PaK 44 (PanzerAbwehrKanone 44)

History

During World War II (1939-1945), the German Army needed a new anti-tank solution to counter the proliferation of improved Soviet armor on the Eastern Front, and they began researching long-range anti-tank (AT) guns and their existing anti-weapon stocks pair. The introduction of the T-34 medium tank proved to be a nasty surprise for the Germans, while the IS-2 (Joseph Stalin) heavy tank just raised the bar in terms of firepower and armor protection.

This move resulted in the post-war PaK 44 series of heavy anti-tank guns.

Both Rheinmetall and Krupp were commissioned for prototypes, but none of these designs were used directly in service. In its place was the 12.8cm Krupp barrel with its integrated breech system, which, in cooperation with carriages previously captured from French and Soviet armies, became the 12.8cm PaK 44. The weapon became a useful but limited towed artillery weapon with the inherent value of a field gun in line with the intended AT capability.

A gun mantlet was added in the breech area to provide the gunner with a degree of protection.

The PaK 44 fires a 62-pound semi-perforated armor-piercing (AP) shell for AT roles, and when used as a field gun, the weapon uses a 62-pound high-explosive (HE) projectile. In both cases, the shells were 128mm caliber and loaded by a semi-automatic horizontally sliding breech block assembly. The recoil mechanism adopts a hydropneumatic design. Both components are available in a split wheel carrier form or a cross wheel carrier arrangement, depending on the supply at hand. Height and scroll controls are properly integrated, allowing a height range of -7 to +45 degrees, and scrolling motion is limited by in-game slides - some capable of full 360-degree swings.

The projectiles were fired at an initial velocity of 3,100 feet per second and had a maximum range of 26,700 yards. The total weight of the entire system reaches 22,400 pounds, and the L/55 barrel length reaches 20 feet.

In practice, the PaK 44 was an effective but heavy battlefield instrument that was cumbersome to transport and fire. Its AP shells are able to provide the required penetration values ??at range without sacrificing range performance - a limiting factor for the previous PaK 43 series (88mm) guns. The advent of the latter part of the war ultimately limited PaK 44 production to 51 guns.

They entered service by the end of 1944 and fought until the end of the European War in May 1945.

The PaK 44 was also produced for the Tiger Hunt, a sturdy self-propelled tank destroyer that appeared later in the war, although only 88 were named after it. It's also designed to fit the upcoming E-100 and Maus super-heavy tank designs that the Germans were developing before the end of the war -- although those additions are far from finished.

These vehicle companies used at least 100 guns, in addition to the 51 used in the PaK 44 gun role.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

Depends on the ammunition carrier.

Changes