3.7 cm KwK 36
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.
| 3.7 cm KwK 36 | |
|---|---|
 Panzer III mounted with the 3.7 cm KwK 36 | |
| Type | Tank gun |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1930s |
| Specifications | |
| Shell | 37 × 249 mm. R |
| Caliber | 37 mm (1.45 in) |
| Carriage | Turret |
| Traverse | 360° |
| Muzzle velocity | 762 m/s (2,500 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 300 m (328 yds) |
| Maximum firing range | 5,484 m (5,997 yds) |
It was essentially the 3.7 cm Pak 36 used as a tank gun.
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.[1]
- PzGr.18 (Armour-piercing)
- Weight of projectile: 0.658 kg (1 lb 7.2 oz)
- Muzzle velocity: 745 m/s (2,440 ft/s)
| 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: 0.368 kg (13.0 oz)
- Muzzle velocity: 1,020 m/s (3,300 ft/s)
| 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2000 m |
| 64 mm | 31 mm | -- | -- | -- |
PzGr.39 - Armour-piercing
Sprgr.Patr.34 - High-explosive
| Ammunition type | Muzzle velocity | Penetration | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2,000 m (6,600 ft) | |||||||
| Pzgr. APHE | 745 m/s | 64 mm (2.5 in) | 52 mm (2.0 in) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 30 mm (1.2 in) | 23 mm (0.91 in) | |||||
| Pzgr. 40 APCR | 1,020 m/s | 90 mm (3.5 in) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 22 mm (0.87 in) | -- | -- | |||||
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
- Ankerstjerne, Christian. "Armor Penetration Table". Panzerworld. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- Bird, Lorrin Rexford; Livingston, Robert D. (2001). WWII Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery. Overmatch Press. p. 61.
2. http://www.wehrmacht-history.com/heer/panzer-armaments/3.7-cm-kwk-36.htm Archived 25 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine
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