7.5-cm Pak 401
In 1939 the Germans decided that they were going to need a more powerful gun than the 5-cm Pak 38 to go against newer Soviet tanks.1 Rheinmetall-Borsig were asked to develop the new design.1 Basically Rheinmetall upscaled the 5-cm Pak 38.1
It was adopted in 1940, but production didn't reach the troops until late 1941.1
Design
In anticipation of shortages of light alloys, the Pak 40 was designed primarily out of steel.1 The shield was made from flat plates.1
7.5-cm FK 401
The 7.5 cm gun was placed on a 10.5 cm howitzer carriage to be used as a light artillery piece.1 Some formations were using this weapon in 1945.1
FK stood for Feldkanone or field gun.1
| 7.5-cm Pak 40 | |
|---|---|
| Caliber | 2.95"1 75 mm1 |
| Length of gun | 12' 1.7"1 3.7 m1 |
| Length of bore | |
| Rifling | |
| Length of rifling | 8'1 2.461 m1 |
| Weight traveling | 3,307 lb1 1,500 kg1 |
| Weight in action | 3,141.5 lb1 1,425 kg1 |
| Elevation | -5° to +22°1 |
| Traverse | 45°1 |
| Muzzle Velocity | AP: 2,460'/sec1 AP: 750 m/sec1 AP40: 3,050'/sec1 AP40: 930 m/sec1 HE: 1,805'/sec1 HE: 550 m/sec1 |
| Range of shell | HE: 8,400 yards1 HE: 7,680 m1 |
| Shell weight | AP: 15 lb1 AP: 6.8 kg1 AP40: 9.04 lb1 AP40: 4.1 kg1 HE: 12.65 lb1 HE: 5.74 kg1 |
| Armor penetration | 3.86" @ 2,190 yards1 98 mm @ 2,000 m1 |
| Breech mechanism |
Sources:
- The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, 1998, Chris Bishop
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