8cm PAW 600 (8H63)

History

At the start of World War II (1939-1945) combat, the German Army ("Wehrmacht") had relatively consistent success against enemy armor, relying on stocks of 37mm and 50mm rifled anti-tank guns. These are relatively light and easy to carry on pack animals or tractors, and can be towed/repositioned short distances by the rifle group. However, all of this changed in 1941, when the enemy's armor protection began to increase to such an extent that existing weapons were virtually incapable of such types of weapons as the Soviet T-34 series of medium tanks.

This resulted in a tank-killing effect requiring heavier, larger-caliber weapons.

However, this is not a very sensible solution for an infantry company, as the larger guns are limited in terms of tactical flexibility - they cannot be repositioned in the field by riflemen or simply Guided to a new location within a distance. So, in 1943, the German military sought a new solution, requiring a lighter anti-tank gun capable of defeating a new generation of enemy tanks.

The projectile is expected to have a low propellant charge and will require an accuracy of up to 750 meters. The result of this move was the little-known "8cm PAW 600," a short-lived anti-tank weapon that was destined to remain out of service in the second half of the war.

The 8 cm PAW 600 was developed by the traditional Rheinmetall Group in 1943-1944. The finished system weighs 1,410 pounds and has an overall length of 9 feet 8 inches. A crew of six is ??required to function optimally. The official caliber is 81.4 mm, and the breech is accessible through a vertical block arrangement.

After each shot, a hydropneumatic recoil mechanism holds the gun in place, further improving the weapon's accuracy. The barrel is mounted on a simple mounting system and closed by a large slotted muzzle brake.

Mounting hardware provides some lateral and height functionality and is straddled by a pair of spoked wheels for ground transportation.

A simple three-sided gun shield is mounted on the front bow of the gun to provide some basic protection for the shooter. Having said that, the crew is completely exposed to the elements and dangers of the battlefield.

Since it is a line-of-sight field gun, this gun has an elevation range of -6 to +32 degrees. Traversal is limited to 55 degrees on either side of the centerline.

The muzzle velocity reached 1,706 feet per second, the range was up to 750 yards, and the maximum range was 6,220 yards (though the latter was less efficient).

The PAW 600 is unique in that it uses a shaped charge projectile fired from a smoothbore barrel assembly. The entire system is based on the proven form and function of the Granatwerfer 34 series 8cm infantry mortars (described in detail elsewhere on this site), a design approach that allows existing mortar factories to continue mass-producing these new guns without too much modification to the lines switch below.

The shells are good against armor thicknesses ranging from 140 mm to 750 meters.

Production of the weapon began in December 1944 and ended in March 1945, with 250 to 260 examples completed under the official German Army designation "8H63". However, when the Germans surrendered in May 1945 to end the war in Europe, the series came too late to see action in the Great Conflict.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

Depends on the ammunition carrier.

Changes