the AA rQle lacked a gunshield but were roughly identical. A fuse-setter machine and data trans­

_=- =-: 8 ·8 cm Flak 36 in action in the ~5:ern Desert gun on recoil. Note ammu­

- - n numbers passing rounds forward. -= =:::= has gone inlO action quickly and - : J .es have not been wheeled clear. :: =-_OW: A Flak 18 fully emplaced in a x~;;ar and pictured at Halfaya Pass when -" :ype first saw action in the anti-tank role.

= uHT: Recognition chart showing layout ~-:I features of 8·8 cm gun (US Official).

-,~ssion equipment was carried on the -:JUnt for the AA role. This powerful ..,eapon was used on all fronts in the anti ­:ank role right up to the war's end.

FLAK 18 TUBE

12 \ PRONOUNCED CURVED

STEP ON- TUBE

EQUILIBRATORS

RECUPERATOR

FOUR WHEEL BOGIE

.. Characteristics

M uzzle velocity (APe round) ...... 2,624 feet per second

Maximum range .... 16,183 yards Length of equipment

(overall) .......... 303 inches Depression .... , ..... 3 degrees Elevation ..... , ...... 85 degrees Traverse .... , ' , . .... 360 degrees Weight ........ . ,' ... 14,014 pounds Ammunition ... HE and AP (various

types) Detachment. . . . .11

NO ·REMOfE CONTROL

BOX

. OF SHIELD .

\ . TUBE WITHDRAWN

FOR TRAVElliNG

1

TRAVELING POSITION

fiRING POSITION .

·~r "-­ OUTRIGGERS IN .

FIRING POSITION

Characteristics FOLDING WING

Muzzle velocity (AP) 3,215 feet per second Maximum range .21 ,960 yards Rate of fire. . ... 20-25 rds per minute Length of gun

(overall) .. 368 inches Depression . . .3 degrees Elevation. . . . . 90 degrees Traverse .360 degrees Weight. . . .24,600 pounds Height . .90 inches Proj ect il e weight . (HE) 20·7 pounds

(AP) 22-4 pounds Detachment . .12

ABOVE: American recognition chart show­ing characteristics of the Flak 4 1. BELOW:8·8 em Flak 41 Recognition diagram showing the AP and HE rounds for the 8·8 cm gun (US Official) .TH IS was a development of the Flak 36

revised to make it more suitable for the anti-tank role though it was still rated as a dual-purpose weapon. The layout was modified to reduce th e overall height. The recoil and recuperator gear was re-arranged and the cradle was changed from the vertical to the horizontal plane to reduce bts M }.t. IU J r«:,...,JND ~ GERMAN }

........_..--- ---_...... . height. Recoil could be controll ed to com­pensate for the elevation of the gun. There was mUlti -speed gearing for traverse and I., elevation. The bogies could be removed for emplacing the gun on its cruciform but the gun could also be fi red from the ca rriage

f,S MfA H E ROUND W Il'H riME FUZ E IGER.MAN i with a 360-degree traverse.

28

I

ABOVE: Flak 41 in accion Russian Fronc. .'are 1943. Gun firing from carriage on full [raverse lefc. RIGHT: Towing vehicle was (he Sd Kfz 7 half-crack. Now low overall

heighc of equipment.

8·8 em Pak 43/41 THOUGH of an extemporised nature to speed up the supply of 8·8 cm guns, the Pak 43/41 was an effective and powerful weapon. I n essence it was the barrel and breech from the Flak 41 mounted on the carriage of the standard 10'5 cm field howitzer with the wheels taken from the 15 cm field howitzer. This provided a weapon suitable for the anti-tank role. Buffer and recuperator were combined in the cylindrical housing above the barrel with balancing cylinders carried vertically each side of the carriage. Despite the large size of this piece it stood only just over 6 feet high. Details generally were as for the Flak 41. The Pak 43/41 entered production late in 1943.

30

It was employed much more extensively on the Eastern Front than in the West.

Table of Characteristics ... 252 inchesLength (overall) . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . ..... 75 inches

Height ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Depression ... . . . .. ...... . ..... ... ... .. ... . 5 degrees Elevation . .......... . ....•........... . ..... 38 degrees Traverse ... . ... .. .. . . ..... ..... .. .. .. ..... 58 degrees Weight .............. . ....... ... .. .... ... . . 9,600 pounds Detachment . . .. ... . .......... " ... . ? Other details as Flak 41 .

_eFT: 8·8 em Pak 43/41 ready for towing 'il th Irails together and the recoil spades

-:::arried on top of the trails. (IWM-STT 7612.) RIGHT: This is a preserved Pak ':'3/41 at the RAe Tank M useum.

Bovington, England.

1 :76 scale

Drawn by Gerald Dooley

00

Panzorabwehrkanone a·a em PAK ~3/41 l/11

31

ABOVE: The breech mechanism of a 8·8 em Pak 43/41. A dial sight is fitted to the sighting

gear (IWM-STT 9465) .

LEFT: Two views of the 8·8 em Pak 43/41 with trails spread. recoil spade fitted and the barrel at

maximum elevation (IWM-STT7613).

8·8 em Pak 43 FINEST of the standard German anti-tank guns, this piece was a refined and adapted developmen t from the Flak 41 intended for the anti-tank role only. Lessons learned from battle experience with th e earlier 8 ·8 cm guns were all built into this design. It could be fired from its carriage (with certai n limitations ) or from its cruci­form pedestal. It stood on ly 66 inches high on its carriage and only 54 inches high when emplaced. Crew protection was good and this gun w as fired electrically. The bogies were of the single-wheel type. Later models had solid tyres, but pneumatic tyres were more common.

