WW2 Tanks.... A question....

[Brian37]

For any of the eggheads. I was just watching a documentary about WW2 tank warfare between the German army and Russians. 

But, here is what I want to know in general, regardless of model or side of the war. What would be a good average of ammo, just on the big main gun itself an average tank would hold? My point in asking is, while they all offered powerful fire power, in an intense battle, how quickly could one tank run out on average? It would seem to me not long because of how small they are, say to a battleship or even a sub. 

Not that I could fight in combat myself, but those things look to be death traps once you run out.

[The Grand Nudger]

They generally carried a hundred rounds for main armament (though that storage was often improvised or over spec), and a few thou for secondary (like the mgs).

I don't know what their rate of fire in combat conditions was, but i guess we could look it up and do some napkin math. They were death traps even with ammo, if you ask anti tank infantry or a mustang pilot.

The primary function of an armored vehicle is to quickly transport infantry, provide cover for their advance...and break through obstacles for infantry (including other armored vehicles and entrenched infantry). A tank, in and of itself, is just an expensive offering to the enemy's bloodgod.

[Brian37]

They generally carried a hundred rounds for main armament (though that storage was often improvised or over spec), and a few thou for secondary (like the mgs).

I don't know what their rate of fire in combat conditions was, but i guess we could look it up and do some napkin math.  They were death traps even with ammo, if you ask anti tank infantry or a mustang pilot.  

The primary function of an armored vehicle is to quickly transport infantry...and break through obstacles for infantry (including other armored vehicles and entrenched infantry).

FUCK, that many? I did not know that. I have seen the old cannon balls for the Civil War before and those things are pretty damned big. How the fuck did they fit all that in one tank?

I was just watching that documentary and two things hit me. One, not being an expert, and right before the narrator said it, I thought to myself, If I were aiming at an enemy tank, I would hit between the top, and the base, like punching someone in the neck, the space where it swivels. But the other thing I was thinking what happens when you run out?  Stick your head out at that point, you are a sitting duck. It would seem to me infantry at least has the opportunity to hide behind a tree or ditch instead of sitting in a huge dead target.

[Anomalocaris]

For any of the eggheads. I was just watching a documentary about WW2 tank warfare between the German army and Russians. 

But, here is what I want to know in general, regardless of model or side of the war. What would be a good average of ammo, just on the big main gun itself an average tank would hold? My point in asking is, while they all offered powerful fire power, in an intense battle, how quickly could one tank run out on average? It would seem to me not long because of how small they are, say to a battleship or even a sub. 

Not that I could fight in combat myself, but those things look to be death traps once you run out.

Typically early war tanks carried smaller guns relative to the size of the tank than late war tanks. So early war tanks normally carried more rounds of main gun ammo. German, British and American tanks typically carried more rounds than soviet tanks. Early war western tanks might carry 100+ rounds, late war western tanks 70-100 rounds. Early war soviet tanks carried 70-100 rounds, late war soviet tanks carried as few as 30 rounds.

There are specialty late war tanks that carried very few but very large rounds on both sides.

Typically western tanks favor smaller rounds that can be loads and fired faster, while the Soviets favored larger rounds with higher killing power but takes longer to load.

[Brian37]

For any of the eggheads. I was just watching a documentary about WW2 tank warfare between the German army and Russians. 

But, here is what I want to know in general, regardless of model or side of the war. What would be a good average of ammo, just on the big main gun itself an average tank would hold? My point in asking is, while they all offered powerful fire power, in an intense battle, how quickly could one tank run out on average? It would seem to me not long because of how small they are, say to a battleship or even a sub. 

Not that I could fight in combat myself, but those things look to be death traps once you run out.

Typically early war tanks carried smaller guns relative to the size of the tank than late war tanks.  So early war tanks normally carried more rounds of main gun ammo.   German, British and American tanks typically carried more rounds than soviet tanks.  Early war western tanks might carry 100+ rounds, late war western tanks 70-100 rounds.  Early war soviet tanks carried 70-100 rounds, late war soviet tanks carried as few as 30 rounds.

There are specialty late war tanks that carried very few but very large rounds on both sides.

Typically western tanks favor smaller rounds that can be loads and fired faster, while the Soviets favored larger rounds with higher killing power but takes longer to load.

Ok, but where did they store it, the ammo was huge, it wasn't like they were shooting spitwads out of a straw in grade school. 

I know, I know, it was magic, not engineering. AMEYE RIGHT?

[Anomalocaris]

Typically early war tanks carried smaller guns relative to the size of the tank than late war tanks.  So early war tanks normally carried more rounds of main gun ammo.   German, British and American tanks typically carried more rounds than soviet tanks.  Early war western tanks might carry 100+ rounds, late war western tanks 70-100 rounds.  Early war soviet tanks carried 70-100 rounds, late war soviet tanks carried as few as 30 rounds.

There are specialty late war tanks that carried very few but very large rounds on both sides.

Typically western tanks favor smaller rounds that can be loads and fired faster, while the Soviets favored larger rounds with higher killing power but takes longer to load.

Ok, but where did they store it, the ammo was huge, it wasn't like they were shooting spitwads out of a straw in grade school. 

I know, I know, it was magic, not engineering. AMEYE RIGHT?

Sometimes there would be a few dozen rounds stowed in the rear of the turret, in the part that that overhangs. Mostly they are stowed in the hull.

[The Grand Nudger]

FUCK, that many? I did not know that. I have seen the old cannon balls for the Civil War before and those things are pretty damned big. How the fuck did they fit all that in one tank?

They didn't always fit everything -in- the tanks.   Mull that business over, lol.  (granted, it was small arms shit most often stowed on the exterior..but thats -exactly- the shit you don't want to run out of, or have to climb out to get, if you're getting swarmed)

I was just watching that documentary and two things hit me. One, not being an expert, and right before the narrator said it, I thought to myself, If I were aiming at an enemy tank, I would hit between the top, and the base, like punching someone in the neck, the space where it swivels.

Top, bottom, and rear, in general.  If you can rack the fuckers that's pretty much aces but modern tanks aren't so easy to hit like that.   It would mostly be a waste of time trying to hit them just so in the turret (for infantry, other tanks are sometimes going for it), and alot of the time the turret armor hangs down over the turret well anyway.  

But the other thing I was thinking what happens when you run out?  Stick your head out at that point, you are a sitting duck. It would seem to me infantry at least has the opportunity to hide behind a tree or ditch instead of sitting in a huge dead target.

You back out or slow your advance and get resupplied.  Yeah, though, infantry hiding at elevation is pretty much gg for armored vehicles.  That;s the main problem with them in urban environments.  IEDs and mines can strike from below, rpgs from above, AT rifles from the rear and side streets. That's why we reach for AT AFVs with dismount infantry, nowadays. Aint nobody wanna roll into town in a tank.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Sherman, various models:

Main
armament
75 mm gun M3 (90–104 rounds)
or
76 mm gun M1A1, M1A1C, or M1A2 (71 rounds)
or
105 mm howitzer M4 (66 rounds)[3]

[onlinebiker]

Forget canonballs.

It' s a gun. Just like any other.

It just depends on the caliber. Most tanks had about a 3 inch bore - give or take an inch. The shell casing between 18 and 30 inches long. ( the Germans had bigger... It may have been one of those " manly overcompensation " sort of things.)

Some tanks had a magazine - just like a handgun - that allowed rapid fire - others were manually fed single shot.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

For you closet track toads: http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/TD/