7,5 cm Pak 40

All ready in the mid 1930’s, Germany started the development of heavier anti-tank guns, which were to replace the 3,7 cm Pak 35/36, which was considered too weak. At first, in 1940 a 5 cm anti-tank gun (Pak 38) was introduced, while in 1938 work on the development an even more powerful gun of 7,5 cm started.

During the attack on the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941 it became clear, that the 5 cm gun was neither able to stand up to the heavily armoured Soviet tanks. Therefore, production of the 7,5 cm gun was soon started, and the first guns were delivered to the German Army in February 1942.

More than 23,000 guns of this type were produced, and production was not stopped until the end of the war. In Denmark, 61 guns were present at the time of the German capitulation.

The parts for this gun were produced on at least four different factories, whereas the gun itself was assembled at Maschinenfabrik Ardeltwerke, Eberswalde. (Tøjhusmuseet)