4,7cm KPÚV vz. 38


The 4,7 cm KPÚV vz. 38 was an anti-tank gun produced by the Škoda Works that saw service in World War II. Originally designed for the Czechoslovak Army, some were also sold to Yugoslavia. A number were appropriated by the Germans after the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939 and used under the designations 4.7 cm PaK or PaK 38. The Germans continued production and mounted the PaK 38 on the Panzerkampfwagen I chassis as the Panzerjäger I tank destroyer. A similar attempt to mount it on the chassis of captured Renault R-35 tanks was less successful.
The barrel had the unique feature of being able to swing 180° so that the barrel laid flat over the trails for transport and the outer part of the trails could be also folded inward to reduce its size. The gun had a small gun shield and wooden-spoked wheels. Although rather elderly-looking, its performance was superior to most contemporary designs at the time and the gun was armed with both AP rounds and HE rounds for infantry support.

Performance