German tank

Hitler lost Germany surrendered

Did a report on pre and during WWII Germany for a social science course long long ago.
Hitler had all the mechanization and factories where could have won, his major fault was a ego that pushed him into V weapons or Wonder Weapons as the translation goes. Too many variations on a theme for rolling stock as tanks and artillery, too many variations as to munitions types from hand guns to big guns, spent too much time dabbling with science and too little producing what was necessary to win. Egomaniacal major mental idiot, and as much a person that could not justify delegation of authority to others Micro Manager.

Never Green have YOU heard of Spalling on the inside of a Tank? In anti-tank warfare, spalling through mechanical stress is an intended effect of high-explosive squash head (HESH) anti-tank shells and many other munitions which may not be powerful enough to pierce the armor of a target. ... Many AFVs are equipped with spall liners inside their armor for protection. Spall liners were installed in Cold War Era Tanks as a result of HESH rounds used in WW2.As for the prowess of the Tiger Tank many were destroyed by any means at hand. Meaning Air Power, Artillery,Tank and Tank Destroyer. I read of one Tiger Tank having its turret blowed completely off when hit directly by a American 155mm. Self Propelled gun. That gun was not firing armor piercing ammunition. It fired high explosive! Germany did not have enough King Tigers, Tiger1 or Panthers to win the war no matter how big of guns they carried or how low of track psi. Hell they didn't have fuel enough to run them 250 kilometers!

  I remember hearing in WW1 bullets hitting the early tanks wouldn't penetrate but would cause pieces of metal on the inside of the steel body to come loose and cause injury. Is this what spalling is?

The Tiger and Panther a Military History Conclusion. https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2018/10/07/the-tiger-and-panther-conclusions/

No kidding about how the Russians could care less about aesthetics on the T34, extremely crude, big thick plates were torched by hand and then welded by hand with no clean up at all where it didn't matter, mostly in the hull, it was pure 100% functionality, uglier than hell but who cares? it was all about production and survival. The track system was superior to most, designed by Walter Christie, an American, who tried to sell his bogie track system of which the tracks could be removed and the machine driven on the bogies themselves to save wear and tear on the tracks to the U.S. but was declined and picked up by the Russians. I don't believe that the Russians ever used the removable track option. One can sum up the T34 in a few words, Crude Common and Vulgar but deadly

I have seen pictures of early T34 Tanks going into battle with a spare transmission strapped onto the back!

caledonian wrote: P 47s were deadly on German tanks and all equipment. And yes the hull of a tiger could be breached.

Edited by NEVER green - 16 Aug 2021 at 4:34pm

klinemar wrote: Never Green have YOU heard of Spalling on the inside of a Tank? In anti-tank warfare, spalling through mechanical stress is an intended effect of high-explosive squash head (HESH) anti-tank shells and many other munitions which may not be powerful enough to pierce the armor of a target. ... Many AFVs are equipped with spall liners inside their armor for protection. Spall liners were installed in Cold War Era Tanks as a result of HESH rounds used in WW2.As for the prowess of the Tiger Tank many were destroyed by any means at hand. Meaning Air Power, Artillery,Tank and Tank Destroyer. I read of one Tiger Tank having its turret blowed completely off when hit directly by a American 155mm. Self Propelled gun. That gun was not firing armor piercing ammunition. It fired high explosive! Germany did not have enough King Tigers, Tiger1 or Panthers to win the war no matter how big of guns they carried or how low of track psi. Hell they didn't have fuel enough to run them 250 kilometers!

You know what never green . You are beginning to annoy me. Why did the Germans fear the allied air attacks so much if they were so ineffective ? How about bombs ? 250 and 500 lb bombs dropped on all kinds of German equipment ? Including tanks ? Dropped from a low altitude . Why is it that my Uncle witnessed this during the Battle of the Bulge, when the course of battle changed when the weather cleared up and our air corp got involved ? P47s just as low as the terrain would allow attacking German tanks. You tell him it didn't happen mister. You tell him and other G I 's like him that a tiger could not be destroyed. Why is it that when a tiger ran out of fuel the crew abandoned it and walked away? Because they were thirsty and they had no way to refuel them ? Why is it when a tiger broke down that when they tried to pull it with another tiger they had to be very careful as to not over work the good tiger so much as to cause it to break down ? Yes a Sherman could knock out a tiger. It happened. Tell my Uncle and others like him who saw it happen that it didn't happen mister. And yes the turret of a tiger could be blown clear off. Allied armies figured out way's of destroying tigers when they encountered them. Tell that to all the GI's who saw it happen that it didn't mister. You can look up all the damn trivia you want. The GI's who saw it first hand have the real answers mister.

Never Green ,notice the hole in the side of the turret. Obviously penetration!

Edited by klinemar - 16 Aug 2021 at 8:21pm

klinemar wrote: Never Green ,notice the hole in the side of the turret. Obviously penetration!

The last photo Never Green was taken with Russian Soldiers standing on the hull. Since most of the King Tigers faced the Russians. And you are correct Never Green the front armor was not penetrated!

Regardless Lou,war has not been declared!

Good folks; Have any of you all heard/read about how the Soviets attempted to use dogs with explosives/bombs attached to them to combat the Panzers? IIRC the project wasn't very successful but WOW! That is TOTAL WAR right there.