German APCR Ammunition
Introduction
Germany was well-aware of the increased armor penetration capability offered by APCR ammunition before the Second World War. The S. m. K. and S. m. K. H. rifle ammunition, using hardened steel and tungsten, respectively, could achieve reasonable results. The Panzerbüchse 39 anti-tank rifle likewise used tungsten-cored ammunition, and was available in limited numbers for the invasion of Poland. Unlike the French army, however, Germany did not provide APCR ammunition for its conventional anti-tank guns prior to the invasion of France. It was not until September 1940 that the first tungsten-cored ammunition was made available, with the 3,7 cm Pzgr Patr 40. In March 1941, the 5 cm Pzgr Patr 40 was introduced.
Usage on the Eastern Front
Availability for Barbarossa
At the time of the invasion of Russia in 1941, only 5.8% of all the ammunition for the German-produced 37 mm and 50 mm tank and anti-tank guns was APCR. APCR ammunition for Czechoslovak 37 mm and 47 mm guns used on the Pz Kpfw 35 (t), Pz Kpfw 38 (t), and Panzerjäger I was very limited compared to that of German guns.
The number of shells available for each guns is listed below. As can be seen, the stock of APCR ammunition for anti-tank guns was very low.
Gun | Guns per 1 July 1941 | HE | AP-HE/APBC-HE | APCR |
---|---|---|---|---|
3,7 cm Pak | 14 445 | 1 354 | 70 | |
3,7 cm Kw K | 327 | 9 541 | 1 115 | |
5 cm Pak | 1 189 | 418 | 529 | 62 |
5 cm Kw K | 1 174 | 1 030 | 554 | 109 |
37 mm Shell Inventory
Sprgr Patr (high-explosive) and Pzgr Patr (regular armor-piercing) ammunition was reported together for the 37 mm ammunition.
Month | Anti-tank | Tank | Total | Ratio | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HE | AP-HE | APCR | HE | AP-HE | APCR | HE | AP-HE | APCR | ||
May 1940 | 19 596.0 | 0 | 1 326.4 | 0 | 20 922.4 | 0 | 0% | |||
June 1940 | 19 139.8 | 0 | 1 213.4 | 0 | 20 353.2 | 0 | 0% | |||
July 1940 | 19 816.5 | 0 | 1 367.6 | 0 | 21 184.1 | 0 | 0% | |||
August 1940 | 19 566.8 | 0 | 1 559.0 | 0 | 21 125.8 | 0 | 0% | |||
September 1940 | 19 265.0 | 136.3 | 1 684.0 | 159.4 | 20 949.0 | 295.7 | 1.4% | |||
October 1940 | 19 557.0 | 250.0 | 2 005.5 | 219.5 | 21 562.5 | 469.5 | 2.1% | |||
November 1940 | 19 206.0 | 323.5 | 2 189.8 | 254.1 | 21 395.8 | 577.6 | 2.6% | |||
December 1940 | 19 652.9 | 337.8 | 2 300.4 | 266.9 | 21 953.3 | 604.7 | 2.7% | |||
January 1941 | 19 268.5 | 339.9 | 2 401.1 | 298.2 | 21 669.6 | 638.1 | 2.9% | |||
February 1941 | 19 423.7 | 393.4 | 2 503.8 | 308.2 | 21 927.5 | 701.6 | 3.1% | |||
March 1941 | 19 104.8 | 468.6 | 2 714.5 | 308.2 | 21 819.3 | 776.8 | 3.4% | |||
April 1941 | 18 330.8 | 650.0 | 2 778.6 | 332.4 | 21 109.4 | 982.4 | 4.4% | |||
May 1941 | 18 874.3 | 792.4 | 3 088.8 | 365.1 | 21 963.1 | 1 157.5 | 5.0% | |||
June 1941 | 19 139.3 | 938.8 | 3 138.0 | 365.1 | 22 277.3 | 1 303.9 | 5.5% | |||
July 1941 | 19 554.7 | 1 005.4 | 3 120.0 | 364.5 | 22 674.7 | 1 369.9 | 5.7% | |||
August 1941 | 18 964.7 | 1 027.4 | 3 000.0 | 352.0 | 21 964.7 | 1 379.4 | 5.9% | |||
September 1941 | 18 194.0 | 1020.3 | 2 975.5 | 348.6 | 21 169.5 | 1 368.9 | 6.1% | |||
October 1941 | 17 668.0 | 898.0 | 2 818.1 | 330.1 | 20 486.1 | 1 228.1 | 5.7% | |||
November 1941 | 17 948.0 | 902.3 | 2 688.9 | 331.6 | 20 616.9 | 1 233.9 | 5.6% | |||
December 1941 | 18 051.0 | 906.4 | 2 680.0 | 324.2 | 20 731.0 | 1 230.6 | 5.6% |
50 mm Shell Inventory
Until October 1940, 50 mm anti-tank gun and tank gun ammunition was reported together, as anti-tank gun ammunition.
