4.2cm PaK 41

[David W]

Apologies if this question has been asked before, but I did a search and came up with nothing.

Does anyone have any reliable figures for the armour penetration rates for this gun when using ammunition available in 1942 only?

Thanks.

[fridgeman]

Well, really reliable figures may hard to get, as i dont know anyone who might test this for us
But some research on the internet aswell as in few publications shows quite same numbers.
The exit velocity/v0 of the projectile was 1265 m/s, it penetrated a 100mm plating on a distance of 100m, hitting at 60° degree.
On a distance of 500 meters it still penetrated 87mm of plating, on 1000 meter distance 60mm of plating. Of course depending
on degree of impact and other factors.

[David W]

Thsnks Fridgeman.

Did they state what ammunition type produced those figures?

[Alanmccoubrey]

David, According to Ian Hogg in "Germany Artillery of WW2" there were only two rounds for this gun, an AT(4,2cm Pzgr Ptr 41) and an HE(4,2cm Sprgr Ptr 41), now I appreciate that new information may have come forth since he wrote the book but just thought I'd say what he has.
He gives these performance details.

at 100m 0° 120mm of armour.
100m 30° 90mm of armour.
500m 0° 87mm of armour.
500m 30° 72mm of armour.
1000m 0° 60mm of armour.
1000m 30° 53mm of armour.

[David W]

Thanks to you both.

[fridgeman]

The german side experimented with Wolframcarbid-projectiles with this type of pak also.
Wolframcarbid is a ceramic, and nearly as hard as a diamond (thats why german inventors called it WiDia first,
short for "Wie Diamant/like diamond). The projectiles were comparable to modern depleted uranium projectles,
even if their range of penetration was a bit less. But due to the complicated and expensive production of wolframcarbid,
the project and tests were cancelled in 1944.