12.8 cm PaK 44

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12.8 cm PaK 44 L/55
PaK 44 mounted in a Jagdtiger.
Type	Anti-Tank
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	1944 to 1945
Used by	Germany
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Krupp
Designed	1943
Manufacturer	Krupp
Produced	1944
Number built	51 (approx)
Specifications
Weight	11,000 kg

The 12.8 cm PaK 44, was a German World War II anti-tank gun built as a result of experiences on the Eastern front in 1943. The German army had encountered the Russian 122 mm guns and had issued a requirement for a similar weapon. Development initially concentrated on a field gun known as the Kanone K 44. However once heavier Russian armour such as the IS-2 started to appear the design requirements were altered to include an anti-armour role. Contrary to some claims this design had nothing in common with the 128 mm Flak gun.

The choice of 128 mm was made because of the availability of tooling due to the use of this caliber on naval weapons, design contracts being awarded to Rheinmetall Borsig and Krupp, the first prototype guns were delivered for testing in late 1944. After initial tests the Rheinmetal design was dropped and development continued with the Krupp design. However the service tests showed that a towed anti-tank gun weighing nearly 11 tonnes was impractical so the towed design was terminated.

In the anti-tank role it fired a 28 kg armor piercing capped projectile, capable of penetrating just over 200 mm of armor at short ranges, and 120 mm at 2,000 m range. Although its short range performance was similar to the 88, the 128 maintained its performance over much longer ranges, at 2,000 m the 88 KwK 36 could penetrate only 72 mm (although 88 mm PaK 43 derivatives were significantly more powerful). In the artillery role it fired a 28 kg shell to 24 km.

Approximately 50 barrels and breeches were completed on existing carriages. The equipment that used the ex-French GPF-T carriage was known as the K 81/1 while the K 81/2 used the ex-Russian carriage. Both of these designs were rushed, and were too heavy, making them cumbersome to deploy. In 1943 the design was started for a gun to mount on the Jagdtiger (Sd.Kfz. 186) and the Maus super-heavy tank was started using the Pak 44 as its starting point. This weapon of which approximately 100 were made was known both as the PaK 44 and PaK 80 / PjK 80. Performance was identical to the initial design.

Kanone 44 / PaK 44

1 Variants
2 Designations
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Variants

12.8 cm Kanone 44, PaK 44
12.8 cm Kanone 81/1 - K 44 mounted on the ex-French 155mm GPF-T carrage.
12.8 cm Kanone 81/2 - K 44 mounted on the ex-Russian 152mm howitzer model 1937.
12.8 cm PaK 80 / PjK 80 - PaK 44 mounted on Jagdtiger (Sd.Kfz. 186) tank destroyers.

[edit] Designations

As is common at this time this weapon underwent several name changes. At various times it was known as K44, PaK 44, Kanone 81 , PaK 80 & PjK 80.

The equipment numbered in the 8x range were temporary equipment issued usually in small numbers and not regarded as standard issue service weapons. Hence PaK 80 and PjK 80 were temporary names as were K81/x.

Had this equipment been accepted into full service it would have had a PaK 4x designation attached. The only difference between Pak 44 & K 44 were mode of operation the weapon itself was identical.

There is some disagreement about the PaK 80 and PjK 80 designations with German and English sources disagreeing which is correct.