Month | Anti-tank | Tank | Total | Ratio | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HE | AP-HE | APCR | HE | AP-HE | APCR | HE | AP-HE | APCR | ||
June 1940 | 12.7 | 5.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.7 | 5.1 | 0 | 0% |
July 1940 | 15.6 | 31.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.6 | 31.6 | 0 | 0% |
August 1940 | 84.2 | 91.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 84.2 | 91.1 | 0 | 0% |
September 1940 | 72.8 | 82.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72.8 | 82.2 | 0 | 0% |
October 1940 | 72.8 | 82.2 | 0 | 108.1 | 87.8 | 0 | 180.9 | 170.6 | 0 | 0% |
November 1940 | 94.4 | 163.9 | 0 | 129.5 | 97.1 | 0 | 223.9 | 261.0 | 0 | 0% |
December 1940 | 100.0 | 273.0 | 0 | 143.8 | 196.8 | 0 | 243.8 | 469.8 | 0 | 0% |
January 1941 | 138.7 | 295.5 | 0 | 184.5 | 246.8 | 0 | 323.2 | 542.3 | 0 | 0% |
February 1941 | 206.4 | 371.5 | 0 | 206.9 | 246.4 | 0 | 413.3 | 617.9 | 0 | 0% |
March 1941 | 294.0 | 389.3 | 1.4 | 246.6 | 268.8 | 3.6 | 540.6 | 658.1 | 5.0 | 0.4% |
April 1941 | 277.9 | 430.6 | 4.6 | 269.8 | 364.8 | 29.2 | 547.7 | 795.4 | 33.8 | 2.5% |
May 1941 | 470.6 | 454.9 | 36.8 | 601.0 | 445.6 | 86.7 | 1 071.6 | 900.5 | 123.5 | 5.9% |
June 1941 | 493.9 | 522.2 | 50.3 | 981.7 | 590.7 | 121.3 | 1 475.6 | 1 112.9 | 171.6 | 6.2% |
July 1941 | 497.2 | 628.4 | 73.9 | 1 209.8 | 650.6 | 128.3 | 1 707.0 | 1 279.0 | 202.2 | 6.3% |
August 1941 | 540.1 | 679.6 | 63.9 | 1403.3 | 723.7 | 136.8 | 1 943.4 | 1 403.3 | 200.7 | 5.7% |
September 1941 | 537.7 | 758.3 | 90.9 | 1 780.5 | 783.8 | 190.8 | 2 318.2 | 1 542.1 | 281.7 | 6.8% |
October 1941 | 360.1 | 843.3 | 81.9 | 1 797.9 | 947.6 | 185.9 | 2 157.9 | 1 790.9 | 267.8 | 6.4% |
November 1941 | 372.9 | 947.7 | 76.7 | 1 811.5 | 1 129.6 | 253.1 | 2 184.4 | 2 077.3 | 329.8 | 7.2% |
December 1941 | 361.0 | 982.0 | 81.4 | 1 919.9 | 1 374.9 | 347.9 | 2 280.9 | 2 356.9 | 429.3 | 8.5% |
Sources
- Munition - Heer : August 1940. Berlin, 1940. 3 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : Juli 1940. Berlin, 1940. 2 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : Juni 1940. Berlin, 1940. 3 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : Mai 1940. Berlin, 1940. 3 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : November 1940. Berlin, 1940. 3 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : Oktober 1940. Berlin, 1940. 3 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : September 1940. Berlin, 1940. 3 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : April 1941. Berlin, 1941. 3 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : August 1941. Berlin, 1941. 2 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : Dezember 1940. Berlin, 1941. 3 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : Februar 1941. Berlin, 1941. 3 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : Januar 1941. Berlin, 1941. 3 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : Juli 1941. Berlin, 1941. 3 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : Mai 1941. Berlin, 1941. 3 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : März 1941. Berlin, 1941. 3 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : November 1941. Berlin, 1941. 4 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : Oktober 1941. Berlin, 1941. 4 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : September 1941. Berlin, 1941. 5 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Waffen u. Geräte : Juli 1941. Berlin, 1941. 2 p. NARA T78 R143.
- Munition - Heer : Dezember 1941. Berlin, 1942. 5 p. NARA T78 R143.