7.5 cm KwK 42


The 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 was a 7.5 cm calibre German tank gun used on German armoured fighting vehicles in the Second World War. The gun was the armament of the Panther medium tank and two variants of the Jagdpanzer IV self-propelled anti-tank gun. On the latter it was designated as the "7.5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 42" anti-tank gun.

Design

The increased muzzle velocity and operating pressure of the new gun required a new armour-piercing projectile to be designed. The Panzergranate 39/42 was the result, and apart from the addition of wider driving bands it was otherwise identical to the older 7.5 cm Panzergranate 39. The wider driving bands added a little extra weight, from 6.8 kg for the old Panzergranate 39, to 7.2 kg for the new Panzergranate 39/42.
The gun was fired electrically, the primer being initiated using an electric current rather than a firing pin. The breech operated semi-automatically so that after the gun had fired, the empty shell casing was automatically ejected, and the falling wedge type breech block remained down so that the next round could be loaded. Once the round was loaded the breech closed automatically and the weapon was ready to be fired again. Three different types of ammunition were used: APCBC-HE, APCR and HE.

Data for KwK 42 and Pak 42

;Panzergranate 39/42
Range100 m500 m1000 m1500 m2000 m
Penetration 1381241129989

;Panzergranate 40
Range100 m500 m1000 m1500 m2000 m
Penetration 194174149127106

;Sprenggranate 42
  • Type: High explosive
  • Projectile weight:
  • Explosive weight: 0.650 kg
  • Round weight:
  • Round length:
  • Cartridge case length:
  • Muzzle velocity:

    Penetration comparison

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