Published on
July 30, 2010 in
German.
The original 7.62 cm Pak 36, a Russian weapon, was captured by the Nazis and modified to increase the velocity. The built-up tube was rebored to seat a longer cartrige case, and a two-baffled muzzle brake added to cut down recoil energy. The breech mechanism is of the vertical sliding type, and the firing mechanism of the continuous pull type. The breech ring has been bored to seat a safety lock which holds the firing mechanism in a safe or firing position. A firing lever attached to the left side of the cradle enables the gunner to traverse as well as fire the piece. The elevating handwheel is generally situated on the right side of the cradle. Two puller type equilibrators located under the front of the cradle and attached to the rear by chains compensate for muzzle preponderance.
The carriage is of welded steel construction with synthetic filled pneumatic tires and split trails, which can be spread to an angle of 60 ° for firing. The hydropneumatic recoil system consists of two cylinders, one for recoil and the other for counterrecoil. This model is semi-automatic in operation.
The weapon is reported to use the following types of ammunition: A.P.C.; H.E. A sight bracket is attached to the left of the trunnion, and the German range indicator is graduated for the types of ammunition mentioned above.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Caliber |
|
76.2 mm (3 ins.) |
| Weight (complete) |
|
3,564 lb. |
| Length of gun (overall) |
|
23 ft., 5 ins. |
| Length of tube |
|
12 ft., 1 in. |
| Carriage |
|
Steel split trails with rubber tires |
| Breech mechanism |
|
Vertical sliding block |
| Firing mechanism |
|
Continuous pull |
| Recoil mechanism |
|
Hydropneumatic |
| Rifling |
|
32 lands & grooves; R.H. twist |
| Elevation |
|
72° |
| Depression |
|
-4° |
| Traverse |
|
27° right; 30° left |
| Penetration |
| Range |
| Thickness of armor in mm |
| Yards | | 30° | | Normal |
| P.B. |
|
4.1 |
|
5.2 |
| 500 |
|
3.7 |
|
4.6 |
| 1000 |
|
3.2 |
|
4.1 |
| 1500 |
|
2.9 |
|
3.6 |
| 2000 |
|
2.5 |
|
3.1 |
| 2500 |
|
2.2 |
|
2.8 |
|
| M.V. |
|
2430 f/s |
| Wt. of shell |
|
16.7 lb. |
German: p. 116
Published on
July 30, 2010 in
German.
This gun, recently captured in Sicily, has the general simplicity of design characteristic of most Russian weapons. This was formerly a Russian piece, modified by the Germans to use Pak 36 (r) ammunition. The tube which is provided with a jacket is shorter than the Russian 7.62 cm F.K. 36, and is fitted with a double baffled muzzle brake, similar to that used on the 7.5 cm Pak 40. The breechblock is of the vertical falling block type, and appears to be wholly hand operated.
The buffer is located inside the cradle, whereas the recuperator is mounted above the piece. On recoil, the recuperator cylinder moves with the barrel, the piston rod being attached to the upper end of the bracket which is secured to the forward end of the cradle.
Sighting gear consists of a range drum (calibrated for use with Pz. Gr. 40 and Pz. Gr. 39 ammunition) and dial sight carrier mounted on the left trunnion. There appears to be no provision for a telescopic antitank sight.
Traversing and elevating mechanisms are operated by handwheels on the left and right hand sides of the gun.
The weapon is mounted on a crosshead consisting of a short hollow rectangular shaft provided with bearings at either end for the trail heads. The split trails, constructed from rectangular girders, are operated by traversing handles secured to each trail end. Wheels are disk type with pneumatic type tires filled with synthetic.
The shield is a single flat sheet of metal cut away at the lower corners for the wheels. The top is curved upward to the center where there is a sliding center piece over the barrel. A rectangular sighting aperture with sliding cover is cut out on the left hand side in front of the dial sight carrier.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Caliber |
|
76.2 mm |
| Length (overall with muzzle brake) |
|
11.4 ft. |
| Length of barrel (including breech ring) |
|
10.4 ft. |
| Length of barrel |
|
299 cm (9.8 ft.) |
| Rifling |
|
32 lands and grooves; R.H. twist |
| Length of rifling |
|
215 cm (7.05 ft.) |
| Max. range |
|
14,216 yds. |
| Wt. in action |
|
3,535 lb. |
German: p. 115
Published on
December 31, 2009 in
German.
The 7.62 cm F. K. 36 (r) is a gun of Russian design and manufacture. The Germans captured so many pieces during the early months of the invasion of Russia that they were adopted by the German Army both in the original form for standard divisional field guns and as antitank guns known as the 7.62 cm Pak 36 (r) described on page 116.
Both weapons have the same general characteristics: built-up tubes fitted in reinforcing jackets, vertical sliding breech blocks, hydropneumatic recoil mechanisms, and split trail carriages. In addition to a number of minor changes, the principal difference is in the much greater chamber length of the Pak 36 (r)—28.25 inches compared with 15.20 inches, and the addition of a muzzle brake to the Pak 36 (r).
The breech mechanism may be operated either by hand or semi-automatically. Extractors housed in the breech ring are operated by cams when the block opens. A hand control on the left side of the breech ring is provided in case the cartridge fails to eject. The firing mechanism is a continuous pull type.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Caliber | | 76.2 mm (3 ins.) |
| Weight (complete) | | 3,619 lb. |
| Weight (firing position) | | 3,564 lb. |
| Length (overall) | | 22 ft. 6 1/4 ins. |
| Length of gun | | 153 ins. |
| Height (traveling position) |
| Height (firing position) |
| Width (overall) |
| Width of trail spread |
| Length of rifling | | 120 ins. |
| Length of tube | | 12 ft. 2 ins. |
| No. of grooves | | 32 R.H. Polygroove form; Twist-1 in 25 Uniform |
| Width of grooves | | 0.196 in. (5 mm) |
| Depth of grooves | | 0.033 in. (0.84 mm) |
| Width of lands | | 0.078 in. (2 mm) |
| Muzzle velocity (A.P.H.E. shell) | | 2,249 f/s (H.E.—2,335 f/s) |
| Max. range (horizontal) (A.P.-H.E.) | | 14,000 yds. |
| Rate of fire |
| Traverse | | 60° |
| Elevation | | 72° |
| Depression | | 4° |
| Length of recoil (average) | | H.E.-A.P.H.E.—31.1 ins. |
| Ammunition | | H.E.-A.P.H.E.-A.P. 40 |
| Wt. of Projectile | | H.E.—13.45 lbs. |
| | | A.P.H.E.—14.2 lbs. |
| | | A.P. 40—9.2 lbs. |
German: p. 116.1
