Hollow charge projectile for 37mm PAK

[Rolf Steiner]

I used to have the Tamiya kit of the 37mm PAK when I was a kid, and it had an option of replacing the main barrel with a finned hollow charge projectile, making it sort of like a big, wheeled panzerfaust, altho from what I recall the thing was propelled by a live round in the chamber? were these ever seriously used and were they any good at their job?

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

Hi there Steiner!

I too had that Tamiya kit and as far as I recall it was not the complete
barrel which was optional, only the "3.7cm Stielgranate 41" attached or not.

Found this site and an explanation:

The projectile was loaded in the muzzle of the gun, like a rod grenade and was fired with a special propellant cartridge

and

It weighed almost 8.6kg(19lb) and had a very slow muzzle velocity of 110mps (361fps) which gave it an effective a range of only 300m(328yd).
It could reach out to about 800meters and would be just as deadly (as hollow charge weapons do not depend on velocity to do their work), but lack of accuracy is what limited it to a close range weapon. However it packed a big punch. The 2.42kg (5.3lb) warhead could penetrate 180mm (7in) of armor plate. Quite formidable for its day and could defeat any tank of the time.

http://www.inert-ord.net/rod02h/stielgr/index.html


waleed

[Rolf Steiner]

Hi Waleed

Thanks for that, interesting info. Wonder how often it was called into use? must've been a bit hairy reloading those things with t34s coming at you...

[phylo_roadking]

Problem is - some poor sap had to clamber OUT of cover and load it, same as the British Blacker Bombard/spigot mortar...!!!

[Dragunov]

IIRC they featured that thing in the "Männer gegen Panzer" video. search it up on youtube, it's rather interesting anyhoo.

[Rolf Steiner]

yep, sounds like a job for the platoon's resident patsy that one. 'Out you go, Gunther, there's a good chap...'

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

waleed

[Rolf Steiner]

ah, me and my cheap flippancy! It'd take a braver man than me, I'll give em that!

Re: that manner gegen panzer clip on youtube - for the obvious Doctor Joe-approved qualities (and conspicuous lack of soviet 'infantry grapes', who'd presumably make those guys' job a lot less propaganda ministry-palateable), that's still not a bad bit of combat drama they've staged there.

[5RANGLIAN]

You can see it 'in action' in Band of Brothers (third episode, I think), when the Fallschirmjager shoot one at the good guys.

Personally I wouldn't fancy the job of reloading, but it's still better than the old Panzerwurfmine.