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8,8 cm KwK 36
A captured Tiger I tank fitted with the 8.8 cm KwK 36
Type	Kampfwagenkanone
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
Used by	Nazi Germany
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Krupp
Unit cost	18000 Reichmark
Specifications
Barrel length	492.8 cm (194.0 in) bore (56 calibres)
Shell	Fixed QF 88 × 571mmR
Shell weight	7.3 kg (16 lb) Armor-piercing composite rigid (APCR) Pzgr 40
Calibre	88 mm (3.46 in)
Elevation	-8° to +15°
Rate of fire	10 round per minute
Muzzle velocity	930 m/s (3,100 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	10,500 m (34,449 ft)

The 8.8 cm KwK 36 (German: 8,8 cm Kampfwagenkanone 36) was an 88 mm tank gun used by the GermanArmy during World War II. This was the primary armament of the PzKpfw VI Tiger Itank. It was developed and built by Krupp.

Design[edit]

The KwK 36 was derived from the 8.8 cm FlaK 36 anti-aircraft gun by adapting/modifying it to the limited space available in tank turrets. Parts of the KwK 36 were built to practically the same design as the 7.5 cm and 5.0 cm guns already used in German tanks. The breech ring was square in section and 320 millimetres (13 in) on a side. The breech block was of vertical falling wedge type and operated semi-automatically, meaning that after firing the empty cartridge case was automatically ejected, while the breech cocked itself and remained open, ready to receive the next round.

The 'L56' in the designation is a traditional measurement for artillery pieces. 'L' refers to the length of the interior of a gun tube (or 'barrel') in proportion to the size of its bore, an important metric in determining a gun's relative performance for its bore size. The inside diameter of a gun tube is considered one caliber. The designation 'L56' means the barrel is 56 calibers long, or 56 times 88 mm = 4,928 mm; almost 5 metres (16 ft). Thus, it is not an absolute unit of measurement; it is a proportionate one, and thus is rarely used while considering overall dimensions. Rather, it is used to denote how much velocity a gun will generate for its bore size. The longer the tube is in relation to its bore, the higher the muzzle velocity it can generate. A longer gun barrel allows the expanding gas from the shell's charge to act on the projectile longer than a short barrel, imparting it more velocity and force. For the Tiger II's 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71, 71 times 88 mm is 6248 mm, over 6 metres (20 ft) long. Shorter tubes are most useful for indirect fire, such as howitzers or infantry support. For anti-armour purposes using traditional solid shot, a long to very-long tube is needed, to generate the necessary velocity.

Performance[edit]

The KwK 36 was very accurate and high-powered, and its high muzzle velocity produced a very flat trajectory. This allowed its gunners a higher margin of error in estimating range.

In British firing trials during the war, a British gunner scored five successive hits from 1,200 yards (1,100 m) at a 16-by-18-inch (41 by 46 cm) target. Another five rounds were fired at targets moving at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), and, although smoke obscured the gunners' observation, three hits were scored after directions given by the commander. The sighting system resulted in excellent firing accuracy for the 8.8 cm KwK 36 gun on the Tiger I.^[1]

Capability[edit]

The gun's performance was highly dependent on distance to target and type of ammunition loaded. For kinetic penetration, the speed of the projectile upon impact is crucial, and cumulative effect of air resistance decreases the velocity of the shell as the distance to the target increases. The accuracy achieved during controlled test firing to determine the pattern of dispersion gives a greater accuracy than the variation expected during practice firing on a range due to differences between guns, ammunition and gunners; both at precisely known distances.^[2]Due to errors in estimating the range and many other factors, the probability of a first shot hit under battlefield conditions was much lower than at the firing range. Observing the tracer from the first round in battle, the average, calm gunner might achieve the firing range accuracy shown in the second column with the second round fired at the same target. ^[2]

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This gun used the same size 88 x 571R mm cartridge employed by the Flak 18/36/37.

