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Machine-gun loadouts on tanks


guachi

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I was in Barnes & Noble today and picked up a book called The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. It's a big book that has a brief entry on everything from rifles to carriers with a color drawing and photograph for just about each of the 1,500 entries.

Someone on the MG ammo tracking thread asked if anyone knew how much ammo tanks carried.

Unfortunately, MG ammo loads are only given for Axis tanks, but I hope this information is useful. I also incuded ammo loads for the main gun.

LT vz 35 (Czech)

37.2mm Skoda vz34 - 72 rds

7.92mm ZB35 or 37 - 1,800 rds

TNH P-S (Czech)

37.2mm Skoda A7 - 90 rds

7.92mm MG37(t) - 2,550 rds

PzKpfw I

7.92mm 2 MG34s - 1,525 rds

PzKpfw II

20mm KwK30 - 180 rds 7.92mm MG34 - 1,425 rds

PzKpfw III

(no ammo loads listed)

PzKpfw IVA

75mm L/24 - 122 rds

7.92mm 2 MG34s - 3,000 rds

PzKpfw IVF2

75mm KwK40 L/43 - 87 rds

7.92mm 2 MG34s - 3,192 rds

PzKpfw V Panther

75mm KwK L/70 - 79 rds

7.92mm 2 MG34s - (not listed)

PzKpfw VI Tiger

88mm KwK36 L/56 - 84 rds

7.92mm 2 MG34s - 5,850 rds

PzKpfw VI Tiger II

88mm KwK43 L/71 - 84 rds

7.92mm 2 MG34s - 5,850 rds

Carro Armato L 6/40 (Italy)

20mm Breda 35 - 296 rds

8mm Breda 38 - 1,560 rds

Carro Armato M 13/40 (Italy)

47mm L/32 - 104 rds

8mm 4 Modello 38s - 3,048 rds

Carro Armato M 15/42 (Italy)

47mm L/40 - 111 rds

8mm 4 Modello 38s - 2,640 rds

KE-GO Type 95 (Japan)

37mm Type 94 - 119 rds

7.7mm 2 Type 97s - 2,970 rds

CHI-HA Type 97 (Japan)

57mm Type 97 - 120 rds

7.7mm 2 Type 97s - 2,350 rds

Does anybody know of any tank books that have a comprehensive of these and other tech specs? The few books are have are generally spotty in this regard.

Jason

[This message has been edited by guachi (edited 09-20-99).]

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From Panzer Truppen, Vols I & II

Pz.Kpfw.35(t) - 2 MG, 2700 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.38(t) Ausf.A-D,S - 2 MG, 2700 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.38(t) Ausf.E-G - 2 MG, 2700 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A-B - 2 MG, 2250 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.a-c,C,D,F - 1 MG, 1425 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.A-D - 3 MG, 4500 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.E-G - 3 or 2 MG, 4500 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.H,J,L,N - 2 MG, 3750 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.IV Neubau - 3 MG, 6000 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A - 2 MG, 3000 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. B-C - 1 MG, 2400 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D-G - 2 MG, 3150 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.H-J - 2 MG, 3150 rnds

Panther

Pz.Kpfw.V Ausf.A-D - 2 MG, 5100 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.V Ausf.G - 2 MG, 4800 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B,E - 2 MG, 4800 rnds

Pz.Kpfw.VI(H) Ausf.H1 - 2 MG, 4800 rnds

[This message has been edited by Herr Oberst2 (edited 09-21-99).]