ABOVE: The ·8 cm Pak 43 shown here could not have been at tile angle shown as the traverse angle appears to exceed 30° from the centre line of the carriage. The gun is camouflaged olive green over sand. Note that the carriage is of the four-wh eeled type (IWM­STT6786). BELOW: Emplaced Pak 43 captured and used by British

troops in France, 7944. . ,

1 t .. :-. ~

Table of Characteristics Muzzle velocity (AP) ...................... 3,280 feet per second Maximum range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . , , , , . ...... 17,500 yards Depression .......... . . ,.. .8 degrees Elevation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 140 degrees Traverse . . . . . . . . . . .360 degrees Weight . ..... , .. . ... . , ... . .. " . . . . . . . 7,900 pounds

(emplaced) 13,000 pounds (on wheels)

Detachment ... . ? Other details as for Flak 41 ,

34

ABOVE: When lowered on ro irs cruciform plarform rhe 88 cm Pak43 made a low, difficult- ro -hir rarger. Emplaced in a field position rhe gun would be some 72 inches lower than shown here, as the pla rform

was dug into the ground (IWM -MH 7874).

RIGHT: A captured Pak 43 in action in German v 7945 against ils former owners. This w eapon is being used bV rhe American amJlerV unir which captured i l . Note. in this case, solid rvres on the carriage bogie in the foreground. Low overall height. especiallv wirh Ihe

carriage dug in. is apparent (US Official).

35

J

Characteristics Length of gun . . . ......... 299(312) inches Length of complete

equipment . . ... .433 inches Width (travelling

order) ........ ... . .98(108) inches Height (on bogies) . ..... 90(81) inches Depression ..... .. ....... 5 degrees Elevation . ..... .......... 45 degrees Detachment. .... ......... ? (Second figure applies to Rheinmetall modeL)

A BO VE: An American soldier gives scale to the massive Krupp 72' S cm K44. BELOW: The Rheinmetall Pak 44 (or KwK 82) was similar but used a more complex six -wheeled carriage. N ote the perforatea

muzzle brakes (I WM -STT8008/US Officia/) .

12·8 em K44 KRUPP and Rheinm etall both made similar types of 12·8 cm dual­purpose anti-tank/ fi eld guns which were built as prototypes in 1943. Few are believed to have actually been built. The Krupp ver­sion two by two-wheel bogies and the Rheinmetall version had a two-wheel front and four-wheel rear bogie. The Krupp gun had a one-piece shield while the Rheinmetall model had a two-piece 'sandwich' - type shield . The Rheinmetall gun had a longer breech than the Krupp model and a longer muzzle brake . Otherwise the two guns were closely similar. There was a dual set of traversing and elevating control wheels each side. though the gunner was placed on the left in the usual way. The carriage of each gun was of the cruciform type and the gun was normally lowered from its bogies and emplaced for firing. Side-folding outriggers were fitled . The bogies remained attached to the carriage. The muzzle brake in each case was of the perforated type.

36

A Pak 97/38 in ac tion on the Russian Front

2: Captured Guns in 7943, just after fir ing. Similarity 10 the Pak 38, whose carnage i t shared.

" :he early years of World War 2 the Germans overran nearly all will be noted Only

:: _'ope and, with the maxim of 'to the victor, the spoils', appro­ the m uzzle brake =- =l ;?d the weapons of the conquered armies. Most of these readil y identifies the '. =3pons were put into storage but some were put into use as fully weapon in this view.

- ~dged members of the Wehrmacht inventory. There were many Pak N ote gunner and , ~ 3po ns in this category, some of which are described below. loader in white w imer

;>robably the most numerous captured anti-tank weapons were coveral ls. Emp ty shell cases are ejected 10.-= Russian guns captured during the heady victorious days of the

the rear. __ an advances of 1941 and 1942. Very large numbers of 7·62 em :_ al - purpose (field and anti-tank) guns were captured at a time " en the T -34 was just beginning to make itself difficult on the =.3 lefield. The only Pak capable of tackling this tank at that time ' 3 41-2) was the 5 em Pak 38 firing tungsten cored pzGr 40

=,..,mu nition. As usual , there were never enough of these weapons =.ailable so the captured 7·62 em guns were turned against their =: • er owners as a quick stop-gap and later as a re-designed and O"S 'ablished weapon. The designations used for these guns are rather : ;'lfused as some designations were used for more than one gun ~nd some designations were never used in practice. However there ,',ere two main groups. One was the 7 ·62 em Pak 36(r) L/51 which anti-tank role, introduced by the Russians to suppl ement the earlier " as originally the 7·62 em 296 field gun. The designation was 296 gun. It has a shorter barrel and was lighter than the earlier gun. =::Jpl ied to both the unmodified Russian gun using Russian am- Again both German and Russian ammunition variations existed.

unition and the modified gun firing longer German - made 7·62 em Both types were used in some numbers and were encountered on :art ridges and with a modified 7·5 em Pak 40 muzzle brake added. nearly all fronts. - he other group was known as the 7·62 em FK 39(r) and also as Another widely used gun was the 7 ·5 em Pak 97/ 38. When France ~e 7·62 em Pak 39(r). To confuse the issue further the same group fell large numbers of the excellent Schneider 7·5 em model 1896 :;as sometimes referred to as the 7·62 em FK 297(r) afterthe Russian field guns fell into German hands. This gun remains probably the 297 designation , and was for some time referred to by the Allies finest and longest-lived field gun ever built and is still in service ,;;s the 7·62 em Pak 36(r) ! However, this group consisted of the up­ with some armies to this day. The Germans seized upon its possi­: ated 7 '62 em field gun, which was also usefully employed in the bilities as an anti-tank gun until the 7·5 em Pak 40 could enter

