Gurra Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Did they really use tracer ammo for big calibers in WW2, like for tanks? I am thinking about the noticable graphics when tanks fire in CMBN. Or perhaps that is for game play reasons? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c3k Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Gameplay reasons. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Yep, it would be pretty confusing to play without some visual cues. "My guys are firing at... uhm, what?" They did use tracers, though, in the base of some shells. Made it easier to correct aim when the commander could see how the shot missed. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadgerDog Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Did they really use tracer ammo for big calibers in WW2, like for tanks? I am thinking about the noticable graphics when tanks fire in CMBN. Or perhaps that is for game play reasons? I'm not sure I understand the question ....:confused: If you're sitting in the gunner's seat of a Sherman M4, or sitting in the CC seat and focused from the Crew Commander's point of view, you clearly see a 76mm AP round (and depending upon weather, associated swirl) going down range on it's way to the target. You actually see it rise and fall gently, then either it falls short, or flies over the target. The effect I see in CM when viewing from the gun axis is not quite the same, but it's a remarkable likeness .... Regards, Doug 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomm Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 You actually see it rise and fall gently, then either it falls short, or flies over the target. You mean ... it never hits? Best regards, Thomm 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatmasta Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Here's a clip to a M1A1 Abrams shooting at night. At 0:24 is the shot and you can clearly see the "tracer" of the round going. I'm quite sure that during the WW2 the tank ammo had some tracer material to observe the shots. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lID_EQfWO4 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurra Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 I'm not sure I understand the question .... I was referring to the tracer effect when tanks are firing. Like a massive blob of yellow heat about half a meter in length flying to the target. Yep, it would be pretty confusing to play without some visual cues. "My guys are firing at... uhm, what?" I have actually modded my game so there´s almost no tracer effect at all when my tanks fire, and I have no problem understanding what they fire at. The impact of their shooting often tells... With small arms fire it would be odd though, I agree. In that youtube clip there´s definitely a red glowing thing flying away from the gun barrel. I´d say it´s tracer ammo. But during day time? A massive tracer effect like seen in the default game graphics would show even on a black and white war footage. I have never seen anything like that. Just a big puff at the muzzle brake, and then......kaboom 1000 meters away. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurra Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Oh, and may I add, I have seen 40mm ~ 60mm AP ammo shot in real life as spectator, and I can´t remember anything like it at that time either. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 How odd. Many veterans of the war mention tracers in just about all the medium calibers, and yes they were meant to be visible in daylight too. Certainly Allied tank guns fired tracer shot and shell. It has been noted in several narratives that Bofors 40 mm guns fired tracer above advancing British infantry at night to guide them and keep them on course. I'm not sure that large caliber naval cannon used tracer, but the shells were red hot when they emerged from the barrels anyway and could be observed in their trajectories at night. The smaller caliber AA (40 mm and less) certainly used tracer as hundreds of feet of movie film shot during air attacks will attest. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akd Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 The T in the designation for US AP rounds stands for tracer, e.g. M61 APC/HE-T. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaws Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 MG ammo has mostly a mix of ball, ap and 1 tracer. This is needed to adjust the MG. Some tanks in ww2 used even the MG tracer to range in the main gun. Beside that any rocket projectile like bazooka or schreck always have a tracer light. Tracers are also used on tank ammo and AT gun ammo to adjust the gun. Mortars or other indirect weapons dont need tracers due the way they are used. They are ranged in like it happends in CMBN. Maybe tracers were not on all weapons in ww2 but most of them could use it and therefore it is not pure gameplay. Even normal rifles use tracers these days (i.e. to point a target for squad members) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurra Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 How odd. Many veterans of the war mention tracers in just about all the medium calibers, and yes they were meant to be visible in daylight too. Certainly Allied tank guns fired tracer shot and shell. It has been noted in several narratives that Bofors 40 mm guns fired tracer above advancing British infantry at night to guide them and keep them on course. I'm not sure that large caliber naval cannon used tracer, but the shells were red hot when they emerged from the barrels anyway and could be observed in their trajectories at night. The smaller caliber AA (40 mm and less) certainly used tracer as hundreds of feet of movie film shot during air attacks will attest. Well, I am certainly no expert in this field and what you say sounds very convincing. I guess that is so then. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 A footnote that I found interesting: On the Dambusters raid, the MGs on the Lancasters were loaded with all tracer rounds instead of the usual one in four or one in five (or whatever the usual ratio was), in order to impress AA gunners with the weight of fire being directed at them and thus to (hopefully) increase the degree of suppression. It is not recorded how effective that tactic proved to be. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatmasta Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 In that youtube clip there´s definitely a red glowing thing flying away from the gun barrel. I´d say it´s tracer ammo. But during day time? A massive tracer effect like seen in the default game graphics would show even on a black and white war footage. I have never seen anything like that. Just a big puff at the muzzle brake, and then......kaboom 1000 meters away. The two first tracers are definitely big caliber shots as you can hear from the blast. And even normal rifle caliber tracer shots are easily visible during the day from the firers point of view. I once fired full 100 round belt full of tracers with one squeeze and they were very well visible! And after that lifted the mg from the barrel and burnt my hand pretty well 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hister Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Yeah, many people burn themselves with hot barrels. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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