View source for KwK40 L48 (75 mm)

== Description ==
''Write an introduction to the article in 2-3 small paragraphs. Briefly tell us about the history of the development and combat using the weaponry and also about its features. Compile a list of air, ground, or naval vehicles that feature this weapon system in the game.''

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===
<!-- ''List out vehicles that are equipped with the weapon.'' -->

;L/43

* {{Specs-Link|germ_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_F2}}
* {{Specs-Link|germ_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_G}}

;L/48

* {{Specs-Link|germ_kv_1_kwk_40}}
* {{Specs-Link|germ_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_H}}
* {{Specs-Link|germ_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_J}}
* {{Specs-Link|it_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_G}}
* {{Specs-Link|germ_panzerbefelhswagen_IV_ausf_J}}

== General info ==
<!-- ''Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.'' -->
The KwK 40 was a tank version of PaK 40 cannon. It is an excellent cannon, with high penetration and a decent explosive filler.

=== Available ammunition ===
<!-- ''Describe the shells that are available for the weapon and their features and purpose. If it concerns autocannons or machine guns, write about different ammo belts and what is inside (which types of shells).'' -->

* '''PzGr 39''' - {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-Piercing Capped Ballistic Capped}} - This should be the main ammo type, as it deals the most damage because of its explosive filler.
* '''Hl.Gr. 38B''' - {{Annotation|HEAT|High-Explosive Anti Tank}} - it is recommended to completely avoid this kind of shell as its performance is vastly inferior in all aspects compared to APCBC or APCR ammo used by this tank.
* '''PzGr 40''' - {{Annotation|APCR|Armour-Piercing Composite Rigid}} - This type of ammo should be used only if there will be trouble penetrating the opponent, or trying to hit a fast-moving tank at some distance. However, its damaging potential is much lower because it has no explosive filler to further enhance damage after the penetration. Use it against heavily armoured foes, that the '''PzGr 39''' cannot penetrate.
* '''Sprgr. 34''' - {{Annotation|HE|High-Explosive}} - Carry only very few of these. They are useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics (L/43)
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 137 || 135 || 123 || 110 || 98 || 88
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 163 || 159 || 143 || 126 || 110 || 96
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics (L/48)
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 140 || 137 || 125 || 112 || 100 || 89
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 166 || 162 || 146 || 128 || 112 || 98
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details (L/43)
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 740 || 6.8 || 1.2 || 14.0 || 28.9 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.4 || N/A || 0.1 || 872.1 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 919 || 4.1 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 550 || 5.74 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 686 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details (L/48)
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 750 || 6.8 || 1.2 || 14.0 || 28.9 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.4 || N/A || 0.1 || 872.1 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 930 || 4.1 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 550 || 5.74 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 686 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity<br>(m/s)
! Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
! Screen radius<br>(m)
! Screen deploy time<br>(s)
! Screen hold time<br>(s)
! Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| K.Gr.Rot Nb. || 540 || 6.2 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

=== Comparison with analogues ===
<!-- ''Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.'' -->
* [[M1 (76 mm)]]

== Usage in battles ==
<!-- ''Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.'' -->
This cannon is a jack-of-all-trades due to its very high accuracy and a low drop with good penetration over the different ranges it can be fired.

=== Pros and cons ===
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.'' -->

'''Pros:'''

* Medium-high velocity
* High penetration
* Due to the high penetration and decent explosive fillers, most tanks will only need one shot to be killed

'''Cons:'''

* Slow reload, plan your shots and retreat if necessary beforehand

== History ==
<!-- ''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>.'' -->
The KwK 40 was developed as the intelligence reports from the USSR showed that they were developing tanks which were too heavy for the [[PaK 38 (50 mm)]] to penetrate.

The '''7.5 cm KwK 40''' ''(7.5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 40)'' was a German 75 mm Second World War era vehicle-mounted gun, used as the primary armament of the German Panzer IV ''(F2 models onwards)'' medium tank and the Sturmgeschütz III ''(F models onwards)'' and Sturmgeschütz IV tank destroyers/assault guns.

The design of the KwK 40 was adapted from the similar towed anti-tank gun, the 7.5 cm Pak 40. It replaced the short-barrel 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 close-support gun, providing a huge improvement in firepower for mid-war tank designs. It came in two versions, with '''L/43''' and '''L/48''' barrel lengths, the former used during 1942 and early 1943, and the latter after that point. Along with the Pak 40, the KwK 40/StuK 40 was the most numerous anti-tank gun of the German army, and remained an effective weapon until the war's end.

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article would be a video guide, as well as 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.'' -->

* The carriage mounted anti-tank version [[PaK 40/3 (75 mm)]]

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the weapon;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Germany tank cannons}}

[[Category:Tank cannons]]