KwK43 (88 mm)
Contents
Description
The 88 mm KwK43 or Kampfwagenkanone 43 88 mm was the improved, longer version of the German 88 mm KwK36. It was produced from 1942 to 1945 and was used in the Tiger II, as well as under the name PaK43 (Panzerabwehrkanone: "anti-tank cannon") in various tank destroyers. It was one of Germany's most famous guns during WWII.
Vehicles equipped with this weapon
KwK43
PaK43
General info
Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.
Available ammunition
- The Pzgr. 39/43 one of the two standard rounds of the 88 mm KwK43. This round can be used against nearly all kinds of medium or heavy tanks and is thank to its huge high- explosive filler capable of destroying most of its targets with only one shot.
- The Pzgr. 40/43 is one of the researchable shells for the 88 mm KwK43. Like other APCR shells, it is a round made out of a dense core sitting in a soft metal shell, making it useful against heavy tanks. Since it creates only a small bit of shrapnel it is important to aim at the enemy's modules and crew members.
- The Hl.Gr 39 is one of the researchable shells for the 88 mm KwK43. The composition of a metal core in a high explosive surrounding makes it effective against both vehicles with light or no armour (light tanks/trucks) and armoured vehicles like medium tanks. Its HEAT characteristics (not losing power over long ranges) make it very useful for sniping over extreme distances. Due to the fact that the Pzgr. 39/43 is free and penetrates more armour, it is wise to carry only a few Hl.Gr 39s into battle since you won't use it very often.
- The Sprgr.43 is a basic HE round that is used by late German 88 mm guns. It is recommended to carry 2 - 5 of these into battle for various reasons. For example, you can use it to destroy vehicles with no or very thin armour or for removing obstacles out of your line of fire. Very skilled gunners can try to use it for shooting down aircraft.
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| PzGr 39/43 | APCBC | 237 | 234 | 222 | 207 | 193 | 180 |
| PzGr 40/43 | APCR | 279 | 273 | 252 | 227 | 205 | 185 |
| Hl.Gr 39 | HEAT | 110 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 110 |
| Sprgr.43 | HE | 19 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 14 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| PzGr 39/43 | APCBC | 1,000 | 10.16 | 1.2 | 14 | 108.8 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
| PzGr 40/43 | APCR | 1,130 | 7.3 | - | - | - | 66° | 70° | 72° | |||
| Hl.Gr 39 | HEAT | 600 | 7.64 | 0 | 0.3 | 1,100 | 62° | 69° | 73° | |||
| Sprgr.43 | HE | 820 | 9.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1,000 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
Comparison with analogues
Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.
Usage in battles
The cannon is mainly used for defensive play, due to the below average reload speed. At most BRs it is found, it can punch through everything you encounter. Notable exceptions are the hull of the Super Pershing and T25, along with some of the hulls of Soviet TDs that appear in this BR range.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Flat ballistic trajectory
- High penetration
Cons:
- Reload time is longer than average
History
The 88 mm KwK43's initial pitch in the German armoured forces started as far back in the Tiger I tank. Hitler had desired the KwK43 gun to be in the Tiger I, but the tank design and dimensions prevented easy instalment of the long KwK43 gun, and so this was delayed as a tank mount until the Tiger II design.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;
- references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.
External links
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- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Germany tank cannons | |
|---|---|
| 20 mm | KwK30 · KwK38 · Rh202 |
| 28/20 mm | s.Pz.B.41 |
| 30 mm | MK 30-2/ABM |
| 37 mm | KwK34(t) · KwK36 · KwK38(t) · PaK L/45 |
| 47 mm | Pak.(t)(Sf.) |
| 50 mm | KwK39 · KwK L/42 · PaK38 |
| 57 mm | Bofors L/70 Mk.1 |
| 75 mm | K51 L/24 · KwK37 · KwK40 L43 · KwK40 L48 · KwK42 · KwK44 · KwK44 L/36.5 · PaK39 L48 · PaK40/3 L46 · PaK42 · StuK37 · StuK40 L43 · StuK40 L48 |
| 76 mm | PaK36 (r) |
| 88 mm | Flak.37 · Flak 41 · KwK36 · KwK43 · PaK43 |
| 90 mm | BK90 |
| 105 mm | CN105-57 · Cockerill HP · FMK.4 Modelo 1L · K.18 · KwK L/68 · L7A3 · PzK M57 · StuH42 |
| 120 mm | Rh120 L/44 · Rh120 L/55 · Rh120 L/55 A1 |
| 128 mm | K.40 · KwK44 · PaK44 |
| 150 mm | s.I.G.33 · Stu.H 43 L/12 |
| 380 mm | RW61 |
| Foreign: | |
| 30 mm | Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (USA) · HSS 831L (Britain) |
| 57 mm | 6pdr OQF Mk.V (Britain) |
| 73 mm | 2A28 (USSR) |
| 75 mm | M3 (USA) |
| 76 mm | F-32 (USSR) · F-34 (USSR) · M32 (USA) |
| 90 mm | M36 (USA) · M41 (USA) |
| 105 mm | GT-3 (South Africa) |
| 125 mm | 2A46 (USSR) |
| 152 mm | M-10T (USSR) · XM150E5 (USA) |
| 155 mm | M126 (USA) |
| Sweden tank cannons | |
|---|---|
| 20 mm | Akan m/47D · Pvlvkan m/40 |
| 37 mm | kan m/38 |
| 40 mm | akan m/70B |
| 57 mm | Pvkan m/43 |
| 75 mm | kan m/02 · kan m/41 · kan Strv 74 · lvkan m/37 A · pvkan m/43 |
| 84 mm | kan Strv 81 |
| 90 mm | kan Ikv 91 |
| 105 mm | kan Bofors · kan Ikv · kan m/44 · kan Strv 101 · L74 |
| 120 mm | automatkanon · CTG · kan Strv 121 · kan Strv 122 |
| 150 mm | fsthaub m/02 |
| 155 mm | kan m/60 |
| Foreign: | |
| 35 mm | Bushmaster 3 (USA) |
| 73 mm | 2A28 (USSR) |
| 75 mm | M3 (USA) |
| 88 mm | KwK43 (Germany) |
| 105 mm | L/50 (Belgium) · L7A3 (Germany) |
| 125 mm | 2A46M-1 (USSR) |
| 155 mm | CN98 (South Korea) |
| Finland | |
| 37 mm | Psv.K/36 |
| 114 mm | Psv.H/18 |
| Foreign: | |
| 30 mm | Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (USA) |
| 45 mm | 20-K (USSR) |
| 75 mm | KwK40 L48 (Germany) |
| 76 mm | D-56TS (USSR) · F-34 (USSR) · L-10 (USSR) |
| 77 mm | OQF Mk.II (Britain) |
| 84 mm | 20pdr OQF Mk.I (Britain) |
| 85 mm | ZIS-S-53 (USSR) |
| 100 mm | D-10T (USSR) · D-10T2S (USSR) |
| 105 mm | L/50 (Belgium) |
| 120 mm | Rh120 L/44 (Germany) · Rh120 L/55 (Germany) |
| 125 mm | 2A46 (USSR) |
