World War II Database

Country of Origin	Germany
Type	Anti-Tank Gun
Caliber	37.000 mm
Length	1.660 m
Barrel Length	1.650 m
Ammunition Weight	0.68 kg
Rate of Fire	13 rounds/min
Range	5.484 km
Muzzle Velocity	762 m/s

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe Panzerabwehrkanone 36, or PaK 36, anti-tank guns were developed in 1936 by the firm Rheinmetall. They entered combat in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. The design was applied to the earlier models of Panzer III tanks as their primary weapons under the designation KwK 36 L45. By May 1940, they were considered inadequate in the face of British and French tanks, earning them the unflattering nickname of "doorknockers" for their shells' tendency to bounce off of heavier Allied tanks. They began to be replaced by the 5-centimeter Pak 38 guns in mid-1940, and were totally phased out in 1942. They were typically removed from their carriages and installed onto half-track vehicles or given to allies such as Finland, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. In 1943, the introduction of the Stielgranate 41 shaped charge brought life back to the PaK 36 anti-tank guns as these new ammunition increased their armor penetration capability (though only at the short range of 300 meters), and they were re-deployed into the German Army.

Source: Wikipedia. ww2dbase

Last Major Revision: Mar 2009

Photographs

See all 10 photographs of 3.7 cm PaK 36 Anti-Tank Gun

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