World War II Database

Country of Origin	Germany
Type	Anti-Tank Gun
Caliber	28.000 mm
Length	2.690 m
Barrel Length	1.730 m
Width	9.650 mm
Height	8.380 mm
Weight	229.000 kg
Ammunition Weight	0.13 kg
Rate of Fire	30 rounds/min
Range	500.000 m
Muzzle Velocity	1,400 m/s

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe 2.8-centimeter schwere Panzerbüchse 41 (sPzB 41; "heavy anti-tank rifle") light anti-tank guns were designed by the German arms manufacturer Mauser between 1939 and 1940. 94 prototypes were tested by the German Army between Jun and Jul 1940, and they entered production in 1941 after some modifications. These weapons had a wider caliber, 28-millimeters, at the chamber, and it reduces down to 20-millimeter at the muzzle. The projectiles each carried two external flanges, which were squeezed down in order to maintain pressure for a high, up to 1,400 meters per second, muzzle velocity. Their horizontal sliding breech blocks closed automatically once a shell was loaded, but fired shells must be ejected manually. They were each equipped with an open sight for distances up to 500 meters; alternatively, the ZF 1x11 telescopic sight from the 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank guns could also be fitted to sPzB 41 guns. The recoil system consisted of a hydraulic recoil buffer and spring-driven recuperator. They were typically coupled with split trail carriages with (common) or without (for paratroopers) suspension, though some of them had been mounted on various cars and half-tracks. Each gun had a typical crew of three men. Each gun cost 4,520 Reichsmarks, which was relatively low compared to other guns. In the field, gun crews reported good short range anti-armor performance with the 2.8-centimeter Panzergranate 41 ammunition with tungsten carbide cores designed and manufactured specifically for sPzB 41 guns. There were also praises for their relatively light weight and dismantleable construction. There were also complaints of short barrel service life, poor long range performance, and ineffective fragmentation ammunition in the 2.8-centimeter Sprenggranate 41 which was also manufactured specifically for this weapon, however. Production of the sPzB 41 anti-tank guns ceased in 1943 largely due to the shortage of tungsten, which was used for the weapon's armor piercing shells; a total of 2,797 examples were built.

Production Figures

	1940	1941	1942	1943	Total
Guns	94	349	1,030	1,324	2,797
Fragmentation 2.8 cm Sprenggranate 41	0	9,200	373,300	130,100	512,600
Armor-Piercing 2.8 cm Panzergranate 41	156,200	889,500	270,000	278,100	1,602,800

Source: Wikipedia ww2dbase

Last Major Revision: Jul 2022

2.8 cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41 Anti-Tank Gun Interactive Map

Photographs

See all 7 photographs of 2.8 cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41 Anti-Tank Gun

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