37

service. Four extra strengthening hoops were sweated on to the barrel and a Solothurn perforated muzzle brake was added. This modified barrel was placed on to the carriage of the 5 cm Pak 38, although a few used the 7·5 cm Pak 40 carriage when they were known as the 7·5 cm Pak 97 / 40. Ammunition used came from French, German and Polish sources so the gun can be regarded as

I

a highly economical piece of improvisation.

Another French gun which did not see so much German service was the 4 ·7 cm Pak 181 /183(f). This gun was introduced into French service during 1937 and taken into limited German service after 1940. Used mainly by forces occupying France and some training units its limited performance could be boosted by use of the finned Stielgranate 41 or 42.

Although not strictly a war victim, Czechoslovakia also contributed to the German anti-tank gun range. Two guns, the 3·7 cm Pak 37(t) and 4·7 cm Pak 36(t) were both appropriated from the Czech

I Army and were used in small numbers by the Wehrmacht. The 3· 7 cm Pak 37 (t) was similar to the 3· 7 cm Pak 35/ 36 while the 4· 7 cm Pak 36(1) was a rather archaic design complete with a heavy wooden-wheeled carriage and a prominent recoil mechanism above the barrel. It saw some service during the 1940 campaign but there­after was phased out of service. The 3·7 cm Pak 37(t) appears to have served only with training units and could fire the Stielgranate 41 or 42. The 4· 7 cm Pak 36(t) also fired a Czech version of the Stielgranate, and a casement gun of similar design was employed in fortification as the 4 ·7 cm Pak K(t). Both guns were designed and built by Skoda.

Another German political victim was Austria. This country donated the 4·7 cm Pak (Bohler), a small light gun owing much to the 3·7 cm Pak 35/ 36 design. Further guns of this design were captured from the Dutch in 1940. A few saw service in the Russian campaign. This gun may be the one referred to by some sources as the 4·7 cm Pak 30. The Polish Army used these guns during the 1939 campaign and some of these found their way into the German armoury.

7·62 em Pak 36(r) and Pak 39(r) CAPTURED in huge numbers, the Pak 36 gun became a standard German type and was widely used on all fronts from 1941 until the war's end. It saw German service in two forms. The major version intended wholly for the anti-tank role was modified by reboring the barrel to take the long German cartridge case. The double baffle muzzle brake of the Pak 40 was added, the breech was modified, and the carriage re-balanced, to compensate for the increased weight of the barrel. There were two prominent cylinders in the cradle for recoil and counter recoil. The elevating handwheel was BELOW: Front view of a 7·62 em Pak 36 (r) modified for use w ith German ammunition. This can be deduced by the 7·5 em Pak 40 type m uzzle brake. Note the balled-on layer of armour plale on the shield

(IWM-MH7730).

38

-~-~~- ---.---...- -.­..--.•.-.

Characteristi cs M uzzle velocity .... . . 2,430 feet per second Maximum effective

range ............ 2,500 yards Length of gun

(overall) ... 281 inches Depression. .4 degrees Elevation. . . . . , .. 72 degrees Traverse . . . . . ... 27 degrees right ,

30 degrees left

.­.-- - .

ABOVE: Front three-quarter and side vIews of a 7·62 Pak 36 (r). (lWM-MH7636/MH7734)

39

RIGHT: Two 762 cm FK 36 (r) guns in service in their normal role as field guns as can be seen from the elevation angle and the dial sights mounted on the left-hand side of the gun. As anti- tank guns these weapons tended to relv on shot weight rather than muzzle velocilV for their effectiveness. The FK 36 (r) gun retained the original Russian barrel and chamber and lacked a muzzle

brake (IWM-MH232)

I on the right side (though it was on the left in some examples) and a lever was provided on the left for traversing . The split trail arms were of box cross-section , welded and riveted in construction. Disc wheels and

I pneumatic tyres were distinctive features, The shield was of the double layer type , the added layer being bolted in place to give a

f·l BELOW: The 762 cm Pak 39 (r) was a shorter lighter piece than the Pak 36 (r) but was given similar modifications. Shield shape is a distinctive identi fying feature. (US

Official)

'spaced armour' effect. Examples were seen, however, without the shield . The sight was affixed to the left of the trunnion. The Pak 36(r) was a robust and reliable weapon which gave good service to its new owners. Also to be seen in service in some numbers was the unmodified version of this same gun which went under one or two conflicting designations but is here called the FK 36(r). Aside from the use of the origina l unmodified gun barrel and associated changes this weapon was similar in appearance to the Pak 36(r). A shorter breech and lack of a muzzle brake were obvious external identifying features. This gun had been designed by the Russians with a dual-purpose capability. Though the unmodified weapon was designated as a field gun (FK-field gun) it could also be used in the anti-tank role. The FK 36(r) used Russian ammunition, big stocks of which were captured with the guns.

