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Sideskirts on say PzIV in CM. Do they reflect what ...


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they are supposed to have done in real life? I.E. Cause zook rounds to detonate upon contact with the skirt.

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"Alla Keefek" is a Brit soldier's corruption of an Arabic phrase. It

means "couldn't be bothered". A Firefly of the 4th County of London Yeomanry had it painted on the rear of the turret. This Firefly was knocked out by a Tiger from 501st SS.

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Well, that's what they told me back in the beta demo days. I've seen an alarming number of side penetrations from bazookas on skirted vehicles though, so I question whether or not they're acting as they should.

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"The common ordinary SS soldier was just following orders from their superiors..."- Maximus

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I swear I've read that the side skirts were intended to protect tank tracks on the Eastern Front from Soviet AT rifles.

IIRC, the side skirts optimize the standoff distance for hollow charge (PIAT, Bazooka) rounds.

LimShady

[This message has been edited by LimShady (edited 03-06-2001).]

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No, Juno, you've got it backwards. They ARE (allegedly) a benefit against hollow charge rounds. I've been paying extra close attention recently so I can record instances where they don't seem to be working. Unfortunately, haven't had any side hits recently, and I'm much too lazy to set up a test.

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I started the same thread a few months back. http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/Forum1/HTML/012193.html Bottom line, they do work.

Not only that, but the JagdPz IVs with the "miniskirts" will give a morale bonus to any of your troops within LOS smile.gif

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[This message has been edited by 109 Gustav (edited 03-06-2001).]

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Thanks for the heads-up 109 Gustav. Even though I have lurked here for some time I havent read all the threads. smile.gif

I too would want to be hiding beside a tank that had extra plates hanging off it for protection. I think I would be rather happy in fact. biggrin.gif

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"Alla Keefek" is a Brit soldier's corruption of an Arabic phrase. It

means "couldn't be bothered". A Firefly of the 4th County of London Yeomanry had it painted on the rear of the turret. This Firefly was knocked out by a Tiger from 501st SS.

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I swear I've read that the side skirts were intended to protect tank tracks on the Eastern Front from Soviet AT rifles.

I've read the same thing. War Department, Military Intelligence Division, Intelligence Bulletine, Oct 1944: "German Tank Trends" (pg 21)

"In an effort to combat attacks by tank hunters, the Germans have fitted the Tiger with S-mine dischargers, which are fired

electrically from the interior of the tank. These dischargers are mounted on the turret, and are designed to project a shrapnel antipersonnel mine which bursts in the air a few yards away from the tank.. Thus far these dischargers have been noted only on the Tiger, but the Germans quite possibly may decide to use them on still other tanks.

The Germans take additional precautions, as well. For protection against hollow-charge projectiles and the Soviet antitank rifle's armor-piercing bullet with a tungsten carbide core, they fit a skirting of mild steel plates, about 1/4 inch thick, on the sides of the hull. In the case of the Pz. Kpfw. IV, the skirting is suitably spaced from the sides and also from the rear of the turret. Finally, the skirting plates, as well as the hulls and turrets of the tanks themselves, are coated with a sufficient thickness of non-magnetic plaster to prevent magnetic demolition charges from adhering to the metal underneath."

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Gustav,

I wonder if they have those "wire-meash" side skirts modelled.

If so, it would be even better moral-boasting than mini-skirts.

Griffin.

Originally posted by 109 Gustav:

Not only that, but the JagdPz IVs with the "miniskirts" will give a morale bonus to any of your troops within LOS smile.gif

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I haven't recorded stats in a test or anything but I can testify my JgPzIV survived 2, count 'em 2, bazooka hits to the flank. Promptly faced the 'zook team and withdrew to let the PzGrenadiers wipe them out. In short the skirts do work.

Their purpose as far as protection is to set off hollow charge rounds before they impact the tank itself and greatly increase the Panzer's chance for survival. The "schurzen" kinda can be thought of as the precursor to "spaced armor" I believe.

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"Uncommon valor was a common virtue"-Adm.Chester Nimitz of the Marines on Iwo Jima

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Did a quick and unscientific test...

Bazooka vs. StuG III (early) and PzIVH. Armour 30mm at varying inclinations.

StuG III: hit 37 times, survived 13 hits

Pz IVH: hit 47 times, survived 23 hits

Very small sample but clear trend.

As for the use of skirts, historical documents show that the first tests were made using AT rifles and chambered AP rounds (APHE, not "HEAT").

M.

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