8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41, the prominent anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapon the 8.8 cm KwK 36 is often confused with.8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 - the direct successor to this gun, and the one mounted on the Tiger II.Penetration comparison Penetration figures (90 degrees) uses American and British 50% success criteria,Īnd allowing direct comparison to foreign gun performance. Explosive filler: 0.9 kg of amatol (3765 Kilojoules).Type: high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round with a shaped charge.Type: Armour-piercing, composite rigid (APCR) projectile had a sub-calibre tungsten carbide core.Penetration figures given for an armoured plate 30 degrees from vertical Type: Armour-piercing, capped, ballistic cap (APCBC) projectile with explosive filler and tracer.This gun used the same size 88 x 571R mm cartridge, with the exception of being electronically primed compared to the percussion primed cases employed by the Flak 18/36/37.įinnish training chart for KwK 36, shows an 88 mm PzGr. Observing the tracer from the first round in battle, the average, calm gunner might achieve the firing range accuracy shown in the second column with the second round fired at the same target. ĭue to errors in estimating the range and many other factors, the probability of a first shot hit under battlefield conditions was much lower than at the firing range. The accuracy achieved during controlled test firing to determine the pattern of dispersion gives a greater accuracy than the variation expected during practice firing on a range due to differences between guns, ammunition and gunners both at precisely known distances. For kinetic penetration, the speed of the projectile upon impact is crucial, and the cumulative effect of air resistance decreases the velocity of the shell as the distance to the target increases. The gun's performance was highly dependent on distance to target and type of ammunition loaded. The sighting system resulted in excellent firing accuracy for the 8.8 cm KwK 36 gun on the Tiger I. Another five rounds were fired at targets moving at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), and, although smoke obscured the gunners' observation, three hits were scored after directions given by the commander. In British firing trials during the war, a British gunner scored five successive hits from 1,200 yards (1,100 m) at a 16-by-18-inch (41 by 46 cm) target. This was used to determine the armor values so that players do not need to make the calculations. This allowed its gunners a higher margin of error in estimating range. Bird & Livingstons book, WWII Ballistics: Gunnery and Armor. The KwK 36 was very accurate and high-powered, and its high muzzle velocity produced a very flat trajectory. For the Tiger II's 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71, barrel length is 6.25 m (20 ft 6 in) generating a higher velocity.Ĩ.8 cm KwK 36 at Base Borden Military Museum A longer gun barrel allows the expanding gas from the shell's charge to act on the projectile longer than a short barrel, imparting it more velocity and force. The longer the tube is in relation to its bore, the higher the muzzle velocity it can generate on fixed charge. The designation 'L56' means the barrel is 56 times 88 mm - about 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in). The 'L56' in the designation is descriptor of barrel length the ratio of the length of the barrel in proportion to the width of the bore. The breech block was of vertical falling wedge type and operated semi-automatically, meaning that after firing the empty cartridge case was automatically ejected, while the breech cocked itself and remained open, ready to receive the next round. The breech ring was square in section and 320 millimetres (13 in) on a side. Parts of the KwK 36 were built to practically the same design as the 7.5 cm and 5.0 cm guns already used in German tanks. The KwK 36 was derived from the 8.8 cm FlaK 36 anti-aircraft gun by adapting/modifying it to the limited space available in tank turrets. 4.1 Weapons of comparable role, performance, and era.Estimated penetration ranges computed from curves and data in this booklet have been compared to battlefield reports and firing tests. Based on over 25 years of research on armor and projectile effectiveness, data for British, American, Soviet, Italian and German vehicles and guns has been converted to a single basis allowing direct comparison. While American data is available and comprehensive for WW II ammunition, national differences limit the accuracy of straight-forward extrapolation from American figures.

Each nation used ammunition and armor with different shapes, weights, caps, hardness, toughness characteristics and thickness. Recreating WW II tank battles on the war game table, or analyzing battlefield reports, is not a simple task.

Wwii ballistics armor and gunnery