5 cm Pak 38
| 5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 38 (L/60) | ||
|---|---|---|
Rheinmetall-Borsig | ||
| Unit cost | 10,600 ℛ︁ℳ︁ | |
| Produced | 1940–1943 | |
| No. built | 9,566[1] | |
| Specifications | ||
| Mass |
| |
| Length | 4.75 m (15.6 ft) | |
| Barrel length | 300 cm (120 in) bore (60 calibres) | |
| Width | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |
| Height | 1.05 m (3 ft 5 in) | |
| Crew | 5 | |
| Shell | Fixed QF 50×420mm R [2] 5 cm Pzgr. Breech Horizontal sliding-wedge | |
| Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic[3] | |
| Carriage | Split-trail | |
| Elevation | -8° to +27°[3] | |
| Traverse | 65° | |
| Rate of fire | 13 rounds/min | |
| Muzzle velocity | 550-1,130 m/s (1,804-3,707 ft/s) | |
| Maximum firing range | 2,700 m (3,000 yd) | |
| Feed system | Manual | |
| Sights | Z.F. 3x8° | |
The 5 cm Pak 38 (L/60) (5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 38 (L/60)) was a German anti-tank gun of 50 mm calibre. It was developed in 1938 by Rheinmetall-Borsig AG as a successor to the 3.7 cm Pak 36, and was in turn followed by the 7.5 cm Pak 40. The unique curved gun-shield design differed from most WWII anti-tank guns which had either one flat or two angled and one flat gun-shield plates for ease of manufacturing.
Development
After the
Variants
The original tank gun for the Panzer III was the 5 cm KwK 38, which despite being the same 5 cm caliber had a lower muzzle velocity due to the shorter barrel length (L/42 calibers) and smaller cartridge. When a more powerful gun with greater penetration was needed for the Panzer III the longer barrel 5 cm KwK 39 gun (L/60 calibers) was developed as a variant of the 5 cm Pak 38 towed anti-tank gun.[5]
Service
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The Pak 38 was first used by the
Although it was replaced by more powerful weapons, it remained a useful weapon and remained in service with the Wehrmacht until the end of the war.
The Pak 38 carriage was also used for the
Romania imported 110 Pak 38s in March 1943. The guns remained in service with the Romanian Armed Forces until 1954, when the 57 mm anti-tank gun M1943 (ZiS-2) replaced them.[6]
Performance
| Range | Penetration at contact angle 0° |
|---|---|
| AP | |
| 100 m (110 yd) | 100 mm (3.9 in) |
| 500 m (550 yd) | 79 mm (3.1 in) |
| 1,000 m (1,100 yd) | 60 mm (2.4 in) |
| 1,500 m (1,600 yd) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| APC | |
| 100 m (110 yd) | 96 mm (3.8 in) |
| 500 m (550 yd) | 79 mm (3.1 in) |
| 1,000 m (1,100 yd) | 62 mm (2.4 in) |
| 1,500 m (1,600 yd) | 49 mm (1.9 in) |
| APCR | |
| 100 m (110 yd) | 149 mm (5.9 in) |
| 500 m (550 yd) | 108 mm (4.3 in) |
| 1,000 m (1,100 yd) | 72 mm (2.8 in) |
| 1,500 m (1,600 yd) | 48 mm (1.9 in) |
References
- ^ Battistelli, Pier Paolo (2008) Panzer Divisions: The Eastern Front 1941-43
- ^ "Munition der 5 cm Pak 38". www.michaelhiske.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ OCLC 911907988.
- OCLC 1299755.
- ISBN 978-1-84603-261-5.
- ISBN 978-606-524-080-3. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
- OCLC 71143143.
- Gander, Terry; Chamberlain, Peter (1979). Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939–1945. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-15090-3.
- Hogg, Ian V. (1997). German Artillery of World War Two (2nd corrected ed.). Mechanicsville: Stackpole Books. ISBN 1-85367-480-X.
External links
