The Panzerbüchse 41 or sPzB 41, was an anti-tank weapon used by Germany during World War II.[N 1]
Description[]
The 2.8 cm sPzB 41 was a weapon capable of firing 20 mm projectiles at an effective range of up to 500 m. What made the sPzB 41 unique, however, was its use of the Gerlich principle to increase the velocity of the projectile without need a larger charge. Essentially, the bore was tapered down from an initial 28 mm to 20 mm at the end with 28 mm flanges squeezing the projectile until the bore tapered down, generating a muzzle velocity of around 1,400 meters per second.[2]
Also notable of the sPzB 41 was its use of special ammunition that was heavily reliant on Tungsten as its main component, an element that was much in demand, but not in enough supply. While penetration at close range was decent for such a small anti-tank weapon, 60 mm penetration of armor angled 30˚ at 100 m, the light projectile meant that velocity was lost quite quickly, reducing the weapon's effectiveness at range.[3]
While light compared to traditional anti-tank guns, the Panzerbüchse 41 was quite heavy when put against other infantry options, especially towards the end of the war when weapons such as the Panzerfaust became available. Though, it was not impossible for a single person to manhandle the weapon or a team to break the weapon up for transport, usually in rough terrain.[4] The sPzB 41 weighed about 229 kilograms and had a total length of 2.6 meters. A well-trained crew of three could generate an effective rate of fire of about thirty rounds per minute. The split-trail carriage of the sPzB 41 was fitted with two large rubber road wheels, though these could be removed to give the gun a far lower profile. When set up, the gun could elevate from -5˚ to +45˚.[5] In practice, the Panzerbüchse was mounted on the SdKfz 250/11 half-track as well as the SdKfz 221 armored car[6] and as a traditional anti-tank gun.
Variants
- 2.8 cm sPzB 41 leFl 41: Lightweight version designed for paratroopers
History[]
The sPzB 41 began its development by Mauser-Werke AG in 1939. Following standard trials and further development, the gun was finally ready for service in 1941. Initial examples were first sent to the Eastern Front. Overall, the sPzB 41 saw limited production due in part to several key factors, including its heavy requirement for Tungsten, the fact that the gun did very little damage to the inside of whatever armored vehicle it penetrated, and its ability to be stopped by spaced armor as found in a British test on a captured weapon in 1941.[3] Despite its limited production run, examples of sPzB 41 continued to be used until the end of the war on the Eastern Front, in North Africa, and on the Western Front. By November 1944 for example, the Wehrmacht still had some 1,336 such guns still in its arsenal.[7]
References
- ↑ Bishop, Chris. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. Amber Books Ltd. (2014), Page 199
- ↑ Popular Science. (May 1941), Page 132. Article link
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.wwiiequipment.com/
- ↑ http://www.lonesentry.com/german_antitank/index.html
- ↑ http://www.wwiivehicles.com/germany/guns/28-mm/28-mm-spzb-41.asp
- ↑ German Armored Cars and Reconnaissance Half-Tracks 1939-45. Osprey Publishing (1999), Page 9
- ↑ Shirokorad A. B. The God of War of the Third Reich. (2002)
Notes[]
- ↑ There is some conflict as to whether the Panzerbüchse 41 should be classified as a heavy anti-tank rifle or light anti-tank gun
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