12.8 cm Pak 44

12.8 cm Pak 44
12.8 cm Pak 44
	Pak 44 in firing position
Type	Anti-tank gun
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
In service	1944—1945
Used by	Nazi Germany
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Krupp
Designed	1943
Manufacturer	Krupp
Produced	1944
No. built	51
Variants	12.8 cm Kanone 44, Pak 44; 12.8 cm Kanone 81/1; 12.8 cm Kanone 81/2; 12.8 cm Kanone 81/3; 12.8 cm Pak 80;
Specifications
Mass	10,160 kg (22,400 lb) 12.8 cm Pak 44; 7,000 kg (15,000 lb) 12.8 cm Pak 80;
Barrel length	7.02 m (23 ft 0 in) bore (55 calibres)
Shell	Semi-fixed 128x869mmR
Shell weight	28 kg (62 lb) (HE); 28.3 kg (62 lb) (AP);
Caliber	128 millimetres (5.0 in)
Breech	semi-automatic horizontal sliding-block
Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic
Carriage	cruciform (some were split trail)
Elevation	−7° 51' to +45° 27'
Traverse	360° (some were about 90°, or less)
Rate of fire	10–12 rounds per minute 12.8 cm Pak 44; 3 rounds per minute 12.8 cm Pak 80;
Muzzle velocity	950 m/s (3,100 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	24,410 m (26,700 yd) 12.8 cm Pak 44; 12,200 m (13,300 yd) 12.8 cm Pak 80;
Sights	Winkelzielfernrohr 2/1 12.8 cm Pak 80

The 12.8 cm Pak 44 (Pak from German Panzerabwehrkanone "anti-tank gun") is a German anti-tank gun used during World War II. It was designed as a result of experiences on the Eastern front in 1943. The German Army came upon the Soviet 122 mm field guns and issued a requirement for a similar weapon. Development initially concentrated on a field gun known as the Kanone K 44. However, once heavier Soviet tanks such as the IS-2 started to appear, the design requirements were altered to include an anti-armour role.

The Pak 44 has short to medium-range performance similar to the 8.8 cm Pak 43, but the 12.8 cm Pak 44 better maintained its anti-tank performance over long to extreme-long ranges – 1,800–2,700 m (2,000–3,000 yd) and beyond - while also doubling as an effective field gun when firing high-explosive shells.