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5 cm KwK 38

{{Short description|German tank weapon}}{{Infobox weapon

|name=5 cm KwK 38 (L/42)

|image=PzKpfwIIIF.Saumur.000a1y8q.jpg

|caption=Panzer III H with 5 cm KwK 38 L/42

|origin= Germany

|type= Kampfwagenkanone

|is_ranged=YES

|is_bladed=

|is_explosive=

|is_artillery=YES

|is_vehicle=

|service=

|used_by= {{Flag|Nazi Germany}}

|wars= World War II

|designer=

|design_date=

|manufacturer=

|unit_cost= 8,000 RM

|production_date=

|number=

|variants=

|weight= {{cvt|400|kg|1|lk=on}}

|part_length=

{{cvt|210|cm}} bore (42 calibers)

|width=

|height=

|crew=

|cartridge=Fixed ammunition {{cvt|50|×|289|mm}} R

|cartridge_weight= {{cvt|4.56|lb|order=flip}} armor-piercing (APC-HE) Pzgr. 39

|caliber={{cvt|50|mm|sigfig=3}}

|action=

|rate=

|velocity= {{cvt|685|m/s}}

|range=

|max_range=

|feed=

|sights=

|breech=

|recoil=

|carriage=

|elevation=-10° to +20°

|traverse=

}}

The 5 cm KwK 38 L/42 (5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 38 L/42) was a German 50 mm 42 calibre cannon used as the main armament of variants of the German Panzer III medium tank during the Second World War. The towed anti-tank gun equivalent was the PaK.37 of which 2,600 were produced from 1937 until 1940.{{Cite book|title=M3 Medium Tank Vs Panzer III: Kasserine Pass 1943 |series=Duel 10|url=https://archive.org/details/mmediumtankvspan1943rott |url-access=limited |first=Gordon L. |last=Rottman |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2008 |page=[https://archive.org/details/mmediumtankvspan1943rott/page/n12 20] |isbn=978-1-84603-261-5}}

History

File:Panzer III Ausf. F 5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 39 L60 right.jpg Ausf. F]]

The Panzer III was intended to fight other tanks; in the initial design stage a {{convert|50|mm|in|2|adj=on}} gun was specified. However, the infantry at the time were being equipped with the {{convert|37|mm|in|2|abbr=on|adj=on}} 3.7 cm PaK 36, and it was thought that, in the interest of standardization, the tanks should carry the same armament. As a compromise, the turret ring was made large enough to accommodate a {{convert|50|mm|in|2|abbr=on|adj=on}} gun should a future upgrade be required. This single decision later assured the Panzer III a prolonged life in the German Army.Perrett (1999), p. 4.

The early Panzer III Ausf. A to early Ausf. G were equipped with a 3.7 cm KwK 36 L/45, which proved adequate during the campaigns of 1939 and 1940.Perrett (1999), p. 6. In response to increasingly better armed and armored opponents, the later Panzer III Ausf. F to Ausf. J were upgraded with the 5 cm KwK 38 L/42.Perrett (1999), p. 7. And the later Panzer III Ausf. J¹ to M went with the longer 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 gun.Perrett (1999), p. 8.

Ammunition

Average penetration performance established against rolled homogenous steel armour plate laid back at 30° from the vertical.{{cite web|url=https://panzerworld.com/5-cm-kw-k|title=5 cm Kw K|date=13 August 2014|website=Panzerworld|access-date=24 May 2019|last1=Ankerstjerne|first1=Christian}}

;PzGr (Armour Piercing)

  • Weight of projectile: {{cvt|2.06|kg}}
  • Muzzle velocity: {{cvt|685|m/s}}

class="wikitable"
Range{{cvt|100|m|disp=br()}}{{cvt|500|m|disp=br()}}{{cvt|1000|m|disp=br()}}{{cvt|1500|m|disp=br()}}
Penetration

| {{cvt|53|mm}} || {{cvt|43|mm}} || {{cvt|32|mm}} || {{cvt|24|mm}}

;PzGr. 39 (Armour-piercing, capped, ballistic cap)

  • Weight of projectile: 2.06 kg
  • Muzzle velocity: 685 m/s

class="wikitable"
Range{{cvt|100|m|disp=br()}}{{cvt|500|m|disp=br()}}{{cvt|1000|m|disp=br()}}{{cvt|1500|m|disp=br()}}
Penetration

| {{cvt|55|mm}} || {{cvt|47|mm}} || {{cvt|37|mm}} || {{cvt|28|mm}}

;PzGr. 40 (Armour-piercing, composite, rigid)

  • Weight of projectile: {{cvt|0.925|kg}}
  • Muzzle velocity: {{cvt|1050|m/s}}

class="wikitable"
Range{{cvt|100|m|disp=br()}}{{cvt|500|m|disp=br()}}{{cvt|1000|m|disp=br()}}{{cvt|1500|m|disp=br()}}
Penetration

| {{cvt|94|mm}} || {{cvt|55|mm}} || — || —

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

|+Estimated 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"| AP

|style="text-align:center"|{{convert|2247|ft/s|abbr=on|disp=br()}}

| {{cvt|76|mm}}

| {{cvt|58|mm}}

| {{cvt|41|mm}}

| {{cvt|29|mm}}

| {{cvt|21|mm}}

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

|style="text-align:center"|{{convert|1,050|m/s|abbr=on|disp=br()}}

| {{cvt|107|mm}}

| 74 mm

| {{cvt|47|mm}}

| {{cvt|30|mm}}

| 20 mm

Vehicles mounted on

  • Panzer III (Sd. Kfz. 141) - Ausf. F to J (serial production), several earlier models were re-equipped with this gun.
  • VK 20 series proposed replacement of the Panzer III and IV{{cite book|last1=Jentz|first1=Thomas|last2=Doyle|first2=Hilary|title=Germany's Panther Tank|year=1995|url=https://archive.org/details/germanyspanthert00jent|url-access=limited|publisher=Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=0887408125|pages=[https://archive.org/details/germanyspanthert00jent/page/n69 11]}}

See also

=Weapons of comparable role, performance and era=

References

=Citations=

{{Reflist}}

=Bibliography=

  • {{cite book |last=Perrett |first=Bryan |date=1999 |title=Panzerkampfwagen III: Medium Tank 1936–44 |series=New Vanguard 27 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=1-85532-845-3}}

{{WWIIGermanGuns}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:5 cm Kwk 38}}

Category:Tank guns of Germany

Category:World War II artillery of Germany

Category:50 mm artillery

Category:World War II tank guns

Category:Military equipment introduced from 1940 to 1944