5 cm KwK 38

The 5 cm KwK 38 L/42 (5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 38 L/42) was a German 5 cm cannon used as the main armament of variants of the German SdKfz.141 Panzerkampfwagen III medium tank. It was used in vehicles that saw action in the Second World War. There was no towed anti-tank gun variant.^[1]

Ammunition

Average penetration performance established against rolled homogenous steel armor plate laid back at 30° from the vertical.^[2]

PzGr (Armour Piercing)

• Weight of projectile: 2.06 kg
• Muzzle velocity: 685 m/s

100 m	500 m	1000 m	1500 m
55 mm	46 mm	36 mm	28 mm

PzGr. 39 (Armour-piercing, capped, ballistic cap)

• Weight of projectile: 2.06 kg
• Muzzle velocity: 685 m/s

100 m	500 m	1000 m	1500 m
60 mm	50 mm	42 mm	32 mm

PzGr. 40 (Armour-piercing, composite, rigid)

• Weight of projectile: 0.925 kg
• Muzzle velocity: 1050 m/s

100 m	500 m
94 mm	55 mm

Vehicles mounted on

• Panzerkampfwagen III (Sd. Kfz. 141) - Ausf. F to J (serial production), several earlier models were re-equipped with this gun.^[1]
• VK 20 series proposed replacement of the Panzer III and IV^[3]

See also

• 5 cm KwK 39

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

• Ordnance QF 2-pounder: British equivalent tank gun
• 45 mm anti-tank gun M1937 (53-K): Soviet equivalent tank gun
• 37 mm Gun M3: US equivalent tank gun

References

1. Rottman, Gordon L. (2008). M3 Medium Tank Vs Panzer III: Kasserine Pass 1943. Osprey Publishing. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-84603-261-5.
2. Ankerstjerne, Christian. "Armor Penetration Table". http://www.panzerworld.com/.
3. Jentz, Thomas; Doyle, Hilary. Germany's Panther Tank. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. p. 11. ISBN 0887408125.