3.7 cm KwK 36

{{Infobox weapon

| name = 3.7 cm KwK 36

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-318-0083-30, Polen, Panzer III mit Panzersoldaten.jpg

| caption = Panzer III mounted with the 3.7 cm KwK 36

| origin = Nazi Germany

| type = Tank gun

| is_ranged = yes

| is_artillery = yes

| is_vehicle =

| service =

| used_by = Nazi Germany

| wars = World War II

| designer =

| design_date =

| manufacturer =

| unit_cost =

| production_date = 1930s

| number =

| variants =

| spec_label =

| weight =

| length =

| part_length =

| width =

| height =

| diameter =

| crew =

| cartridge = 37 × 249 mm. R

| caliber = 37 mm (1.45 in)

| barrels =

| action =

| rate =

| velocity = 762 m/s (2,500 ft/s)

| range = 300 m (328 yds)

| max_range = 5,484 m (5,997 yds)

| feed =

| sights =

| breech =

| recoil =

| carriage = Turret

| elevation =

| traverse = 360°

}}

The 3.7 cm KwK 36 L/45 (3.7 cm Kampfwagenkanone 36 L/45) was a German 3.7 cm cannon used primarily as the main armament of earlier variants of the German Sd.Kfz. 141 Panzerkampfwagen III medium tank. It was used during the Second World War.

It was essentially the 3.7 cm Pak 36 modified for use in a rotating enclosed turret.

Ammunition

The 3.7 cm KwK 36 used the 37 x 249 mm. R cartridge. Average penetration performance established against rolled homogeneous steel armor plate laid back at 30° from the vertical.{{cite web|url=http://www.panzerworld.com/armor-penetration-table|title=Armor Penetration Table|website=Panzerworld|access-date=23 October 2016|last1=Ankerstjerne|first1=Christian}}

;PzGr.18 (Armour-piercing)

Weight of projectile: {{convert|0.658|kg|lboz|abbr=on}}
Muzzle velocity: {{convert|745|m/s|abbr=on}}

class="wikitable"

100 m

|500 m

|1000 m

|1500 m

|2000 m

34 mm

|29 mm

|23 mm

|19 mm

| --

;PzGr.40 (Armour-piercing composite rigid)

Weight of projectile: {{convert|0.368|kg|lboz|abbr=on}}
Muzzle velocity: {{convert|1020| m/s|abbr=on}}

class="wikitable"

100 m

|500 m

|1000 m

|1500 m

|2000 m

64 mm

|31 mm

| --

PzGr.39 - Armour-piercing

Sprgr.Patr.34 - High-explosive

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; width: 100%" \|+Calculated penetration (at 90 degrees) using American and British 50% success criteria, and allowing comparison to performance of other guns.{{cite book\|last1=Bird \|first1=Lorrin Rexford\|last2=Livingston\|first2=Robert D.\|title=WWII Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery\|date=2001\|publisher=Overmatch Press\|page=61}} ! rowspan=2\|Ammunition type ! rowspan=2\|Muzzle velocity	colspan=10\|Penetration
100 m ! 500 m ! 1000 m ! 1500 m ! {{cvt\|2000\|m}}
style="text-align:center"\| Pzgr. APHE \|style="text-align:center"\|745 m/s \| {{cvt\|64\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|52\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|40\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|30\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|23\|mm}}
style="text-align:center"\| Pzgr. 40 APCR \|style="text-align:center"\|1,020 m/s \| {{cvt\|90\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|48\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|22\|mm}} \| -- \| --

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; width: 100%"

|+Calculated penetration (at 90 degrees) using American and British 50% success criteria,
and allowing comparison to performance of other guns.{{cite book|last1=Bird |first1=Lorrin Rexford|last2=Livingston|first2=Robert D.|title=WWII Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery|date=2001|publisher=Overmatch Press|page=61}}

! rowspan=2|Ammunition type

! rowspan=2|Muzzle velocity

colspan=10|Penetration

100 m

! 500 m

! 1000 m

! 1500 m

! {{cvt|2000|m}}

style="text-align:center"| Pzgr. APHE

|style="text-align:center"|745 m/s

| {{cvt|64|mm}}

| {{cvt|52|mm}}

| {{cvt|40|mm}}

| {{cvt|30|mm}}

| {{cvt|23|mm}}

style="text-align:center"| Pzgr. 40 APCR

|style="text-align:center"|1,020 m/s

| {{cvt|90|mm}}

| {{cvt|48|mm}}

| {{cvt|22|mm}}

| --

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; width: 100%"
+Revised penetration statistics due to HE burster size, projectile weight, and possible decreases of early war metal quality.
rowspan="2" \|Ammunition type ! rowspan="2" \|Muzzle velocity\|\| colspan="11" \|Penetration
100 m ! 250 m ! 500 m ! 750 m ! 1000 m ! 1250 m ! 1500 m ! 1750 m ! 2000 m ! 2500 m ! {{cvt\|3000\|m}}
style="text-align:center" \| Pzgr. APHE \| style="text-align:center" \|745 m/s \| {{cvt\|49\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|45\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|40\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|35\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|30\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|27\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|23\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|20\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|18\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|14\|mm}} \| {{cvt\|11\|mm}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; width: 100%"

+Revised penetration statistics due to HE burster size, projectile weight, and possible decreases of early war metal quality.

rowspan="2" |Ammunition type

! rowspan="2" |Muzzle velocity|| colspan="11" |Penetration

100 m

! 250 m

! 500 m

! 750 m

! 1000 m

! 1250 m

! 1500 m

! 1750 m

! 2000 m

! 2500 m

! {{cvt|3000|m}}

style="text-align:center" | Pzgr. APHE

| style="text-align:center" |745 m/s

| {{cvt|49|mm}}

| {{cvt|45|mm}}

| {{cvt|40|mm}}

| {{cvt|35|mm}}

| {{cvt|30|mm}}

| {{cvt|27|mm}}

| {{cvt|23|mm}}

| {{cvt|20|mm}}

| {{cvt|18|mm}}

| {{cvt|14|mm}}

| {{cvt|11|mm}}

Vehicles mounted on

Leichttraktor
Neubaufahrzeug
Sd.Kfz. 141 Panzerkampfwagen III versions A until E (de: Ausfertigung A bis E)
Sd.Kfz. 141 Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. F (the last 100 Ausf. F mounted the 5 cm KwK 38 L/42 gun)
Sd.Kfz. 141 Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. G (the first 50 Ausf. G)

Notes

2. http://www.wehrmacht-history.com/heer/panzer-armaments/3.7-cm-kwk-36.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225120206/http://www.wehrmacht-history.com/heer/panzer-armaments/3.7-cm-kwk-36.htm |date=25 February 2014 }}{{WWIIGermanGuns}}

Category:Tank guns of Germany

Category:World War II artillery of Germany

Category:37 mm artillery

Category:World War II tank guns

Category:Military equipment introduced in the 1930s

3.7&nbsp;cm KwK 36

Ammunition

Vehicles mounted on

Notes

3.7 cm KwK 36