K bullet: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|German armor-piercing bullet}} |
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Also: ''Patrone SmK (Spitzgeschoss mit Kern) [[8×57mm IS]]'' |
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[[File:K Bullet.JPG|thumb| |
[[File:K Bullet.JPG|thumb|Standard 7.92×57mm Mauser armor-piercing K bullet introduced in mid-1917. Note the tool-steel core protruding from the rear of the bullet to form a boat tail.]] |
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The '''K bullet''' is a [[7.92×57mm Mauser|7.92×57mm]] (8×57mm IS) [[Armor-piercing shot and shell|armor-piercing]] [[bullet]] which has a [[tool steel]] core and which was designed to be fired from a standard [[Mauser]] rifle. It was used by the German infantry against the [[Mark I tank|first British tank]]s in [[World War I]] and on the [[Panzerkampfwagen I]]. On average the K bullet had a one out of three chance to penetrate armor 12–13 mm thick at a range of up to 100 meters. |
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The '''K bullet''' (from German 'Kern', core) was a [[7.92×57mm Mauser]] [[Armor-piercing ammunition|armor-piercing]] [[bullet]] with a [[tool steel]] core designed to be fired from a standard [[Mauser]] rifle. |
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The K round was in use by the [[battle of Messines Ridge]] in June 1917 which was the first use by the British of the [[Mark IV tank]] which had more armour and was resistant.<ref>Fletcher, D ''British Mark IV tank'' Osprey Publishing p14</ref> |
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== History == |
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The German Army first employed a "[[reversed bullet]]" with a heavier powder charge behind it as an early anti-tank method against the [[British heavy tanks of World War I]]. This did prove effective against the thinner-armored Mark I tank models, mainly by causing [[spalling]] from the inside surface of the armor hit. Reversed bullet loads were however unsafe to use in the standard issue [[Gewehr 98|Mauser rifle]] and thus were unpopular with German troops. They became obsolete with the introduction of more heavily armored tanks.<ref name="Chisholm 1922, pp. 204–205">{{Cite EB1922 |wstitle=Armour Plate |volume=30 |pages=204–205}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=A New Dumdum Charge |year=1915 |newspaper= New York Times |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E0CE5DA1538E633A2575BC2A9679C946496D6CF&scp=1&sq=a+new+dumdum+charge&st=p}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Paschall |first=Rod |year=1994 |title=Defeat of Imperial Germany, 1917-1918 |publisher=Da Capo Press |page=113}}</ref> |
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As a replacement, the Germans conceived the "K bullet", which was purposely developed as an [[armor-piercing ammunition]]. The K bullet was in use by the [[Battle of Messines Ridge]] in June 1917 and had a one-in-three chance to penetrate 12–13 mm thick armor at a range of up to 100 meters.<ref>{{cite book|author=Fletcher, D.|title=British Mark IV tank|publisher=Osprey Publishing|page=14}}</ref> |
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With the British deployment of the [[Mark IV tank]], which had more armor thickness, the K bullet soon proved ineffective, leading the Germans to design highly specialized anti-tank solutions, with the creation of the powerful [[13.2mm TuF]] cartridge and the first [[anti-tank rifle]], the [[Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/your-tank-dead-meet-world%E2%80%99s-first-anti-tank-rifle-162816|title=Your Tank Is Dead: Meet the World's First Anti-Tank Rifle|date=June 15, 2020|accessdate=March 12, 2021|website=[[The National Interest]]}}</ref> |
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==Variants== |
==Variants== |
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| Standard steel core armour piercing bullet.<br> It had a red rim around the [[Primer (firearm)|primer]], on case base.<ref name=strzal/> |
| Standard steel core armour piercing bullet.<br> It had a red rim around the [[Primer (firearm)|primer]], on case base.<ref name=strzal/> |
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| S.m.K.H.<ref name= |
| S.m.K.H.<ref name=eightID>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mausershooters.org/k98k/8_ident.html |title=K98k Mauser Page<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-11-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103151333/http://www.mausershooters.org/k98k/8_ident.html |archive-date=2008-01-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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| ''Spitzgeschoss mit Kern, Hart'' |
| ''Spitzgeschoss mit Kern, Hart'' |
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| Replaced the tool steel core with a [[tungsten carbide]] core.<br> It had a red case base including primer, from 1939: red primer only.<ref name=strzal/> |
