7.5 cm FK 38
Encyclopedia
The 7.5 cm Feldkanone 38 (7.5 cm FK 38) was a field gun used by Germany
and Brazil
in World War II
. Built by Krupp
to satisfy an order by the Brazilian Army
some 64 were delivered before the war began. In 1942 the remainder of the order was completed and 80 were delivered to the Heer
.
that was fitted with a cylindrical muzzle brake
. Originally this was an unusual 6 slot design, but it was later replaced by a standard German four port design. Early versions had wood-spoked wheels, but later models had pressed steel wheels with solid rubber tires. It used a semi-automatic version of the original breech mechanism and fixed ammunition instead of the original separate-loading rounds. These changes likely boosted its rate of fire over the FK 18 considerably.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Built by Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
to satisfy an order by the Brazilian Army
Brazilian Army
The Brazilian Army is the land arm of the Brazilian Military. The Brazilian Army has fought in several international conflicts, mostly in South America and during the 19th century, such as the Brazilian War of Independence , Argentina-Brazil War , War of the Farrapos , Platine War , Uruguayan War ...
some 64 were delivered before the war began. In 1942 the remainder of the order was completed and 80 were delivered to the Heer
Heer (1935-1945)
The Heer was the Army land forces component of the German armed forces from 1935 to 1945, the latter also included the Navy and the Air Force...
.
Design
The FK 38 had a longer barrel than the 7.5 cm FK 187.5 cm FK 18
The 7.5 cm Feldkanone 18 was a field gun used by Germany in World War II. It was designed to replace the 7.5 cm FK 16 nA, which was a World War I-era 7.7 cm FK 16 rebarreled in 75 mm during the early Thirties...
that was fitted with a cylindrical muzzle brake
Muzzle brake
Muzzle brakes and recoil compensators are devices that are fitted to the muzzle of a firearm or cannon to redirect propellant gases with the effect of countering both recoil of the gun and unwanted rising of the barrel during rapid fire...
. Originally this was an unusual 6 slot design, but it was later replaced by a standard German four port design. Early versions had wood-spoked wheels, but later models had pressed steel wheels with solid rubber tires. It used a semi-automatic version of the original breech mechanism and fixed ammunition instead of the original separate-loading rounds. These changes likely boosted its rate of fire over the FK 18 considerably.