June 9th, 2007, 01:23 PM
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WW2F Veteran
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Hanging the flag on the Reichstag!
Posts: 3,404
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Re: Top 10 tanks of the war
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe
A few things with your list...the Tiger II wasn't really the best tank (too heavy, maintenance, cost etc), but I understand why you listed it. It could destroy any tank, and no King Tiger's frontal Armour was ever pierced during the war. The Tiger was better than the Panther (for psychological reasons as well as gun etc). And the Churchill AVRE shouldn't have been on the list (it was a Bunker buster, not a tank). The Churchill MK VII should have been in it's place, It had more Armour than the Tiger! Only bad thing is the gun (only 75mm). Agree entirely with the rest of the list.
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You might find this interesting.
During the engagement on August 13, the 71st Independent Heavy Tank Regiment's eleven IS-2s blocked an attack by fourteen Tiger IIs of the 105th Heavy Panzer Regiment. An engagement at about 700 metres (770 yd) coupled with skilled tactical handling saw four Tiger IIs destroyed for the loss of three IS-2s and seven damaged. This was a very creditable performance, although the post-battle analysis again revealed that the IS-2's armour was vulnerable up to 1,000 metres (1,100 yd) due to faulty casting. Moreover, after such engagements, General-inspector of PanzerWaffe Guderian signed an order forbidding Tigers or Panthers to engage soviet heavy IS-2 tanks in a tank duel, because they were "doomed".
And in regards to the Panther's gun,
The key feature of the weapon was its astounding muzzle velocity that enabled phenomenal accuracy and remarkable penetration capabilities. When the 7.5 cm KwK 42 entered service with the Panther in 1943 it could penetrate more armor than any of the enemy's antitank or tank guns. In this respect it was in fact even more powerful than the Tiger's famous 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56 when using APCBC-HE rounds, though not with the APCR variety. With either ammo type, the 7.5 cm KwK 42 performed less favorably than the 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56 as ranged increased, due to the faster loss of velocity imparted on the lighter projectile by air drag. Also, being of a smaller calibre, it fired a weaker HE shell.
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