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Originally Posted by Jammermon
This idea of a tank sitting rock solid taking hit after hit imprevious to penetration is a gamers concept based on penetration THEORY.
Every tank had vulnerable spots; turrent rings, vision slits, traps under gun boss, flat surfaces... even a Jagdtiger was toast once it's tracks were damaged...
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There was an episode of Tank Overhaul where they had a Ferdinand knocked out frontally by a 75 Sherman. The round had jammed in behind the front wheel and the crew had bailed out. Fairly sure that the first Tiger kill by the Western Allies was by a Churchill. Fired a round which stuck under the Tiger's turret jamming it completely
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Originally Posted by KnightFandragon
Ive always wondered what are the effects of a tank shell once they penetrate armor? Not modern day ones but WWII shells like the 75mm of the Sherman. It is so low velocity that it couldnt penetrate the front of anything but can penetrate the side, what does it do to "knockout" the tank. Ive always imagined a Sherman round penetrating the side of a panther tank and since the shell is Low Velocity it goes through the armor but loses all velocity and is left resting on the floor of the Panther.....while the Crew is just laughing and killing the Sherrmy. Anywho, Does the explosion of the shell light up ammo or something? To me it seems an AP round going into a tank just makes a hole, its like why get out? The tank still works.....If it doesnt light up or explode why bail out of it? Ive always wondered why crews bail from a mostly perfectly fine tank.
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A Sherman 75 could kill a Panther from the side at about a mile or more.
The shell breaking through the armour would be red hot, if it hits the fuel tank or ammunition the tank would explode. Also bits of the armour would break off and bounce around inside the tank (spalling).
The UK developed a round which it turned out was very good at causing spalling, and could kill without actually puncturing the armour. The HESH (High Explosive, Squash Head) was designed to break concrete in fortifications. The explosive tip of the shell would squash flat on impact so that when it went off a pressure wave passed through the material and blasted off the other side. On a tank this could kill crew or ignite fuel and ammunition. Still use them in the Challenger (HEAT doesn't work very well from a rifled gun)