The FK 39(r) was of similar construction to the Pak 36(r) but had smaller wheels and a higher shield. It had traversing and elevating handwheels on left and right sides of the cradle respectively. The FK 39(r) was modified in a similar way to the Pak 36(r), complete with muzzle brake from the Pak 40. It was intended for use as a field gun but it had an anti-tank capacity and was often used in this role,

40

ABOVE: 4· 7 cm Pak 181 (t). Note the extra-large wheels and the recoil cvlinder on top of the barrel. (IWM-MH7752) . LEFT: The breech and sighting mechanism ofa 4·7 cm Pak 181 /183 (f) (I WM­

MH7791 ).

4·7 em Pak 181 (f) THIS French gun , captured in some numbers when France was occupied in 1940, was not widely used outside France. However, it was issued to occupation forces in France and this type was still in service in 1944 when the Allies started the NW Europe campaign. The heavy disc-type wheels with prominent cast spokes and solid rubber tyres were a distinctive feature. They made the weapon actually look bigger than it really was. In the latter part of the war this gun was modified to fire the Stielgranate 41 or 42 round as described on page 9.

41

'I I I

11(;, ;;~,~r i~' ~ ' , til' .'

ABOVE: The four-man crew of a 4' 7 cm Pak 36 (t) manhandling their rather archaic-rooking gun in action in France during 1940, Note the wooden wheels and the attachment points for the drag-ropes. (/WM -MH1899.) LEFT: Side view of the Pak 36 ( t) showing trail

folded. (US Official)

4·7 em Pak 36 (t) THIS gun was made 'by Skoda and w as a standard model with the Czech Army at the time of the German annexation in 1939. It was a light, effecti ve w eapon, easy to handle and operate . In the earl ier part of the war it was used in small numbers. The sp lit trails included a folding section to shorten the overall length. Construction and operation of this weapon w ere comp letely orthodox.

42

~ =OVE: This photograph shows the crew of a 4·7 em Pak 36 (I) - s. ling their gun up a slope. Clearlv visible is (he personal equipment ~" the two soldiers in the foreground together with their leather ': 5 do/ier-tvpe harnesses for the drag-ropes. Note the camouflaged - _7 shiela with its asymmetric top edge. Rammer and sponger is

carried in parts on shield front (IWM-MH1895).

43

ABOVE: A knocked-out Pak 97/38 in North Africa. Note the similaritv to the Pak 38. the carriage and shield being the same (IWM-NA2580).

7·5 em Pak 97/ 38 THIS very important weapon was another type captured in large quantities in 1940 when France was occupied . Un like the captured Russian pieces, however, only the gun itself was used, married to the carriage of the German Pak 38. This equipment did not enter service u nti I 1942. The characteristics were very similar to the Pak 38 , the shield , cradle, sights, carriage and trails being common. A castoring wheel could be attached to the trail for manhandling the piece. This was carried atop the trail, secured by a pin, when the equipment was being towed. The breech was a distinctive feature , being of the eccentric screw Nordenfeldt type common to most French 7 ·5 cm guns. The perforated drum-type muzzle brake was an instant identifying feature.

·(fel:;lJJO sn) PlalLfs aLIi pVlLfaq al]Ua:; aLfi VI xoq aLII VI pawe:; alaM SJLf6lS aLIl ·slUni VI 8r;!L6 >jed paln/de:; e aVlwexa SdOOll ve:;uawv :MOne

(86LZiiS-/lVMI) Sllel) aLIi 01 pa;n:;as ale (svn8 aLfi 6vlIPveLfvew vaLfM paAoldwa) slaaLINI Ilel) 6vlJOJse:; aLfi ·sle:;Jefj !.eMIlel vo S8£/ L6 >jed w:; g·L :lH91l:/

.~

- ::OVE: This park of captured equipment shows a wide range of ~ - '71an eqUipment. In the foreground is a 7·5 cm Pak 97/38 and :,"rind it a 75 cm Pak 40. Two 7·62 cm FK 39 (r) s can also be seen

(IWM- NA2988) .

45

Characteristics M uzzle velocity .. .... ... ... . 2,100 feet per second

(approx) Length (overall) . . . . . ....... 180 inches Depression ......... . _.... . . . 10 degrees Elevation. . .. . . . . .... 18 degrees Traverse . ... .......... . . .. . . 60 degrees Weight .. . . . . ..... ... . 2,870 pounds Detachment ..... . ... . ..... .

BELOW: Breech detail on the Pak 97/38. The cylin­drical shape of the chamber is distinctive. Carriage

and control mechanism is as for (he Pak 38.

RIGHT: 4·7 cm Bohler guns in service with the Polish Army before the German invasion in 1939. Small size of the piece is apparent by comparison (0 the men. It could be man-hauled or pulled by a light

field car.

I I i 4·7 em Pak (Bohler)

TH IS Austrian -made light anti - tank gun was captured from various users in the 1939-40 period , Austria, Poland and Holland in the main. It was simi lar in most respects to the German Pak 35/36 and had a similar performance. These were used in small numbers in the earlier part of the war and some were allocated to mountain divisions.

LEFT: Russian troops taking notes on a 4·7 cm Pak (Bohler) whic!; they have just captured. The Germans used some of these guns in their mountain units, their light weight lending themselves to the mountain role. They supplemented the Pak 35/36 in the anti-tank

companies of mountain ballalions (IWM-STT2887).

46

LEFT: 75 em IG 37 L/22 was origin ­al/y designated 7·5 em Pak 37. It utilised a Russian gun barrel on the

old Pak 35/36 carriage.

