The 7.92×94mm is an anti-tank cartridge originally developed for the
Panzerbüchse 38. As the war progressed, the round became obsolete against all but lightly armored vehicles.
History
The
13.2 mm TuF made its first appearance in 1917 along with the
Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr
The Tankgewehr M1918 (), also known as the Mauser 13mm anti-tank rifle and T-Gewehr in English, is a German anti-tank rifle—the first rifle designed for the sole purpose of destroying armored targets—and the only anti-tank rifle to see servi ...
due to the new British
Mark IV tank
The Mark IV (pronounced ''Mark four'') was a British tank of the First World War. Introduced in 1917, it benefited from significant developments of the Mark I tank (the intervening designs being small batches used for training). The main improv ...
first appearing on the battlefield which by then the 7.92 mm
K bullet
The K bullet (from German 'Kern', core) was a 7.92×57mm Mauser armor-piercing bullet with a tool steel core designed to be fired from a standard Mauser rifle.
History
The German Army first employed a " reversed bullet" with a heavier powd ...
, was no longer effective against. All German weaponry development came to a sudden halt after the defeat of the
German Empire
The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
in 1918, and no further development took place due to the limitations imposed by the
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...
.
Development resumed in the late 1930s when the
Panzerbüchse 38 came around after the need to provide infantry with a man-portable anti tank weapon. The 7.92×94 mm round was then developed by
Gustloff Werke for use as ammunition in the Panzerbüchse 39.
As the war progressed, the round became ineffective against all but lightly armored vehicles. The round ended production in August 1942, and the Panzerbüchse 39 was phased out in 1944, effectively ending the service life of the round.
Details of the round
The round originally had a steel core and a tiny capsule of tear gas. The round was to penetrate the armor of the tank and the tear gas to force out the occupants of the vehicle. The idea was impractical due to the core penetrating the armor and leaving the capsule outside. Later bullets used tungsten cores due to its better penetrating power.
The round also had a metal jacket. The official designation of the round was Patrone 318 SmK-Rs-L'spur or Patrone 318 SmKH-Rs-L'spur. SmK means "Spitzgeschoss mit Kern", which translates to "pointed bullet with core". (H) indicates the bullet has a tungsten-carbide core, (Rs) stands for "Reizstoff", which means tear gas, because the projectile contains a small capsule of tear gas. "L'spur" stands for "Leuchtspur", which translates to tracer, indicating the bullet has a small tracer in its rear.
Firearms using this round
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Panzerbüchse 38 anti-tank rifle
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Panzerbüchse 39
The 39, abbreviated PzB 39 (German: "tank hunting rifle model 39"), was a Nazi Germany, German anti-tank rifle used in World War II. It was an improvement of the 38 (PzB 38) rifle.
Development PzB 38
German anti-tank rifles originated back in ...
anti-tank rifle
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Model SS41 Czechoslovak
bullpup
A bullpup firearm is one with its firing grip located in front of the Chamber (firearms), breech of the weapon, instead of behind it. This creates a weapon with a shorter overall length for a given barrel length, and one that is often lighter, ...
anti-tank rifle (PzB M.SS.41 / PzB-41(t))
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EW 141 semi-automatic anti-tank rifle, used on
Panzer I Ausf. C
The Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf. C, also known by its prototype name VK 6.01, was a German light tank from the Second World War. Although the Panzer I Ausf. C was formally designated as a modification of the Panzer I, it was actually a completely ne ...
light tank
See also
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Boys Anti-Tank Rifle
The Boys anti-tank rifle (officially Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys, and sometimes incorrectly spelled "Boyes") is a British anti-tank rifle used during the Second World War. It was often nicknamed the "elephant gun" by its users due to its siz ...
*
.55 Boys
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7.92mm DS
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:7.92x94mm Patronen
World War II anti-tank guns of Germany
Pistol and rifle cartridges
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Military equipment introduced in the 1930s
Anti-materiel cartridges