7.5 cm L.48 Panzerabwehrkanone PaK 39 Anti-Tank Gun of the Wehrmacht

German 75 mm PaK 39 anti-tank gun mounted in a Hetzer tank-hunter.

The German PaK 39 looks identical to a 7.5 cm L.46 PaK 40 or 50 mm L.60 PaK 38 except that it does not have a muzzle brake. The PaK 39 has a lower performance than the PaK 40, despite the fact that its barrel is L.2 longer. The difference is in the cartridge. Like most guns, the PaK 39 had a cartridge of the same diameter as the 75 mm shell it fired, whereas the PaK 40 had a larger, bottle-necked cartridge with a bigger and more powerful propellant load. The PaK 39 was easier to manufacture, because a standard breech could be used. Italian Breda 75/46 M.34 and Romanian 75 mm Resita anti-tank guns were similar in design to the PaK 39, neither country had the machine tools to produce the more sophisticated Panzerabwehrkanone PaK 40.

Available Scale Model Kits

  • StuG III Ausf. F (Sd.Kfz. 142/1) with 7.5 cm KwK 39
  • Jgd.Pz. 38 (t) Hetzer (Sd.Kfz. 138/2) with 7.5 cm PaK 39
  • Jgd.Pz. IV L/48 (PaK 39, Sd.Kfz. 162) with 7.5 cm PaK 39

Technical Specifications

  • Calibre: 75 mm
  • Barrel Length: L.48
  • Rate of Fire: 12 shots per minute
  • Armour Penetration at 0-100 m:
    • Panzergranate 39 (A.P.) 144 mm
    • Panzergranate 40 (A.P.C.R.) 172 mm

Bibliography

Historical Employment

  • German Army, 1943 – May 1945

The German 7.5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 39 was not made available as a towed anti-tank gun.

German Miniatures of World-War Two