| 7.5 cm Pak 41 | |
|---|---|
 A preserved 7.5 cm PaK 41 | |
| Type | Anti-tank gun |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Krupp, Essen |
| Produced | 1941-1943 |
| No. built | 150 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,390 kg (3,064 lbs) |
| Length | 4.325 m (14 ft 2.3 in) |
| Barrel length | 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in) |
| Crew | 5 |
| Shell | Fixed QF 75×543 mm R |
| Shell weight | 2.5 kg (5 lb 8 oz) |
| Caliber | 75 mm (2.95 in) reducing to 55 mm (2.16 in); 57 caliber length |
| Carriage | Split-trail |
| Elevation | –12.5° to +16° |
| Traverse | 60° |
| Muzzle velocity | AP 1,230 m/s (4,035 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 2,000 m (2,185 yds) |
| Feed system | single shot, breech loading |
| Sights | sighted up to 1500 m |
The7.5 cm Pak 41 was one of the lastGermananti-tank guns brought into service and used inWorld War II and notable for being one of the largest anti-tank guns to rely on theGerlich principle (pioneered by the German gun-designerHermann Gerlich, who developed the principle in the 1920s, reportedly for ahunting rifle) to deliver a higher muzzle velocity and therefore greater penetration in relation to its size.[1]
It is similar to, but distinct from, theWaffe 0725, which, while also based on the Gerlich principle, had a different barrel calibre.[2]
Designed and built byKrupp AG to compete with theRheinmetall7.5 cm Pak 40, the Pak 41 was intended from the onset to take advantage of the Gerlich principle to increase shot velocity. In addition to itssqueeze bore design and the use of a tungsten core flanged shell, the Pak 41 incorporated several novel features. One feature was that the barrel was split into three distinct sections: the rear part was parallel-sided and conventionallyrifled; the central part was unrifled and tapered down; at themuzzle end, the last 70 cm were parallel-sided again but remained unrifled. Another novel feature was the attachment of thesplit trail legs and solid rubber tires directly to theGun shield to save weight. The gun cradle was set inside a special ball mount attached to theGun shield. The cradle itself was cylindrical, covering the whole of the rear half of the barrel.
The weight of the powder charge fired is 95 percent of the weight of the projectile, which had an estimated velocity of approximately 1200 m/s (4,000 f/s), and a penetration of 15 cm (5.94 inches) ofhomogeneous armor at 900 m (1,000 yards).The reinforcedbreech is of the vertical wedge type, with asemi-automatic action. Compared to thePaK 38 and thePaK 40, the appearance was long, low, and sturdy.
The gun is sighted up to 1,500 meters; the sight has four scales for use according to the actualmuzzle velocity of the gun. The barrel life of the tapered section was provisionally estimated as 500 rounds and the section was designed to be replaced in the field.[3]
When first introduced, the 7.5 cm Pak 41's performance would seem to indicate that it might supplant the Pak 40 as the standard issue anti-tank gun for theWehrmacht. However, the emergent shell's velocity tended to drop dramatically over long range and accuracy and penetration suffered as a consequence. This factor, along with a growing shortage of tungsten, which was needed for the gun's special ammunition, would ensure that only 150 Pak 41's would ever be produced. Most Pak 41's were scrapped when their barrels had worn out and / or their ammunition supply was exhausted, although it is believed that a small number of Pak 41's were converted to accept 7.5 cm Pak 40 barrels and components.
A small number were known to have been mounted on halftracks and used as lightly armored tank destroyers.[citation needed]
One example is known of a Pak 41 being fitted on top of a Panzer III chassis, most possibly as a field modification.[4]
Anarmour-piercing, composite, non-rigid projectile with a sub-calibretungsten core and tracer.
| Range | Penetration at 30 degrees from vertical[5] |
|---|---|
| 100 m | 198 mm |
| 500 m | 172 mm |
| 1000 m | 140 mm |
| 1500 m | n/a |
Anarmour-piercing, non-rigid projectile with tracer for practice only.
| Range | Penetration at 30 degrees from vertical[5] |
|---|---|
| 100 m | 97 mm |
| 500 m | 80 mm |
| 1000 m | 70 mm |
| 1500 m | 60 mm |
Given the standards of research of T Jentz ... It would appear that the waffe 0725 is a different weapon to the Pak 41.