3.7 cm Panzerabwehr Kanone (PaK) 35/36 DAK veteran

**Bob Lyons** · 11-04-2014, 01:38 AM

Also on display in the AWM, Canberra....

3.7 cm Panzerabwehr Kanone (PaK) 35/36. The barrel of the gun is fitted with a buffer and recuperator operated by compressing oil and a return spring. This brings the barrel back into position after being fired. The barrel's breech is closed by a horizontal sliding block, which moves to the left when opened. Stamped into the right side of the breech block are manufacturers and inspectors proofs '368 Rl 93 Rh.M. 380 / 18176Rh.M.312'. The weapon's serial number '206' is stamped on the breech.

The gun shield is armoured steel and has a sighting shutter on the left side. The shutter has a sliding plate which can be closed when the shutter is not in use. The PaK gun could be fitted with an armoured skirt, but this weapon is not fitted with one.

Two small hand wheels that operate the traverse and elevation of the gun are located on the left side of the barrel. The gun has a 59 degree traverse and the barrel can be lowered to -8 degrees and elevated to +25 degrees. An upright bracket is located above the wheels for a sight to be attached to. The sight on this weapon is missing.
The PaK 35/36 has two triggers. One is a button, located inside the elevating wheel, worked by a trigger cable which is missing on this gun. The second trigger is a lever located on the lower right side of the breech block.
The gun's carriage has two pneumatic tyres on single rims. The carriage has a split trail design with a spade at the end. The legs of the trail are 7 centimetre diameter tubular aluminium alloy and can be locked open during use and closed for movement. The spade is 22.8 by 22.8 centimetres, when in the closed position, and has a hardened steel tip to assist the weapon dig into the ground when it is fired. A handle is located above each side of the spade to assist the crew in moving the weapon into position, or for portage. A tow ring is mounted on the end of the right leg of the trail.

Summary

The 3.7 cm PaK 35/36 was the standard German Army anti-tank gun at the beginning of the Second World War. Initial design work began in 1924, although the final version did not become operational until 1934. The PaK 35/36 was first employed during the Spanish Civil War. The gun was widely sold abroad to other nations, including Italy, Turkey, Holland, Japan and the Soviet Union.

The weapon's light weight and portability meant that it was ideal for use with light infantry and airborne (fallschirmjaeger) units. The French campaign in 1940 highlighted numerous performance deficiencies. The weapon had a poor performance against British and French Tanks, such as the Matilda and Char-B. The weapon was also used on the Eastern Front, and when it went into action against Russian T-34 tanks, it was found to be totally obsolete. Despite this, the PaK 35/36 remained the standard anti-tank gun for many of the front line units into 1942, after which it was gradually replaced with the 5 cm PaK 38 and the 7.5 cm PaK 40.

In 1943, a shaped charge round, the Stielgranate 41, was introduced for the Pak35/36. For this round to effectively pierce armour, crews had to wait until enemy armoured vehicles were within 300 metres before firing the gun.

By the time production of the PaK 35/36 was terminated in 1941, over 15,000 units had been produced.