German antitank weapons

The long lineage of German antitank guns

During WW2 Germany used a great variety of antitank weaponry, starting with a generic light gun and as the war progressed and Germany was found itself on the defensive, better and more powerful antitank guns were developed, as well as rockets, mines and even a guided antitank missile in 1945.

Summary (posts done):

3,7 cm PAK 36

7,5 cm PAK 40

From 1933 to 1945, the Wehrmacht took delivery to tens of thousands of antitank guns, from the puny standard 37 mm to the legendary 8.8 cm Pak 43 extrapolated from the AA gun. The wartime German arsenal comprised in all 15 models registered, like the unusual 2.8 cm sPzB 41, the very common 7.5 cm Pak 40, or the fearful 8.8 cm Pak 43.

PAK-36

12,000 were built of this light standard infantry AT gun which was the ordnance main issue. Infamously called “door-knocker device” in the 1940 campaign because of its poor perforlances against heavily-armored allied tanks, it was sufficient against lighter armoured vehicle and stayed into service to the last day of the war, recycled to fire shaped-charges like the Stielgränat 41. Read More

sPzB41 antitank gun

The 2.8 cm sPzB 41 was Basically a super-high velocity tapering barrel gun of “real” 20mm caliber. Despite this small caliber, it could launch a projectile 4,500 feet per second (1,400 m/s) at 500m, capable of piercing 52 to 69 mm of hardened steel inclined at 70° at 100m. About 2,797 were built by Mauser. It was a development of the experimental Gerlich’s coned-bore barrel 7 mm anti-tank rifle.

4.2 cm Pak 41:

An airborne version of the regular Pak 36, but using the same squeeze bore principle as described above for a real final caliber of 28 mm. Only 313 were delivered. They could defeat 87 mm of straight armour at 500m.

4.7 cm Pak 38(t):

Captured Czech AT gun, which famously equipped the Panzerjäger I during the French campaign and catpured R35 tanks. Also called 4,7cm KPÚV vz. 38 originally production resumed in 1940 by Skoda Works, and its 775 m/s (2,542 ft/s) muzzle velocity gave the ability to defeat 60 mm of hardened steel (2.4 in) @ 1,200 metres (1,300 yd).

4.7 cm Pak 181(f):

Captured french AT gun originally called 47 mm APX anti-tank gun which also equipped the Char B1 and S35. It had a 855 m/s (2,805 ft/s) muzzle velocity.

7.5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 97/38

Captured French AT gun (the venerable 1898 “soixante-quinze”) was declined as an AT gun with pneumatic tires and tailored shield. Originally 4500 Canon de 75 Mle 1897/33s were in service in WW2 in France alone, and it was also the main dual-purpose gun of the Polish Army. The Germans have these modified by a new muzzle brake and mounted on a 5 cm Pak 38 carriage, then sent to the Eastern front. But they lacked modern AP shells and had a low muzzle velocity. The unmodified ones were named in German service 7.5 cm Pak 97/38(f).

5 cm Pak 38

Early standard German AT gun (9500+) produced by Rheinmetall until 1945. Best results obtained with Panzergranate 40 APCR shots with a hard tungsten core. Muzzle velocity 550-1,130 m/s (1,804-3,707 ft/s), 3000 yards range.

7.5 cm Pak 40:

German standard WW2 AT Gun, more than 20,000 built until 1945. Effective at 1,800 metres (5,906 ft) in direct fire, with the APCR round muzzle velocity was 933 m/s, it could penetrate 154 mm of straight hardened steel at 500m. Rounds in use were the PzGr. 39, PzGr. 40 and PzGr. 38 HL/B (HE shell). Was used also by Finland and Hungary.

7.5 cm Pak 41

Krupp Semi-experimental (150 built until 1943) and using the Gerlich principle: Real diameter was 55mm. With the AP round muzzle velocity was 1,230 m/s (4,035 ft/s), and it was effective at 2200 yards. It could penetrate 172 mm @30° at 500m.

7.5 cm Pak 42

Also used on the Panther (Kwk 42). Can use the Panzergranate 39/42 (Pzgr. 39/42), Panzergranate 40 (Hk) (Pzgr. 40/42) and Sprenggranate 42 (Sprgr. 42) (HE). Best performances with the Pzgr. 40/42 (APCR) reaching 1,130 m/s (3,700 ft/s), penetrating 234 at 500m. Prod?

7.62 cm Pak 36(r):

Captured Soviet gun, about 560 converted. These 76-mm divisional guns model 1936 (F-22) were originally designed as field gun but with AT capabilities in mind. Best performances were obtained with the German-built 7.62 cm Pzgr.40, which can penetrate 158mm of 60° hardened steel at 500m and more.

8 cm PAW 600:

Semi-experimental high-low pressure gun firing hollow charges, developed by Rheinmetall. 260 Built 1943-44. Could fire at 520 m/s (1,706 ft/s) and 700m effective range and armor penetration was 140mm of vertical armor with a common shaped-charge 8 cm W Gr Patr H1 4462.

8,8 cm Pak 43

AT adaptation by Krupp and Rheintemall of the legendary anti-aircraft 88mm gun. Produced to about 2,100 until 1945. Use a tailored carriage of the cruciform quad mount. Effective at 2000m and more in almost flat trajecories it could fire indirectly at 15,000m. Could fire the versatile Pzgr. 39/43 APCBC-HE (can penetrate 185 mm at 500m) or the Pzgr. 40/43 APCR (penetration 217mm at 500m, up to 153 mm at 2000m with almost 50% first hit capability.

12.8 cm Pak 44

Most massive AT gun in use by the Werhmacht, produced by Krupp to just 51 unit until 1945. Variation of the type used on the Jagdtiger. Can fire about the same ammunitions and figures similar to the 8.8 cm Pak 43 but long range results were better. It was capable to penetrate 230 millimetres (9.1 in) 30° at 1000 m. Used a quad (two axles), two-legged mount.

Recoiless guns

-7.5 cm LG 40, -10.5 cm LG 40 and -10.5 cm LG 42. The latter had a muzzle velocity of 195 m/s (640 ft/s) or 335 m/s (1,099 ft/s) depending on the projectiles. These were light, portable guns for airborne units, best used against infantry as penetration power was rather poor.

FLAK guns

They were used in casual AT role: 2 cm Flak 30/38/Flakvierling 2 cm Gebirgsflak 38 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/43 5 cm Flak 41 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41 10.5 cm FlaK 38 12.8 cm FlaK 40. The 88 was famously deployed in France by Rommel to stop the rampaging British Mathilda at Amiens and in several other occasions in North Africa and the Eastern Front.

Tank guns

in use were the 2 cm KwK 30 (like on the panzer II), Czech 3,7cm ÚV vz. 38 (used on the Panzer 38(t), 5 cm KwK 38 5 cm, KwK 39 7.5 cm, KwK 37 7.5 cm, KwK 40 7.5 cm, KwK 42 8.8 cm and KwK 36 8.8 cm KwK 43 used from the Panzer III to the Panzer VII Königstiger.