The 4.7 cm KPÚV vz. 38 (), also known as the 4.7 cm KPÚV vz. 36 (), is an
anti-tank gun
An anti-tank gun is a form of artillery designed to destroy tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, normally from a static defensive position. The development of specialized anti-tank munitions and anti-tank guns was prompted by the appearance ...
produced by the
Škoda Works
The Škoda Works (, ) was one of the largest European industrial conglomerates of the 20th century. In 1859, Czech engineer Emil Škoda bought a foundry and machine factory in Plzeň, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary that had been established ten ye ...
that saw service in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
History
Originally designed for the
Czechoslovak Army
The Czechoslovak Army (Czech and Slovak: ''Československá armáda'') was the name of the armed forces of Czechoslovakia. It was established in 1918 following Czechoslovakia's declaration of independence from Austria-Hungary.
History
In t ...
, some were also sold to
Yugoslavia
, common_name = Yugoslavia
, life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation
, p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia
, flag_p ...
. A number were appropriated by the Germans after the
German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
in 1939 and used under the names 4.7 cm PaK (t) or PaK 36(t). The Germans continued production and mounted the PaK 36(t) on the
Panzerkampfwagen I chassis as the
Panzerjäger I
The I (English: "tank hunter mark I") was the first German ("tank hunter") to see service in the Second World War. It mounted the Czech 4.7 cm KPÚV vz. 38 (German designation "4.7 cm (t)") anti-tank gun on a converted open-topped Panzer I ...
tank destroyer
A tank destroyer, tank hunter or tank killer is a type of armoured fighting vehicle, predominantly intended for anti-tank duties. They are typically armed with a direct fire anti-tank gun, artillery gun, also known as a self-propelled anti-ta ...
. A similar attempt to mount it on the chassis of captured
Renault R-35
The Renault R35, an abbreviation of ''Char léger Modèle 1935 R'' or R 35, was a French light infantry tank of the Second World War.
Designed from 1933 onwards and produced from 1936, the type was intended as an infantry support light tank, ...
tanks was less successful.
[Jentz, pp. 62–63]
Design
The barrel has the unique feature of being able to swing 180° so that it lays flat over the trails for transport and the outer part of the trails can also be folded inward to reduce its size. The gun has a small
gun shield
A U.S. Marine manning an M240 machine gun equipped with a gun shield
A gun shield is a flat (or sometimes curved) piece of armor designed to be mounted on a crew-served weapon such as a machine gun, automatic grenade launcher, or artillery pie ...
and wooden-spoked wheels. Despite its dated appearance it was superior to most contemporary designs and the gun is armed with both
AP rounds and
HE rounds for infantry support.
Performance
See also
*
Weapons of Czechoslovakia interwar period
Notes
References
* Gander, T.J. ''German Anti-tank Guns 1939-1945'', Almark Publications, 1973. (soft cover)
* Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. ''Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945''. New York: Doubleday, 1979
* Hogg, Ian.''Twentieth-Century Artillery'', Barnes & Noble Books, 2000.
* Janoušek, Jiří. ''Československé dělostřelectvo 1918-1939'', Corona, 2007.
* Jentz, Thomas L. ''Panzerjaeger (3.7 cm Tak to Pz.Sfl.Ic): Development and Employment from 1927 to 1941 (Panzer Tracts No. 7-1)'' Boyds, MD: Panzer Tracts, 2004.
World War II anti-tank guns of Germany
47 mm artillery
Artillery of Czechoslovakia
Military equipment introduced in the 1930s
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