88mm Anti-Tank Gun
It was almost impossible for a crew to put a gun into position because of its great weight.The 88mm Pak was modified because of increasing shortages of materials.Instead of the earlier 88mm Pak 43 there was modified models 43/1 , 43/2 and 43/3.The weight rose to 4380 kg and the height of the shield was two meters.

Pak 43/41 88mm Anti-Tank Gun

Shell

Weight

Muzzle Velocity

Anti-tank

10.2 kg

100 meters/sec

Hard-core

7.3 kg

1125 meters/sec

High Explosive

9.4 kg

750 meters/sec

After the Krupp firm received a contract to produce an 88mm anti-aircraft gun , it developed an 88mm anti-tank gun shortly before World War II began.This gun which went into production in 1943 became the best anti-tank gun of the war.The modifications from the previously customary guns of this type included a semi-automatic vertical breech mechanism.Opening the breech and ejecting the cartridge were done by two springs which were compressed when the gun recoiled.This greatly shortened the recoil.Of this gun there were two types :
The 88mm Pak 43 : caliber length 6.35 meters , cross mount , great range and penetration but with limited mobility off the road.
The 88mm Pak 43/41 : caliber length 6.36 meters , spread mount , great range and penetration , high elevation , great weight , but with a traverse of only 56 degrees.
Both fired anti-tank shells , hard-core shells and explosive shells.The rate of fire for both guns was six to ten rounds a minute , penetration of up to 190mm or armour at a range of 1000 meters.The guns were used by the army Panzerjäger units.Tte supply of 88mm Pak in the German Army as of October 1, 1944 numbered 578 , on January 1, 1945 they numbered 829.