The 5 cm PaK 38 (Panzerabwehrkanone 38) is a German 50 mm anti-tank gun. The gun was created by the Rheinmetall concern in 1938, and it was first used in combat during the French campaign in 1940. As one of the few, it was able to penetrate the frontal armor of the Soviet T-34. Despite entering the PaK40 service, she remained in the line until the end of the war. Technical data: range: caliber: 50 mm, the initial velocity of the projectile: 823-1198 m / s, rate of fire: 13 spins / min.
The German experience of World War I clearly showed the great role of artillery on the battlefield and often the decisive influence that artillery had on infantry. At the same time, however, the limitations of the Versailles Treaty of 1919 hindered the development of this type of weapon in Germany in the 1920s, and in particular - the introduction of heavy artillery into line units. This state of affairs changed after the Nazis took power in 1933, when the process of virtually unrestrained armaments began. Many of the gun models developed earlier went into wide production. At that time (after 1933), several new types of guns were put into service on a really large scale, including: 10.5 cm leFH 18 or 15 cm SIG 33, i.e. the basic light and heavy howitzer of the German infantry during World War II. It is worth adding that the German army attached great importance to the role of artillery (especially heavy artillery) on the battlefield. For example, at the outbreak of World War II, the German infantry division had 20 75mm light infantry guns, 6 150mm heavy guns, 36 105mm light howitzers and 12 150mm heavy howitzers in stock. It is worth noting that the German tactic of using artillery put emphasis primarily on the accuracy of firing, which in turn had a negative impact on the speed of entering the action.