13.2×92mmSR

Lore & Background

The 13.2 mm TuF was developed to counter early British tanks that appeared during late World War I. Because a tank's path was difficult to predict before it reached the front, land mines were hard to employ effectively. Light artillery used as anti-tank guns were effective but cumbersome and slow to bring into action. A more portable means of engaging armored vehicles was needed. Early plate armor was relatively thin due to weight constraints and was mainly intended to protect against machine-gun fire, so large-bore rifles could harass and kill tank crews.

The cartridge was used in the Mauser Tankgewehr M1918 anti-tank rifle and was planned for a new heavy machine gun scheduled for 1919, the MG 18 TuF. The 13.2×92mmSR was developed by the Polte ammunition factory in Magdeburg, Germany, and utilized a 92 mm-long semi-rimmed case with a shallow bottle-neck.

Reader's Guide

The 13.2×92mmSR represented a major step in the development of anti-tank cartridges, being the first one designed for the sole purpose of destroying armored targets. When word of the German round spread, Allied militaries debated whether to copy it as the basis for a new machine gun cartridge. An exact copy was ruled out for two reasons: its performance was regarded as inadequate compared to later rounds such as the .50 BMG, and its semi-rimmed case was considered sub-optimal for automatic weapons. However, the .50 BMG was still in the design stage when the US military learned of the German round. While the .50 BMG was started prior to discovery of the German round, the possibility that the German round played a significant part in formulating the .50 BMG parameters cannot be ruled out, even though the latter emerged with significantly different performance characteristics. The 13.2×92mmSR thus influenced the development of later heavy machine gun ammunition, even if it was not directly adopted.

Did You Know?

• The 13.2×92mmSR was the first cartridge designed solely for destroying armored targets.
• The cartridge was planned for use in the MG 18 TuF heavy machine gun scheduled for 1919.
• The .50 BMG was started prior to discovery of the German round, but the German round may have influenced its parameters.