7.5 cm KwK 37

The 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 (7.5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 37 L/24) was a short-barreled, howitzer-like German 75 mm tank gun used during World War II, primarily as the main armament of the early Panzer IV tank. Slightly modified as StuK 37, it was also mounted in early StuG III assault guns.

7.5 cm KwK 37 (L/24)
Panzer IV with 7.5cm KwK 37 L/24
Type	Kampfwagenkanone
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	1937–1945
Used by	Nazi Germany
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Krupp
Designed	1934
Manufacturer	Krupp
Unit cost	8000 RM
Produced	1934-1945
Specifications
Mass	490 kg (1,080.3 lb)
Barrel length	176.25 cm (69.39 in) bore (23.5 calibers)
Shell	Fixed QF 75×243mm R
Caliber	75 mm (2.95 in)
Elevation	-10° to +20°
Rate of fire	12–15 round per minute
Muzzle velocity	385 m/s (1,260 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	6,200 m (20,341 ft)

It was designed as a close-support infantry gun firing a high-explosive shell (hence the relatively short barrel) but was also effective against the tanks it faced early in the war. From March 1942, new variants of the Panzer IV and StuG III had a derivative of the 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun, the longer-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 40.^[1] When older Panzer IVs were up-gunned, their former KwK 37 guns were reused to arm later Panzer III tanks and other infantry support vehicles. In 1943, depleted stocks and demand for the Panzer III Ausf. N required restarting production of a slightly revised 7.5 cm K 51 L/24 (7.5 cm Kanone 51 L/24).

Ammunition

The KwK 37 used 75×243 mmR caliber.^[2][3]

• K.Gr.rot.Pz. - Armour Piercing Capped
• Kt. Kw. K. - Canister
• Nbgr. Kw. K. - Smoke
• Gr.38 Hl - High Explosive Anti-Tank
• Gr.38 Hl/A - High Explosive Anti-Tank
• Gr.38 Hl/B - High Explosive Anti-Tank
• Gr.38 Hl/C - High Explosive Anti-Tank

7.5 cm Sprgr.34 - High Explosive

• Projectile weight: 4.422 kg (9.75 lb)
• Explosive weight: 0.454 kg (1.00 lb) (1900 Kilojoules) ^[4]

PzGr. 39/43 Armour-piercing

• Projectile weight: 6.80 kg (15.0 lb)
• Muzzle velocity: 385 m/s (1,260 ft/s)

Penetration figures given for an armoured plate 30 degrees from vertical^{[citation needed]}

Range	Penetration	Hit probability (%)
100 m (330 ft)	41 mm (1.6 in)	100
500 m (1,600 ft)	39 mm (1.5 in)	100
1,000 m (3,300 ft)	35 mm (1.4 in)	97
1,500 m (4,900 ft)	33 mm (1.3 in)	82
2,000 m (6,600 ft)	30 mm (1.2 in)	n/a

Penetration comparison

Calculated penetration figures (90 degrees impact)^[5][6]

Ammunition type	Muzzle velocity	Distance
		100 m (110 yd)	250 m (270 yd)	500 m (550 yd)	750 m (820 yd)	1,000 m (1,100 yd)	1,250 m (1,370 yd)	1,500 m (1,600 yd)	2,000 m (2,200 yd)	2,500 m (2,700 yd)	3,000 m (3,300 yd)
Pzgr. 39/1 (APCBC)	385 m/s (1,260 ft/s)	54 mm (2.1 in)	53 mm (2.1 in)	50 mm (2.0 in)	48 mm (1.9 in)	46 mm (1.8 in)	44 mm (1.7 in)	42 mm (1.7 in)	38 mm (1.5 in)	35 mm	32 mm (1.3 in)
Pzgr. 39/2 (APCBC)	385 m/s (1,260 ft/s)	60 mm (2.4 in)	58 mm (2.3 in)	55 mm (2.2 in)	52 mm (2.0 in)	50 mm	47 mm (1.9 in)	44 mm	38 mm	33 mm	27 mm (1.1 in)
Gr.38 Hl (HEAT)	450 m/s (1,500 ft/s)	52 mm (2.0 in)
Gr.38 Hl/A (HEAT)	450 m/s (1,500 ft/s)	81 mm (3.2 in)
Gr.38 Hl/B (HEAT)	450 m/s (1,500 ft/s)	87 mm (3.4 in)
Gr.38 Hl/C (HEAT)	450 m/s (1,500 ft/s)	115 mm (4.5 in)

Applications

7.5 cm KwK 37 / 7.5 cm K 37

• Neubaufahrzeug
• Panzer III Ausf. N
• Panzer IV Ausf. A to F1
• StuG III Ausf. A to E
• Sd.Kfz. 233 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen
• Sd.Kfz. 251/9 Schützenpanzerwagen

7.5 cm K 51

• Sd.Kfz. 234/3 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen
• Sd.Kfz. 250/8 Schützenpanzerwagen
• Sd.Kfz. 251/9 Schützenpanzerwagen (Late-production Ausf. D)

See also

• Howitzer motor carriage M8, armed with 75mm American M2 or M3 howitzer