KwK44 (75 mm)

Description

The 75 mm KwK 44 is a German tank gun mounted on the Panther F. In terms of performance in-game, it is very similar to the 75 mm KwK42 seen on the previous Panther versions.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• Panther F

General info

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

Available ammunition

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 39/42	APCBC	192	188	173	156	140	126
PzGr 40/42	APCR	228	224	204	182	162	145
Sprgr. 42	HE	13	12	11	11	11	11

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 39/42	APCBC	935	6.8	1.2	14	28.9	48°	63°	71°
PzGr 40/42	APCR	1,120	4.75	-	-	-	66°	70°	72°
Sprgr. 42	HE	700	5.74	0.2	0.1	725	79°	80°	81°

Comparison with analogues

Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.

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.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• High velocity
• High accuracy

Cons:

• Low explosive filler in AP rounds
• Long reload

History

In 1943, Germany attempted to develop a narrower gun mantlet for the Panther tank, with the turret design being assigned to Daimler-Benz in Spring 1944. The development of this narrow turret, named the Schmalturm, led to the Panther's main armament, the 75 mm KwK42, to be redesigned in order to fit in this new turret design.

The new gun, designated the 7.5 cm KwK44/1, was developed in Skodawerke in Pilsen, Czech Republic. The gun, fitting into a "Saukopfblende" gun mantlet that was similar-looking to that on the Tiger II. was modified with its buffer and recuperator moved to below the barrel rather than the sides. The bore evacuator was redesigned to use an air pump around the recuperator rather than a separate air compressor. A muzzle brake was initially installed in the first models of the cannon, but was eventually omitted. The gun's sight was a Turmzielfernrohr 13 (T.Z.F.13) monocular gunsight that allowed 2.5x - 6.0x magnifications. One of the gun's biggest intended addition was its usage alongside a 1.32 meters steroscopic rangefinder developed by Zeiss for range finding up to 2,000 meters, but no rangefinder was completed before the end of the war. Overall weight of the gun was 1,920 kg.

Another modification of the KwK44/1 gun, the 7.5 cm KwK44/2, was tested and included an automatic loader, the overall gun weight was brought up to 3,400 kg. Though three were built, it is not known if these guns went past the testing stage, nor what vehicles they were intended for.

Overall, the KwK44 guns did not see combat in World War II due to the war ending before production can ramp up for Panther Ausf. F with Schmalturm turrets. KwK44 usage was restricted to mounted during experimental trials of Schmalturm on Panther G hulls, and on production Schmalturm that was captured by the Allies for evaluation.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

• KwK42 (75 mm)

External links

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Eberl, Edi. 2022. "Kampfwagenkanone (KwK)". Last modified March 06, 2022. Website (Archive)
• Jentz, Thomas L. and Hillary Louis Doyle. 2006. PANZER TRACTS No.5-4 Panzerkampfwagen Panther II and Panther Ausfuehrung F. Boyds, MD: Panzer Tracts.