German 37mm Rounds

**BrodieBartfast** · 06-22-2020, 03:03 PM

Hello folks.

(EDIT: Mistakenly posted this in the 'world firearms' section, rather than the ordnance section, where it belongs. Apologies).

With my photo uploading difficulties sorted, I can start posting new finds again!

I picked these up a couple of weeks ago. A pair of German 3.7cm rounds, specifically for the 3.7cm KwK 36, the primary armament of the Panzer III. One example is HE (Sprenggranate), the other armour piercing (Panzergranate). Both are far from mint condition, but are in good shape compared to most that you find on the collector's market these days. They can be told apart from PaK rounds by the electric primers on the base, as opposed to conventional primers.

First the Panzergranate. In good shape minus some corrosion, with most of the black paint and red painted markings visible on the projectile. It is fitted with a tracer element, which can be removed and disassembled. Though I'm not sure, I believe the white star indicates this particular tracer was white-coloured.

And now the Sprenggranate. In similar condition to the armour piercing shell, with some corrosion. It is fitted with an 'AZ 39' fuse. Like the other shell, it was sent to me in pieces. The neck of this casing was very tight. I had to cover it with a cloth and quite literally hammer the projectile into place!

Regards, B.B.

**MAP** · 06-22-2020, 03:46 PM

Nice pieces!

**RustyRelics** · 06-22-2020, 06:01 PM

Those are some biguns! Great addition to the collection.

**BrodieBartfast** · 06-22-2020, 07:00 PM

Thanks, guys! They're actually quite small rounds, a far cry from the shells used in late war heavy tanks.

B.B.

**RustyRelics** · 06-22-2020, 08:35 PM

by BrodieBartfast

Thanks, guys! They're actually quite small rounds, a far cry from the shells used in late war heavy tanks.

B.B.

They seem big enough to give ya a whopper of a headache to me!

**Gunny Hartmann** · 06-22-2020, 08:40 PM

Nice to see a couple of rounds from the "Door knocker".

**lithgow** · 06-24-2020, 05:32 PM

The Mk III was designed from the start to use a 50mm gun, but the Ordinance Dept insisted that the tank mount the same type of weapon as the infantry A/T gun for standardization-this was used in Poland, Norway and France but the gun was not fully effective against most French and British armour-existing vehicles and all new production was fitted with the 50mm gun after mid 1940-the 37mm did continue in production for the T38(t) made under German control after the occupation of Czechoslovakia, replacing the original Czech weapon of the same calibre-these stayed in service till 1942 when the tank chassis was then used for other weapons as it was obsolete as a tank by then.