3.7 cm KwK 36
# 3.7 cm KwK 36

The 3.7 cm KwK 36 L/45 (3.7 cm Kampfwagenkanone 36 L/45) was a German 3.7 cm cannon used primarily as the main armament of earlier variants of the German Sd.Kfz. 141 Panzerkampfwagen III medium tank. It was used during the Second World War.

It was essentially the 3.7 cm Pak 36 used as a tank gun.

## Ammunition

The 3.7 cm KwK 36 used the 37 x 249 mm. R cartridge. Average penetration performance established against rolled homogeneous steel armor plate laid back at 30° from the vertical.

### PzGr.18 (Armour-piercing)

* Weight of projectile: 0.658 kg (1 lb 7.2 oz)
* Muzzle velocity: 745 m/s (2,440 ft/s)

| 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2000 m |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 34 mm | 29 mm | 23 mm | 19 mm | -- |

### PzGr.40 (Armour-piercing composite rigid)

* Weight of projectile: 0.368 kg (13.0 oz)
* Muzzle velocity: 1,020 m/s (3,300 ft/s)

| 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2000 m |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 64 mm | 31 mm | -- | -- | -- |

PzGr.39 - Armour-piercing

Sprgr.Patr.34 - High-explosive

Calculated penetration (at 90 degrees) using American and British 50% success criteria, and allowing comparison to performance of other guns. :

| Ammunition type | Muzzle velocity | Penetration | Penetration | Penetration | Penetration | Penetration |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Ammunition type | Muzzle velocity | 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2,000 m (6,600 ft) |
| Pzgr. APHE | 745 m/s | 64 mm (2.5 in) | 52 mm (2.0 in) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 30 mm (1.2 in) | 23 mm (0.91 in) |
| Pzgr. 40 APCR | 1,020 m/s | 90 mm (3.5 in) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 22 mm (0.87 in) | -- | -- |

## Vehicles mounted on

* Leichttraktor
* Neubaufahrzeug
* Sd.Kfz. 141 Panzerkampfwagen III versions A until E (de: Ausfertigung A bis E)
* Sd.Kfz. 141 Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. F (the last 100 Ausf. F mounted the 5 cm KwK 38 L/42 gun)
* Sd.Kfz. 141 Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. G (the first 50 Ausf. G)
