5 cm KwK 39
| 5 cm KwK 39 | |
|---|---|
|
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| General Information | |
| Military designation: | 5 cm chariot cannon |
| Manufacturer country: |
.svg){kind=small} German Empire
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| 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.
- 5 cm Flak 41 , anti -aircraft gun
- 5-cm BK, on-board cannon of the Me 410A-1 / U4 and Junkers Ju 88 P-4, modified as MK 214 for the Me 262A-1a / U4
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 | 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
- Panzerkampfwagen III (Sd.Kfz. 141/1) Ausf. J / L to M (standard equipment) Various earlier models were upgraded with this cannon.
- Armored car Sd.Kfz. 234 /2
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ 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.
- ↑ Gordon L. Rottman, pp. 4-5
- ↑ Armor Penetration Table. Retrieved February 14, 2020 .
- ↑ Germany's 50 mm penetration tables