Tag: skoda

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German

4.7 cm Pak (t) (Skoda): Antitank Gun (Ex-Czech)

4.7 cm Pak (t) Skoda: Antitank Gun (Ex-Czech)

The 4.7 cm Skoda semi-automatic, antitank gun is now apparently obsolescent.

The tube, of monobloc construction, is threaded to take a single baffled muzzle brake and flash hider; the rear is screwed on to the breech ring. The gun recoils on vertical slides riveted to the piece. The breechblock is of the vertical sliding wedge type. The piece is cocked automatically when the breechblock is opened, but provision for cocking by hand is also made.

The recoil mechanism, housed in a cylinder above the piece, consists of a spring recuperator and a buffer cylinder containing water and glycerine.

The top carriage which pivots in traverse on the lower carriage consists of a circular steel base housing machined to hold the trunnion seats for the cradle. The traversing mechanism consists of a handwheel, flexible joint, worm and worm wheel. A grip handle acts as a separate clutch for disengaging the free traverse. The elevating mechanism has a handwheel, beveled gears, flexible joints, shaft, worm and worm wheel.

The carriage has split trails of welded steel construction spread to an angle of about 52° for firing support. In traveling position, they are locked to the axle, and the piece which is rotated through an angle of 180° rests over the trail legs. The wooden-spoked wheels are fitted with steel rims and mechanical brakes which are operated by a hand lever.

The shield is rectangular with a double curve on the top and a cut-away portion for the wheels on either side. It is constructed of a thin 5 mm sheet of armor and has a rectangular sighting aperture on the left-hand side.

SPECIFICATIONS

Caliber         47 mm (1.85 ins.)
Weight (complete) 800 lb. (approx).
Length (overall), (travelling position) 162 ins.
Length of tube 6.25 ft.
Breech mechanism Vertical sliding wedge; semi-auto.
Firing mechanism Inertia
Recoil mechanism Hydro-spring
Rifling 20 lands and grooves; R.H. twist
Muzzle velocity (A.P.) Wt. 3.6 lb.—2540 f/s
Elevation 30°
Depression -4°
Traverse 45° scaled—360° free
Ammunition H.E.; A.P. (Uncapped)
Penetration

A.P. shot against homogeneous armor
Range Thickness of armor in inches
Yards   30°   Normal
300           2.3         3.0
500   2.2 2.8
700   2.0 2.6
1000   1.8 2.4

German: p. 127

Categories
German

21 cm K. 39: Heavy Field Gun

Skoda 21 cm K. 39: Heavy Field Gun

The 21 cm heavy field gun (K. 39), an original Skoda design, was taken over by the German Army shortly after the invasion of Czechoslovakia. For transport, the equipment may be broken down into three loads, each of which is mounted on two 2-wheeled, pneumatic-tired bogies.

The piece consists of an autofrettaged monobloc barrel and loose liner, and a breech ring. The breechblock is of the interrupted screw threaded type, incorporating an obturator pad, obturator spindle and percussion firing lock. On recoil, the piece slides in a cylindrical sleeve in the cradle.

The upper carriage is fitted to a turntable which revolves on a ball race mounted in the platform. The platform consists of a rectangular sheet steel box which is dug into the ground. Four removable arms located at the corners of the platform support it by bearing on the ground by means of special feet. During transport, the arms are lowered and serve to support the platform on its bogies.

The traversing and elevating mechanisms, each with two-speed gearing, are operated from handwheels on the left of the carriage.

Four types of ammunition are used in the gun: the original Czech high explosive shell; a German version of the same shell with the base fuze omitted; an anti-concrete shell with ballistic cap and base fuze; and an armor-piercing shell with base fuze. It is loaded at 8° elevation with the help of a special 2-wheeled shell trolley.

There are two other versions of the weapon, the K. 39/40 and the 39/41. Although the two later models are modifications of the original Skoda design, they do not differ in main performance details

SPECIFICATIONS

Caliber      210 mm (8.27 ins.)
Weight (traveling position) Three loads approx. 16 1/2 tons each
Weight (firing position) 37.2 tons
Length of barrel including breech ring 31.3 ft.
Muzzle velocity (max.) 2,625 f/s
Max. range (horizontal) 32,800 yds.
Traverse 360°
Wt. of max. charge 82.8 lbs.
Elevation 45°
Depression -4°
Ammunition H.E.; Anti-concrete; A.P.
Wt. of projectile All 298 lbs.

German: p. 100.3 (May 1, 1945)