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US---

M3 Light (Stuart) - 2 MG, 5435 rnds

M3 Medium (Grant) - 1 MG, 3100 rnds

M3 Medium - 3 MG, 9200 rnds

M4 Medium - 3 MG, 5050 rnds

M4A3(76) HVSS - 6 MG, 6850 rnds

Sherman VC - 2 MG, 6170 rnds

British---

Light Mk.VIc - 1 MG, 2700 rnds

Cruiser Mk.I C.S. - 3 MG, 5000 rnds

Cruiser Mk.II - 1 MG, 4050 rnds

Cruiser Mk.IVa - 1 MG, 3375 rnds

Cruiser Mk.VIA - 1 MG, 4950 rnds

Infantry Mk.I - 1 MG, 4400 rnds

Infantry Mk.II - 1 MG, 2925 rnds

Infantry Mk.III - 1 MG, 3150 rnds

Crusader Mk.II - 1 MG, 4950 rnds

Cromwell Mk.V - 3 MG, 5550 rnds

Valentine Mk.I - 1 MG, 3150 rnds

Churchill Mk.III - 3 MG, 7575 rnds

Churchill Mk.VII - 3 MG, 7125 rnds

French---

AMR - 1 MG, 750 rnds

R35 - 1 MG, 2500 rnds

H39 - 1 MG, 2400 rnds

FCM - 1 MG, 3000 rnds

S35 - 1 MG, 1250 rnds

B1 bis - 2 MG, 5100 rnds

[This message has been edited by Herr Oberst2 (edited 09-21-99).]

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And while we're at it...

T-37 - 1 MG, 585 rnds

T26C - 2 MG, 2405 rnds

BT - 2 MG, 2015 rnds

T-28 - 3 MG, 8320 rnds

T-60 - 1 MG, 780 rnds

T-70 - 1 MG, 945 rnds

T-34 - 2 MG, 4420 rnds

T-34/76 - 2 MG, 4420 rnds

T-34/85 - 2 MG, 1955 rnds

KWIA - 2 MG, 2080 rnds

KWII - 3 MG, 3055 rnds

KV-1Ss - 4 MG, 3087 rnds

IS-2 - 4 MG, 2631 rnds

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Guest Big Time Software

Thanks guys! I passed the URL over to Charles. Not sure if we have holes in our data, but always good to have more to look through!

Steve

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HerrOberst,

Did all of your information come from Panzer Truppen? If so, it look like just the kind of book I'm looking for.

Your information is obviously far more comprehensive than mine, but I do find it odd that our numbers don't really match.

Does anyone else think that 9000 rds of ammunition (like on the M3) is a little ridiculous? smile.gif

Jason

[This message has been edited by guachi (edited 09-21-99).]

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Yup, all that info came from Panzer Truppen, Vols I & II. Appendices near the back of the book. I love the books. They include some of the development information about the different armor, some of the postings from German High Command with regard to technical specs, and combat abilities/faults of the different versions of armor. Quite a bit of AAR text from all theatres of the conflict. And recommended tactics for armor employment developed as a result of battlefield experience against opponents armor. Some really scary pieces of information regarding the first encounters by Pz.Kpfw.IV's against the Soviet KV heavy series.

Also interesting was the Soviet tactic of using AT Rifles SPECIFICALLY against the vision ports of the commanders cupola and drivers, attempting to shatter the glass blocks into the tank. One German AAR reports losing "several" tank commanders in a battle to exactly that tactic.

The 9000 rounds on an M3 isn't all that ridiculous. That's only 3000 rounds per MG (I wonder if it is easy to move MG ammo around inside the tank?)

Depends on the purpose of the AFV. If it isn't planned to do alot of anti-armor fighting, but is supposed to be an infantry support vehicle, lots of MG ammo would make the M3 an excellent "mobile, armored machine gun nests".

[This message has been edited by Herr Oberst (edited 09-21-99).]

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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Depends on the purpose of the AFV. If it isn't planned to do alot of anti-armor fighting, but is supposed to be an infantry support vehicle, lots of MG ammo would make the M3 an excellent "mobile, armored machine gun nests".<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually that is exactly what the infantry wanted tanks for. American doctrine was that tanks were for infantry support and exploitation and that Tank Destroyers were for anti-tank work. Moving ammo around inside tanks like the M3 was relatively easy. Although an important consideration is not how much you carry but how much you have ready to shoot. If your doing all of your shooting out of 200 round boxes you are goin to be spending a lot of time swapping boxes. If you can put a couple thousand rounds linked together into one container you can do a lot more shooting before you have to dig more ammo out.

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There were two versions of the M3, right? The Grant and the Lee. The Grant, which the British used, only had 3 MGs and the Lee had 4 MGs. Which, for the Lee, brings the average down to only 2250 rounds per gun.

That means the Lee had six guns. A 37mm in the turret, 75mm in a sponson on the right side of the hull, a co-ax MG, a cupola mounted MG, and two more MGs in the hull. Even with a crew of six, it must have been a mess with all of the ammo.

Jason

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