The Art Of Tank Warfare - Chris Keeling

PaK 38
Type: Antitank gun Weaponry: PaK 38 50mm L/60
Availability: Jan 41 – May 45 Turning time: 16 seconds
Playability: AI only Ammunition: 79 (50mm)
Target Size: Small Height: 1.2 meters
The Panzerabwehrkanone 38 50mm L/60 was designed to replace the 37mm PaK 35/36. It had a crew of four
or five men, and was capable of fighting enemy tanks when first introduced, but was quickly outclassed. It had
a muzzle brake (which necessitated a redesign of the Stielgranate 41 round) and a semi-automatic breech. Like
the PaK 35/36, this weapon could be towed by a horsecart or light truck, and manhandled in action by
the crew.
Options: StGr 41 (HEAT).
PaK 40
Type: Antitank gun Weaponry: PaK 40 75mm L/46
Availability: Jan 42 – May 45 Turning time: 16 seconds
Playability: AI only Ammunition: 67 (75mm)
Target Size: Small Height: 1.4 meters
The Panzerabwehrkanone 40 75mm L/46 was designed in anticipation of the next generation of tanks which
German designers thought would appear on the battlefield. This model was essentially an enlarged PaK 38,
and became the standard German antitank gun for the rest of the war. Because of its weight, a truck or tractor
was required for towing, and a crew of five or six soldiers was needed for effective operations. This weapon,
like most German antitank weapons, was provided with both AP and APCR ammunition, as well as a high
explosive round for defense against infantry. A shaped charge round, the G 39 H1, was also issued, gaining
importance once supplies of the tungsten needed for the APCR round were lost.
Options: None.
PaK 43
Type: Antitank gun Weaponry: PaK 43 88mm L/71
Availability: Jan 43 – May 45 Turning time: 16 seconds
Playability: AI only Ammunition: 50 (88mm)
Target Size: Medium Height: 2 meters
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The Panzerabwehrkanone 43 88mm L/71 grew out of a need for a heavy antitank gun and the impressive
reputation of the 88mm L/56 guns. Like the FlaK 18, this gun was mounted on a wheeled carriage and towed
into combat by a heavy truck or halftrack, and used a four-legged mount to enable rapid turning and stability.
The crew was generally less than half the size of that of the FlaK 18, and the extra cargo capacity was often
taken up by spare ammunition. The breech was semiautomatic in design, and the barrel was longer to increase
the accuracy and velocity of the shell. Although large and heavy, it was not as cumbersome as the FlaK 18, and
so much more deadly to tanks that it was chosen for mounting in the Jagdpanther and the King Tiger.
Options: None.