Details on the 10.5 cm KwK L/68?

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Maury Markowitz

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Does anyone have references for the 10.5 cm KwK L/68? I came across this in a mention on the Tiger II page on the wiki, which implies that it was at least produced experimentally. It is an L/68, so I assume this is not simply a development of the 10.5 cm Flak 38.
 
Maury Markowitz said:
Does anyone have references for the 10.5 cm KwK L/68? I came across this in a mention on the Tiger II page on the wiki, which implies that it was at least produced experimentally. It is an L/68, so I assume this is not simply a development of the 10.5 cm Flak 38.
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Doyle and Jentz in their 1997 book Germany's Tiger Tanks - VK45.02 to Tiger II: Design, Production and Modifications p.153-154 state that the KwK 10.5cm L/68 was proposed by Krupp to upgun the Tiger II. Yes, it had no relation to the 10.5cm FlaK 38 which was a Rheinmetall weapon, but as far as is known it was a paper design with no hardware produced.

Waffen Prüfen 6 (WaPruef 6), the relevant Heer office for design and modification of armoured vehicles, effectively rejected the proposal since

1) the Heer did not accept the 10.5cm for tank guns and thus would have been a special calibre exclusive for the Tiger II - a rare instance of the WW2 Germans caring about logistical complications from boutique calibers;
2) Unlike the Tiger II 105mm seen in games like World of Tanks and War Thunder which puts the gun in an otherwise largely unmodified Tiger II series turret, WaPruef 6 thought it would require a redesigned turret to accommodate the weapon, new sights and space for a second loader; and
3) They figured it would use two-piece ammo, which would lower the RoF.
 
CommanderRenHoek said:
but as far as is known it was a paper design with no hardware produced.
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Ahhh, that is useful to know. I was under the impression it had been tested, but in retrospect I realize the mention doesn't actually say that, it says simply that it had not been accepted.
 
Force Lord said:
Didn't the IS-2's 122mm gun originally use two-piece ammo?
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Yes, the IS-2's D-25T guns used two-piece ammo, which limited rate of fire to anywhere from 1.5-3rpm depending on which breech was used. The Soviets accepted this limitation as the IS family's doctrinal role was breakthrough tank against fortifications, and the 122mm had a better HE shot compared to the alternative 100mm guns (though the 100mm was, conversely, a better anti-tank penetrator).

For a Tiger II, a 105mm weapon having similar rates of fire to the D-25T would have indeed been unacceptable; the KwK 43 8.8cm L71 had at least double the RoF at 6+rpm.
 

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