MG42 Kill halftrack?

[Andreas]

Below the info on ammunition load from Lexikon der Wehrmacht:

3. Munition

Bis etwa 1941 sollte jeder Gewehrschütze einen Ladestreifen mit SmK-Patronen oder SmK(H)-Patronen mitführen. (SmK – Spitzgeschoß mit Stahlkern, SmK(H) Spitzgeschoß mit Wolframcarbid-Kern). Diese Patronen sollten zum Beschuß gepanzerter Fahrzeuge Verwendung finden, ihre Durchschlagleistung lag auf 100 m bei etwa 10 mm (SmK) bzw. 14 mm (SmK (H). Da diese Leistungen völlig unzureichend waren, verzichtete man bald auf den Einsatz gegen Panzer und setzte die genannten Patronenarten vorzugsweise bei den Maschinengewehren z.B. zum Beschuß von Bunkerscharten ein.

Zum leichten Maschinengewehr gehörten als erste Munitionsausstattung planmäßig 2500 Schuß. Davon sollte

- der MG-Schütze 1 eine Gurttrommel mit 50 Schuß,

- der MG-Schütze 2 vier Gurttrommeln mit je 50 Schuß, davon eine mit panzerbrechender SmK oder SmK (H) –Munition sowie einen MG-Kasten mit 300 Schuß

- der MG-Schützen 3 zwei Patronenkästen mit je 300 Schuß

Translating the relevant bits:

Until 1941 every rifleman had to carry one loading strip (5 rounds?) of SmK or SmK(h) (=tungsten core) ammunition out of the 45 rounds they had on the man. After 1941 the SmK was pooled with the machine guns.

For the squad lMG, at least 50 rounds out of 2,500 (2%) were SmK or SmK(h). These were in a dedicated belt-drum. This means that tactically, when the squad encountered light AFVs, they could switch the ammo to all SmK, assuring that if the rounds lay on target, they would achieve multiple penetrations.

So basically, all MG 34/42, including squad lMG should have the SmK rounds in the game.

SmK - penetrates 10mm at 100m

SmK(h) - penetrates 14mm at 100m

Primary use against armoured firing slits of bunkers, fired by machine guns.

Below production numbers for the first quarter 1939 from Lexikon der Wehrmacht:

471.136.995 s.S.-Geschoß

48.550.065 S.m.K.-Geschoß (8%)

40.213.000 S.m.K.-Leuchtspurgeschoß (Tracer)(6.6%)

36.991.000 l.S.-Geschoß

4.051.000 l.S.-Leuchtspur-Geschoß

7.112.500 S.m.K.(H)-Geschoß (1.2%)

608.054.560 Gesamt

In total just under 16% of the rifle ammunition produced in the first quarter 1939 was SmK in its variants.

Further info here:

http://www.waffeninfo.net/mun_8x57_02.php

Although I have serious doubts about the 20mm penetration claimed for SmK(h) at 500m.

All the best

Andreas

[ April 06, 2006, 05:24 AM: Message edited by: Andreas ]

[coe]

I wonder about the accounts of Michael Wittmann's tank at Villers-Bocage - going down the line of British vehicles raking them with machine gun fire - if true and if so how effective. So in reality the MG42/MG34 was good against half-tracks? I also remember reading some accounts about some heavier aircraft machine guns were eventually mounted on land vehicles. I am a bit surprised that something closer to a 50 cal wasn't put in on the German tanks to provide a reasonably quick alternative to using shells against softer vehicles since it seems not quite guaranteed that the '42 would kill immediately - then again if the purpose is to get at infantry which are trying to get at your tank...the 42 seems adequate (maybe not as good as a 50 in getting the infantry who is trying to hide behind a tree)

[Joachim]

Maybe there were not so many soft vehicles near the frontlines to add anohter toy to a tank. Especially the Soviets had few halftracks or other vehicles where a .50cal would make a difference. The western front was a side show until late in the war.

Besides that - a few bullets in the right place do not destroy a vehicles (destroy as in total write-off). HE does. It is usually enough to scare the drivers away to disable the vehicle temporarily. The presence of a tank alone might do this - no need for a heavy MG. As tanks should be used within combined arms, there are other units that can take care of the trucks. I guess trucks and HTs are not priority targets for armor.

Wittmann's crew firing an MG just adds to the chaos, creates panic and forces some heads down - which is what you need when you attack with inferior forces. Even if they did not hit anything, the morale effect helped.

Gruß

Joachim