I don't know if this would be considered "proprietatry information", but I am curious as to what sort of data you all have for armor penetration for various rounds.
I ask because the Panzer IV still has the disturbing habit of blowing up like a firecracker when it is strafed by .50 caliber or Hispano aircraft, yet it seems virtually immune to the Mg-151 and whatever cannons the La-7 has on it. I know in AH1 the Niki could also pop panzers like a champ, but I haven't really been strafed by any in AH2 yet.
The only data I've seen on the topic was posted by Tony Williams about two years ago in
this thread . In the same thread, I posted data on the Panzer IV's armor at various locations.
For ease of reading, I'll copy & paste both to here.
"It goes like this : Position: Armor Thickness/Armor Angle
Front Turret: 50/11
Front Upper Hull: 50 or 50+30/10
Front Lower Hull: 50 or 50+30/12
Side Turret: 30/26
Side Upper Hull: 30/0
Side Lower Hull: 30/0
Rear Turret: 30/10
Rear Upper Hull: 20/12
Rear Lower Hull: 20/9
Turret Top / Bottom: 10/83
Upper Hull Top / Bottom: 12/85
Lower Hull Top / Bottom: 10/90
Gun Mantlet: 50/0
"
Mr Williams-
"Now that I'm back with my sources, I'll add a bit more to the AP performance figures.
Realistically, an attack on the roof or decking of a tank is not going to be made at better than 60 degrees, with 30 degrees being more likely. Furthermore, it's not going to be at very short range. So let's take 300m range and strikes at 60-30 degrees as typical.
As I posted before, the .50" M2 AP could penetrate between 13mm and 5mm in these circumstances (with the smaller figure being more likely).
The MG 131 AP could similarly manage between 7mm and 3mm
The MG 151 15mm AP (non-Hartkern) from 19mm to 12mm
The MG 151 15mm Hartkern 24mm to 12mm
The MG 151 20mm AP between 12mm and 8mm
The 20mm MG-FF AP between 9mm and 6mm
Given proper AP rounds, the Hispano would be significantly better, but AFAIK the US M75 AP shot wasn't used in Europe. The RAF loaded only HEI and SAPI according to my info, and the SAPI was about the same as the .50 M8 in AP performance.
The .50 AP M2 and API M8 were both in widespread use (from 1944 onwards, I think the M8 almost replaced other types completely). The 20mm MG 151 AP was also in common use, but only as a small percentage of the typical ammo belt loading; perhaps one in five, or two in five at the most.
"
So we have what looks like at 300 yards and a 60 degree dive,
the .50 and Hispano could penetrate around 13mm of armor. The MG-151 could penetrate 12mm. All 3 should be able to penetrate the top decking of a Panzer IV in a 60 degree dive from 300 yards.
In a 30 degree dive from 300 yards, the .50 and Hispano could penetrate around 5mm of armor, and the Mg-151 could penetrate around 8mm of armor. None of the three should be able to penetrate the top decking of a Panzer IV in a 30 degree dive from 300 yards.
In practice (in AH), the Mg-151 does not penetrate at all. The .50 and Hispano not only penetrate but actually destroy tanks with relative ease, and from angles of significantly less than 60 degrees and distances greater than 300 yards.
Do you have some data showing much more potent armor penetration for the .50 and Hispano, and less armor penetration for the Mg151?
To be honest, if the Mg-151 was bumped up on the 190F-8 so it could strafe tanks and destroy them too, I wouldn't have such an issue with this. Likewise, if the .50 and Hispano were toned down to an extent where the only strafing attacks with any likelyhood of destroying the tank were steep dives and close ranges, I would be happy even if the 190F-8 could never strafe tanks.
If you'd like to see film of the ease with which a Panzer IV can be strafed to death by a .50 or Hispano equipped plane, I have them. Need a place to post them, or I can email them to you.
