8.8 cm KwK 36
The 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56 (German: 8,8 cm Kampfwagenkanone 36 L/56) was an 88 mm electrically fired tank gun used by the German Heer during World War II. This was the primary weapon of the PzKpfw VI Tiger I tank. It was developed and built by Krupp.
Design
Though it shared the same caliber as the renown German "88", the FlaK 36 88 mm gun anti-aircraft and anti-tank gun, the KwK 36 was not derived from it. There are similarities, but the two must be considered merely parallel designs. The KwK 36 could fire the same ammunition as the FlaK 18 or 36, differing only in primer: percussion for the FlaK, electric for the KwK 36. Also the ballistics were identical and both guns had a 56 caliber barrel. The KwK 36 was built to practically the same design as the 7.5 cm and 5.0 cm guns already used in German tanks, but with the structure scaled up considerably. The breech ring was square in section and 320 millimetres (13 in) on a side. The breech block was of vertical falling wedge type and operated semi-automatically, meaning that after firing the empty cartridge case was automatically ejected, while the breech cocked itself and remained open, ready to receive the next round.
L56 refers to the barrel length; the inside diameter of a gun barrel is one "caliber". In this gun, L56 means the barrel was 56 calibers long, or 56 times 88 mm = 4,928 mm, or almost 5 metres (16 ft). A longer gun barrel allows the expanding gas from the shell's charge to act on the projectile longer than a short barrel, imparting it more velocity and force. For the Tiger II's 88 mm Kwk 43 L/71, 71 times 88 mm is 6248 mm, over 6 metres (20 ft) long.
Performance
The exceptional performance of the KwK 36 made it one of the most infamous tank guns of its time. It was very accurate, high-powered, and its high muzzle velocity produced a very flat trajectory. This allowed its gunners a higher margin of error in estimating range, both helping and being partly responsible for the gun's accuracy. In addition, it severely outclassed all other tank weapons when introduced, being capable of destroying all targets with impunity; at the same time it was generally able to withstand the large majority of hits received by its contemporaries.[1] Combined, these made the Tiger 1 a dominating weapon on the battlefield.
In British firing trials during the war, a British gunner scored five successive hits from 1,200 yards (1,100 m) at a 16 by 18 inches (41 by 46 cm) target.
Ammunition
Panzergranate 39 (PzGr. 39) with APCBC round
An armour-piercing, capped, ballistic cap (APCBC) projectile with explosive filler and tracer.
- Weight of projectile: 10.2 kg (22.48 lbs)
- Muzzle velocity: 800 m/s (2,624 ft/s)
- Explosive filler 0.059 kg
Penetration figures given for an armoured plate 30 degrees from vertical
| Hit probability versus 2.5 x 2 m target [2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Range | Penetration | in training | in combat |
| 100 m | 120 mm | 100% | 100% |
| 500 m | 110 mm | 100% | 100% |
| 1000 m | 99 mm | 100% | 93% |
| 1500 m | 91 mm | 98% | 74% |
| 2000 m | 83 mm | 87% | 50% |
| 2500 m | n/a | 71% | 31% |
| 3000 m | n/a | 53% | 19% |
PzGr. 40 (APCR)
An armour-piercing, composite rigid (APCR) projectile had a sub-calibre tungsten core.
- Weight of projectile: 7.3 kg (16 lbs)
- Muzzle velocity: 930 m/s (3,051 ft/s)
Penetration figures given for an armoured plate 30 degrees from vertical
| Hit probability versus 2.5 x 2 m target [2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Range | Penetration | in training | in combat |
| 100 m | 171 mm | 100% | 100% |
| 500 m | 156 mm | 100% | 100% |
| 1000 m | 138 mm | 100% | 93% |
| 1500 m | 123 mm | 97% | 74% |
| 2000 m | 110 mm | 89% | 47% |
| 2500 m | n/a | 78% | 34% |
| 3000 m | n/a | 66% | 25% |
PzGr. 39 HL (HEAT)
A high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round with a shaped charge.
- Weight of projectile: 7.65 kg (16.8 lbs)
- Muzzle velocity: 600 m/s (1,968 ft/s)
Penetration figures given for an armoured plate 30 degrees from vertical
| Hit probability versus 2.5 x 2m target [2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Range | Penetration | in training | in combat |
| 100 m | 90 mm | 100% | 100% |
| 500 m | 90 mm | 100% | 98% |
| 1000 m | 90 mm | 94% | 62% |
| 1500 m | 90 mm | 72% | 34% |
| 2000 m | 90 mm | 52% | 20% |
| 2500 m | 90 mm | n/a | n/a |
| 3000 m | 90 mm | n/a | n/a |
See also
- 88mm KwK 43 L/71 - the direct successor to this gun, and the one mounted on the Tiger II
- 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41, the prominent anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapon the 8.8 cm KwK 36 is often confused with
Weapons of comparable role, performance, and era
- British Ordnance QF 17-pounder
- Soviet 85 mm D-5T/ZiS-S-53
- United States 90 mm Gun M3
References
- ↑ Prado, Fabio. "PzKpfw. VI Tiger I". The Armor Site. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Tiger I". Archived from the original on 2009-10-23.
- JENTZ, Thomas L.; Germany's TIGER Tanks - Tiger I and II: Combat Tactics; ISBN 0-7643-0225-6
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to 8.8 cm KwK 36. |
- Information about the Tiger I and its KwK 36 gun at the Tiger I Information Center
- Historical and technical data on the 88 mm FlaK 36 and KwK 36, as well as on the PzKpfw VI Tiger I at the Armorsite
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