engagement ranges

http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/mobilepunch/index.html

Conforming to this tactical doctrine, the Panther has a super-long 75-mm gun. Panther personnel, according to this prisoner-of-war source, are trained to engage a Sherman tank without hesitation at a range of from 2,000 to 2,200 yards. They are taught that while the preferable range of 800 to 900 yards will improve accuracy, it will not add greatly to the punch. The gun has an optical sight with three graduations: one for high-explosive shells, one for armor-piercing shells, and the third for the coaxially-mounted machine gun. Each graduation has its own range subdivision. According to the source, the gun is seldom, if ever, used as indirect artillery.

The 88-mm gun can be put into action in about 2 minutes. If necessary, it can be fired from its mount, but against ground targets only.1 Since the normal mount is conspicuous because of its height, the gun is extremely vulnerable to artillery fire. Whenever possible, therefore, the gun is dug in so that only the barrel appears over the top of the emplacement. (Actually, the time factor and the frequent moves do not always permit the Germans to devise effective concealment.) Realizing that destruction of hostile observation posts constitutes an indirect method of protecting their heavy flak guns, the Germans try to accomplish this at every opportunity.

The 88-mm guns can open fire on armored vehicles at 2,500 yards with fair prospect of success, but are most effective at ranges of about 1,000 to 1,500 yards. They may fire at ranges of as much as 4,000 yards, if other and more inviting targets are not available. With the aid of a forward observation post, 88's sometimes engage such targets as troop concentrations at ranges of as much as 6,000 yards.2 The following are examples of the penetration performance with the 88-mm Flak 36, the most common model of this gun:

Range (yards) Thickness of armor
30° angle of impact Perpendicular (no angle of impact)
500 110 mm (4.33 in) 129 mm (5.07 in).
1,000 101 mm (3.97 in) 119 mm (4.68 in).
1,500 92 mm (3.62 in) 110 mm (4.33 in).
2,000 84 mm (3.30 in) 100 mm (3.93 in).

It is estimated that the following figures are correct for the 88-mm Flak 41:

Range (yards) Thickness of armor
30° angle of impact Perpendicular (no angle of impact)
500 150 mm (5.91 in) 175 mm (6.89 in).
1,000 140 mm (5.51 in) 164 mm (6.46 in).
1,500 130 mm (5.12 in) 153 mm (6.02 in).
2,000 121 mm (4.76 in) 142 mm (5.59 in).

Re: engagement ranges

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Originally posted by ERIF NOGARD:
http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/mobilepunch/index.html

Conforming to this tactical doctrine, the Panther has a super-long 75-mm gun...

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Re: engagement ranges

quote:

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Originally posted by francis garnier:
This following part of the same article is also of interest...in the battle around Noville on Christmas Day, these tactics were not followed. A Captain Hingst, commanding officer of a 1st (German tank) Battalion, ordered all tanks to attack in a shallow skirmish line. The U.S. commander quickly sized up the situation, and in 45 minutes his Shermans had completely destroyed six Panthers.

Food for though...

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