The appearance of tanks on the battlefield became one of the major events military history last century. Immediately after this moment, the development of means to combat these formidable machines began. If we look closely at the history of armored vehicles, we will, in fact, see a history of confrontation between the projectile and the armor, which has been going on for almost a century.
In this irreconcilable struggle, one side or the other periodically gained the upper hand, which led either to the complete invulnerability of the tanks or to their huge losses. In the latter case, every time voices were heard about the death of the tank and the “end of the tank era.” However, today tanks remain the main striking force of the ground forces of all armies of the world.
Today, one of the main types of armor-piercing ammunition that is used to combat armored vehicles is sub-caliber ammunition.
A little history
The first anti-tank shells were ordinary metal blanks, which, due to their kinetic energy, pierced tank armor. Fortunately, the latter was not very thick, and even anti-tank rifles could cope with it. However, already before the start of World War II, tanks of the next generation began to appear (KV, T-34, Matilda), with a powerful engine and serious armor.
The main world powers entered the Second world war, having anti-tank artillery caliber 37 and 47 mm, and finished it with guns that reached 88 and even 122 mm.
By increasing the caliber of the gun and the initial speed of the projectile, the designers had to increase the mass of the gun, making it more complex, more expensive and much less maneuverable. It was necessary to look for other ways.
And they were soon found: cumulative and sub-caliber ammunition appeared. The action of cumulative ammunition is based on the use of a directed explosion, which burns through tank armor; a sub-caliber projectile also does not have high explosive, it hits a well-protected target due to its high kinetic energy.
The design of the sub-caliber projectile was patented back in 1913 by the German manufacturer Krupp, but their mass use began much later. This ammunition does not have a high-explosive effect; it is much more like a regular bullet.
The Germans began to actively use sub-caliber shells for the first time during the French campaign. They had to use such ammunition even more widely after the start of hostilities on the Eastern Front. Only by using sub-caliber shells could the Nazis effectively resist powerful Soviet tanks.
However, the Germans experienced a serious shortage of tungsten, which prevented them from mass production of such projectiles. Therefore, the number of such rounds in the ammunition load was small, and the military personnel were given strict orders: to use them only against enemy tanks.
In the USSR, serial production of sub-caliber ammunition began in 1943; they were created on the basis of captured German samples.
After the war, work in this direction continued in most of the world's leading weapons powers. Today, sub-caliber ammunition is considered one of the main means of destroying armored targets.
Currently, there are even sub-caliber bullets that significantly increase the firing range of smooth-bore weapons.
Operating principle
What is the basis for the high armor-piercing effect that a sub-caliber projectile has? How is it different from the usual one?
A sub-caliber projectile is a type of ammunition with a warhead caliber many times smaller than the caliber of the barrel from which it was fired.
It was found that a small-caliber projectile traveling at high speed has greater armor penetration than a large-caliber one. But to get high speed after a shot, you need a more powerful cartridge, and, therefore, a weapon of a more serious caliber.
It was possible to resolve this contradiction by creating a projectile in which the striking part (core) has a small diameter compared to the main part of the projectile. A sub-caliber projectile does not have a high-explosive or fragmentation effect; it works on the same principle as a conventional bullet, which hits targets due to high kinetic energy.
A sub-caliber projectile consists of a solid core made of particularly strong and heavy material, a body (pallet) and a ballistic fairing.
The diameter of the pan is equal to the caliber of the weapon; it acts as a piston when fired, accelerating the warhead. Drive belts are installed on the pallets of sub-caliber projectiles for rifled guns. Typically the tray is coil-shaped and made of light alloys.
There are armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles with a non-detachable pan; from the moment of firing until the target is hit, the coil and core act as a single unit. This design creates serious aerodynamic drag, significantly reducing flight speed.
Projectiles in which, after firing, the coil is separated due to air resistance are considered more advanced. In modern sub-caliber projectiles, the stability of the core in flight is ensured by stabilizers. Often a tracer charge is installed in the tail section.
The ballistic tip is made of soft metal or plastic.
Most important element The sub-caliber projectile is undoubtedly the core. Its diameter is approximately three times smaller than the caliber of the projectile, and high-density metal alloys are used to make the core: the most common materials are tungsten carbide and depleted uranium.
Due to the relatively large mass, the core of a sub-caliber projectile accelerates to a significant speed (1600 m/s) immediately after being fired. When it hits an armor plate, the core punches a relatively small hole in it. The kinetic energy of the projectile is partially used to destroy the armor, and partially turns into thermal energy. After breaking through the armor, hot fragments of the core and armor exit into the armored space and spread like a fan, striking the crew and internal mechanisms of the vehicle. In this case, numerous fires arise.
As the armor passes through, the core wears off and becomes shorter. Therefore, a very important characteristic that affects armor penetration is the length of the core. Also, the effectiveness of a sub-caliber projectile is affected by the material from which the core is made and its flight speed.
