5 cm KwK 38

The 5 cm KwK 38 L/42 (5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 38 L/42) was a German 50 mm calibre cannon used as the main armament of variants of the German SdKfz.141 Panzerkampfwagen III medium tank during the Second World War. There was no towed anti-tank gun equivalent.[1]

Ammunition

Average penetration performance established against rolled homogenous steel armour plate laid back at 30° from the vertical.[2]

PzGr (Armour Piercing)

  • Weight of projectile: 2.06 kg
  • Muzzle velocity: 685 m/s
100 m500 m1000 m1500 m
55 mm46 mm36 mm28 mm

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

  • Weight of projectile: 2.06 kg
  • Muzzle velocity: 685 m/s
100 m500 m1000 m1500 m
60 mm50 mm42 mm32 mm

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

  • Weight of projectile: 0.925 kg
  • Muzzle velocity: 1050 m/s
100 m500 m
94 mm55 mm
Penetration figures (90 degrees) uses American and British 50% success criteria,
and allowing direct comparison to foreign gun performance.[3]
Gun typeAmmunition typeMuzzle velocity
(m/s)		Penetration (mm)
100 m 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 2000 m
5.0 cm KwK 38 L/42 Pzgr. 39 APCBC 685 m/s (2,250 ft/s) 73 59 45 34 26
5.0 cm KwK 38 L/42 Pzgr. 40 APCR 1,050 m/s (3,400 ft/s) 130 94 63 42 28

Vehicles mounted on

  • Panzerkampfwagen III (Sd. Kfz. 141) - Ausf. F to J (serial production), several earlier models were re-equipped with this gun.[1]
  • VK 20 series proposed replacement of the Panzer III and IV[4]

See also

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

References

  1. 1 2 Rottman, Gordon L. (2008). M3 Medium Tank Vs Panzer III: Kasserine Pass 1943. Osprey Publishing. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-84603-261-5.
  2. ↑ Ankerstjerne, Christian. "Armor Penetration Table". Panzerworld. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  3. ↑ Bird, Lorrin Rexford; Livingston, Robert D. (2001). WWII Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery. Overmatch Press. p. 61.
  4. ↑ Jentz, Thomas; Doyle, Hilary. Germany's Panther Tank. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. p. 11. ISBN 0887408125.
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