2 cm KwK 30

The 2 cm KwK 30 L/55 (2 cm Kampfwagenkanone 30 L/55) was a German 2 cm cannon used as the main armament of the German Sd.Kfz.121 Panzerkampfwagen II light tank and various reconnaissance vehicles. It was used during the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War. It was produced by Mauser and Rheinmetall-Borsig from 1935.[2]

2 cm KwK 30
2 cm KwK 30
TypeTank gun
Place of originNazi Germany
Service history
In service1935-1945
Used byNazi Germany
WarsWorld War II
Production history
ManufacturerMauser
Rheinmetall-Borsig
Unit cost4,000 RM
Specifications
Shell20×138mmB
Caliber2 cm
Breechrecoil operated bolt
Carriageturret
Elevation-9½° to +20°
Traverse360°
Muzzle velocity1,050 m/s with PzGr.40
SightsTZF4
TZF4/36
TZF3a
TZF6[1]

The KwK 30 also served as the basis for the 20 mm C/30, an aircraft variant mounted experimentally in some Heinkel He 112 fighters and proved to make an excellent ground-attack weapon during the Spanish Civil War. Direct ground-attack was not considered a priority for the Luftwaffe and thus, the cannon was not used on other designs.[3]

An improved version, the 2 cm KwK 38 L/55 (2 cm Kampfwagenkanone 38 L/55), was used on the Sd.Kfz.121 Panzerkampfwagen II (Ausf. J models onward). It was also used on the Sd.Kfz.251/17 Schützenpanzerwagen (2 cm) anti-aircraft vehicle, which had the gun on a pedestal mounting with a small armored turret to protect the gunner. Late war, it was issued as a platoon commander's vehicle to replace the Sd.Kfz.251/10 Schützenpanzerwagen (3.7 cm PaK).

Ammunition

The 2 cm KwK 30 used the 20 x 138B cartridge. Average penetration performance established against rolled homogenous steel armor plate laid back at 30° from the vertical.[4]

  • PzGr.39 (Armour Piercing) (Can go through 23 mm of armor at 100 meters and 14 mm of armor at 500 meters)
  • PzGr.40 (Armour Piercing Composite Rigid) (Can go through 40 mm of armor at 100 meters and 20 mm of armor at 500 meters)
  • 2 cm Sprgr. 39 (High Explosive)
German designation US Abbreviation Projectile weight [g] Bursting charge Muzzle velocity [m/s] Description
Sprenggranatpatrone L'spur mit ZerlegerHEF-T115 6.2 g HE (PETN + wax) 888 m/sNose fuzed tracer round, self-destruct after 5.5 - 6.5 seconds (2000m range) due to tracer burn-through.
Sprenggranatpatrone L'spur W mit ZerlegerHEF-T120 6.2 g HE (PETN + wax)  ?Nose fuzed tracer round with heat transfer. Self-destruct after 5.5 - 6.5 seconds (2000m range) due to tracer burn-through.
Sprenggranatpatrone L'spur mit ZerlegerHEF-T120 6.6 g HE (PETN + wax)  ?Boat-tailed HE-Frag. tracer round with nose fuze. Self-destruct at 2000m range due to tracer burn-through.
Sprenggranatpatrone 39 ErdHEF (M)-T132 11 g HE ? 995 m/sHE-Frag. round with nose fuze, no tracer.
Brandsprenggranatpatrone L'spur (Flak) mit ZerlegerHEI (m)-T120-122 2.4 g HE (PETN) +
4.1 g incendiary (Aluminium)		 900 m/sNose fuze, tracer, with self-destruct after 5.5 - 6.5 seconds (2000m range) due to tracer burn-through.
Brandsprenggranatpatrone ohne L'spur (Flak) mit ZerlegerHEI (M)115-120 22 g total
20 g HE Hexogen 5 (RDX + wax)
+ 2 g incendiary (Zinc) powder		 900 m/sNose fuze, no tracer, self-destruct after 5.5 - 8 seconds flight (2000m range). Lack of tracer and high density of incendiary allows heavy filling load.
Brandsprenggranatpatrone vk. L'spur W mit ZerlegerHEI (M)-T132 19 g HE ? + ? g incendiary (WP) 995 m/sNose fuzed HEI tracer round with heat transfer. Self-destruct after 5.5 second (2000m range) due to tracer burn-through.
Brandsprenggranatpatrone mit Zerleger?HEI (m)100  ? g HE ? +
 ? g incendiary (WP)		 1050 m/sNose fuze, no tracer, with self-destruct?
Brandsprenggranatpatrone L'spur mit Zerleger?HEI (m)-T100  ? g HE ? +
 ? g incendiary (WP)		 1050 m/sNose fuze, tracer, with self-destruct? after ? second (?m range) due to tracer burn-through.
Panzergranatpatrone L'spur mit ZerlegerAPHEI-T146 2.4 g (PETN) +
 ? g incendiary (WP)		 830 m/sBase-fuzed tracer round, with self-destruct due to tracer burn-through after 4.5 second flight (1800m range).
Panzergranatpatrone 39AP148 w/o filling 780 m/sNo fuze, no tracer or self-destruct function.
Panzergranatpatrone 40 L'spurAPIHC-T
APICR-T
HVAPI-T		100 Light metal shell,
special steel core		 1050 m/sTungsten carbide core. Tracer round, with no fuze or self-destruct function. Tracer burn-through after 0,9 second flight (600m range).
Penetrating effect with incendiary effect due to melting of light metal tip.
Panzerbrandgranatpatrone (Phosphor) L'spur ohne ZerlegerAPI-T148 3.0 g incendiary (WP) 780 m/sTracer round, with no fuze or self-destruct function. Tracer burn-through after 1,8 second flight (1000m range).
Panzergranatpatrone L'spur ohne ZerlegerAP-T143 w/o filling 800 m/sTracer round, with no fuze or self-destruct function. Tracer burn-through after 1,8 second flight (1000m range).
Panzersprenggranatpatrone L'spur mit Zerleger (Kriegsmarine)APHE-T121 3.6 g HE ?  ?Base-fuzed round, self-destruct after 4.5 second flight (1800m range) due to tracer burn-through.

Vehicles mounted on

References
  1. "German Armor Optics". Panzerworld.com.
  2. "2 cm KwK 30". Wehrmacht-history.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2014-12-11.
  3. Feist, Uwe & Dario, Mike (1974). Leichte Panzers in Action. Armor. Vol. 10. Warren, Michigan: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 978-0-89747-043-8.
  4. "Armor Penetration Table". Panzerworld.com.
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