KwK44 (128 mm)

Description

The 128 mm KwK 44 is a German tank cannon that is a variant of the heavy anti-tank gun PaK 44. Firing a 128 mm 28 kilogram projectile at 880 m/s, the KwK 44 is able to produce heavy kinetic energy for above par penetration capabilities with armour-piercing shells.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• Maus
• E-100

General info

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Available shells

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Comparison with analogues

• PaK 44 (128 mm) - The anti-tank gun that the KwK 44 is based off of.
• D-25T (122 mm) - The Soviet counterpart where the KwK/PaK 44 was inspired from.

Usage in battles

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Pros and cons

Pros:

• High muzzle velocity
• High penetration values

Cons:

• Slow reload
• Sluggish gun movement

History

Historically, the 128 mm was in use by the German navy (Kreigsmarine) as a medium-calibre gun for destroyer in the form of the SKC/34, and in use by the air force (Luftwaffe) for the Flak corps as a static defensive weapon to protect the German skies. The German army (Heer) began looking into a 128 mm gun after being inspired by the Russian heavy artillery gun in the 122 mm calibre, especially after the introduction of heavy Soviet tanks like the IS-2. In the eyes of high command, a heavy anti-tank gun was needed to fight against these new generation of Soviet tanks rather than the original dual purpose howitzer gun. Thus the PaK 44 and the tank version KwK 44 were developed. The gun could double as an artillery piece by the use of fewer charges giving the shells curvature. At the end of the war, a total of 51 units were produced.

Media

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See also

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• reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;
• references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on weapon;
• other literature.