BELOW: Something of a hybrid was the 7·5 em Pak 50-the cut ­3: Miscellaneous Types down barrel of a 7·5 em Pak 40 mated to the carriage of the 5 em THE 7·5 cm IG 37 L/ 22 was des ignated at one time the 7·5 cm Pak 38. It is identified by the large. square muzzle brake and the short Pak 37. This piece consisted of a captured Russian barrel fitted with (L/30) length of the barrel. a muzzle brake and mounted on a 3 · 7 cm Pak 35/ 36 ca rriage . It was issued to infantry units from mid -1944 on and was used as a dual ­purpose w eapon. This gun should not be confused with the 7 ·5 cm Pak 50, which w as a 7·5 cm Pak 40 barrel cu t down from L/ 46 to L/ 30 and mounted on a 5 cm Pak 38 ca rriage. Th e latter entered service in late 1944, again mainly with infantry units. A large muzzle brake was fitted. Neither of these pieces was used in large numbers, both being expedient designs to best utilise available components.

47

I

muzzle. The shot was thus 'squeezed' as it travelled along the barrel and the resultant build-up of pressure gave th e gun increased muzzle velocity. This increased velocity along with tungsten carbide shells gave the lighter-weight proj ectiles their armour-piercing properties. However, this principle, although sound, had two main disadvantages. One was the shortage of tungsten in Germany, as raw materials had to be imported from abroad. As a result ammunition supplies for the

J guns dwindled. Another disadvantage was excessive barrel w ear, re­ducing their life to 400 rounds on some models which made their manufacture uneconomic. However the principle, known as the Gerlich principle after its initiator, was advanced for its day.

There w ere three tapered bore guns which saw service. These were the 2·8 cm schwere Panzerbuchse 41, the 4 ·2 cm Ie Pak 41 and the 7·5 cm Pak 41 .

Lightest of all the German anti-tank guns was the 2·8 cm schwere Panzerbuchse 41 (abbreviated to 2·8 cm s pz B 41) . This was a small lightly constructed weapon which first saw service in 1941 . The coned barrel tapered from 28 mm at the breech to 20 mm at the muzzle which gave the projectile (weight only ·287 lb.) a muzzle velocity of 4,550 feet/ sec. There w ere two main models. One, designed for use by infantry units, used tyred wheels and a small split trail. The other, th e s pz B Ie Feldlafette 41, used a considerably lightened and simplified carriage with small wheels, designed for use by airborne troops. Both used the same barrel. Of all the guns in the tapered bore group the s pz B41 was the most widely encountered. Despite the tungsten shortage some were still in limited service in 1945, doubtless because their small shot weight made less demands

48

4: Tapered Bore Guns

THIS group of three anti-tank guns can be vi ewed separately as they all employed a ballistic development known as the 'tapered bore' or 'coned barrel' . Each of them used a special flanged projectile fired along a barrel which gradually decreased in diameter towards the

ABOVE: Tvpical of the tapered-bore guns was the 4 2 cm Ie Pak 41. The distinctivelv tapered barrel is well shown here (US Official).

on supply than the heavier calibre guns. Next up the scale came the the 4 ·2 cm Ie (short for ' Ieichte'-light)

Pak 41 . This had a bore tapering from 42 mm to 28 mm. Externally it differed little from the 3·7 cm Pak 35/36 as it used the same carriage and a very similar shield. The shield , however, used spaced armour built up over the original shield . First encountered in North Africa in 1942 the 4 ·2 cm Ie Pak 41 was issued to both infantry and airborne units, but not in very large numbers due to the tungsten shortage. Production ceased in 1942.

The third member of the group was the 7·5 cm Pak 41 L/ 55. As well as the tapered barrel , which decreased to 55 mm at the muzzle, this gun employed several oth er advanced design features. One was the use of the shield as a structural member to which the split trail legs were attached, reSUlting in low gun weight. Another was an adapta­tion of the Gerlich principle in that the forward half of the barrel was unrifled. The gun design was initiated by Krupp at the same time as the 7 ·5 cm Pak 40, ie, late 1939, and its performance was better than that of its Rheinmettal rival at shorter ranges. Only the tungsten shortage prevented it becoming the standard Wehrmacht gun, but 150 had been made when production ceased in 1942. These were issued to special Panzerjiiger units from late 1941 on and used by them until ammunition supplies ran out. The guns were then scrapped or adapted to take the standard 7 ·5 cm Pak 40 barrel.

=!IGHT: A British soldier demonstrates the Jperation of the s pz 841. Note that when ~mplaced in a prepared position the wheels " re removed and the trails spread. The gunner ' ,i -es from a prone position and the weapon

could be easily concealed.

3 ELOW: A captured s pz 8 41 on show in London. Note the large , 'ze of the cartridge case in relation 10 the small shell (IWM-STT

5087) .

s PZ B 41 FIRST of the tapered-bore guns to see service, this weapon was first used in the Western Desert. The gun was normally towed on a wheeled trailer, the wheels on the gun carriage being solely for manhandling the weapon into position . It broke down into five loads for manhandling or transportation when necessary. Construc­tion of the piece was all welded and the barrel was of simple mono­bloc type. The trigger was incorporated in hand grips behind the breech . The gun was traversed and elevated manually by the gunner, the cradle being pivoted on the carriage. A simple telescope sight for direct sighting was fitted, with its shield for the gunner. There was also a main shield, both shields being made on the 'sandwich ' principle. The wheels were removed and the gun stood on its pedestal mount for firing. The tyres were of the soft 'solid' type. The airborne version of this same gun was similar in operation but had a tubular type of carriage with small wheels.

