7.62 cm PaK 36(r)
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| 7,62 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 36(Russland) | |
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 PaK 36(r) anti-tank gun, displayed on the grounds of CFB Borden. |
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| Type | anti-tank gun |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Number built | 560 ? |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 1,710 kg |
| Barrel length | bore: 3,680 mm / 48.4 calibers overall: 3,895 mm / 51.2 calibers (without muzzle brake) |
| Crew | 6 |
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| Caliber | 76.2 mm |
| Breech | vertical block |
| Recoil | hydropneumatic |
| Carriage | split trail |
| Elevation | 60° |
| Traverse | -6° to 18° |
| Rate of fire | 10-12 rounds per minute |
The 7.62 cm PaK 36(r) (7,62 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 36(russland)) was a German anti-tank gun used by the Wehrmacht in World War II. The gun was a conversion of the Soviet 76-mm divisional gun M1936 (F-22).
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[edit] Description
Like F-22, PaK 36(r) had split-trail carriage with suspension and steel wheels with rubber types. The gun was equipped with semi-automatic vertical breech block; recoil mechanism consisted of hydraulic recoil buffer and hydropneumatic recuperator. There was no limber; the gun therefore could not be towed by a horse team.
[edit] Development history
Soon after the German invasion of the USSR in 1941, Wehrmacht units encountered new Soviet tanks, the medium T-34 and the heavy KV. Thick sloped armor of these vehicles gave them good degree of protection against German anti-tank weapons. The situation eventually led to requests for more powerful guns that would be able to destroy the aforementioned tanks from long range. Since Germany already had a suitable design, the 7.5 cm PaK 40, it entered production and in November 1941 first pieces were delivered. But until enough of those will be manufactured, some expedient solution was required.
In the early stage of the war, Germans captured a large number (up to 1,300) of Soviet 76-mm divisional guns model 1936 (F-22). Developed with anti-aircraft abilities in mind, the Soviet gun had powerful ballistics; it was also originally intended to use more powerful cartridge then the one eventually adopted. However the design had some shortcomings which made it not very effective in the anti-tank role. In late 1941 German engineers developed a modernization program, which included:
- Rechambering for a more powerful round. The German cartridge was nearly twice as long as the Soviet one (715 mm vs 385.3 mm) and wider (100 mm vs 90 mm), resulting in 2.4 times larger propellant load.
- Controls were moved to the left side of the barrel, near the sights.
- Recoil mechanism was improved.
- Maximum elevation angle was limited to 18 degrees.
- The carriage was equipped with a new, lower shield.
- Many (but not all) guns were fitted with muzzle brake.
[edit] Production
First guns were delivered in April 1942. Until the end of the year Germans converted 358 pieces, 169 in 1943 and 33 in 1944. Additionally, 894 barrels were prepared for use in self-propelled guns. It is likely that these numbers include PaK 39(r), a similarly upgraded 76-mm M1939 (up to 300 pieces).
| Production of the ammunition for PaK 36(r) and PaK 39(r), thousands[1] | |||||
| Shell type | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | Total | |
| HE-Frag | 769.4 | 1,071.3 | 857.7 | 2,698.4 | |
| AP, all types | 359.4 | 597.3 | 437.3 | 1,394.0 | |
[edit] Employment
PaK 36(r) saw combat on the Eastern Front and in North Africa. The gun was actively used in both anti-tank and field artillery roles until the end of the war. As late as March 1945 Wehrmacht still possessed 165 PaK 36(r) and PaK 39(r). The scale of use can be illustrated by the amount of amunition consumed: 49,000 AP and 8,170 subcaliber AP shells in 1942, and 151,390 in 1943. For the sake of comparison, in 1942 the aforementioned PaK 40 fired 42,430 AP and 13,380 HEAT shells; in 1943 the numbers grew significantly to 401,100 AP and 374,000 HEAT.
The modernized barrels were also mounted in the below types of self-propelled guns:
- 7,62 cm Pak 36(r) auf Pz.IID Marder II (Sd.Kfz.132) - lightly armoured tank destroyer on Panzer II light tank chassis.
- 7,62 cm Pak 36(r) auf Pz.38(t) Marder III (Sd.Kfz.139) - lightly armoured tank destroyer on Panzer 38(t) light tank chassis.
A number of PaK 36(r) guns were captured by the Red Army (e.g. in the Battle of Stalingrad) and were adopted by anti-tank battalions.
[edit] Summary
When PaK 36(r) reached the battlefield, it was able to destroy any contemporary tank at normal combat ranges. Although the gun was heavier and had somewhat smaller penetration figures than the purpose-built PaK 40, there is no doubt that the modernization of F-22 provided Wehrmacht with very effective anti-tank gun at only fraction of the cost of producing one from scratch.
[edit] Ammunition
| Available ammunition[1] | |||||
| Type | Model | Weight, kg | HE weight, g | Muzzle velocity, m/s | Range, m |
| Armor-piercing shells | |||||
| APCBC/HE | 7,62 cm Pzgr.39 | 7,6 | 24, phlegmatized RDX | 740 | 4,000 |
| APCR | 7,62 cm Pzgr.40 | 4,065 | - | 990 | 700 |
| HEAT shells | |||||
| HEAT | 7,62 cm Gr.38 Hl/B | 4,62 | 510 | 450 | 1,000 |
| HEAT | 7,62 cm Gr.38 Hl/С | 5,05 | 510 | 450 | 1,000 |
| High explosive and fragmentation shells | |||||
| HE-Frag | 7,62 cm Gr.34 | 6,25 | 550, amatol 40/60 | 550 | 10,000 |
| Armor penetration table[1] | ||
| 7,62 cm Pzgr.39 | ||
| Range, m | Meet angle 60°, mm | Meet angle 90°, mm |
| 0 | 108 | 133 |
| 457 | 98 | 120 |
| 915 | 88 | 108 |
| 1372 | 79 | 97 |
| 1829 | 71 | 87 |
| 7,62 cm Pzgr.40 | ||
| Range, m | Meet angle 60°, mm | Meet angle 90°, mm |
| 0 | 152 | 190 |
| 457 | 118 | 158 |
| 915 | 92 | 130 |
| 1372 | 71 | 106 |
| 1829 | 55 | 84 |
| This data was obtained by German methodics of armor penetration measurement. Exact figures depend on production batch of projectiles and technology of armour manufacturing. |
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The HEAT projectiles penetrated about 100-115 mm at meet angle 90°.
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Shirokorad A. B. - The God of War of the Third Reich - M. AST, 2002 (Широкорад А. Б. - Бог войны Третьего рейха. — М.,ООО Издательство АСТ, 2002., ISBN 5-17-015302-3)
- Ivanov A. - Artillery of Germany in Second World War - SPb Neva, 2003 (Иванов А. - Артиллерия Германии во Второй Мировой войне. — СПб., Издательский дом «Нева», 2003., ISBN 5-7654-2634-4)
- Klyuev A. etc. - German Artillery Ammunition Reference Book - M., 1943 (А.Клюев и др - Справочник по комплектации боеприпасов германской артиллерии. — М., 1943)
| German artillery of World War II | ||||||
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Tank & anti-tank guns
Anti-tank guns
Infantry and Mountain guns
Recoilless guns
Field, Medium and Heavy guns
Other vehicle mounted guns
Anti-aircraft guns
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