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| 7.5 cm KwK 37 (L/24) | |
|---|---|
 Panzer IV with 7.5cm KwK 37 L/24 | |
| Type | Kampfwagenkanone |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1937–1945 |
| Used by |  Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Krupp |
| Designed | 1934 |
| Manufacturer | Krupp |
| Unit cost | 8000RM |
| Produced | 1934-1945 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 490 kg (1,080.3 lb) |
| Barrel length | 176.25 cm (69.39 in) bore (23.5calibers) |
| Shell | Fixed QF 75×243mm R |
| Caliber | 75 mm (2.95 in) |
| Elevation | -10° to +20° |
| Rate of fire | 12–15 round per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 385 m/s (1,260 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 6,200 m (20,341 ft) |
The7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24(7.5 cmKampfwagenkanone 37 L/24) was a short-barreled,howitzer-like German 75 mm tank gun used duringWorld War II, primarily as the main armament of the earlyPanzer IV tank. Slightly modified asStuK 37, it was also mounted in earlyStuG III assault guns andSd.Kfz. 251/9armored personnel carriers.
It was designed as a close-support infantry gun firing ahigh-explosive shell (hence the relatively short barrel) but was also effective against the tanks it faced early in the war. From March 1942, new variants of the Panzer IV and StuG III had a derivative of the7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun, the longer-barreled7.5 cm KwK 40.[1] When older Panzer IVs were up-gunned, their former KwK 37 guns were reused to arm later Panzer III tanks and other infantry support vehicles. In 1943, depleted stocks and demand for the Panzer III Ausf. N required restarting production of a slightly revised7.5 cm K 51 L/24(7.5 cm Kanone 51 L/24).
The KwK 37 used 75×243 mmR caliber.[2][3]
Source:[5]
| Range | Penetration | Hit probability (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 m (330 ft) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 100 |
| 500 m (1,600 ft) | 39 mm (1.5 in) | 100 |
| 1,000 m (3,300 ft) | 35 mm (1.4 in) | 97 |
| 1,200 m (3,900 ft) | 33 mm (1.3 in) | 82 |
| Range | Penetration | Hit probability (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 m (330 ft) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 100 |
| 500 m (1,600 ft) | 39 mm (1.5 in) | 100 |
| 1,000 m (3,300 ft) | 35 mm (1.4 in) | 97 |
| 1,500 m (4,900 ft) | 33 mm (1.3 in) | 82 |
| 2,000 m (6,600 ft) | 30 mm (1.2 in) | NA |
| Ammunition type | Muzzle velocity | Distance | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m (110 yd) | 250 m (270 yd) | 500 m (550 yd) | 750 m (820 yd) | 1,000 m (1,100 yd) | 1,250 m (1,370 yd) | 1,500 m (1,600 yd) | 2,000 m (2,200 yd) | 2,500 m (2,700 yd) | 3,000 m (3,300 yd) | ||
| Pzgr. 39/1 (APCBC) | 385 m/s (1,260 ft/s) | 54 mm (2.1 in) | 53 mm (2.1 in) | 50 mm (2.0 in) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 46 mm (1.8 in) | 44 mm (1.7 in) | 42 mm (1.7 in) | 38 mm (1.5 in) | 35 mm | 32 mm (1.3 in) |
| Pzgr. 39/2 (APCBC) | 385 m/s (1,260 ft/s) | 60 mm (2.4 in) | 58 mm (2.3 in) | 55 mm (2.2 in) | 52 mm (2.0 in) | 50 mm | 47 mm (1.9 in) | 44 mm | 38 mm | 33 mm | 27 mm (1.1 in) |
| Gr.38 Hl (HEAT) | 450 m/s (1,500 ft/s) | 52 mm (2.0 in) | |||||||||
| Gr.38 Hl/A (HEAT) | 450 m/s (1,500 ft/s) | 81 mm (3.2 in) | |||||||||
| Gr.38 Hl/B (HEAT) | 450 m/s (1,500 ft/s) | 87 mm (3.4 in) | |||||||||
| Gr.38 Hl/C (HEAT) | 450 m/s (1,500 ft/s) | 115 mm (4.5 in) | |||||||||
