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The Pak 43 (Panzerabwehrkanone 43) was a German 88 mm anti-tank gun developed in competition to the Rheinmetall FlaK 41 88 mm anti-aircraft gun and used during the Second World War. It was the most powerful anti-tank gun of the Wehrmacht to see service in significant numbers. A number of armored vehicles also carried versions of this gun under different designations, including the Tiger II heavy tank (KwK 43 L/71) and several tank destroyers: the Hornisse/Nashorn (Pak 43/1), Ferdinand/Elefant (Pak 43/2), and Jagdpanther (Pak 43/3 and 43/4). A few examples of the Tiger II-based Jagdtiger were also completed with the 8.8 cm weapon, due to a shortage of the 12.8 cm guns, but these tank destroyers are not believed to have seen operation service. It was an excellent weapon, able to penetrate the heaviest Allied armor at combat ranges including the Soviet IS-2 and the American M-26 Pershing.
The main version of the Pak 43 was based on a highly efficient cruciform mount, which offered a full 360 degree traverse and a much lower profile than the anti-aircraft version of the 88 mm. However the manufacture of this version was slow initially, and to speed up production some guns were mounted on a two-wheel split-trail carriage from a conventional howitzer, resulting in a version known as Pak 43/41.
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References
- Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945. New York: Doubleday, 1979 ISBN 0-385-15090-3
- Hogg, Ian V. German Artillery of World War Two. 2nd corrected edition. Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997 ISBN 1-85367-480-X
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