5 cm KwK 39

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5 cm KwK 39


5 cm KwK in front of Sd.Kfz armored car. 234

General Information
Military designation: 5 cm chariot cannon
Manufacturer country: German Reich NSGerman Reich (Nazi era) German Empire
Developer / Manufacturer: Rheinmetall - Borsig
Development year: 1939
Production time: 1939 to 1945
Weapon Category: Chariot cannon
Technical specifications
Pipe length: 3,000 mm
Caliber :

5 cm

Caliber length : L / 60
Cadence : 13 rounds / min
Elevation range: -10 ° to + 20 ° angular degrees
Side straightening area: 360 °

The 5-cm-KwK 39 was a combat vehicle cannon with a caliber length of L / 60, which was primarily used as the main armament in Panzerkampfwagen III from 1941 during the Second World War .

It was intended for combat use in World War II, primarily on the Eastern Front against the well-armored T-34 and KW-1 tanks, but did not meet the expectations there.

history

During the development of this combat vehicle cannon, essential parts of the 5 cm anti-tank gun PaK 38 were used, which later stood out especially in the African campaign against the British cruiser tanks, but also the American tanks of the M3 Stuart type .

In combat operations on the Eastern Front against the Soviet T-34 and KW-1 tanks, the 5 cm KwK 39 that was created was more promising than the shorter KwK 38, but it was still inadequate. In frontal fire, the T-34 and KW-1 could only be switched off at a dangerously short range.

Variations

The following weapons were developed based on the KwK 39.

Types of ammunition

Average penetration force against homogeneous, rolled armored steel plates at an angle of impact of 30 ° to the vertical of the armored vehicle.

Ammunition type and penetration
ammunition Projectile weight Muzzle
velocity

()
Penetration after ...
100 m 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 2000 m
PzGr. 39 2.060 kg 835 m / s 69 mm 59 mm 48 mm 37 mm -
PzGr. 40 0.900 kg 1,180 m / s 130 mm 72 mm 38 mm - -
PzGr. 40/41 1.060 kg 1,130 m / s 116 mm 76 mm - - -
5 cm high explosive grenade cartridge 38, short
Sprgr.Patr. 38 (high explosive fragmentation projectile)
  • Projectile mass : 1.82 kg
  • Muzzle velocity : 550 m / s

Carrier platforms

See also

Web links

Commons : 5-cm-KwK 39  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Gordon L. Rottman: M3 Medium Tank Vs Panzer III: Kasserine Pass 1943 . Osprey Publishing, 2008, ISBN 978-1-84603-261-5 , p. 20.
  2. Gordon L. Rottman, pp. 4-5
  3. Armor Penetration Table. Retrieved February 14, 2020 .
  4. Germany's 50 mm penetration tables