Author Topic: What's the difference between tank rounds?  (Read 1237 times)

Offline 9.Pz-Div. Günther

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What's the difference between tank rounds?
« on: 22-12-2011, 18:12:19 »
Hi,

maybe a silly question - I've been playing FH2 for a while now but never got around asking what the difference is between the tank rounds. There's often four types of rounds; the top AT one, a second AT one, the HEAT round and finally smoke.

But  what does the second one do - assuming the first AT round is your standard AT one, and it always looks like you've got plenty of those as opposed to the second AT round.

Thanks.

Offline LuckyOne

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Re: What's the difference between tank rounds?
« Reply #1 on: 22-12-2011, 18:12:52 »
It's a special, more powerful type of AT round... It usually 1shot kills even stronger tanks when hit in the right spot.

P.S. HEAT stands for High Explosive Anti Tank
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Offline ajappat

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Re: What's the difference between tank rounds?
« Reply #2 on: 22-12-2011, 19:12:23 »
AP round on top is your basic armour piercing round.
In middle there can be various different "special" AP rounds that penetrate more than normal AP. HEAT is exception among other anti tank rounds, as it explodes when hit and does not lose power on longer distance.
Third is HE or High Explosive. Can be used against infantry or soft vehicles (trucks or even half tracks).

Offline Thorondor123

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Re: What's the difference between tank rounds?
« Reply #3 on: 22-12-2011, 19:12:32 »
AP = armour piercing. Kind of a big bullet that is designed to penetrate armour and cause all sorts of mischief inside the tank. May or may not have explosive filler (APHE) The basic type of anti tank round.

APC/APCBC/APCBCHE = armour piercing, capped, ballistic cap. Basic armour piercing round with improved penetration and aerodynamics. May or may not have explosive filler.

APCR = armour piercing, composite rigid. AP shell with a tungsten core. Improved penetration. PzGr 40 is of this type.

HVAP = high velocity armour piercing. American name for the APCR.

HEAT = high explosive anti tank. Hollow charge projectile. Penetration is based on a shaped explosive charge that directs the explosion in one point forming a spike of molten metal that burn through steel. Portable anti tank weapons like the Bazooka and panzerfausts are based on the same principle. Does not lose penetration power over distance.

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Offline Zoologic

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Re: What's the difference between tank rounds?
« Reply #4 on: 23-12-2011, 04:12:29 »
AP is basically a solid, near-homogenous material bullet. It can shatter or ricochet upon impact with thicker or sloped armour.

The additional softer cap (Capped) at the tip, will help dampen the initial impact shock and prevent the projectile from shattering, so it will hit the armour with full force at the point of impact. Ballistic cap will improve its aerodynamic and helps maintain its velocity to preserve kinetic energy for better penetration.

Solid penetrator (APCR/HVAP) have special material used on the projectile to keep them solid and prevent shape deformation during travel and upon impact, maintaining penetrating force at the tip of the shaped projectile.

These bullets above are like stone throwing, improvised.

The other thing is HEAT, it works like thondoror has explained. HEAT will detonate upon impact with a contact surface, either prematurely or precisely. Shooting this at a layered armour will greatly reduce its penetration capability, especially air pockets or ceramics or other heat-resistant plating sandwiched within.

The Germans installed skirts (as in Panzer IV ausf. H) to combat this weapon. Firing HEAT at skirts is futile, because it will detonate prematurely at the skirts, subjecting the hot molten metal projectile to atmospheric conditions between the skirt and the vehicle's hull, before actually drilling its way through the hull's armour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armor-piercing_shot_and_shell

Offline Eat Uranium

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Re: What's the difference between tank rounds?
« Reply #5 on: 23-12-2011, 04:12:19 »
maybe a silly question - I've been playing FH2 for a while now but never got around asking what the difference is between the tank rounds. There's often four types of rounds; the top AT one, a second AT one, the HEAT round and finally smoke.

But  what does the second one do - assuming the first AT round is your standard AT one, and it always looks like you've got plenty of those as opposed to the second AT round.
Others have explained what things are, I'll try and clarify that into FH2 terms:
  • The ammo in slot 1 is always your bog-standard anti-armour shell - kills tanks, doesn't really kill infantry.  Has the image of an arrow (AP) or capped arrow (APC/APCBC) penetrating a line.
  • The next ammo slot contains (if any) the second anti-armour shell.  It will both do damage to thicker armour and do more damage to the same thickness armour compared to the first kind of AP.  Has two types:
    • Solid (APCR/APDS), with image of a capped arrow penetrating a line.
    • Explosive (HEAT), which is like a smaller explosive shell that also works against tanks.  Has the image of a thick arrow penetrating a line.
  • The next ammo slot contains the bog-standard explosive shell.  Good for infantry and soft vehicles, not so good for tanks.  Has an image of an explosion.
  • Also exist smoke, which is exactly what it says on the tin.  Comes in shell, mortar and dispersal modes.  Image of smoke.
  • Also exists case shot.  Basically a giant shotgun.  Has image of many small balls being fired.

Offline Flyboy1942

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Re: What's the difference between tank rounds?
« Reply #6 on: 23-12-2011, 05:12:27 »
The other thing is HEAT, it works like thondoror has explained. HEAT will detonate upon impact with a contact surface, either prematurely or precisely. Shooting this at a layered armour will greatly reduce its penetration capability, especially air pockets or ceramics or other heat-resistant plating sandwiched within.

The Germans installed skirts (as in Panzer IV ausf. H) to combat this weapon. Firing HEAT at skirts is futile, because it will detonate prematurely at the skirts, subjecting the hot molten metal projectile to atmospheric conditions between the skirt and the vehicle's hull, before actually drilling its way through the hull's armour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armor-piercing_shot_and_shell

Actually, German sideskirts were not designed to negate the effects of a hollow charge shell, rocket, or grenade. They were originally developed to defend against the Russians and their rather effective use of AT rifles early in the war. Groups of Russian AT riflemen could launch deadly ambushes on the early and mid war armor, and Germans started producing their tanks with side skirts and upgrading them because of this. The skirt causes the ATR round and even small tank shells to tumble and impact the main armor sideways or at a less than optimal angle.

http://www.panzerworld.net/facts.html#schurzen
http://www.balagan.org.uk/war/ww2/snippet/tank-side-skirts.htm

Later, when German armor started encountering shaped charges, the spacing often helped to negate the effectiveness of these weapons as well. Shaped charges only project their molten jet to a certain distance, so forcing the impact sooner would usually prevent the reach of the jet from penetrating all the way through the armor.