For explosive rounds to explode rather than ricochet

[Karnak]

After the Tiger II was introduced I was testing its durability and after having all the American and British rockets I managed to hit it with, not many, ricochet I decided to eliminate the hitting problem.  I took a P-38L out and drove it over to the Tiger II, parking it so that one of the rocket trees was aimed at the Tiger II.  When I fired the rockets every single one of them ricocheted off of the side of the turret and went hurtling away to the hills.

Recently it has been claimed on the forums that when a round hits a tank it does a penetration check and if the round doesn't penetrate it bounces.  It seems to me, though I may be wrong, that HE rounds and rockets should explode and not ricochet.  Even if the explosion does nothing to the tank, it should still explode.

I am not certain the claimed methodology is correct, but it does seem odd when rockets ricochet.

[titanic3]

I think that would be just for eye candy and nothing else. HE rounds/rockets exploding externally of a heavily armored tank like the tiger wouldve probably dent the metal and maybe blow off a couple of bolts/plates. If you wanted to hurt the tank, you would have to hit its track/the ground near it, tracking it and/or killing the MG gunner.

While it IS weird that rockets "richochet", IMO, it's not a big deal. And it doesn't happen often enough for it to become a glaring oddity.

The only way I can think of a HE rocket killing a tank like the Tiger would be a one in a million shot through the turret hatch/driver viewhole. You can certainly damage the thing, engine, track, MG gunner, but I doubt you can kill a tank with rockets alone. (PB1 excluded)

[AWwrgwy]

I think that would be just for eye candy and nothing else.

Exactly.

Think of it as a game play issue where you see a hit sprite, IE: the HE round exploding, and you expect damage. In reality, however, you are not doing any damage.

I agree, HE should not "bounce". It is always frustrating seeing HE bounce odd of a CV. But it seems to me to just be a game dynamic thing.

It is actually beneficial, I guess, to know you are hitting something but not doing any damage.


wrongway

[W7LPNRICK]

While it IS weird that rockets "richochet", IMO, it's not a big deal. And it doesn't happen often enough for it to become a glaring oddity.

Happens all the time...I've wondered that for a while. 

[Karnak]

Well, I am skeptical that the Tiger II was immune to American and British rockets.

It certainly isn't immune to the Fw190F-8's rockets.

[titanic3]

Happens all the time...I've wondered that for a while. 

Never happened to me, although I've seen it, must be my bad aim.

Well, I am skeptical that the Tiger II was immune to American and British rockets.

It certainly isn't immune to the Fw190F-8's rockets.

190F8 certainly kills, but I doubt the HE rockets had enough speed/penetration to punch through heavy tank armor. I would imagine that they knock out engines/tracks in RL, and it was recorded as a kill, even though the crew survived. But off the top of my head, those HE rockets had no shaped charge/And not enough velocity to punch through any heavy armor.

IIRC, the American HVARs rocket engine would cut after 5(?) seconds, so it couldn't have been traveling any faster than ~500-600mph.

[Karnak]

I do not believe the British rockets cut out nearly that fast.  I am also skeptical that the explosive content was inadequate to destroy a Tiger II. 

Here is wikipedia's data on the British RP-3 in question:

    * Length: 55 in (1.4 metres)
    * Propelling charge: 11 lb (5 kg) cordite, electrically ignited.
    * Max speed 1,200 mph (480 m/s)
    * Range: 1 mile (1,600 m)
    * Weight: 47 lb (21 kg) with 60 lb (27 kg) warhead

    * Warhead
          o 60 lb Shell, HE/SAP (Semi-armour piercing)(27 kg)
          o 60 lb Shell, HE/GP, Hollow Charge

[cobia38]

Never happened to me, although I've seen it, must be my bad aim.
190F8 certainly kills, but I doubt the HE rockets had enough speed/penetration to punch through heavy tank armor. I would imagine that they knock out engines/tracks in RL, and it was recorded as a kill, even though the crew survived. But off the top of my head, those HE rockets had no shaped charge/And not enough velocity to punch through any heavy armor.

IIRC, the American HVARs rocket engine would cut after 5(?) seconds, so it couldn't have been traveling any faster than ~500-600mph.

   5 inch HVAR reached a speed well over 950 mph and came in 2 warhead configuations  HE and RP 
   if memory serves, 3 feet of reinforced concrete or 1.3 inches of cold rolled steel was the penatrating capability

[guncrasher]

I got a film somewhere of a single rocket from a ponyd hitting the hatch and killing a tiger.  was funny as I wasnt even aiming at it, but just marking it for the ground tanks.


semp