5 cm KwK 39 L / 60 (5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 39 L / 60) is a German 50 mm tank gun used primarily as the main weapon of the medium tank PzKpfw III of the Ausf J1, L, M modifications [1] . The vehicles equipped with it took part in the hostilities in World War II .
The gun performed well in North Africa against British cruising tanks and American light tanks M3 "Stuart" [2] . However, against the Soviet T-34s and even more so the KV-1 was not effective enough, and it was gradually abandoned in favor of the 7.5 cm KwK 37 L / 24 gun [1] , which could fire cumulative projectiles.
A similar towed anti-tank gun was designated 5 cm Pak 38 .
Based on the KwK 39, the BK 5 heavy aircraft gun was developed, which received limited distribution, and was installed on interceptor aircraft such as the Me 410A-1 / U4 , Junkers Ju 88P-4 and Me 262A-1a / U4 .
Ammunition
- PzGr ( armor-piercing )
- PzGr. 39 (armor-piercing with protective and ballistic tips)
- PzGr. 40 (armor - piercing subcaliber with a core)
- PzGr. 40/1 (armor-piercing subcaliber with a core)
- 5 cm Sprgr.Patr. 38 ( high-explosive fragmentation )
See also
- Armored vehicles
- PzKpfw III (Sd.Kfz. 141) Ausf. J / 1, L, M [1]
- Sd.Kfz. 234/2 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen "Puma"
- Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. L "Luchs"
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 Rottman, Gordon L. M3 Medium Tank Vs Panzer III: Kasserine Pass 1943 .-- Osprey Publishing, 2008 .-- P. 20. - ISBN 978-1-84603-261-5 .
- ↑ Rottman, Gordon L. M3 Medium Tank Vs Panzer III: Kasserine Pass 1943. - Osprey Publishing, 2008. - P. 4-5. - ISBN 978-1-84603-261-5 .