PaK 36 37 mm Anti-Tank

This 3.7 cm (L/45) towed gun was the main anti-tank weapon of Wehrmacht Panzerjäger units until 1942. First operational in 1936, it was the world's predominant anti-tank gun design and was exported extensively. By late 1940, however, it had become obsolescent against thicker-armored Allied tanks. Production ceased in early 1942, but the gun remained in service throughout the war with German Fallschirmjäger units (due to its relatively light weight) and in second-line garrison capacities. The gun fired anti-tank rounds, but lacked an effective anti-personnel round. In 1943, the introduction of the Stielgranate 41 shaped charge meant that the Pak 36 could penetrate most Allied armour, although the low velocity of the projectile limited its range. The approximately 20,000 units the Rheinmetall company produced saw service with Germany in every theater. A crew of five operated the gun. A variant of this gun (3.7 cm KwK 36 L/45) armed several German tanks, most notably the early models of the Panzer III.