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Pz VIE,reinforced turret front?


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The Pz VIEs' turret front is 102mm/8,but it is reinforced.So what exactly does this mean?Does it add like 10 degrees of angle to the turret front?Making it 102mm/18(?),or something along those lines.Or is the effect of the reinforced turret front more subdued?

Also,in regard to some recent disscussion on the forum about Pz IV tactics and usage,I noticed that the Pz VIEs' lower front hull was 102mm/24.Since it was agreed by most(?)that it would be beneficial for the Pz IV to stay hull up,to lessen the exposure of the weaker turret front,would'nt it also help the Pz VIEs' weaker front upper hull(102mm/10)?

Thanks in advance.

[ February 20, 2004, 08:39 PM: Message edited by: nevermind ]

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It means something between 200mm and a Star Trek-ee "its hull is pure neutronium. No weapon known to our science can penetrate it". Tons of hits on Tiger turret fronts that should penetrate by all the formulas just won't. Tons of guns that should penetrate Tiger sides won't either. Russian 85mm in 1943 will fail routinely at medium range, even flat hits on the hull front rather than the turret. Is this all a bit overdone? Yes. CMBB Tigers are out of Signal Magazine, not history. We deal with it.

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Originally posted by nevermind:

:confused:

Ok, since Jason decided to follow the Battlefront forum guideline of "sickeningly lousy humor", I'll give you the straight answer:

If the Tiger turret front suffers a hit, the penetration is calculated with a random armor thickness from 102mm to somewhere around 130, to simulate the reinforced turret mantle (which didn't cover the entire face of the turret).

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Originally posted by Bone_Vulture:

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

:confused:

Ok, since Jason decided to follow the Battlefront forum guideline of "sickeningly lousy humor", I'll give you the straight answer:

If the Tiger turret front suffers a hit, the penetration is calculated with a random armor thickness from 102mm to somewhere around 130, to simulate the reinforced turret mantle (which didn't cover the entire face of the turret). </font>

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No, you most definitely want to be hull down. The turret is much stronger than the hull, and hull down makes all hits less likely, and concentrates the hits that do occur on the turret. Also, the most vulnerable plates on the tank are the lower hull sides, which are effectively hidden when hull down. (Everybody will be trying to flank you, because the front is so strong, so the effect on side engagements does matter, too).

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Originally posted by nevermind:

As to my second question.It may be obvious to others,though i have never heard it mentioned,but isnt keeping a Pz VIE hull up a good thing?Seeing as the front upper hull is the weakest(?) piece of front armor.Or would that just make it more vunerable to track hits and immobilization?This question is also open to anyone/everyone.

Uhh... I wager you confused the terminology: Tiger is an exception, since it's turret is theoretically more durable than the hull. Also, Tiger is one of the few tanks that has a nearly impregnable turret armor in it's prime time (another example would be the KV-1 models before '42).

So, unlike with most of the other fine German tanks, the Tiger should be kept hull down (behind the crest of a hill so only its turret is visible). Another reason to avoid advancing towards the enemy is Tiger's poor mobility in comparison to Russian T-34 models: with high ground pressure, below average speed and a slow turret, you'll risk exposing your precious tank to flank shots. Shot to the side at extremely close ranges, even the vanilla Russian AP round may breach the Tiger armor - or cause spalling.

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Originally posted by Bone_Vulture:

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

As to my second question.It may be obvious to others,though i have never heard it mentioned,but isnt keeping a Pz VIE hull up a good thing?Seeing as the front upper hull is the weakest(?) piece of front armor.Or would that just make it more vunerable to track hits and immobilization?This question is also open to anyone/everyone.

Uhh... I wager you confused the terminology: Tiger is an exception, since it's turret is theoretically more durable than the hull. Also, Tiger is one of the few tanks that has a nearly impregnable turret armor in it's prime time (another example would be the KV-1 models before '42).

So, unlike with most of the other fine German tanks, the Tiger should be kept hull down (behind the crest of a hill so only its turret is visible). Another reason to avoid advancing towards the enemy is Tiger's poor mobility in comparison to Russian T-34 models: with high ground pressure, below average speed and a slow turret, you'll risk exposing your precious tank to flank shots. Shot to the side at extremely close ranges, even the vanilla Russian AP round may breach the Tiger armor - or cause spalling. </font>

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Ah,ok.Thanks guys.

JasonC,

Sorry,I was trying to get out PBEM turns and didnt see you had responded.I thought only Bone_Vulture had responded.Otherwise I wouldnt have posted exactly what i did.Also,I am in a situation where,atleast in this battle of the operation,the likelyhood of there being any flanking manuevers,is slim.Unless my opponent wants to come out of his entrenchments?In which case I would be... :D

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The Tiger mantlet varied widely in thickness.

135mm to 140mm or so around the gun and in the middle two-thirds or so of the flat areas, down to 97mm at the upper and lower edges. Maximum Tiger mantlet thickness close to 200mm at the trunnion mounts.

But the upper and lower edges were backed by a 100mm armor casting.

The area immediately around the vision openings for the gunner was 75mm thick or so on the early Tigers due to a hollowed-out area, but was reinforced on later Tiger tanks.

The above is what is meant by reinforced turret front.

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