Mauser 2.8cm schwere Panzerbuchse 41 (sPzB 41)

History

The early days of World War II (1939-1945) showed the need for armor-piercing products, which inevitably led to various ideas for armor-piercing solutions - rifles firing sizable armor-piercing rounds, mines, designed for enemy tanks , various bombs that can be placed on the outside of passing tanks, etc. One such product became the German "2.8cm Heavy Panzerbuchse 41" (sPzB 41) Anti-Tank Gun (ATG) - although this heavy weapon is classified as an Anti-Tank Rifle (ATR) by the Wehrmacht.

The sPzB 41 ended up being one of the most powerful and largest infantry-level anti-tank rifles of the war, but was limited by its internal complexity and low yields. Sources indicate that only 2,797 pieces were completed at the Mauser plant, peaking in 1943 before production ceased due to availability or lack of the required tungsten material. The complete weapon system weighs over 500 pounds and requires a crew of at least three to operate efficiently.

The team may want to achieve a rate of fire of 30 rounds per minute if the ammo supply allows and their cover is good. A small shield provided on-the-spot protection from dangers on the battlefield, but was generally of little use.

The chamber of the rifle can be used for a huge 28/20mm bullet fired at 4,500 feet per second at 550 yards. The breech was accessible through a horizontal block arrangement, and the recoil was somewhat dampened by a hydraulic spring system (hydraulic recoil buffer) and a muzzle brake.

The weapon is mounted on a proprietary mounting system that provides an elevation range of -5 to +30 degrees when traversing 70 degrees from the centerline.

One of the unique design qualities of this weapon is its tapered barrel, which measures 28mm at the firebox but tapers to 20mm at the muzzle. This results in a higher velocity of ejected projectiles and, in theory, better penetration at range.

For increased accuracy, optical sights can be mounted on standard irons and have a range of up to 500 yards.

For ease of transport, these guns were usually mounted on two-wheeled split carriages and used as field guns rather than being classified as ATRs. The car's built-in suspension system allows for some off-road maneuverability.

For better portability, the entire system is broken down into five more manageable components.

The zPsB 41 was issued to regular and airborne troops and was known to be used against the Soviets on the Eastern Front - it initially performed rather poorly against the armor of Soviet T34 tanks. Over time, they entered fighting in North Africa and the Western Front, some examples of which were captured and reused by the Allies.

Italy took over a small number of arms before surrendering in September 1943.

2.8 cm sPzB 41 leFl 41 became a variant developed with the Air Force in mind, which led to the release of a lighter carriage (without suspension) and the replacement of conventional tires with rollers. These guns almost always lacked the original designed gun shield to save weight.

Another notable model is the 2.8 cm KwK 42, which is suitable for armored vehicles and tanks. It appears that production of this form is extremely limited, as many as two dozen may have been completed.

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