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Panzergranate 39 (PzGr. 39)[edit]

• Type: Armour-piercing, capped, ballistic cap (APCBC) projectile with explosive filler and tracer.
• Projectile weight: 10.20 kg (22.5 lb)
• Muzzle velocity: 773 m/s (2,540 ft/s)
• Explosive filler: 0.059 kg (0.13 lb)

Penetration figures given for an armoured plate 30 degrees from vertical

Hit probability versus 2.5 x 2 m target [2]
Range	Penetration	Test bed	Firing range
100 m	132 mm	100%	100%
500 m	110 mm	100%	100%
1000 m	99 mm	100%	93%
1500 m	91 mm	98%	74%
2000 m	83 mm	87%	50%
2500 m	n/a	71%	31%
3000 m	n/a	53%	19%

PzGr. 40 (APCR)[edit]

• Type: Armour-piercing, composite rigid (APCR) projectile had a sub-calibre tungsten carbide core.
• Projectile weight: 7.30 kg (16.1 lb)
• Muzzle velocity: 930 m/s (3,100 ft/s)

Penetration figures given for an armoured plate 30 degrees from vertical

Hit probability versus 2.5 x 2 m target [2]
Range	Penetration	Testbed	Firing range
100 m	171 mm	100%	100%
500 m	156 mm	100%	100%
1000 m	138 mm	99%	80%
1500 m	123 mm	89%	52%
2000 m	110 mm	71%	31%
2500 m	n/a	55%	19%

Hl.39 (HEAT)[edit]

• Type: high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round with a shaped charge.
• Projectile weight: 7.65 kg (16.9 lb)
• Muzzle velocity: 600 m/s (2,000 ft/s)

Penetration figures given for an armoured plate 30 degrees from vertical

Hit probability versus 2.5 x 2m target [2]
Range	Penetration	Testbed	Firing range
100 m	90 mm	100%	100%
500 m	90 mm	100%	98%
1000 m	90 mm	94%	62%
1500 m	90 mm	72%	34%
2000 m	90 mm	52%	20%

Sprgr. L/45 (HE)[edit]

• Type: high explosive (HE) round
• Projectile weight: 9.3kg (20.5 lb)
• Explosive filler: 0.9 kg of amatol (3765 Kilojoules)^[3]

Penetration comparison[edit]

Penetration figures (90 degrees) uses American and British 50% success criteria,
and allowing direct comparison to foreign gun performance.^[4]

Ammunition type	Muzzle velocity (m/s)	Penetration (mm)
		100 m	250 m	500 m	750 m	1000 m	1250 m	1500 m	2000 m	2500 m	3000 m
PzGr. 39 (APCBC)	780 m/s (2,600 ft/s)	162	158	151	144	138	132	126	116	106	97
PzGr. 40 (APCR)	930 m/s (3,100 ft/s)	219	212	200	190	179	170	160	143	128	115
Hl.39 (HEAT)	600 m/s (2,000 ft/s)	110	110	110	110	110	110	110	110	110	110

See also[edit]

• 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 - the direct successor to this gun, and the one mounted on the Tiger II
• 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41, the prominent anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapon the 8.8 cm KwK 36 is often confused with.

Weapons of comparable role, performance, and era[edit]

• British Ordnance QF 17-pounder
• Soviet 85 mm D-5T/ZiS-S-53
• United States 90 mm Gun M3

References[edit]

1. ^ Green, 2005, p. 121
2. ^ ^abcdeJentz, 1996, p. 9
3. ^German Explosive Ordnance (Projectiles and Projectile Fuzes) - Department of the Army Technical Manual TM-9-1985-3. 1953. p. 445 https://archive.org/details/TM9-1985-3.
4. ^Bird, Lorrin Rexford; Livingston, Robert D. (2001). WWII Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery. Overmatch Press. p. 61.

Bibliography[edit]

• Green Michael, Panzers at War. London: Zenith Press, 2005. ISBN0-7603-2152-3
• Thomas L. Jentz, Germany's Tiger Tanks: Tiger I and Tiger II - Combat Tactics. London: Schiffer Publishing, 1996. ISBN0-7643-0225-6

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 8.8 cm KwK 36.

I just found my old copy of 'WWII Ballistics: Armor & Gunnery' by Lorrin Rexford Bird and Robert Livingston (Overmatch Press 2001) which is held in fairly high regard for its penetration data. However, I can't seem to find any key for it's penetration tables. For example, the column title 'M.V.' is pretty straitforward, but there is no indication whether its in feet per second or meters per second (however in this case it *must* be feet per second because the numbers are so high). What I really want to know is the range columns. Are they in yards, feet, or meters? Anyone know for sure? I've gone through that section several times now and found no mention of it.
Thanks for any help.