The latest generation of Russian sub-caliber projectiles (Svinets-2) is significantly inferior in armor penetration to their American counterparts. This is due to the greater length of the striking core, which is part of American ammunition. An obstacle to increasing the length of the projectile (and, therefore, armor penetration) is the design of automatic loaders for Russian tanks.
The armor penetration of the core increases as its diameter decreases and its mass increases. This contradiction can be resolved by using very dense materials. Initially for damaging elements Tungsten was used for similar ammunition, but it is very rare, expensive and also difficult to process.
Depleted uranium has almost the same density as tungsten, and is also a practically free resource for any country that has a nuclear industry.
Currently, sub-caliber ammunition with a uranium core is in service with major powers. In the USA, all such ammunition is equipped only with uranium cores.
Depleted uranium has several advantages:
- when passing through armor, the uranium rod sharpens itself, which provides better armor penetration; tungsten also has this feature, but it is less pronounced;
- after breaking through the armor, under the influence of high temperatures, the remains of the uranium rod flare up, filling the armored space with toxic gases.
Today, modern sub-caliber projectiles have almost reached their maximum effectiveness. It can be increased only by increasing the caliber of tank guns, but for this it will be necessary to significantly change the design of the tank. For now, the leading tank-building countries are only engaged in modifying vehicles produced during the Cold War, and are unlikely to take such radical steps.
In the United States, active-missile projectiles with a kinetic warhead are being developed. This is an ordinary projectile, which immediately after firing its own accelerating block is activated, which significantly increases its speed and armor penetration.
The Americans are also developing a kinetic guided missile, damaging factor which is the uranium rod. After firing from the launch container, the upper stage is turned on, which gives the ammunition a speed of Mach 6.5. Most likely, by 2020 there will be sub-caliber ammunition with a speed of 2000 m/s and higher. This will take their effectiveness to a whole new level.
Sub-caliber bullets
In addition to sub-caliber projectiles, there are also bullets that have the same design. Such bullets are widely used for 12 gauge cartridges.
12-gauge sub-caliber bullets have less mass, after firing they receive greater kinetic energy and, accordingly, have a greater flight range.
Very popular 12-gauge sub-caliber bullets are: the Polev bullet and the “Kirovchanka”. There are other similar 12 gauge ammunition.
Video about sub-caliber ammunition
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them
In the World of Tanks game, vehicles can be equipped with different types of shells, such as armor-piercing, sub-caliber, cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation. In this article we will look at the features of the action of each of these projectiles, the history of their invention and use, the pros and cons of their use in a historical context. The most common and, in most cases, standard shells on the vast majority of vehicles in the game are armor-piercing shells(BB) caliber device or sharp-headed.
According to Ivan Sytin's Military Encyclopedia, the idea of the prototype of the current armor-piercing shells belongs to an officer Italian fleet Bettolo, who in 1877 proposed using the so-called “ bottom shock tube for armor-piercing projectiles"(before this, the shells were either not loaded at all, or the explosion of the powder charge was calculated on heating the head of the projectile when it hit the armor, which, however, was not always justified). After penetrating the armor, the damaging effect is provided by projectile fragments heated to a high temperature and fragments of armor. During the Second World War, shells of this type were easy to manufacture, reliable, had fairly high penetration, and worked well against homogeneous armor. But there was also a minus - on sloping armor the projectile could ricochet. The greater the thickness of the armor, the more fragments of armor are formed when penetrated by such a projectile, and the higher the destructive power. 
The animation below illustrates the action of a chambered sharp-headed armor-piercing projectile. It is similar to an armor-piercing sharp-headed projectile, but in the rear part there is a cavity (chamber) with a TNT explosive charge, as well as a bottom fuse. After penetrating the armor, the shell explodes, striking the crew and equipment of the tank. In general, this projectile retained most of the advantages and disadvantages of the AR projectile, being distinguished by a significantly higher armor-protection effect and slightly lower armor penetration (due to the lower mass and strength of the projectile). During the War, the bottom fuses of shells were not sufficiently advanced, which sometimes led to a premature explosion of a shell before penetrating the armor, or to failure of the fuse after penetration, but the crew, in case of penetration, rarely felt better about it.
Sub-caliber projectile(BP) has a rather complex design and consists of two main parts - an armor-piercing core and a pallet. The task of the pallet, made of mild steel, is to accelerate the projectile in the barrel bore. When a projectile hits a target, the pan is crushed, and the heavy and hard pointed core, made of tungsten carbide, pierces the armor.
