7.5 cm KwK 37

PzKpfw IV with 7.5cm KWK 37 L/24

The 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 (7.5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 37 L/24) was a German 75 mm tank gun used during World War II, primarily as the chief weapon of the early Panzer IV tanks and early StuG III assault guns.

It was designed as a close-support artillery gun firing a high-explosive shell (hence the relatively short barrel), but was also effective against the early tanks of the war. Starting from March 1942,[1] new variants of the Panzer IV and StuG III had their main armament upgraded to the new longer-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 40. KwK 37 guns removed from older Panzer IVs which had been upgunned were reused to arm later Panzer III tanks and other infantry support vehicles.

Ammunition

PzGr. 39/43 Armor-piercing

Penetration figures given for an armoured plate 30 degrees from the horizontal

Hit probability versus 2.5 m x 2 m target[2]
Range
(m)		 Penetration
(mm)		 hit probability
%
100 41 100
500 39 100
1000 35 97
1500 33 82
2000 30

Vehicles mounted on

Notes

  1. ↑ Finkel "On Flexibility", p. 143.
  2. ↑ http://www.afrikakorps.org/sdkfzweapons.htm

External links

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