4 HTs with one AP round

[argie]

Could you believe that?

That Panther sure deserves a medal or somefink.

[Elmar Bijlsma]

After careful study of the accompanying pics, I can safely say this did not happen.

[argie]

I've saved the replay. When I got time, I'll post the picts.

That Panther got credited with 77 kills in the AAR.

[Shmavis]

I scored a double kill on 2 Shermans in Barkmann's Corner. Tried to take a screenshot, but that didn't work. I saved the game. Any suggestions on how I could post the replay or some screenshots?

[simmox]

fraps will suffice mate

[gunnergoz]

Given the M3 has .25" armor on the sides except the .50" windshield cover, I could see it theoretically happening if you caught 4 of them lined up, and assuming the round could penetrate over 2" of armor overall. Still, pretty freaky event. I've read of a few double penetrations in WW2 AFV combat, but never more than that.

[dieseltaylor]

Irfanview is highly capable, free, and 50 million plus downloads

http://www.irfanview.com/

Slightly different from Fraps and deals with most file types.

[ShakyJake]

Shouldn't the HE bursting charge preclude something like this? Or is there some chance modeled in the game that the fuse will be defective, and this was an extraordinary piece of luck (well, for him at least)?

[gunnergoz]

Shouldn't the HE bursting charge preclude something like this? Or is there some chance modeled in the game that the fuse will be defective, and this was an extraordinary piece of luck (well, for him at least)?

Only AP shell had a bursting charge. There was also AP solid shot, which would presumably be what we are speaking of here.

[Michael Emrys]

Given the M3 has .25" armor on the sides except the .50" windshield cover, I could see it theoretically happening if you caught 4 of them lined up, and assuming the round could penetrate over 2" of armor overall.

If the shot just passed through the rear compartments of the vehicles, it would have done no damage to them aside from punching a couple of holes in each one. In order to kill one, it would have had to strike something more substantial, like an engine or drive train, which would have brought it to a halt sooner rather than later. I think this is an instance where the game got it wrong. No big deal though since the likelihood of something like this happening again is extremely small.

Michael

[akd]

Only AP shell had a bursting charge. There was also AP solid shot, which would presumably be what we are speaking of here.

Panther AP ammo is AP shell.

[ShakyJake]

Only AP shell had a bursting charge. There was also AP solid shot, which would presumably be what we are speaking of here.

Sorry, but I don't know that I'm following your meaning, here. All German AP rounds 20mm and up had an explosive filler. The only shells to lack this bursting charge was the tungsten-cored PzGr.40 ammunition, for obvious reasons. If this Panther was using the standard PzGr.39 ammunition (which had a bursting charge), you'd expect it to detonate the shell immediately following the first penetration.

I suppose it's possible that thin-skinned vehicles might have armor too thin to set off this bursting charge, as it's the sudden deceleration of the shell as velocity is lost through the penetration which triggers the fuse. This is complete speculation on my part, though if the engine models the physics to this level that's pretty cool indeed.

[GreenAsJade]

I suppose it's possible that thin-skinned vehicles might have armor too thin to set off this bursting charge, as it's the sudden deceleration of the shell as velocity is lost through the penetration which triggers the fuse. This is complete speculation on my part, though if the engine models the physics to this level that's pretty cool indeed.

Sheeyeah, right....

[dieseltaylor]

Shot going through tank turrets has been reported in WW2 reports - AFAIK only the British used solid shot consistently - so it is entirely possible that HE filler did not reliable explode on contact/sudden deceleration.

[argie]

Those who wants to see the Replay, can find it here.

I'm uploading the pictures right now.

[Bastables]

Given the M3 has .25" armor on the sides except the .50" windshield cover, I could see it theoretically happening if you caught 4 of them lined up, and assuming the round could penetrate over 2" of armor overall. Still, pretty freaky event. I've read of a few double penetrations in WW2 AFV combat, but never more than that.

Germans did not bealive in shot, it's why their anti armour shells were called Panzer granate: tank/armour grenade. The only solid shot for Panther KwK 42 was pzgr 40 the tungsten subcaliber round (denoted by the suffix HK in english hard core). By the time Panther's started reaching troops the tungsten shortage and the effectivness of the L/70 gun meant pzgr40 was never really issued to troops at all. You'd see pzgr 40 in 1942/43.

Panther's in Normandy had two shells pzgr39 (APCBC HE) and spgr 42 the high explosive shell. The only organisation that thought AP shot was a better anti tank projectile was the British army which is at odds with the royal navy that after several decades of thinking and testing armour penetration used AP Shells and not shot.

[argie]

Funny thing is a few turns before that I got a shot on an AC and the round went through the vehicle almost without noticing it. A few hundred meters beyond it hit the ground with a lot of remnant energy. My thought was, 'hey! that could still do a little harm!'.

I understated the possibilities of a high VM gun...

[argie]

American column in a thight spot under heavy fire from Panthers.

[dieseltaylor]

That is one brilliant piece of film!

[argie]

The Panther fires the magic round:

And he sees this:

A bigger picture:

Close to the Americans:

A milisecond earlier, a round walking through:

[argie]

... and exiting (note that still has a lot of energy left and a tense trajectory):

A few seconds later, I see dead people:

[dieseltaylor]

[Elmar Bijlsma]

Bwahahaha. Awesome.

Though the amount of casualties in the HTs suggests the game assumes the bursting charge went off with every hit. No way an AP round merely passing through should take out just about every occupant inside a HT.

Oh heck, I doubt a 75mm AP shell could wipe out all inside if one detonated.

[Michael Emrys]

Going by the angles of the hits, in at least some of the cases if not the very first, the shell is striking an engine and/or parts of the chassis. That should have caused the fuse to detonate or at the very least have stopped the shell's further progress. Seems to me that the game is not modeling the resistance of all that metal.

What's interesting is that all this mayhem is being created by a -2 tank commander.

Michael

[MengJiao]

Going by the angles of the hits, in at least some of the cases if not the very first, the shell is striking an engine and/or parts of the chassis. That should have caused the fuse to detonate or at the very least have stopped the shell's further progress. Seems to me that the game is not modeling the resistance of all that metal.

What's interesting is that all this mayhem is being created by a -2 tank commander.

Michael

That's the guy! Here's in White Christmas with Dean Martin and Fred Astare.

He says "It's just so crazy it just might work. Let's put on a show in the Barn."