7.62 cm Pak 36(r)

7.62 cm Feldkanone 36(russisch) and Panzerabwehrkanone 36(russisch)
FK 36(r) anti-tank gun, displayed on the grounds of CFB Borden.
Type	Anti-tank gun
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
Used by	Nazi Germany
Wars	World War II
Production history
No. built	560 ?
Specifications
Weight	1,710 kg (3,770 lbs)
Barrel length	Overall: 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in) L/51.2 (without muzzle brake) Bore: 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in) L/48.4
Crew	6
Shell	Russian: 76.2 x 385 mm R German: 75 x 714 mm R
Caliber	76.2 mm (3 in)
Breech	vertical block
Recoil	hydro-pneumatic
Carriage	split trail
Elevation	-6° to 18°
Traverse	60°
Rate of fire	10-12 rounds per minute

The 7.62 cm FK 36(r) and Pak 36(r) (7.62 cm Feldkanone (Field gun)/36 (russisch) and Panzerabwehrkanone (Anti-tank gun) 36(russisch)) were German anti-tank guns used by the Wehrmacht in World War II. The first guns were conversions of the Soviet 76-mm divisional gun M1936 (F-22). Later in the war, the Soviet USV and ZiS-3 76 mm divisional guns were also converted.

The FK36(r) and Pak 36(r) both had a split-trail carriage, with a transverse leaf spring axle suspension, and steel wheels, with foam rubber filled tires. The guns were equipped with a semi-automatic vertical breech block; the recoil mechanism consisted of a hydraulic recoil buffer and a hydropneumatic recuperator. There was no limber; therefore the gun could not be towed by a horse team.

Soon after the German invasion of the USSR in 1941, Wehrmacht units encountered new Soviet tanks: the medium T-34 and the heavy KV. The thick sloped armor of these vehicles gave them a good degree of protection against German anti-tank weapons. The situation eventually led to requests for more powerful guns that would be able to destroy the aforementioned tanks from long range. Germany already had a suitable design, the 7.5 cm Pak 40, entering production in late 1941, but the first pieces were not delivered until 1942. Until enough of these could be manufactured, expedient solutions were required.

In the early stages of Operation Barbarossa, the Germans captured a large number (approximately 1,300) of Soviet 76-mm divisional guns model 1936 (F-22). Developed with anti-tank abilities in mind, this Soviet gun had powerful ballistics; it was also originally intended to use a more powerful cartridge than the one eventually adopted. However, the design had some shortcomings in the anti-tank role: the shield was too high, the two man laying was inconvenient and the sighting system was more suitable for the F-22 original divisional field gun role. Using considerable thrift, German engineers were able to quickly modify the F-22, which by that time had been adopted in original form as the FK296(r) by the Wehrmacht. In late 1941, German engineers developed a modernization program. The initial modifications that brought the guns to FK36(r) standard included: