5 cm KwK 39
The 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 (5 cm KV-1 tanks were encountered in ever increasing numbers on the Eastern Front, although it was only partially successful in its role. It was later superseded by the 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/43.
It was also mounted on the
Me 410
aircraft.
History
The gun was developed as a variant of the
Panzer IV Ausf. F2 (and the longer L/48
on subsequent Ausf. versions) to fight the KV and T-34 tanks.
Ammunition
Average penetration performance established against rolled homogenous steel armour plate laid back at 30° from the vertical. KwK 39 used shell 50×420 mm. R [3]
- PzGr (Armour-piercing)
- Weight of projectile: 2.06 kg (4 lb 9 oz)
- Muzzle velocity: 835 m/s (2,740 ft/s)
| Range | 100 m (330 ft) |
500 m (1,600 ft) |
1,000 m (3,300 ft) |
1,500 m (4,900 ft) |
2,000 m (6,600 ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penetration | 67 mm (2.6 in) |
57 mm (2.2 in) |
44 mm (1.7 in) |
34 mm (1.3 in) |
— |
- PzGr. 39 (Armour-piercing, capped, ballistic cap)
- Weight of projectile: 2.06 kg (4 lb 9 oz)
- Muzzle velocity: 835 m/s (2,740 ft/s)
| Range | 100 m (330 ft) |
500 m (1,600 ft) |
1,000 m (3,300 ft) |
1,500 m (4,900 ft) |
2,000 m (6,600 ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penetration | 69 mm (2.7 in) |
59 mm (2.3 in) |
48 mm (1.9 in) |
37 mm (1.5 in) |
— |
PzGr. 40 (Armour-piercing, composite, rigid)
- Weight of projectile: 0.9 kg (2 lb 0 oz)
- Muzzle velocity: 1,180 m/s (3,900 ft/s)
| Range | 100 m (330 ft) |
500 m (1,600 ft) |
1,000 m (3,300 ft) |
1,500 m (4,900 ft) |
2,000 m (6,600 ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penetration | 130 mm (5.1 in) |
72 mm (2.8 in) |
38 mm (1.5 in) |
— | — |
- PzGr. 40/1 (Armour-piercing, composite, rigid)
- Weight of projectile: 1.06 kg (2 lb 5 oz)
- Muzzle velocity: 1,130 m/s (3,700 ft/s)
| Range | 100 m (330 ft) |
500 m (1,600 ft) |
1,000 m (3,300 ft) |
1,500 m (4,900 ft) |
2,000 m (6,600 ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penetration | 116 mm (4.6 in) |
76 mm (3.0 in) |
— | — | — |
| Gun type | Ammunition type | Muzzle velocity (m/s) |
Penetration (mm) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2000 m | |||||||||
| 5.0 cm KwK 39 L/60 | Pzgr. 39 APCBC | 835 m/s (2,740 ft/s) | 102 | 85 | 68 | 54 | 43 | ||||||
| 5.0 cm KwK 39 L/60 | Pzgr. 40 APCR | 1,180 m/s (3,900 ft/s) | 149 | 108 | 72 | 56 | 48 | ||||||
- 5 cm Sprgr.Patr.38 (High explosive) [6]
- Weight of projectile: 1.82 kg (4 lb 0 oz)
- Muzzle velocity: 550 m/s (1,800 ft/s)
Vehicles mounted on
- Panzerkampfwagen III (Sd. Kfz. 141/1) Ausf. J to M (serial production).[1]Several earlier models were re-equipped with this gun.
- Sd. Kfz. 234/2 - eight wheel armoured car
Aerial version
Bordkanone-series
BK 5
heavy-caliber autocannon
See also
Weapons of comparable role, performance and era
- British Ordnance QF 6-pounder
- Soviet 57 mm anti-tank gun M1943 (ZiS-2)
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 5 cm KwK 39.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84603-261-5.
- ^ Rottman, Gordon L. p.4-5
- ^ "Munition der 5 cm Pak 38/KwK 39". www.michaelhiske.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ a b c d Ankerstjerne, Christian. "Armor Penetration Table". PanzerWorld.com.
- ^ Bird, Lorrin Rexford; Livingston, Robert D. (2001). WWII Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery. Overmatch Press. p. 61.
- ^ "Germany's 50 mm Guns". WWIIvehicles.com. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
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