Originally posted by Krusty
Er... no.
It won't penetrate tank armor, period. Might knock out the gun turret on an ostwind, but will not damage T34s, panzers, tigers, and probably not even the firefly. Might (MAYBE) disable or take out a M-8.
But then the M8 isn't much of a threat most times, is it?
Once again, HE round, in no way at all would it penetrate armor (repeat, NOT AP!). Meant for unarmored objects (barges, unarmed ships, etc). Best use for it would be town buildings. Forget tanks. They'd just hop in the pintle and shoot you down before you could damage them.
It is true that the 75mm HE round was not very effective against hard targets. However, the thought of using AP ammo did cross the mind of a few individuals in the 5th AF.
If you examine available records, the 5th AF ordered and received 500 M72 75mm armor piercing rounds. These were suitable to be fired from the M3 gun in the B-25G or from the T13E1 75mm installed in the B-25H. This is found in the 5th's ordnance requisition records, dated August 4, 1943.
This resulted from Pappy Gunn's attack on the Japanese destroyer on July 28th 1943. He scored 7 hits on the destroyer, but the HE rounds fired from the M3 gun of his B-25G did only superficial damage and didn't even slow it down. Other B-25s with Gunn sank it by skip bombing 500 lb bombs into its hull.
Gunn discussed this with General Kenney, who then called supply and ordered that armor piercing ammunition be obtained ASAP.
I can't find any record of these rounds actually being used, but it seems safe to guess that some were, at least experimentally.
As to reload speed, it was mighty fast. Gunn scored two hits in a Japanese transport aircraft as it taxied on the ground on one strafing run.
From General Kenney Reports:
Returning over the Jap airdrome at Cape Gloucester, Pappy looked ahead and saw his chance to redeem himself. Just landing was a Nip two-engined transport airplane. Pappy opened his throttle, pushed ahead of the formation, and fired his two remaining rounds of cannon ammunition at the Jap plane taxiing along the ground. One of the high-explosive shells hit the left engine and the other the pilot’s cockpit. The transport literally disintegrated. Pappy reported with great glee when he landed back at Port Moresby, “General, no fooling, as I passed over that Nip plane there were pieces of Jap higher than I was.”
We found out afterward that, among the fifteen passengers on that Jap plane, were two generals and three colonels on their way to a staff conference at Wewak.Two hits that close together means a rapid reload time.
My regards,
Widewing