The projectile does not have an explosive charge, ensuring that the target is hit by fragments of the core and fragments of armor heated to high temperatures. Sub-caliber projectiles have significantly less weight compared to conventional ones armor-piercing shells, which allows them to accelerate in the gun barrel to significantly high speeds. As a result, the penetration of sub-caliber projectiles turns out to be significantly higher. The use of sub-caliber shells made it possible to significantly increase the armor penetration of existing guns, which made it possible to hit even outdated guns against more modern, well-armored armored vehicles.
At the same time, sub-caliber shells have a number of disadvantages. Their shape resembled a coil (shells of this type and streamlined shape existed, but they were significantly less common), which greatly worsened the ballistics of the projectile, in addition, the lightweight projectile quickly lost speed; as a result, at long distances the armor penetration of sub-caliber projectiles dropped significantly, turning out to be even lower than that of classic armor-piercing projectiles. During World War II, sabot projectiles did not work well against sloping armor because the hard but brittle core easily broke under bending loads. The armor-piercing effect of such shells was inferior to armor-piercing caliber shells. Small-caliber sub-caliber projectiles were ineffective against armored vehicles that had protective shields made of thin steel. These shells were expensive and difficult to manufacture, and most importantly, scarce tungsten was used in their manufacture.
As a result, the number of sub-caliber shells in the ammunition load of guns during the war was small; they were allowed to be used only to hit heavily armored targets at short distances. The German army was the first to use sub-caliber shells in small quantities in 1940 during battles in France. In 1941, faced with heavily armored Soviet tanks, the Germans switched to extensive use of sub-caliber shells, which significantly increased the anti-tank capabilities of their artillery and tanks. However, a shortage of tungsten limited the production of projectiles of this type; as a result, in 1944, the production of German sub-caliber shells was discontinued, while most of the shells fired during the war years were of a small caliber (37-50 mm).
Trying to get around the tungsten shortage problem, the Germans produced Pzgr.40(C) sub-caliber projectiles with a hardened steel core and surrogate Pzgr.40(W) projectiles with a regular steel core. In the USSR, fairly large-scale production of sub-caliber shells, created on the basis of captured German ones, began at the beginning of 1943, and most of the shells produced were of 45 mm caliber. The production of these shells of larger calibers was limited by a shortage of tungsten, and they were issued to troops only when there was a threat of an enemy tank attack, and a report was required to be written for each shell used. Also, sub-caliber shells were used to a limited extent by the British and American armies in the second half of the war.
HEAT projectile(KS).
The operating principle of this armor-piercing ammunition differs significantly from the operating principle of kinetic ammunition, which includes conventional armor-piercing and sub-caliber projectiles. A cumulative projectile is a thin-walled steel projectile filled with a powerful explosive - hexogen, or a mixture of TNT and hexogen. At the front of the projectile, the explosive has a goblet-shaped recess lined with metal (usually copper). The projectile has a sensitive head fuse. When a projectile collides with armor, the explosive detonates. At the same time, the lining metal is melted and compressed by the explosion into a thin stream (pestle), flying forward at extremely high speed and piercing armor. The armor effect is ensured by a cumulative jet and splashes of armor metal. The hole of a cumulative projectile is small in size and has melted edges, which has led to a common misconception that cumulative projectiles “burn through” armor.
The penetration of a cumulative projectile does not depend on the speed of the projectile and is the same at all distances. Its production is quite simple; the production of the projectile does not require the use of large quantity scarce metals. The cumulative projectile can be used against infantry and artillery as a high-explosive fragmentation projectile. At the same time, cumulative shells during the war were characterized by numerous shortcomings. The manufacturing technology of these projectiles was not sufficiently developed, as a result, their penetration was relatively low (approximately the same as the caliber of the projectile or slightly higher) and was unstable. The rotation of the projectile at high initial speeds made it difficult to form a cumulative jet; as a result, the cumulative projectiles had a low initial speed, a short effective firing range and high dispersion, which was also facilitated by the non-optimal shape of the projectile head from an aerodynamic point of view (its configuration was determined by the presence of a notch).
The big problem was the creation of a complex fuse, which should be sensitive enough to quickly detonate a projectile, but stable enough not to explode in the barrel (the USSR was able to develop such a fuse, suitable for use in shells of powerful tank and anti-tank guns, only at the end of 1944 ). The minimum caliber of a cumulative projectile was 75 mm, and the effectiveness of cumulative projectiles of this caliber was greatly reduced. Mass production of cumulative projectiles required the deployment of large-scale production of hexogen.
The most widespread use of cumulative shells was by the German army (for the first time in the summer and autumn of 1941), mainly from 75 mm caliber guns and howitzers. The Soviet army used cumulative shells, created on the basis of captured German ones, from 1942-43, including them in the ammunition of regimental guns and howitzers, which had a low initial speed. The British and American armies used shells of this type, mainly in the ammunition loads of heavy howitzers. Thus, in the Second World War (unlike the present time, when improved shells of this type form the basis of the ammunition load of tank guns), the use of cumulative shells was quite limited, mainly they were considered as a means of anti-tank self-defense of guns that had low initial speeds and low armor penetration with traditional shells (regimental guns, howitzers). At the same time, all participants in the war actively used other anti-tank weapons with cumulative ammunition - grenade launchers, aerial bombs, hand grenades.