Characteristics Muzzle velocity.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .4,550 feet per second Maximum effective range .. . . ...... . . . . . . .. 500 yards Rate of fire .......................... . ..... 8-10 rds per minute Weight (overall) . . .... 491 pounds Detachment. .... . .... . . ..... . ..... .. . ...... 2/3

49

RIGHT: An interesting photograph of a captured s pz B 41 on the back ofa cap tured Chevrolet truck used by the Germans. The combination was captured by the British on March 30, 1942. This portee method of carrying the gun was an alternati ve to the towed trailer. Th e weapon could not be

fired from the truck (IWM -E9972).

LEFT: South African troops examining as pz B 41 on its special trailer. Trailers were needed for carrying this very l ight gun across coun try as its light construction could not stand up to prolonged hard knocks and its wheeled tracks were too narrow for stabil ity (IWM-E7467).

50

51

ABOVE, LEFT.' The s pz B 41 Ie Feldlafe ue 41, together with the ammuni tion boxes. Th is is the airborne version with tubular- type carriage. ABOVE: Troops of the 6th Armoured Division inspect a camouflaged s pz B 41 in April 1943. The version is that used by airborne troops, namely the s pz B 41 Ie Feldlafette 41. Note the gun­layers spaced armour in front of the hand-operated laying gear and

breech (IWM-NA2358).

LEFT: The s pz B 4 1 Ie Feldlafette (and the normal s pz B 41) could be seen in service with the shield removed. Tubular construction of carr/age and very small wheels were [0 reduce weight to a minimum

for air transportation (US Official).

LEFT.' A 4·2 cm Ie Pak 4 1 (IWM-STT5533) (top) compared w ith a 3· 7 cm Pak 35/36 (bottom, IWM-HU3890) from [he same angle showing [he difference. Note in particular the added shield over the

original shield on [he Pak 41.

4·2 em Pak 41 VERY similar in appearance to the Pak 35/36, on whose carriage it was based , the Pak 41 was distinguished by its longer barrel and spaced shield fitted over the original shield . The barrel tapered from 4·2 cm to 2·8 cm. The breec h was manually opErated only, The cradle, recoil, recuperation , elevation and traverse arrangements w ere all similar to those used on the Pak 35/ 36. The piece was not widely used nor was it extensively produced but it is known to have been used by some parachute divisions in the 1942-43 periods. HE as well as AP ammunition could be used with this gun.

Characteristics Muzz le velocity. , . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . 4,101 feet per second Maximum effecti ve range . . ... . . ... , ... .... 1,000 yards (approx) Rate of fire . . . ... . . ,. . .. . . . . . .... .... 10-12 rds per minute Depression . .. ... ... .... . . . . .... . . ..... ... 14 degrees Elevation . ... . . . .. .... ........ .. . . .. . ... . . 19 degrees Traverse . ..... . . .. .... .... . . . . .44 degrees Weight. . . .. .. .. ... . . .. . . . .. 1,360 pounds Detachment . .. . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . ... . .. 6?

OPPOSITE: A 4·2 cm Pak 41 with a Fallschirmjager-Division dropped near Rome in J ulV 1943 to hold [he I talian capital against a possible Allied coup. No te the wires on [he shield for [he atlachment of camouflage and the ammunition box between the legs of the trail.

52

53

7·5 em Pak 41 MOST sophisticated of the tapered-bore guns, the Pak 41 tapered from 7·5 cm to 5·5 cm. Centre section of the bore was tapered, the other two sections being cylindrical in section. The piece was low and robustly built. It was simple in layout with traverse and elevation controls to left and right of the cradle respectively. Hy­draulic recoil and spring recuperator, plus hydraulic brakes which operated from the towing vehicle were other features.

RIGHT: This carlridge, rhe 7·5/5·5 cm pzgr Patr 41 (w) and its shell illuslrates the Gerlich principle. When fire d the flanges on the shell are squeezed backwards inca the shell casing bV the taper of Ihe barrel. This increased the muzzle velocity. On striking the target rhe l ighr ballistic cap and ourercasingbrokeawavleaving the tungsten­carbide core to penerrate rhe armour. Of tl7e shell's IOtal weight of 5681b aniV 2·01 Ib made up the weight of the core. The shot weights given in the tables on the taper-bore guns refer 10 this core weight

onlv (US Official).

Characteristics .... 4,123 feet per second

(approx) Maximum effective range . . . . ... 1,600 yards (approx) Weight ......... . . ..... 2.400 pounds Detachment. .. . ...... ?

ABOVE: A 7·5 cm Pak 41 on displav along with other captured German equipment in a Russian city. The large muzzle brake and

lo w profile are noteworthy (IWM-S TT5447).

COMPLETE ROUND

~ .1 ~ I I~NITER CHLGE CARTR1GE CA SE PROJECTIlE

PRIMER

54

5: Self-propelled Anti-tank Guns

order to increase the mobility of Pak weapons many different pes of gun were mounted on an even more varied variety of

:nassis. Most of these are mentioned in the Almark publication ?anzerjager. A list of the guns and the principal vehicles on which '" ey were mounted follows. Some typical vehicles are illustrated on u'e following pages.

