Friday 24 June 2022

King Tiger Field Penetration Trials

"Report on the results of testing the T-6-B King Tiger superheavy tank in order to determine its weak points held on September 2nd, 1944, near Staszów by a commission composed of the following: [names]

The results of the trials are summarized in the following table:

Component of the tank

Gun caliber

Type of ammunition

Range

Angle

Result

Hull front

152

HEAT*

250 m

90

First hit: 350 mm wide breach in the machine gun ball.

46

Second hit: 70 mm deep dent 230 mm in diameter.

85

AP

200 m

46

60 mm deep dent 170 mm in diameter.

Turret front

57

Subcaliber

200 m

75

165 mm deep dent 70 mm in diameter.

Turret side

152

HEAT*

1200 m

70

Penetration, 200 mm breach.

250

86

Penetration of both sides, entrance breach is 190 mm in diameter, exit breach is 840 mm in diameter.

85

AP

200

86

Penetration 170 mm in diameter.

Superstructure side

152

HEAT*

465

85

Penetration of both sides, entrance breach is 170 mm in diameter, exit breach is 750 mm in diameter.

85

AP

400

85

Penetration 150 mm in diameter.

76

Subcaliber

300

88

Penetration 40 mm in diameter.

AP

Dent 75 mm deep 84 mm in diameter.

57

Subcaliber

200

88

Penetration 70 mm in diameter.

AP

200

88

Penetration 60 mm in diameter.

45

Subcaliber

150

80

Penetration 30 mm in diameter.

Conclusions: 45, 57, 76, 85, and 152 mm guns do not penetrate the front of the tank at a range of 150-250 m.

The hull and superstructure side can be penetrated by:

  1. Subcaliber ammunition:
    1. 45 mm at 150 meters.
    2. 76 mm at 300-400 meters.
  2. AP ammunition:
    1. 45 mm cannot penetrate at 150 m.
    2. 76 mm cannot penetrate at 200-300 m.
    3. 85 mm can penetrate at 400-600 m.
    4. 152 mm can penetrate at 1200 m.
The turret side can be penetrated by:

  1. Subcaliber ammunition:
    1. 45 mm at 150 m.
    2. 76 mm at 300-400 m.
  2. AP ammunition:
    1. 76 mm at 200 m.
    2. 85 mm at 400-800 m.
    3. 152 mm at 1200-1500 m.
The running gear is vulnerable to all guns of all calibers.

[Signatures]"

* There was no HEAT shell in service for the 152 mm gun-howitzer in 1944, the special type of anti-tank shell was just an AP shell.

2 comments:

  1. Are these angles a horizontal angle, and are they "backwards" to Western convention (i.e., 75 degrees is 25 degrees, 88 degress is 12 degrees, 90 is 0, etc)

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    Replies
    1. Looks like it, yeah. Most shots are at close to 90 degrees firing right at whatever plate was in front of it.

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