4.2 cm Pak 41
The 4.2 cm Pak 41 (Panzerabwehrkanone —"anti-tank gun") was a light anti-tank gun issued to German airborne units in World War II. This gun was externally similar to the 3.7 cm Pak 36, using a modified version of the latter's carriage, but used the squeeze bore principle (in German called Gerlich after Hermann Gerlich, who developed the principle in the 1920s, reportedly for a hunting rifle) to boost its velocity, and hence armour-piercing ability. The bore had a diameter of 42 mm (1.7 in) at the chamber, but tapered down to 28 mm (1.1 in) at the muzzle. Production was terminated in June 1942, after the delivery of 313 guns. By November 1943, 47 remained in service.
| 4,2 cm Pak 41 | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) A 4.2 cm Pak 41 light anti-tank gun in Italy, 1943. | |
| Type | Panzerabwehrkanone |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| Used by | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Unit cost | 8000 Reichsmark |
| Produced | December 1941–June 1942 |
| No. built | 313 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 560 kg (1,230 lb) |
| Length | 235 cm (93 in) |
| Barrel length | 225 cm (89 in) bore (55.8 calibres) |
| Shell | Fixed QF 42×406mm R Armor-piercing composite non–rigid (APCNR–T) Pzgr 41 |
| Shell weight | 336 g (11.9 oz)[1] |
| Caliber | 42 / 28 mm (1.65 / 1.10 in) |
| Breech | Horizontal sliding-block |
| Carriage | Split trail |
| Elevation | -8° to +25° |
| Traverse | 60° |
| Rate of fire | 12 round per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,500 m/s (4,900 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 800 m (2,600 ft) |
| Maximum firing range | 7,000 m (23,000 ft) |
4.2 cm Pak 41 light anti-tank gun, part of Belgrade Military Museum outer exhibition at Kalemegdan fortress.
Specifications
- Projectile weight: AP 0.336 kg (0.74 lb)
| Range | Penetration at 0 degrees from vertical | Penetration at 30 degrees from vertical | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source: | Gander&Chamberlain[2] | Hogg[3] | Gander&Chamberlain[2] | Hogg[3] |
| 0 m | 124 mm | - mm | 95 mm | - mm |
| 100 m | - mm | 120 mm | - mm | 90 mm |
| 250 m | 105 mm | - mm | 83 mm | mm |
| 500 m | 87 mm | 87 mm | 72 mm | 72 mm |
| 750 m | 70 mm | - mm | 62 mm | - mm |
| 1000 m | 60 mm | 60 mm | 53 mm | 53 mm |
References
- Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945. New York: Doubleday, 1979 ISBN 0-385-15090-3
- Hogg, Ian V. German Artillery of World War Two. 2nd corrected edition. Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997 ISBN 1-85367-480-X
- Chamberlain, Peter (1974). Anti-tank weapons. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 12. ISBN 0668036079. OCLC 1299755.
- German translation of the book "Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the Third Reich. An encyclopedic survey" by T. Gander and P. Chamberlain (Jane's Publishers Ltd) from 2005 (ISBN 3613024810)
- "German Artillery of World War Two" by Ian V. Hogg, corrected 1997 reprint
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