3'7 em Pak 35/36 Infantrie Schlepper Ue(f) Sfl Bren(e) pz Kpfw I Ausf B Zgkw It (Sd Kfz 10) Sd Kfz 250/10 Sd Kfz 251/10

5 em Pak 38 pz Kpfw II nA (Sd Fgst VK 901) Borgward pz Sfl 1 A Feur 5 cm Pak 38 L/60 Sf Borgward VK 302 Sd Kfz 250 Sfl II 'Marder II' (prototype) leichter Selbstfahrlafette (Sd Kfz 10)

7'5 em Pak 40 PzKpfw II Ausf D and E Sfl II Marder 1/ (Sd Kfz 131) pzJiig 38(t) Marder 1/1 (Sd Kfz 138) Lorraine Schlepper (f) Marder I (Sd Kfz 135) GW 39 H (f) (Hotchkiss H35) GW FCM (f) RSO (Sfl) Mittler Schuetzenpanzerwagen S 307 (f)

A Czech 4·7 cm Pak 36 (I) mounted on a pz Kpfw 7 A usf B. This was the first example of a mobile anti-tank gun to see service in World War 2, and was first used in France in 7940. The photograph shows a vehicle of lhe 27 pz -Div captured in Norlh Africa in 7942. Basic

Czech gun is illustrated on page 42.

Sd Kfz 234/4 HL kl 4 (H) Sd Kfz 251/22 Schneider Kegresse (f) zgkw (Somua) (f)

8'8 em Pak 43 GW. III / IV Nashorn (Hornisse) Jiigdpanzer Elefant (Sd Kfz 184) SfI38(d) pz Jag 38(t) Panzerjager Panther

55

II J

3-7 em Pak (f) R 39 (f)

12-8 em Pak 44 Panzerjager 'Tiger' Ausf B (Jagdtiger) Su 152(r)

2-8 em sPzB 41 Sd Kfz 222 Sd Kfz 250/ 11 Sd Kfz 251 /1 0 & 3 (field modification)

7-S em (f) H 39 (f)

7-62 em Pak 36(r) Marder II (Sd Kfz 132) Marder III (Sd Kfz 139) pz Kpfw II Ausf D and E Zugkraftwagen 5t Diana (Sd Kfz 6) Panzerjager Selbstfahrlafette Zugkraftwagen 8t 'Artemis'

7-62 em Pak 39(r) pz Kpfw II Ausf D and E pz Jag 38(t) (Marder III)

4-7 em Pak 181 (f) 4-7 em Pak 36 (t) pz Kpfw I Ausf B pz Kpfw I Ausf B Lorraine Schlepper (f) pz Kpfw 35R (f) pz Kpfw 35R (f)

56

:: :opOSITE: Marder II/s on the production .e. This vehicle used the chassIs and hull

:: the ex-Czech pz Kpfw 38(1) and was z:?1ed with the 7·5 cm Pak 40/3, a variant : : the standard 7·5 cm gun with the carriage " :ered only sligh/ly for mounting on a tank : ';assis. This Marder III was a later version

lhan that using the 7·62 cm Pak 36(r).

57

ABOVE: These three views of a 7·6 cm Pak 36 (r) mounted on an early Marder III (Sd Kfz 739) show the hasty improvisation of the Czech pz Kpfw 38 (t) tank, to provide Panzerjiiger units with some degree of heavier fire-power in 7942. The gun has been converted to take German ammu­nition. This can be seen from the addition of

the muzzle brake.

Picrures on this page show a caprured Diana' or to give its full designation the 7·6 cm Pak 36 (r) auf Panzerjager Selbst­fahr lafeue Zugkraftwagen 5t Diana'. As can be seen from the photograph, this vehicle was a hasty conversion of a Sd Kfz 6 half-truck chassis to provide a mobile mount for the 7·6 cm Pak 36 (r) . The gun and its carriage were mounted direct on to the thinlv armoured body and used Russian ammunition (note absence of the muzzle brake). Onlv nine of these vehicles were built and this one was used in the Western

Desert (John Milsom Collection).

LEFT: A 75 cm Pak 40/7 ausf GW 'Lorraine Schlepper' (f), a vehicle typical of the many self-propelled mounts for various anti-tank guns using captured chassis. Known also as the Marder I, this Panzerjager was used mainly by units stationed in France. 784 were converted by Becker of Krefeld. This one is on an anti-invasion exercise in Nor­

mandy in early 1944.

RIGHT: Sfl /I. Marder II (Sd Kfz 737) was similar to the Marder III in layout. but in this case a 7·5 cm Pak 40 was employed in an open-lOp built -up superstructure on the

basic pz Kpfw II hull and chassis.

59

RIGHT: An 8-8 cm Pak 43/7 Ll77 armed Nashorn, or Hornisse. This vehicle was basically a modified pz Kpfw IV chassis with pz Kpfw III drive and transmission and lacked the full armour protection and performance required for a Panzerjager. However. it served with some success until more specialised vehicles became available.

.. -....­

.. -..- ~- ;:- ~ . _... ~'

LEFT: A Brilish soldier demonslraling the 3· 7 cm Pak 35/36 mounted on a Sd Kfz 251/ 70. Some vehicles of this lype mounted the 28 cm s pz B 41 as an alternative. Platoon commanders were usually allocated these armed half-tracks within panzer-grenadier regiments. The complete gun, cradle, and shield were secured to a strongback on the vehicle, essentially unchanged from the orl[pnal equipment, Part of the shield was often removed to save weight (IWM­

STT 7390) .

