| 8.8 cm Pak 43/41 | |
|---|---|
8.8 cm Pak 43/41 at US Army Ordnance Museum. |
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| Type | Anti-tank gun |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Krupp, Rheinmetall |
| Variants | Pak 43 on cruciform carriage Pak 43/41 on split-trail carriage KwK 43 vehicle mounted |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 4,380 kg (9,700 lb) |
| Length | 6.4 m (21 ft 0 in) |
| Barrel length | 6.61 m (21 ft 8 in) L/71 |
| Height | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) |
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| Shell | See Ammunition Table |
| Caliber | 88 mm (3.5 in) |
| Breech | Horizontal semi-automatic sliding block |
| Recoil | hydro-pneumatic |
| Carriage | split-trail |
| Elevation | -5° to +38° |
| Traverse | 56° |
| Rate of fire | 20-25 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | See Ammunition Table |
| Effective range | 4,000 m (4,400 yd) |
| Maximum range | 16,000 m (17,000 yd) |
The Pak 43 (Panzerabwehrkanone 43) was a German 88 mm anti-tank gun developed by Krupp in competition with the Rheinmetall 8.8 cm Flak 41 anti-aircraft gun and used during the Second World War. The Pak 43 was the most powerful anti-tank gun of the Wehrmacht to see service in significant numbers. The Pak 43 was an excellent weapon, able to penetrate the heaviest Allied tanks at combat ranges, including the Soviet IS-2 and the American M-26 Pershing.
Contents |
The main version of the Pak 43 was based on a highly efficient cruciform mount, which offered a full 360 degree traverse and a much lower profile than the ubiquitous anti-aircraft 8.8 cm Flak 37. However the manufacture of this version was initially slow and costly.
To simplify production some were mounted on the two-wheel split-trail carriage from the 10.5 cm leFH 18 field howitzer, resulting in a version known as Pak 43/41. The 43/41 proved heavy and awkward to handle in the mud and snow of Eastern Front and gunners referred to 43/41 as the "barn door" (German: Scheunentor), a veiled reference to the size and weight of the gun. Nevertheless the Pak 43/41 proved just as effective as the earlier Pak 43.
The Pak 43 was also mounted in German armored vehicles and this version was known as the 8.8 cm KwK 43. Versions of this gun were mounted in a number of German armored vehicles under different designations, including the Tiger II heavy tank (KwK 43 L/71) and several tank destroyers: the Hornisse/Nashorn (Pak 43/1), Ferdinand/Elefant (Pak 43/2), and Jagdpanther (Pak 43/3 and Pak 43/4). A few examples of the Tiger II-based Jagdtiger were also completed with the 8.8 cm weapon due to a shortage of the 12.8 cm Pak 44, but these tank destroyers are not believed to have seen operational service.
| Hit probability versus 2.5 m x 2 m target[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Range | Penetration | in training | in combat |
| 100 m | 202 mm | 100 % | 100 % |
| 500 m | 185 mm | 100 % | 100 % |
| 1000 m | 165 mm | 100 % | 85 % |
| 1500 m | 148 mm | 95 % | 61 % |
| 2000 m | 132 mm | 85 % | 43 % |
| 2500 m | n/a | 74 % | 30 % |
| 3000 m | n/a | 61 % | 23 % |
| 3500 m | n/a | 51 % | 17 % |
| 4000 m | n/a | 42 % | 13 % |
| Hit probability versus 2.5 m x 2 m target[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Range | Penetration | in training | in combat |
| 100 m | 238 mm | 100 % | 100 % |
| 500 m | 217 mm | 100 % | 100 % |
| 1000 m | 193 mm | 100 % | 89 % |
| 1500 m | 171 mm | 97 % | 66 % |
| 2000 m | 153 mm | 89 % | 47 % |
| 2500 m | n/a | 78 % | 34 % |
| 3000 m | n/a | 66 % | 25 % |