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7.5 cm KwK 37

German tank gun

Field	Value
name	7.5 cm KwK 37 (L/24)
image	Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1979Anh.-001-10, Panzer IV, Ausf. F-1.jpg
caption	Panzer IV with 7.5cm KwK 37 L/24
origin	Germany
type	Kampfwagenkanone
is_ranged	YES
is_artillery	YES
service	1937–1945
used_by	Nazi Germany
wars	World War II
designer	Krupp
design_date	1934
manufacturer	Krupp
unit_cost	8000 RM
production_date	1934-1945
weight	490 kg
part_length	176.25 cm bore (23.5 calibers)
cartridge	Fixed QF 75×243mm R
caliber	75 mm
rate	12–15 round per minute
velocity	385 m/s
max_range	6200 m
elevation	-10° to +20°

The 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 (7.5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 37 L/24) was a short-barreled, howitzer-like German 75 mm tank gun used during World War II, primarily as the main armament of the early Panzer IV tank. Slightly modified as StuK 37, it was also mounted in early StuG III assault guns and Sd.Kfz. 251/9 armored personnel carriers.

It was designed as a close-support infantry gun firing a high-explosive shell (hence the relatively short barrel) but was also effective against the tanks it faced early in the war. From March 1942, new variants of the Panzer IV and StuG III had a derivative of the 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun, the longer-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 40. When older Panzer IVs were up-gunned, their former KwK 37 guns were reused to arm later Panzer III tanks and other infantry support vehicles. In 1943, depleted stocks and demand for the Panzer III Ausf. N required restarting production of a slightly revised 7.5 cm K 51 L/24 (7.5 cm Kanone 51 L/24).

Ammunition

The KwK 37 used 75×243 mmR caliber.

Kt. Kw. K. - Canister
Nbgr. Kw. K. - Smoke
Gr.38 Hl - High Explosive Anti-Tank
Gr.38 Hl/A - High Explosive Anti-Tank
Gr.38 Hl/B - High Explosive Anti-Tank
Gr.38 Hl/C - High Explosive Anti-Tank

7.5 cm Sprgr.34 - High Explosive

Projectile weight: 12.6 lbs
Explosive weight: 0.85 kg (1900 Kilojoules)

K.Gr.rot.Pz. - Armour-piercing

Source:

Projectile weight: 6.80 kg
Muzzle velocity: 385 m/s

Range		Penetration		Hit probability
(%)
100 m
500 m
1000 m
1200 m

Pzgr 39. - Armour-piercing

Projectile weight: 6.80 kg
Muzzle velocity: 385 m/s

Range		Penetration		Hit probability
(%)
100 m
500 m
1000 m
1500 m
2000 m

Penetration comparison

Ammunition type		rowspan=2	Muzzle velocity		colspan=10	Distance	100 m	250 m	500 m	750 m
Pzgr. 39/1 (APCBC)	385 m/s	54 mm	53 mm	50 mm	48 mm	46 mm	44 mm	42 mm	38 mm	35 mm
Pzgr. 39/2 (APCBC)	385 m/s	60 mm	58 mm	55 mm	52 mm	50 mm	47 mm	44 mm	38 mm	33 mm
Gr.38 Hl (HEAT)	450 m/s	52 mm
Gr.38 Hl/A (HEAT)	450 m/s	81 mm
Gr.38 Hl/B (HEAT)	450 m/s	87 mm
Gr.38 Hl/C (HEAT)	450 m/s	115 mm

Applications

7.5 cm KwK 37 / 7.5 cm K 37

Neubaufahrzeug
Panzer III Ausf. N
Panzer IV Ausf. A to F1
StuG III Ausf. A to E
Sd.Kfz. 233 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen
Sd.Kfz. 251/9 Schützenpanzerwagen

7.5 cm K 51

Sd.Kfz. 234/3 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen
Sd.Kfz. 250/8 Schützenpanzerwagen
Sd.Kfz. 251/9 Schützenpanzerwagen (Late-production Ausf. D)

Notes

References

Finkel "On Flexibility", p. 143.
"75-77 Mm Calibre Cartridges".
(18 November 2013). "7,5 cm Kw K (L/24)". Panzer World.
(1953). "German Explosive Ordnance (Projectiles and Projectile Fuzes) - Department of the Army Technical Manual TM-9-1985-3".
(10 April 2021). "Shell data". Panzer World.
uses American and British 50% success criteria
(2001). "WWII Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery". Overmatch Press.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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