60

LEFT: Sfl 'eren' (e) consisted of a captured British Bren or Universal Carrier wi th 3 7 cm Pak 35/36 mounted on it. It was typical of extemponsed uses of captured eqUipment

(IWM -MH6920),

RIGHT: The Sd Kfz 250/ 11 half-track carried the s pz B 41 2B em tapered-b ore gun in i ts traversing turret, The Sd Kfz 222 armoured car was fitted with the same turret and gun

(IWM-MH8957),

LEFT: One of the best-known of all German World War 2 AFVs was the Panzerjager Panther, or Jagdpanther, a specialised tank destroyer on the chassis of the Panther rank. This view shows well rhe low-sec limired­rraverse Pak 43 gun wirh its prominent cast

mantlet.

RIGHT: Sflll Ausf DIE incorporated the Pak 36 (r) on the modified hull and chassis of the pz Kpfw 1/ Ausf DIE. The onginaltank model was not wholly successful and the chassis were used for conversion to Panzer­jager. Christie-type suspension was distinc­

tive 10 this chassis.

62

Appendix 1:

Experimental Anti-tank Guns BELOW is a short list of some guns under development when the war ended. It does not pretend to be complete.

4'5 em Pak (Krupp). 5 em Automatische Pak 206/ 835 (Skoda). 5·7 em Pak 208 (Pak 43) . 6·6 em Pak 5/ 800 (Skoda). 7·5 em Pak 5/ 800 (Skoda) . 8·1 em Paw 600-Pilot High / Low pressure gun. 8 ·1 em Pwk 8 H63-Production High / Low pressure gun. 10 em Paw 1000. 10·5 em Paw 600 (Krupp) .

A wide range of accessories was also under development for existing guns. These inc luded automatic loading devices for the 7·5 em and 8 ·8 em guns and infra-red sight ing equipment for the 7·5 em Pak 40 (the Beobachtung Gerat 1221). Ammunition develop­ment was extensive with emphas is on utilising non-essential war supplies, eg, using steel or plastic cartridge cases.

63

Appendix 2:

Armour Penetration Powers TH E fo llowing figures show the penetration powers of APC shot fired at homogenous armour placed 30 ° from the normal (ie 60 ° from horizontal). APC-armour- piercing capped.

2·8 em s pz B 41 3·7 em Pak 35/36 4 ·2 em Pak 41 4· 7 em Pak 36 (t) 5 em Pak 38 7·5 em Pak 40 7·5 em Pak 41 7 ·5 em Pak 97 / 38 7 ·62 em Pak 36 (r) 88 em Pak 43 8 ·8 em Pak 43/ 41

Range 400 yds 400 yds 700 yds 700 yds

1,000 yds 1,000 yds 1,000 yds

900 yds 1,000 yds 1,500 yds 1,500 yds

Penetration 43 mm 49 mm 68 mm 51 mm 56 mm

102 mm 130 mm

60 mm 83 mm

130 mm 130 mm

Appendix 3: Comparative Data

Tube Weight Muzzle AP Designation Length in Action Velocity (AP) Traverse Elevation Shot Weight

3·7 em Pak 8 035/36 L/45 5' 5~" 970lb 2,625 ft/see 60 ° - to +25° 1·51b

5 em Pak 38 L/ 60 10' 5" 2,0161b 2,740 ft/see 65 ° -18° to +27 ° 4·561b 7·5 em Pak 40 L/46 11' 4" 3 ,1361b 2,530 ft/see 65 ° - 5 ° to +22 ° 9·125 Ib 8·8 em Pak 43 L/71 21' 7:J,," 8,0001b 3,280 ft / see 360° _ 8 ° to +40° 221b 8·8 em Pak 43/41 L/71 21' 7:J,," 9,6601b 3,280 ft / see 56 ° - 5 ° to +38 ° 22 Ib 12·8 em K44 L/54.8 21' 9~" 22,1761b 3,020 ft/see 360 ° - 8 ° to +45 ° 62 '51b 2·8 em s pz B 41 5' 7~" 501 Ib 4,600 ft/see 90° - 5° to +45 ° 4·60z 4·2 em 1e

8 0Pak 41 7' 4~" 990 Ib 4,100 ft/see 44° - to +32 ° 0·691b 7·5 em Pak 41 L/55 13' 7:J,," 3,136 Ib 3,926 ft/see 60° -10° to +18 0 201 Ib 7 ·62 em Pak

_ 4 - 5° to +75 °36(r) L/51 12' 9~" 3,5641b 2,430 ft/see 60° 16'72 Ib 7·62 em Pak 39(r) 11' 5" 3,3601b 2,230 ft/see 57° - 6° to +45 ° 16 '72lb 7·5 em Pak

8 097 /38 L/36.3 9' 8" 2,6241b 1,870 ft/see 60° - to +25 ° 14·81b 4·7 em Pak 36(t) 6' 3" 800Ib 2,540 ft/see 45° - 4 ° to +30 0 3·61b

64

German Anti-tank Guns 1939-1945 T. J. Gander

First in a new 'Weapons Series', this book presents an easy-to­follow guide to all the major guns used in the anti-tank role in World War 2 by the German armed forces; there are over 80 pictures, numerous line drawings, descriptive texts, and data tables

ISBN 0 85524 141 1 (bound)

ISBN 0 85524 142 X (soft cov~":r · - -FRONT COVER: 3- 7 cm Pak 36 scores a hit on an advancing Soviet tank during -the invasion of Russia in J uly 1941. Note that only gunner and loader are with the gun remainder of the detachment being under cover. BACK COVER: 31 cm Pak 36 in action in France, May 1940, with full

detachment (F. J. Stephens) .

UK price: 95p net