The KwK43 (full designation: 8.8 cm KwK 43 L / 71) is a German 88 mm tank gun from the Second World War. The weight of the gun was 2265 kg, and the barrel length was 71 calibers, or 624.8 centimeters. The average rate of fire from this gun was 6-7 shots per minute with a well-trained crew, and the maximum range was about 9300 meters. The gun was developed and produced at the Krupp factories. In a way, the KwK43 gun is a far-reaching development of the KwK36 tank gun of the same caliber, with a barrel longer by over 1.3 meters and significantly better ballistic parameters, which made it probably the best anti-tank gun of World War II. It is worth mentioning that the gun was initially produced with a single barrel, but with time a two-piece barrel was used - in order to simplify production - which, however, did not negatively affect the parameters of the KwK43 gun. It is worth adding that this cannon fired various types of projectiles, for example: Panzergranate (PzGr.) 39/43, PzGr. 40/43 or Granate (Gr.) 39/3 HL and Sprgr. 43. The presented cannon was the main armament of the following vehicles: Panzer VI Ausf. B Königstiger, Jagdpanther and Nashorn. It was also produced as a towed anti-tank (anti-tank) gun under the designation PaK43.
Zimmerit is a special mass used on German armored vehicles from the Second World War to prevent the attachment of anti-tank hand grants to them. with a shaped charge, and attached to the armor with magnets. Zimmerit was used on German cars from 1942, actually until the end of the war, but in 1944 its use was significantly reduced due to information about its alleged flammability. The mass in question consists of several components, including: polyvinyl acetate, wood shavings, barium sulphate and zinc sulphate. Before application, the mass had a consistency similar to mixed gypsum mortar, and at the factory it was applied to the armor of cars in two layers, which of course extended the process of their construction. Zimmerit was applied to many German armored vehicles, including: Panzer III, IV, V and VI tanks, and the StuG III and IV self-propelled guns.