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Questions About 38,1-cm Psgr.zu

Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 11:24 pm
by marty1
I am a bit confused about something. A number of sources (including this web site) indicate the 38cm Psgr (APCBC) projectile had a weight of 800-kg and muzzle velocity of 820-m/s.

However in reviewing a wartime German document entitled: "Awa A IA 100/40 g.Kdos Unterlagen mad Richtlinien zur Beslimmung der Hauptkampfentfernung und der Geschosswahl", the 38cm psgr projectile is indicated as having a weight of 875-kg and a muzzle velocity of 745m/s. The same document has an introduction in English written by US Naval Technical Mission in Europe. This post war USN write-up indicates the 38-cm "AP" projectile (which I assume is 38cm Psgr) had a weight of 800-kg. Yet the German tables and charts clearly show the projectile weight being 875-kg. The muzzle velocity is not indicated in the USN write-up, but the German text clearly indicates Mv=745m/s.

Were there two different 38cm psgr projectiles produced during the war?

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 12:21 am
by José M. Rico
Hello Marty,

You are looking at the wrong table. The characteristics you are giving (745m/s, 875kg) are from the 38.1cm gun of the British Queen Elizabeth, the 15" Mark I. The table for the German 38cm S.K. C/34 gun is at the end of the document. The Germans only produced one type of 38cm AP shell, the Psgr. L/4,4 (m.Hb) of 800kg.

José

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:00 am
by marty1
Your right. Unfortuntely my version appears to be incomplete. I looked over the contents again and the last penetration figure is for 20,3cm Spgr L4.7m Bdz.zu 122kg. I think the cover sheet to these figures says Heavy Cruiser Hipper -- but its gothic lettering and in German (two strikes against my reading comprehension) :)

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 4:54 am
by marty1
One additional question -- do you have any opinion on the Kdos documents estimation of various British and French armour penetration characteristics? Same question for exterior ballistics; were the Germans estimation of velocity drop and time of flight for French and British projectiles good or not so good?

Thanks Jose

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 1:05 pm
by José M. Rico
To be honest, I haven't extrapolated all the information contained in those curves to look at it in detail and my copy of 100/40 g.Kdos is not very good either, but overall I think the German estimations are very close to the actual performance of those guns.