Author Topic: So what would it take to kill a tank in real life? (Read 886 times)

Urchin · « **on:** April 22, 2003, 10:18:03 AM »

In AH, if you drop a 500 or 1,000 pound bomb anywhere near a Panzer you will get a kill. Oh, and by anywhere near, I mean anywhere near. Probably within 100 yards or so. I've had my Panzer parked on one side of a hangar, and some Niki dropped 2 250kg bombs on the other side of the hangar and killed me.

So how close would a bomb have to land to kill a tank in real life?

Tony Williams · « **Reply #1 on:** April 22, 2003, 10:23:02 AM »

Probably within ten yards.

Incidentally, the average miss distance of bomb-dropping Typhoons aiming at precision targets was more like 130 yards. A circle of 10 yards radius covers less than one percent of that.

It's not surprising that very few tanks were knocked out by bombs in RL.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion
forum

ramzey · « **Reply #2 on:** April 22, 2003, 11:51:47 AM »

Urchin, couple moths ago i post som stuff about tiger vs bomb
with picture of tiger who was bombard /about 25 m/ bomb was 500kg
Tank not have any heavy damage

ramzey

frank3 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 22, 2003, 12:30:11 PM »

500 kg? that's alot more than 500 lbs isnt it??

ramzey · « **Reply #4 on:** April 22, 2003, 12:54:52 PM »

russians bomb do not have lbs measure:D

vorticon · « **Reply #5 on:** April 22, 2003, 01:24:22 PM »

500kg is about 1000 lb...im not sure about exaction but the general rule of thumb is to multiply the kg by 2 to get you lb...not exact but it works

eddiek · « **Reply #6 on:** April 22, 2003, 01:31:09 PM »

one KG = 2.2 pounds

500KG bomb is equivalent to an 1100 pound bomb

AKWeav · « **Reply #7 on:** April 22, 2003, 03:16:34 PM »

It seems to take a direct hit to kill a Tiger. I've placed two 1K bombs right beside a stationary Tiger and not damaged it at all.

brady · « **Reply #8 on:** April 22, 2003, 03:54:27 PM »

I have killed Tiger's with 500 pound bombs before, single bombs, I was droping them one at a time from an A20, I have done it with other planes to,109's, Typhoon's,ect.

AFIK, the metric pound equilvency has been fixed for all metric bombs.

fffreeze220 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 22, 2003, 04:22:40 PM »

1000 gramm = 1 Kg
1 lb = 485 gramm
1 lb = 0.485 Kg

HoHun · « **Reply #10 on:** April 22, 2003, 04:49:11 PM »

Hi Fffreeze,

>1000 gramm = 1 Kg
>1 lb = 485 gramm
>1 lb = 0.485 Kg

Actually:

1 lb = 0.45359237 kg (from Kuchling, "Taschenbuch der Physik)

I usually round to 0.454 kg :-)

Of course, here in Germany:

1 pound = 500 g

I'd suggest the US should use this and the "metric inch" of 25 mm for a smooth conversion ;-)

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

HoHun · « **Reply #11 on:** April 22, 2003, 04:54:52 PM »

Hi Tony,

>Incidentally, the average miss distance of bomb-dropping Typhoons aiming at precision targets was more like 130 yards.

Thanks, that's good data! "Average" means that 50% of the bombs fell within the 130 yard radius?

I think I have seen Stuka numbers given as 30 m (from memory - don't quote me :-) That's much more accurate, but as we all know still not accurate enough for effective tank busting.

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

palef · « **Reply #12 on:** April 22, 2003, 05:07:52 PM »

You don't need to hit the tank to kill it. The compression wave from a 1000lb bomb will pop the eardrums of someone 200 metres away if the don't have their mouth open when the blast reaches them.

At the very least the panzer crew are now deaf, at worst their soft organs are jelly.

If the crew is dead the tank is also effectively dead.

palef

ramzey · « **Reply #13 on:** April 22, 2003, 05:16:00 PM »

In book from 1946 year i read about polish pilots and ground attack a lot.
In one of mission couple squadrons (spits/p47/tiffies) attack escaping ground forces.
Pilot describe attack on cars and tracks whichone was easy to burn. Attack on armored halftrack was harder beucose he not saw visible damage /halftrack still running/ moment later p47 attack this target and burn him.
In other part he describe "i saw couple spitfires firing at slow moving tank , he take several burst from others but still was running. Single typhoon fire to him rockets and hit his turret whichone jump and fall down"

I ask armour specialist, he say its allomst impossible to turn upside-down heavy tank by standard bomb carried by jabo plane. Tank crew can be injuried, even kill /pressure change, explosion wave/. But tank like tiger should be still usable.

Weakest part of every tank is top of turret and engine from the top. Burst from 12mm guns can damage and burn engine, but never pirce armour. In this case tank crew abdon tank.

ramzey

Urchin · « **Reply #14 on:** April 22, 2003, 05:52:29 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by palef
You don't need to hit the tank to kill it. The compression wave from a 1000lb bomb will pop the eardrums of someone 200 metres away if the don't have their mouth open when the blast reaches them.

At the very least the panzer crew are now deaf, at worst their soft organs are jelly.

If the crew is dead the tank is also effectively dead.

palef

So a 1,000 pound bomb hitting 200 yards away from a tank will kill the crew? How?

I don't understand how a shock wave would hurt someone that was inside an enclosed space, can you explain that?