KwK30 (20 mm)

Description

The KwK30 (20 mm) was primarily as the main armament of the Pz.II C and the Pz.II C (DAK). The KwK 30 also served as the basis for the 20 mm C/30L, which was used on the He 112 A-0. An improved version that had a higher rate of fire, the 20 mm KwK 38, was mounted on the Pz.II F.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• Pz.II C
• Pz.II C (DAK)
• Pz.II C TD

General info

Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.

Available ammunition

• Default: API-T · HEFI-T* - The belt composition means that 50% of the shells (HEFI-T) are useless against tanks while the other 50% (API-T) is nearly useless against planes. However, this belt is reliable against open-topped or thin-skinned vehicles like SPAA vehicles. Since there are no dedicated high-explosive shells for the selection, having one belt of this in reserve does not hurt for those situations.
• PzGr.: API-T - This belt offers a good transition from the Default to the PzGr 40 APCR belt. The round offers decent use and damage against lightly armoured tanks, especially at close range. Due to lack of high-explosive filler however, it is better to focus on the PzGr 40 belt to maximize penetration power.
• PzGr.40: HVAP-T - Probably the best belt with the best penetrating shell for the vehicle. While the damage effects post-penetration can be quite poor, the rapid fire from the autocannon can mitigate this problem by following up quickly with another penetrating shot. In close combat, these shells should be used against modules and crew member to make the most of each shell. Against angled armour, however, the APCR ammo may not be very effective, just like any other APCR shell.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
	10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
HEFI-T*	5	4	3	2	2	2
API-T	37	34	23	14	9	6
HVAP-T	48	45	31	20	13	8

Shell details
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
						0%	50%	100%
HEFI-T*	900	0.12	0.1	0.1	10.2	79°	80°	81°
API-T	800	0.15	-	-	-	47°	60°	65°
HVAP-T	1,050	0.1	-	-	-	66°	70°	72°

Comparison with analogues

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Usage in battles

The high fire rate and excellent penetration of the Kwk30 allows enemy tanks to be killed quickly. However, a small magazine and a lengthy reload rate allows enemies to fire back and destroy you. After shooting at enemies, take cover to reload. Try to avoid long-range engagements, as the penetration rate drops off rapidly at around 500 m.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• High fire rate, does a lot of damage
• Very good penetration at close to medium ranges
• Decent reload speed of 6~7 seconds
• Better penetration than other 20mm cannons at its rank

Cons:

• Poor penetration when not using HVAP-T shells
• Penetration rate drops rapidly at longer ranges
• Relatively small magazine of 10 rounds

History

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Media

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See also

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• 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;
• encyclopedia page on the weapon;
• other literature.