Does it help if I shoot them point blank?

[Murph]

If I want to punish a squad or a machine gun, does it help if I maneuver my tank closer to them, for added effect?

Say you have a squad in a foxhole. One would think that if a tank drives up and shoots them point blank (say, 50 meters), it would be a lot worse than the same shot from 800 meters. Is this so? I'm not talking about accuracy, just damage.

My thought is that perhaps the explosive power is the same regardless of the kinetic energy left in the shell when it impacts, but if someone has some idea about this, I'd love to hear it.

Murph

PS - Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe for tanks it's the opposite? That is, what matters most is the kinetic energy to pierce the armor, hence distance is key, once the armor is pierced the "damage inside" is automatic?

[M Hofbauer]

I am not sure what you are aiming at here...let me see if I can help nevertheless.

For small arms / machine gun fire YES less range means more damage. Check the detailed unit info (ENTER) to see a range/firepower chart for infantry units. Similar applies to vehicle mounted machine guns, for example the bow machine gun on a Sherman.

For main guns you'ld have to differentiate. If you use the big gun to engage soft targets like infantry it will use HE ammo which has a set blast rating (again check unit data for info on the specific blast rating for the HE ammo of a given unit) which is INDEPENDENT of range. Therefore, range (aside from accuracy matters) does NOT afect effectiveness in CM.

If you use the main gun to engage "hard" targets such as other tanks then range does matter since you will be using kinetic energy penetrator ammunition, armor-piercing AP, for which velocity is important hence the closer you are the better the effectiveness (for detailed data again see unit data).

Sometimes you will have shaped charge C ammo which of course is independant of range for it's AP performance, however you want to get close to hit anything with these rounds.

[lcm1947]

Good question. I actually was thinking about this fact just the other night. I'm dying to hear the answer. You would think that it would make some difference real close up at least as far as effecting human beings from the actual blast itself. As far as effecting other things like vehicles or what all I have no idea, but damn good question

[Murph]

Thanks Hofbauer, that answers my question perfectly. It's as I thought, actually.

The funny thing is that instinctively, say you're firing at a platoon with a Sherman, it feels as if "they're really going to get it now!" when you shoot at them point blank, as opposed to from 500m. But I understand now that it's only perception, since it's the blast charge that counts.

Thanks,

Murph

[Jarmo]

Of course,if you are real close and the platoon/squad panics, then the bow MG will really tear them apart..