Tank shell 40
The Panzerranate 1940 (short PzGr. 40 or Pzgr. 40 ) was a German standard grenade that was used in World War II . Manufactured in various calibers , it was a special armor-piercing ammunition for use in direct fire combat against heavily armored combat vehicles. Externally similar to the projectile of Pzgr. 39 , which was principally manufactured as grenade cartridge and from chariot guns (CHP), antitank guns (Pjk) and anti-tank guns could be fired (PAH). There were several changes until the end of the war.
Structure and use
In contrast to the PzGr. 39 (APCBC-HE-T) was the PzGr. 40 without explosive charge (HE), was therefore considered to be a “type-specific” bullet and would correspond to today's nomenclature APCBC ( English Armor Piercing, Capped, Ballistic Cap ; armor piercing, with cap and ballistic hood).
To improve the aerodynamic properties, the garnet point was also shaped as a ballistic hood (BC). It was made of plastic, cold-formable metal. When it hit an armored target, the hood was deformed, clung to the metal surface and formed a plug , through which the “armor-piercing tip” (APC), the actual impact body or “penetrator”, was driven armor-piercing. The penetrator itself was made of tungsten , but had to be replaced by an active body made of hardened steel in the course of the war due to a shortage of materials. The “tungsten grenades” for various artillery systems were manufactured as standard as grenade cartridges in the calibers 3.7 cm, 5 cm, 7.5 cm and 8.8 cm and used effectively. However, tungsten hard-core ammunition was no longer available for 12.8 cm weapon systems, such as the 12.8 cm KwK 44 .
Overall, in contrast to the PzGr. 39 had a greater net mass, which resulted in higher penetration forces at comparable acceleration values. All in all, this resulted in superior to satisfactory combat values in direct fire fighting for all distance ranges. However, the procurement of materials and the manufacture of the tungsten hard cores became more and more difficult. From 1943 on, production declined, which meant that it was only used to a limited extent. The PzGr, manufactured from 1944. 40 with a simple steel penetrator then also showed significantly lower penetration rates compared to the remaining stocks (if available at all) with a tungsten penetrator.
Use in various weapon systems
The grenade was specially designed for fighting armored combat vehicles and was continuously improved and modified until the end of the war. As one of the standard projectiles, it was manufactured in various calibers that could be fired in a number of weapon systems. The following overview shows, in relation to weapons (KwK / PaK / PjK), the penetration performance of different calibers of this projectile in comparison to other armor-piercing shell types.
| Weapon system | grenade | Distance ... / penetration value ... (in mm) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cannon | Caliber length | 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2000 m | |
|
2 cm KwK 30 2 cm KwK 38 |
L / 55 | PzGr. 39 | 20th | 14th | 9 | - | - |
| PzGr. 40 | 49 | 20th | - | - | - | ||
|
3.7 cm KwK 36 3.7 cm PaK 36 |
L / 45 | PzGr. 39 | 41 | 35 | 29 | 24 | - |
| PzGr. 40 | 64 | 34 | - | - | - | ||
| 5 cm KwK 38 | L / 42 | PzGr. 39 | 54 | 46 | 36 | 28 | 22nd |
| PzGr. 40 | 96 | 58 | - | - | - | ||
|
5 cm KwK 39 5 cm PaK 38 |
L / 60 | PzGr. 39 | 67 | 57 | 44 | 34 | 26th |
| PzGr. 40 | 130 | 72 | 38 | - | - | ||
|
7.5 cm KwK 37 (stub) |
L / 24 | PzGr. 39 | 41 | 39 | 35 | 33 | 30th |
| Gran. 38 St. | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | - | ||
| 7.5 cm KwK 40 | L / 43 | PzGr. 39 | 98 | 91 | 82 | 72 | 63 |
| PzGr. 40 | 126 | 108 | 87 | 69 | - | ||
| L / 48 | PzGr. 39 | 106 | 96 | 85 | 74 | 64 | |
| PzGr. 40 | 143 | 120 | 97 | 77 | - | ||
|
7.5 cm-KwK 42 7.5-cm-PaK 42 7.5-cm-PjK 42 |
L / 70 | PzGr. 39/42 | 138 | 124 | 111 | 99 | 89 |
| PzGr. 40/42 | 194 | 174 | 149 | 127 | 106 | ||
|
8.8 cm KwK 36 8.8 cm FlaK 36 |
L / 56 | PzGr. 39 | 120 | 110 | 100 | 91 | 84 |
| PzGr. 40 | 171 | 156 | 138 | 123 | 110 | ||
| Gran. 39 St. | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | ||
| 100% 1 | 100% 1 | 99% 1 | 91% 1 | 89% 1 | |||
|
8.8 cm KwK 43 8.8 cm PjK 43 8.8 cm PaK 43 |
L / 71 | PzGr. 39/43 | 203 | 185 | 165 | 148 | 132 |
| PzGr. 40/43 | 237 | 217 | 193 | 171 | 153 | ||
| Gran. 39/3 St. | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | ||
| 12.8 cm PaK 44 | L / 55 | PzGr. 39 | 187 | 166 | 143 | 127 | 117 |
| PzGr. 40/43 | 193 | 178 | 167 | 157 | 148 | ||
|
12.8 cm KwK 44 12.8 cm PjK 44 |
PzGr. 39 | - | 166 | 143 | - | 117 | |
| PzGr. 40/43 | 223 | 212 | 200 | 189 | 178 | ||
- Explanations
- Probability value (1–100) % 1 : penetration depth achieved experimentally, target area 2.5 m × 2.9 m
- Average penetration force against homogeneous, rolled armored steel plates at an angle of impact of 30 ° to the vertical of the armored vehicle.
Technical specifications
Different versions of the bullet were produced, which usually showed only minor changes. The respective specification was applied to the grenade and cartridge in the form of letter / number codes. The abbreviation "FES", for example, which can be found on many grenades, indicated the use of sintered iron in the guide bands - in contrast to the scarce brass, this led to high wear on the tubes. The red ring on the grenade body symbolized the presence of a pyrotechnic charge to generate a tracer.
For the PzGr. 40 different cartridge cases were made - with basically the same structure - in order to be able to fire them from different weapon systems of different caliber lengths. For example , the same projectile was fired from the 7.5 cm PaK 40 (L / 46) and the 7.5 cm KwK 40 (L / 48) with completely different grenade cartridges.
- Grenade cartridges 75 mm ammunition
- 75 × 495 mm R ( R = rim cartridge)
- 75 × 640 mm r
- 75 × 714 mm rows
literature
- Walter E. Wagenknecht: The manufacture of armored bullets. In: Deutsches Waffen Journal, No. 5-6, 1977.
- D 460/1 + bullet ring binder, Volume I, July 1939.
- D 460/10 + ring binder for explosive charges, Volume I, October 26, 1942.
- D 435/1, manual, ammunition for German guns and launchers, December 28, 1940.