Moog Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 This is taken from "German Tanks at War" by Bob Carruthers: "In 1941 the puny 50mm gun was still the standard anti-tank armament for German Panzer III tanks. The experience of tank ace Herman Bix was typical of the desperate straits many German tank commanders now found themselves in. Bix saw a dozen of his shells bounce off a KV-1 even at the closest ranges. Eventually he managed to silence the steel monster as it swung its turret to take aim against him by the expedient of a well aimed shot deliberately fired through the barrel of his opponents main gun" This smacks of warstory embellishment, but still it captivated me! Has anyone got any info about this or similar miracle shots occurring? I'm assuming that the shot actually went down the barrel as opposed to 'merely' disabling the barrel from one side. It's so wonderfully simple... if the frontal armour's too thick to penetrate, just fire the shell down your opponent's barrel... Play It Cool -Moog PS: Would someone mind giving me a quick rundown on armour thickness/angle tables? Most are self-explanatory, like "Front Turret 25/10" i.e. the location, the thickness, and the degree of slope from the vertical, but for instance what is the difference between Front Upper Hull and Front Lower Hull, or between Upper Hull Top/Bottom and Lower Hull Top/Bottom? Thanks! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwolf Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 Account which are not precise enought to mention whether it's a L42 or L60 50mm gun can't be trusted with more exotic claims either. Most likely he hit the gun, disabling it and causing the crew to take a hike. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 In 1941 one Finn destroyed a KV-1 with a 20mm ATR. He let it go past his position and then shot at the external fuel tank so that they caught fire. He deserved the Mannerheim's Cross that he got, but you might also give 'credit' to the tankers for going to battle in such a fuel load. Darwin Awards and all that... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 Originally posted by Moog: This smacks of warstory embellishment, but still it captivated me! Has anyone got any info about this or similar miracle shots occurring? I'm assuming that the shot actually went down the barrel as opposed to 'merely' disabling the barrel from one side.I recall reading before that it went through the gun barrel from side, and it does sound more credible: bigger target. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieseltaylor Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 The first captured Tiger , Tunisia, I believe was disabled by a AP going into the turret ring jamming it. A very embarrassing way to lose your first uber-tank! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Tittles Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 The amount of offset a sight has from the barrel of a gun effects the ability to 'pin-point' an area. The offset being nearly equal to the tube width makes for very lucky shooting. A weapon like the soviet ATR has sights very close to the gun tube line. They would and could target very small targets on the afvs. They, of course, alos fired from very short ranges also. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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