Footnotes

1. 12,8cm K.40 and 12,8cm Flak 40. Source: Chamberlain, Peter and Doyle, Hilary L.: Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two; Spielberger, Walter J.: Panzerkampfwagen Tiger und seine Abarten; von Senger und Etterlin, Ferdinand Maria: Die Deutschen Panzer 1926–1945. and Hogg, Ian V.: German Artillery of World War Two. This is the gun used in two prototype VK 3001(H) Sfl.12,8cm vehicles. (From On Armour by Claus Bonnesen). [up]

2. 12,8cm Pak 44, 12,8cm P.J.K.80, 12,8cm K.44 and 12,8cm K.81, 81/1 & 81/2. Source: Chamberlain, Peter and Doyle, Hilary L.: Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two; Devey, Andrew: Jagdtiger Vol 1; Hogg, Ian V.: German Artillery of World War Two; Spielberger, Walter J.: Panzerkampfwagen Tiger und seine Abarten; Spielberger, Walter J.: Schwere Jagdpanzer; and von Senger und Etterlin, Ferdinand Maria: Die Deutschen Panzer 1926–1945. This is the gun used in the Jagdtiger and Maus, where it was called the 12,8cm K.44 up until May ’44 and then became the 12,8cm P.J.K.80. The performance data of this gun is very hard to establish because of conflicting evidence, and the figures used above are from Chamberlain and Doyle. Chamberlain and Doyle quote a muzzle velocity of 845 m/s for the APCBC projectile; Devey, Spielberger and Senger und Etterlin quote a muzzle velocity of 920 m/s; while Hogg quotes 1000 m/s. Hogg’s and Senger und Etterlin’s penetration figures are both higher than stated above, Hogg’s even considerably so, however as these authors typically use data based upon British rather than German specifications, and as Hogg is using a much higher muzzle velocity, this could account for the discrepancy. Devey quotes penetration figures for a Sprgr. projectile which is actually the HE projectile fired by the Jagdtiger, not an armour piercing projectile. The Pzgr. APC projectile is the same as the Pzgr. projectile made for the 12,8cm K.40 used in the VK 3001(H) Sfl.12,8cm vehicle, and referred to separately. The conflicting information is probably because of the confusion between these two guns. According to Devey only the Pzgr.43 and Sprgr. projectile were carried by the Jagdtiger, not the Pzgr. APC projectile. According to Hogg the 12,8cm Pak 44 and 12,8cm K.81, 81/1 & 81/2 guns did not fire the Pzgr. APC projectile. Possibly the inclusion of penetration data for this projectile is based on tests made during development of these guns, and the Pzgr. APC projectile was not issued as the better Pzgr.43 APCBC projectile was available. The different performance figures for the APC and APCBC projectiles clearly shows that long range performance benefited from the ballistic cap, so the Pzgr.43 APCBC projectile would have been the projectile of choice. (Partly from On Armour by Claus Bonnesen, and also e-mail correspondence with him). [up]