"Information notice #34
Information on enemy armameng
1. German 42 mm anti-tank gun mod. 1941
According to information obtained from various sources, the Germans use a 42 mm anti-tank gun mod. 1941
The ammunition of the gun consists of armour piercing mod. 1941 shells with a tungsten carbide core and high explosive mod. 1941 shells.
According to German data, the penetration of the armour piercing shell is as follows
Range (m) | Angle from normal | Thickness of penetrated armour (mm) |
300 | 0 | 75 |
600 | 0 | 40 |
According to information obtained by the Transcaucasian Front (prisoner interrogations) the 42 mm gun has the following characteristics:
Vertical range: -8 to +32 degrees
Horizontal range: 44 degrees
Rate of fire: 5 RPM
Mass of the gun in combat: 450 kg
The gun has a semiautomatic breech. The mount has split trails. The gun crew consists of six men. The gun is towed by a car.
According to British data, the German 42 mm gun has a tapered bore. This is the third anti-tank gun with a tapered bore (detailed information on the 28/20 and 75/55 guns was sent earlier).
2. German 105 mm SPG
According to data obtained from British sources, the Germans installed their 105 mm mod. 18 gun (10 cm K.18) on an armoured SPG. The high explosive mod. 19 grenade is used for firing (medium charge) and armour piercing Panzergranate Rot (maximum charge). The maximum range of the 105 mm mod. 18 gun with the medium charge is 15600 m. The muzzle velocity of the shell with maximum charge is 820 m/s.
3. German 150 mm assault gun
According to data obtained from British sources, the Germans installed their 150 mm mod. 33 infantry gun on a type II tank (Pz.Kw.II).
German 150 mm SPG
Wilhelm Wise, a German corporal from the 1st battalion, 190th artillery squadron, killed near Voronezh, had a photograph that indicates that the Germans installed a 150 mm gun on an SPG. The photo is attached.
Conclusions
From the attached information, one can conclude that, in addition to developing anti-tank artillery with tapered bores, the Germans are progressing towards more mobile artillery, by installing even relatively high caliber artillery on mobile platforms."