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Most successful tank buster in the war for both Axis and Allies...


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It is true by absolute kills, but I am not so sure for kills per built StuG.

Tiger 1s are maybe better in the kills/built-vehicle, but the comparision in unfair because a Tiger was more likely to be repaired after it was damaged.

If you switch to a model of kills/running-hour-of-AFV-model you will probably get out Nashorns, but not so much for high number of kills as for short lifespan smile.gif

Panthers are probably out of the race, but the Hetzer may not.

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Originally posted by THumpre:

Close Air Support

Err no. Even during Normandy CAS never accounted for more than 10% of German Tanks/StuGs destroyed. Soviet investigation only credited 5% losses to CAS.

Biggest tank buster for German tanks were their own crews that would abandon and destroy their own tanks when cut off and out of fuel. AP shot and shell generally accounted for 30% of German tank losses.

[ August 22, 2003, 07:06 PM: Message edited by: Bastables ]

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Originally posted by von Lucke:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Boo_Radley:

It's funny, but when he said "Tank buster", I immediately thought of the P-38.

Really? I had a hard enough time opening a can of beanie-weenies with a P-38 --- I imagine it would take me most of the afternoon to pry the lid off a Mk IV with one. </font>
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Originally posted by Sir Augustus:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by von Lucke:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Boo_Radley:

It's funny, but when he said "Tank buster", I immediately thought of the P-38.

Really? I had a hard enough time opening a can of beanie-weenies with a P-38 --- I imagine it would take me most of the afternoon to pry the lid off a Mk IV with one. </font>
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Originally posted by FFE:

Panzerfausts: Several million of them were made. Very effective, very lethal.

Actually, no. Panzerfausts never came close to being the dominant tank killer. According to Zaloga's RAH, even in 1945 as the Germans were running out of almost everything else and the Russians were getting embroiled in heavy street fighting in Berlin and elsewhere, AT Rockets of all types (both PzF and PzS) only rose to at most 25% of all kills against the Russians. Previous to 1945, total kills from AT rockets were substantially lower than this.

The chart is listing KOs by tube, so it's impossible to determine what exact weapon is getting all the kills, but in 1944 & 1945 75mm & 88mm Guns are scoring the most kills.

I don't have figures for the West Front for Panzerfausts, but I've seen them and they weren't any higher.

PzFs were a major advance in IAT firepower, and they certainly gave the German Infantryman a capability that his Allied opposite did not have, but a wonder weapon they were not.

Cheers,

YD

[ August 23, 2003, 10:42 AM: Message edited by: YankeeDog ]

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The big thing to remember about Infantry AT assets of all types is that they are very short ranged. While it is possible to get some spectacular results a battalion of Infantry armed with AT rockets isn't going to kill a battalion of tanks.

The tanks may take losses but they have the mobility and armor to manuever away from the trap and then shell the area. For the Infantry this isn't an option.

Because of their range, however, AT guns and other tanks can kill in great numbers regardless of how the enemy manuevers. If the enemy has to go somewhere he doesn't always have the option to call something else to take out any long range AT assets. Often the tanks have to do it themselves which usually means heavy casualties.

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