2 cm KwK 30

The KwK 30 also served as the basis for the 20 mm C/30, an aircraft variant mounted experimentally in some Heinkel He 112 fighters and proved to make an excellent ground-attack weapon during the Spanish Civil War. Direct ground-attack was not considered a priority for the Luftwaffe and thus, the cannon was not used on other designs. An improved version, the 2 cm KwK 38 L/55 (2 cm Kampfwagenkanone 38 L/55), was introduced in 1942 and mounted mainly on armored cars. The KwK 38, equipped with the longer L/65 Flakbarrel, was used on the Panzer II Luchs and also on the Sd.Kfz.251/17 Schützenpanzerwagen (2 cm) Platoon leader vehicle, which had the gun on a pedestal mounting with a small armored turret to protect the gunner.

• Name — 2 cm KwK 30 • Origin — Nazi Germany • Type — Tank gun • Is Ranged — yes • Is Artillery — yes • Service — 1935–1945 • Used By — Nazi Germany • Wars — World War II • Manufacturer — Mauser Rheinmetall-Borsig • Unit Cost — 4,000 RM • Cartridge — 20×138mmB • Caliber — 2 cm • Rate — 260 rpm • Velocity — 1,050 m/s with PzGr.40 • Feed — 10 round box magazine (KwK 38) • Sights — TZF4 TZF4/36 TZF3a TZF6 • Breech — recoil operated bolt • Carriage — turret • Elevation — -9½° to +20° • Traverse — 360°

• Bergepanther Sd.Kfz.179 • Sd.Kfz.121 Panzerkampfwagen II • Panzer II Luchs (KwK 38) • Sd.Kfz.222 Leichter Panzerspähwagen • Sd.Kfz.231 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen • Sd.Kfz.232 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen • Sd.Kfz.234/1 • Sd.Kfz.251/17 Schützenpanzerwagen (2 cm)

The 2 cm KwK 30 used the 20×138mmB cartridge. Average penetration performance established against rolled homogenous steel armor plate laid back at 30° from the vertical. • PzGr.39 (Armour Piercing) (Armor penetration: 23 mm at 100 meters and 14 mm at 500 meters) • PzGr.40 (Armour Piercing Composite Rigid) (Armor penetration: 40 mm at 100 meters and 20 mm at 500 meters) • 2 cm Sprgr. 39 (High Explosive) • German designation — US Abbreviation — Projectile weight [g] — Bursting charge — Muzzle velocity [m/s] — Description • Sprenggranatpatrone L'spur mit Zerleger — HEF-T — 115 — 6.2 g HE (PETN + wax) — 888 m/s — Nose fuzed tracer round, self-destruct after 5.5 - 6.5 seconds (2000m range) due to tracer burn-through. • Sprenggranatpatrone L'spur W mit Zerleger — HEF-T — 120 — 6.2 g HE (PETN + wax) —? — Nose fuzed tracer round with heat transfer. Self-destruct after 5.5 - 6.5 seconds (2000m range) due to tracer burn-through. • Sprenggranatpatrone L'spur mit Zerleger — HEF-T — 120 — 6.6 g HE (PETN + wax) —? — Boat-tailed HE-Frag. tracer round with nose fuze. Self-destruct at 2000m range due to tracer burn-through. • Sprenggranatpatrone 39 Erd — HEF (M) — 132 — 11 g HE? — 995 m/s — HE-Frag. round with nose fuze, no tracer. • Brandsprenggranatpatrone L'spur (Flak) mit Zerleger — HEI (m)-T — 120-122 — 2.4 g HE (PETN) + 4.1 g incendiary (Aluminium) — 900 m/s — Nose fuze, tracer, with self-destruct after 5.5 - 6.5 seconds (2000m range) due to tracer burn-through. • Brandsprenggranatpatrone ohne L'spur (Flak) mit Zerleger — HEI (M) — 115-120 — 22 g total 20 g HE Hexogen 5 (RDX + wax) + 2 g incendiary (Zinc) powder — 900 m/s — Nose fuze, no tracer, self-destruct after 5.5 - 8 seconds flight (2000m range). Lack of tracer and high density of incendiary allows heavy filling load. • Brandsprenggranatpatrone vk. L'spur W mit Zerleger — HEI (M)-T — 132 — 19 g HE? +? g incendiary (WP) — 995 m/s — Nose fuzed HEI tracer round with heat transfer. Self-destruct after 5.5 second (2000m range) due to tracer burn-through. • Brandsprenggranatpatrone mit Zerleger? — HEI (m) — 100 —? g HE? +? g incendiary (WP) — 1050 m/s — Nose fuze, no tracer, with self-destruct? • Brandsprenggranatpatrone L'spur mit Zerleger? — HEI (m)-T — 100 —? g HE? +? g incendiary (WP) — 1050 m/s — Nose fuze, tracer, with self-destruct? after? second (?m range) due to tracer burn-through. • Panzergranatpatrone L'spur mit Zerleger — APHEI-T — 146 — 2.4 g (PETN) +? g incendiary (WP) — 830 m/s — Base-fuzed tracer round, with self-destruct due to tracer burn-through after 4.5 second flight (1800m range). • Panzergranatpatrone 39 — AP — 148 — w/o filling — 780 m/s — No fuze, no tracer or self-destruct function. • Panzergranatpatrone 40 L'spur — APIHC-T APICR-T HVAPI-T — 100 — Light metal shell, special steel core — 1050 m/s — Tungsten carbide core. Tracer round, with no fuze or self-destruct function. Tracer burn-through after 0,9 second flight (600m range). Penetrating effect with incendiary effect due to melting of light metal tip. • Panzerbrandgranatpatrone (Phosphor) L'spur ohne Zerleger — API-T — 148 — 3.0 g incendiary (WP) — 780 m/s — Tracer round, with no fuze or self-destruct function. Tracer burn-through after 1,8 second flight (1000m range). • Panzergranatpatrone L'spur ohne Zerleger — AP-T — 143 — w/o filling — 800 m/s — Tracer round, with no fuze or self-destruct function. Tracer burn-through after 1,8 second flight (1000m range). • Panzersprenggranatpatrone L'spur mit Zerleger (Kriegsmarine) — APHE-T — 121 — 3.6 g HE? —? — Base-fuzed round, self-destruct after 4.5 second flight (1800m range) due to tracer burn-through.