|
Design of the new 75mm Pak 40 began as early as 1939, when it was considered that the new 50mm Pak 38,
which had not yet even entered service, would not be enough to stop the newer Russian tanks.
Rheinmetall-Borsig was tasked with developing the new gun, and basically what they did was to "scale up"
the 50mm Pak 38 to 75mm. The two guns were similar in appearance, however there were many differences
besides the scale. The basic layout of the 50mm was kept, but the lighter alloy steel that was used to
make the Pak 38 was being earmarked for the Luftwaffe, and was increasingly harder to get. Therefore
the Pak 40 was manufactured from heavier materials, and also to simplify production, the curved plate shield
was replaced with one formed from flat plate. There were also other alterations to speed production,
but the quality and effectiveness was not hampered, and the result was an excellent gun that was capable of
dealing with basically any Allied tank it encountered. The Pak 40 fired a wide range of ammunition, varying from
the basic solid armor piercing shot to the tungsten-cored AP40, and even various forms of hollow-charge
projectiles. Also available were high explosive shells that carried enough payload to make the type
useful as a field artillery piece, a role that it was actually employed in. However, it was as an
anti-tank gun that it was most successful and important. The Pak 40 was produced until the end of the
war, and saw action on all German fronts.
|
|
