In real life, a 500 lb. GP bomb scoring a direct hit on the top or rear of a Pz VIE will probably 'catastrophically' kill it (as in vehicle explodes, or catches fire, and multiple crew members KIA).
If the same bomb hits 10' from a Pz VIE - probably a lost track.
If the same bomb hits the frontal armor of a Pz VIE - probably a mission kill due to gunsight and maybe MA being damaged. Maybe 1 or 2 crew casualties from spalling.
LW determined that a 250 kg GP bomb needed to impact a T-34 for an assured kill. This is why they tried big cannons for anti-armor work, and then said screw attacking MBTs entirely and started targeting the supply vehicle of armored spearheads.
Asking an attack pilot to put a bomb on a 2 x 2 meter target (i.e. direct hit on a T-34, from above and behind if at all possible) wasn't deemed feasible for your average LW attack pilot (read: SG pilot, and the top 10% of all fighter school graduates were sent for attack training and posting to SG).
Rockets, unless packing a HEAT warhead (and I think only the LW used such rockets during WW2) would have an especially tough time with a Pz VIE - moreso than with a Pz V. The Pz VIE is very resistant to 'big' HE attacks, partly due to it's 'older' design. It got its protection from having very thick and very well made armor plate (unlike the Pz V, which had thinner plate in some places but with better armor sloping overall).
Against 'big' HE attacks (artillery shells, artillery rockets, aircraft bombs, big HE shells from assault guns, etc.) nothing beats having very thick armor plate regardless of slope. HE attacks vs. plate cause spalling but don't do much else unless the explosion is big enough to cause the plate to fail completely. This is why Pz VIEs were generally a little more resistant to artillery fire than the more modern Pz V, even though the Pz V was more resistant to AP and HEAT rounds (much better sloping on the armor of the Pz V).
In short - put a big (500 lb. or larger) bomb directly on the top or rear (side isn't a guarntee) of the Pz VIE, or put a similar bomb very near the tracks for a mission (mobility) kill. 3.7cm cannon fired from aircraft won't have that good a chance of scoring a penetration either, even vs. the rear armor. 37L53 AP of M8 probably has a ~35-40% chance of a penetration vs. rear armor at under 150 meters range.
Pz VIE can kill another Pz VIE fairly often via frontal penetration at 800 meters or less (1100 meters vs. frontal hull).
In short - strongest armor on a Pz VIE is frontal turret, followed by frontal hull, followed by side (turret and hull basically equal), follwed by rear, followed by top.
If you get a chance to look at some penetration performance charts, Pz VIE carries 88L56. Pz IVH carried 75L48. M8 carries 37L53. Remember that guns ~5cm and under in bore size penetrate better under 300 meters or so than most 'curves' show, but lose penetration rapidly at over 700 meters or so (bigger shells keep velocity better, etc.).
Mike/wulfie
