The 2 cm KwK 30 L/55 (2 cm Kampfwagenkanone 30 L/55) was a German 2 cm cannon used as the main armament of the German Sd.Kfz.121 Panzerkampfwagen II light tank and various reconnaissance vehicles. It was used during the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War. It was produced by Mauser and Rheinmetall-Borsig from 1935.
The KwK 30 also served as the basis for the 20 mm C/30, an aircraft variant mounted experimentally in some Heinkel He 112 fighters and proved to make an excellent ground-attack weapon during the Spanish Civil War. Direct ground-attack was not considered a priority for the Luftwaffe and thus, the cannon was not used on other designs.
An improved version, the 2 cm KwK 38 L/55 (2 cm Kampfwagenkanone 38 L/55), was introduced in 1942 and mounted mainly on armored cars. The KwK 38, equipped with the longer L/65 Flakbarrel, was used on the Panzer II Luchs and also on the Sd.Kfz.251/17 Schützenpanzerwagen (2 cm) Platoon leader vehicle, which had the gun on a pedestal mounting with a small armored turret to protect the gunner.
Vehicles mounted on Bergepanther Sd.Kfz.179 Sd.Kfz.121 Panzerkampfwagen II Panzer II Luchs (KwK 38) Sd.Kfz.222 Leichter Panzerspähwagen Sd.Kfz.231 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen Sd.Kfz.232 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen Sd.Kfz.234/1 Sd.Kfz.251/17 Schützenpanzerwagen (2 cm)
Ammunition The 2 cm KwK 30 used the 20×138mmB cartridge. Average penetration performance established against rolled homogenous steel armor plate laid back at 30° from the vertical.
PzGr.39 (Armour Piercing) (Armor penetration: 23 mm at 100 meters and 14 mm at 500 meters) PzGr.40 (Armour Piercing Composite Rigid) (Armor penetration: 40 mm at 100 meters and 20 mm at 500 meters) 2 cm Sprgr. 39 (High Explosive) German designation US Abbreviation Projectile weight [g] Bursting charge Muzzle velocity [m/s] Description Sprenggranatpatrone L'spur mit Zerleger HEF-T 115 6.2 g HE (PETN + wax) 888 m/s Nose fuzed tracer round, self-destruct after 5.5 - 6.5 seconds (2000m range) due to tracer burn-through. Sprenggranatpatrone L'spur W mit Zerleger HEF-T 120 6.2 g HE (PETN + wax) ? Nose fuzed tracer round with heat transfer. Self-destruct after 5.5 - 6.5 seconds (2000m range) due to tracer burn-through. Sprenggranatpatrone L'spur mit Zerleger HEF-T 120 6.6 g HE (PETN + wax) ? Boat-tailed HE-Frag. tracer round with nose fuze. Self-destruct at 2000m range due to tracer burn-through. Sprenggranatpatrone 39 Erd HEF (M) 132 11 g HE ? 995 m/s HE-Frag. round with nose fuze, no tracer. Brandsprenggranatpatrone L'spur (Flak) mit Zerleger HEI (m)-T 120-122 2.4 g HE (PETN) + 4.1 g incendiary (Aluminium) 900 m/s Nose fuze, tracer, with self-destruct after 5.5 - 6.5 seconds (2000m range) due to tracer burn-through. Brandsprenggranatpatrone ohne L'spur (Flak) mit Zerleger HEI (M) 115-120 22 g total 20 g HE Hexogen 5 (RDX + wax) + 2 g incendiary (Zinc) powder 900 m/s Nose fuze, no tracer, self-destruct after 5.5 - 8 seconds flight (2000m range). Lack of tracer and high density of incendiary allows heavy filling load. Brandsprenggranatpatrone vk. L'spur W mit Zerleger HEI (M)-T 132 19 g HE ? + ? g incendiary (WP) 995 m/s Nose fuzed HEI tracer round with heat transfer. Self-destruct after 5.5 second (2000m range) due to tracer burn-through. Brandsprenggranatpatrone mit Zerleger? HEI (m) 100 ? g HE ? + ? g incendiary (WP) 1050 m/s Nose fuze, no tracer, with self-destruct? Brandsprenggranatpatrone L'spur mit Zerleger? HEI (m)-T 100 ? g HE ? + ? g incendiary (WP) 1050 m/s Nose fuze, tracer, with self-destruct? after ? second (?m range) due to tracer burn-through. Panzergranatpatrone L'spur mit Zerleger APHEI-T 146 2.4 g (PETN) + ? g incendiary (WP) 830 m/s Base-fuzed tracer round, with self-destruct due to tracer burn-through after 4.5 second flight (1800m range). Panzergranatpatrone 39 AP 148 w/o filling 780 m/s No fuze, no tracer or self-destruct function. Panzergranatpatrone 40 L'spur APIHC-T APICR-T HVAPI-T 100 Light metal shell, special steel core 1050 m/s Tungsten carbide core. Tracer round, with no fuze or self-destruct function. Tracer burn-through after 0,9 second flight (600m range).Penetrating effect with incendiary effect due to melting of light metal tip. Panzerbrandgranatpatrone (Phosphor) L'spur ohne Zerleger API-T 148 3.0 g incendiary (WP) 780 m/s Tracer round, with no fuze or self-destruct function. Tracer burn-through after 1,8 second flight (1000m range). Panzergranatpatrone L'spur ohne Zerleger AP-T 143 w/o filling 800 m/s Tracer round, with no fuze or self-destruct function. Tracer burn-through after 1,8 second flight (1000m range). Panzersprenggranatpatrone L'spur mit Zerleger (Kriegsmarine) APHE-T 121 3.6 g HE ? ? Base-fuzed round, self-destruct after 4.5 second flight (1800m range) due to tracer burn-through.
References