The Pak 38 was created in response to a need for an effective antitank gun which was foreseen as early as 1936. The weapon appeared in service in 1940, and during the bitter battles in Russia in the winter of 1941-42 it was the only pure antitank gun which was capable of defeating the Soviet T-34 tank. The weapon and its ballistics did well, with the gun being closely used to create the Kwk 42 L/60 tank gun, the BK5 aerial cannon, and the prototype Flak 214 AA gun. Even at the end of the war, this gun was capable of knocking out late-model T-34-85 and Sherman tanks, and was a respectable weapon. It was extremely light and handy for its power
