WW2 Warfare Discussion thread

[Pac-Fish]

This sounds kinda dumb but how come the tank crew didn't just drive back to a munitions depot. I mean, I know it wasn't to convienitant and often times they were in the middle of a battle but it sounds better than running around with MP40's (which were commonly used by tank crews IIRC) and finding out that a bunch of tommies are driving your tiger tank.

And how were tank shells brought to the battlefield? By truck? And how many shells did tanks normally carry?

BTW TY bangalor. I didn't realize the rounds weight was different

[Dann88]

If it's a movie then it could be affect by the principle of the evil marksmanship . Wiki it for more information.
Trust me, I saw a soviet movie that a guy with PTRD kill 2 Pz III with 2 shots . The fate of the tanks in movie is base on the decision of director or his crew not the AT's crew
If a Flak 88 shot hit a Sherman, there are lot of chance it will burn, explode or just being sit there dead base on various things. BUT the ammo usually explode on impact, rarely not. And most of tank's crew died because of explosion (sometimes burned to death and rarely died because of the round itself).
Become a soldier and you will know how the tanks have their ammo . From ww2 until now, the army always setup various small supply depots along the advance or retreat so when soldiers and vehicles out of supply they will go there and get it. More comfortable is the supply will be carried to the front but very rarely.

[Jeff 'Robotnik' W.]

when a round hits a tank, depending on the type of tank, it wont always explode immediately unless hit by something, huge (anything 150mm and above at at at a medium velocity, like that of an isu152) or if hitting the ammunition inside the tank (which wasnt easy when firing head on at a tank). shermans/ panzerIV/ panther all had a 75% chance of brewing up, aka catching fire, and afterwards ammunition would start to explode (later wet storage shermans had a much less chance of brewing up). so the perceptions in the movie is somewhat accurate, there are stories of tanks such as KV's and shermans being able to drive out of danger if hit in a non vital spot, even if the hit penetrated.

it also depended on the type of round that hit the tank. if the round had a small amount of HE filling in it (which early german and british tanks did), they would have a much better chance at setting the tank on fire or causing a explosion. HEAT rounds and regular AP rounds have a less likely chance than an HE filled AP shell

[Pac-Fish]

What is "wet storage". Did they litterally kept rounds wet? Or dd they have like a tank of water on stand by?

[Jeff 'Robotnik' W.]

What is "wet storage". Did they litterally kept rounds wet? Or dd they have like a tank of water on stand by?

the rounds were kept in cases in the floor of the tank, which was surrounded by water. the water kept the rounds from going off most of the time when hit

[Pac-Fish]

LOL the rounds were actually kept wet

But didn't that water get everywhere? And since loaders constantly pulled out rounds, didn't that water get everywhere, screwing up the tanks internals ??

[Jeff 'Robotnik' W.]

no not like that. the rounds were kept in a dry crate, with the crate and its contents being dry. surrounding the compartment was water, so that way the water did not get everywhere

[Sommarkatze]

I did actually not know about the water. Love this forum!
 However there were bigger problems than water splashing around! There was smoke from all the gunpowder, crowded ( Like BIG TIME) you dont see almost litteraly anything on the outside (thats why you never attack without infantry support :>). I read from an relative who were in the tank corps that they actually had a guy dying because he was choked to death by the smokes! ( the fan wasent working propearly!)

And why they didnt go back to reload ? Well. They did, but you were an easy target retreating with no rounds to defend yourself with XD So I guess sometimes they abonned the tank in hope of getting back to the supply lines and get the news - we dont have any new tanks for you. So they could chill and relax for the rest of the day. I know I would XD

[Pac-Fish]

I have another question. By the end of WW2, did the M3 Grease Gun sort of phase out the M1 Thompson or were both still being made? Also did either gun see action after WW2?

[Jeff 'Robotnik' W.]

both the Thompson and the greasgun saw some action after world war 2, mostly during the korean war. the m3 was intended to replace the thompson around1944-45, but its production rate was not high enough to replace all thompsons, so thompsons continued to be produced and both of them saw use side by side

[Pac-Fish]

Hey guys. I found out this really cool video. It shows how naplam was invented for military puroses during WW2. B/C of bats . Just watch the whole thing to see what Im talking about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcpdtcRLeVY&feature=g-vrec&context=G2a84243RVAAAAAAAAAA

BTW if you wanna see a V2 rocket explosion see this video. Skip to 4:20 if u want

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHXTMn6cO2w&feature=BFa&list=ULCMANuNAFlDU&lf=like-suggest

[Sommarkatze]

The greasegun and Thompson aint in the US armoury this days. However some troops use them still today. Mostly guerillas and such but! I got a friend whos dad are from SouthAmerica somewhere, and when he did his army duty in early 2000 he shoot both Greasegun and thompsons! ( I dont think they were actually STANDART arment but some people got them!)

German fighter Aces are btw like the coolest shit ever!

[stealthattack1]

nowadays cheap ak-47s are the cheapest and eaisiest to get. thats what the gangs use, thats what the drug lords use, and thats what some countries still use. if some troops are still using thompsons, they will get pwned.

[DrRockzo1986]

i was watching a show about the thompson where a modern day state patrol guy carried one in his cruiser instead of like a shotgun or AR

[Pac-Fish]

AK-47s has signifcant recoil. Grease gun doesn't. And I think the thompson had a significant amount of recoil too. So AK isn't necessarily better