L3526 GERMAN KRUPP 12.8CM PAK44 ANTI-TANK GUN

The PaK 44 (German: Panzerabwehrkanone 44) is a German 128 mm towed heavy anti-tank gun from the Second World War. The first prototypes of the guns were created in 1943, and shortly after (in 1944) mass production began, ending with the production of only about 50 examples of this weapon. The maximum range was 24,500 m, and the initial velocity of the projectile - 935 m / s. PaK 44 was created as a result of the Wehrmacht's experience in fighting on the Eastern Front in 1942-1944. They indicated the necessity to have an anti-tank gun capable of destroying enemy armored vehicles at long distances (2000-3000 m), which allowed it to remain outside its fire, and thus to somehow eliminate its significant numerical advantage. In 1944, there was also a need to develop a cannon capable of destroying the new Soviet IS-2 heavy tanks over long distances. The answer to this demand was the PaK 44 cannon, which turned out to be the heaviest and most powerful towed anti-tank gun of World War II! At the same time, it was characterized by great ballistic parameters, exceeding the successful PaK 43 gun at long and very long distances. However, the high cost of production and shortages of raw materials prevented the large-scale production of this gun. The PaK 44 in the Pak 80 version was installed as the main armament of the Jagdtiger tank destroyer. It was also planned to use this cannon as the main armament of the Maus and E-100 tanks.