KwK 43 L/71
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The Kwk 43 L/71 was an 88 mm tank gun used by the German Wehrmacht, during World War II. This was the primary weapon of the Pzkw VI Tiger II. The weapon was also mounted on tank destroyers such as Jagdpanther, Nashorn and Ferdinand/Elefant. The first vehicle to be mounted with KwK/Pak 43 series of guns was the Nashorn tank destroyer. When mounted on a tank destroyer it was designated Pak 43. Kwk 43 and Pak 43's were at first manufactured with monobloc barrels, but towards the end of war the manufacturing process was simplified by the introduction of two-piece barrels. This had no effect on the weapons performance. This weapon, at 6.4 m, was longer than the Pzkw VI Tiger I's KwK 36 and used an 822 mm tall shell casing that was considerably taller and incorporated a heavier propellant charge than that of the Tiger I's Kwk 36. Ammunition was fully interchangeable between all guns of the Pak/KwK 43 series. The series included: Pak 43 (cruciform mount), Pak 43/41 (two-wheel split-trail carriage), Pak 43/1 (Nashorn), Pak 43/2 (Ferdinand/Elefant), Pak 43/3 and 43/4 (Jagdpanther) and KwK 43 (Tiger II).
Ammunition
PzGr. 39/43 (APCBC-HE)
- Projectile weight: 10.2 kg
- Muzzle velocity: 1000 m/s
| Hit probability versus 2.5 m x 2 m target [link] | |||
| 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 % |
PzGr. 40/43 (APCR)
- Projectile weight: 7.3 kg
- Muzzle velocity: 1030 m/s
| Hit probability versus 2.5 m x 2 m target [link] | |||
| 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 % |
Gr. 39/3 HL (HEAT)
- Projectile weight: 7.65 kg
- Muzzle velocity: 600 m/s
- Penetration: 90 mm
References
- Jentz, Thomas L.; Kingtiger Heavy Tank: 1942 - 1945; ISBN 185532282X
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