| Replaced the tool steel core with a [[tungsten carbide]] core.<br> It had a red case base including primer, from 1939: red primer only.<ref name=strzal/> |
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| S.m.K. L'spur <ref name= |
| S.m.K. L'spur <ref name=eightID/> |
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| ''Spitzgeschoss mit Kern, Leuchtspur'' |
| ''Spitzgeschoss mit Kern, Leuchtspur'' |
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| Has a shorter steel core, and includes a [[Tracer ammunition|tracer]] composition. May include color designation such as ''gelb,'' German for "yellow".<br> It had a red rim around primer and black bullet tip.<ref name=strzal/> |
| Has a shorter steel core, and includes a [[Tracer ammunition|tracer]] composition. May include color designation such as ''gelb,'' German for "yellow".<br> It had a red rim around primer and black bullet tip.<ref name=strzal/> |
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| S.m.K. |
| S.m.K. Üb.m.Zerl.<ref name=eightID/> |
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| ''Spitzgeschoss mit Kern Übungsmunition mit Zerleger'' |
| ''Spitzgeschoss mit Kern Übungsmunition mit Zerleger'' |
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| A very rare practice bullet which self-destructs after a certain distance. |
| A very rare practice bullet which self-destructs after a certain distance. |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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[[Category:Ammunition]] |
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[[Category:Anti-tank rounds]] |
[[Category:Anti-tank rounds]] |
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[[Category:World War I]] |
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Latest revision as of 06:02, 21 February 2024
.JPG)
The K bullet (from German 'Kern', core) was a 7.92×57mm Mauser armor-piercing bullet with a tool steel core designed to be fired from a standard Mauser rifle.
History
[edit]The German Army first employed a "reversed bullet" with a heavier powder charge behind it as an early anti-tank method against the British heavy tanks of World War I. This did prove effective against the thinner-armored Mark I tank models, mainly by causing spalling from the inside surface of the armor hit. Reversed bullet loads were however unsafe to use in the standard issue Mauser rifle and thus were unpopular with German troops. They became obsolete with the introduction of more heavily armored tanks.[1][2][3]
As a replacement, the Germans conceived the "K bullet", which was purposely developed as an armor-piercing ammunition. The K bullet was in use by the Battle of Messines Ridge in June 1917 and had a one-in-three chance to penetrate 12–13 mm thick armor at a range of up to 100 meters.[4]
With the British deployment of the Mark IV tank, which had more armor thickness, the K bullet soon proved ineffective, leading the Germans to design highly specialized anti-tank solutions, with the creation of the powerful 13.2mm TuF cartridge and the first anti-tank rifle, the Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr.[5]
Variants
[edit]The Germans made several versions of the K bullet during World War I and World War II, including:
| Designation | Full name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| S.m.K. | Spitzgeschoss mit Kern | Standard steel core armour piercing bullet. It had a red rim around the primer, on case base.[6] |
| S.m.K.H.[7] | Spitzgeschoss mit Kern, Hart | Replaced the tool steel core with a tungsten carbide core. It had a red case base including primer, from 1939: red primer only.[6] |
| S.m.K. L'spur [7] | Spitzgeschoss mit Kern, Leuchtspur | Has a shorter steel core, and includes a tracer composition. May include color designation such as gelb, German for "yellow". It had a red rim around primer and black bullet tip.[6] |
| S.m.K. Üb.m.Zerl.[7] | Spitzgeschoss mit Kern Übungsmunition mit Zerleger | A very rare practice bullet which self-destructs after a certain distance. |
During the interwar period, Poland produced a copy of S.m.K. bullet designated as P bullet (przeciwpancerny) and own armour piercing bullet with a tracer, designated PS (przeciwpancerny smugowy).[6]
References
[edit]- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1922). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 30 (12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company. pp. 204–205.
- ^ "A New Dumdum Charge". New York Times. 1915.
- ^ Paschall, Rod (1994). Defeat of Imperial Germany, 1917-1918. Da Capo Press. p. 113.
- ^ Fletcher, D. British Mark IV tank. Osprey Publishing. p. 14.
- ^ "Your Tank Is Dead: Meet the World's First Anti-Tank Rifle". The National Interest. June 15, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Dąbrowski, Jarosław. Amunicja małokalibrowa kampanii wrześniowej in: "Strzał" 10/2010, pp. 18-24 (in Polish)
- ^ a b c "K98k Mauser Page". Archived from the original on 2008-01-03. Retrieved 2007-11-11.