PAK 40 question

Jason · #1 (**permalink**) July 28th, 2002, 07:16 PM

I am part of the reenactment group 2nd panzer and we got a real PAK 40 and I'm on the crew that uses it. I am trying to do research on the gun and its crew and I have a few questions.

First of all I have seen a few pics of the gun but not many where you can see what its crew is wearing. My CO thinks that PAK crews were issued assault wraps but we need photo evidence that this was true. Does anyone have a picture that they have that can prove this? Or even something in a manual?

My next question is are there any good books out there on the gun?

I have seen the gun pictured in very few books and little is said about this magnificent gun
A member of the 2nd Panzer Div.
Jason "Axel" DeRocher

Bish OBE · #2 (**permalink**) July 28th, 2002, 08:25 PM

Any photo i have seen of PAK 40s in action sows the crew wearing standard uniforms. The only book i can suggest is German Atillery of WW2, by Ian V Hogg.

Can you explain what an assault wrap is. Ive never heard this piece of clothing mentioned.

[ 28 July 2002, 02:38 PM: Message edited by: Bish OBE ]

Jason · #3 (**permalink**) July 29th, 2002, 03:11 AM

If you go to at the fronts web pag www.atthefront.com and look under german army uniforms and look for panzer/assault wrap you will see one. They are basically a short jacket that ends at the waist and well its kinda hard to explain.

Bish OBE · #4 (**permalink**) July 29th, 2002, 03:29 AM

Now know what you mean. Never heard them called wraps before. I can't see AT guns crews wearing them, they were for Armoured vehilce crews. Every pic i've see shows gun crews wearing standard uniform.

Tony Williams · #5 (**permalink**) July 29th, 2002, 03:41 AM

Do you have any dummy ammo for the gun? I have an example of the cartridge in my collection. If you want to make some copies, I can send you a picture and measurements.

Tony Williams
Military gun and ammunition website: http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk
Discussion forum at: http://forums.delphiforums.com/autogun/messages/

Erich · #6 (**permalink**) July 29th, 2002, 04:42 AM

Hey Tony ! Good tyo see you here ! any help with the 3cm stuff for Martin ? Imfound what I was looking for of sorts a couple of days ago and then had a major water leak which destroyed a good portion of it.......add to both forums if you wish.

thanks

E

Martin Bull · #7 (**permalink**) July 29th, 2002, 07:25 AM

Welcome aboard, Tony !

Yum,yum - a Military Gun and Ammunition Site !!!! [img]smile.gif[/img]
For me, that's like a sweet shop ( or candy store to our US friends ! )

[ 29 July 2002, 01:26 AM: Message edited by: Martin Bull ]

CrazyD · #8 (**permalink**) July 29th, 2002, 04:05 PM

I've found info dealing with towed anti-tanks guns in action difficult to find. Most sources tend to focus on the mechanized forces and tank destroyers.
One little one though-
"Men Against Tanks", John Weeks. Don't have the rest of the info right now... It's an older volume, from the 60s I think. Interesting stuff though- talks aout the PaK guns a bit.

Friedrich · #9 (**permalink**) July 29th, 2002, 05:00 PM

Hallo!

I think also that the crews of guns wore normal uniforms. Except that the collar bars should be red or pink or black, depending of the type of the unit. I think...

PzJgr · #10 (**permalink**) July 29th, 2002, 05:04 PM

The uniforms were normal landser pattern. Wraps were only for mobile troops (panzer, StuG, Jagdpanzer and so on)

9th Waffen SS · #11 (**permalink**) July 29th, 2002, 05:09 PM

Jason,

Just wondering where you guys scored a Pak-40 and what you paid for it. We'd love to get one for our group...

Thanks,

9th Waffen SS

PzJgr · #12 (**permalink**) July 29th, 2002, 05:14 PM

Waffenfarbe was Pink for anti-tank units

Jason · #13 (**permalink**) July 29th, 2002, 06:46 PM

ya we got a real shell and bullet for the thing and like 3 empty shells. We cant use the cool stuff because the government welded a steel rod threw the barrel and it only leave about a foot for shells so we use these cut down ones and about a pound of black powder. Big bang it makes. Thanks for the input on uniforms I will tell me CO. We got the PAK40 from a VFW, they thought it was an American gun and we told them it was German. They didn't want it anymore so we made them a deal, if we gave em an allied piece of equipment they would give us the gun. I dont remember what we had to give them but we got it and we are happy and they are happy. If you want a PAK 40, good luck finding one, they are very hard to come by! Check Canada or Europe or something, ya might find something of interest