High-explosive fragmentation projectile(OF).
It was developed in the late 40s of the twentieth century in Great Britain to destroy enemy armored vehicles. It is a thin-walled steel or cast iron projectile filled with an explosive substance (usually TNT or ammonite), with a head fuse. Unlike armor-piercing shells, high-explosive fragmentation shells did not have a tracer. When it hits a target, the projectile explodes, hitting the target with fragments and a blast wave, either immediately - a fragmentation effect, or with some delay (which allows the projectile to go deeper into the ground) - a high-explosive effect. The projectile is intended primarily to destroy openly located and sheltered infantry, artillery, field shelters (trenches, wood-earth firing points), unarmored and lightly armored vehicles. Well-armored tanks and self-propelled guns are resistant to high-explosive fragmentation shells.
The main advantage of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile is its versatility. This type of projectile can be used effectively against the vast majority of targets. Another advantage is that it costs less than armor-piercing and cumulative projectiles of the same caliber, which reduces the cost of combat operations and firing training. In case of a direct hit in vulnerable areas (turret hatches, engine compartment radiator, ejection screens of the aft ammunition rack, etc.), the HE can disable the tank. Also hit by projectiles large caliber can cause destruction of lightly armored vehicles, and damage to heavily armored tanks, consisting of cracking of armor plates, jamming of the turret, failure of instruments and mechanisms, injuries and concussions of the crew.
There are many types of projectiles implemented in War Thunder, each of which has its own characteristics. In order to properly compare different shells, choose the main type of ammunition before battle, and in battle use suitable projectiles for different purposes in different situations, you need to know the basics of their design and principle of operation. This article describes the types of projectiles and their design, as well as provides tips on their use in combat. You should not neglect this knowledge, because the effectiveness of the weapon largely depends on the shells for it.
Types of tank ammunition
Armor-piercing caliber projectiles
Chambered and solid armor-piercing shells
As the name suggests, the purpose of armor-piercing shells is to penetrate the armor and thereby hit the tank. Armor-piercing shells come in two types: chambered and solid. Chamber shells have a special cavity inside - a chamber in which the explosive is located. When such a projectile penetrates the armor, the fuse is triggered and the projectile explodes. The crew of an enemy tank is hit not only by fragments from the armor, but also by the explosion and fragments of a chambered shell. The explosion does not occur immediately, but with a delay, thanks to which the projectile has time to fly inside the tank and explodes there, causing the greatest damage. In addition, the sensitivity of the fuse is set to, for example, 15 mm, that is, the fuse will only work if the thickness of the armor being penetrated is above 15 mm. This is necessary so that the chamber shell explodes in the fighting compartment when penetrating the main armor, and does not cock against the screens.
A solid projectile does not have a chamber with an explosive substance; it is just a metal blank. Of course, solid shells cause much less damage, but they penetrate a greater thickness of armor than similar chamber shells, since solid shells are stronger and heavier. For example, the BR-350A armor-piercing chamber projectile from the F-34 cannon penetrates 80 mm at right angles at point-blank range, and the BR-350SP solid projectile penetrates as much as 105 mm. The use of solid shells is very typical for the British school of tank building. Things got to the point where the British removed explosives from American 75-mm chamber shells, turning them into solid shells.
The destructive power of solid projectiles depends on the ratio of the thickness of the armor and the armor penetration of the projectile:
- If the armor is too thin, then the projectile will pierce right through it and damage only those elements that it hits along the way.
- If the armor is too thick (at the border of penetration), then small non-lethal fragments are formed that will not cause much harm.
- Maximum armor effect - in case of penetration of sufficiently thick armor, while the penetration of the projectile should not be completely used up.
Thus, in the presence of several solid shells, the best armor effect will be with the one with greater armor penetration. As for chamber shells, the damage depends on the amount of explosive in TNT equivalent, as well as on whether the fuse worked or not.
Sharp-headed and blunt-headed armor-piercing shells
An oblique blow to the armor: a - a sharp-headed projectile; b - blunt-headed projectile; c - arrow-shaped sub-caliber projectile
Armor-piercing shells are divided not only into chambered and solid, but also into sharp-headed and blunt-headed. Sharp-headed projectiles pierce thicker armor at right angles, since at the moment of contact with the armor, the entire force of the impact falls on a small area of the armor plate. However, the efficiency of work against inclined armor for sharp-headed projectiles is lower due to a greater tendency to ricochet at large angles of contact with the armor. Conversely, blunt-headed shells penetrate thicker armor at an angle than sharp-headed shells, but have less armor penetration at a right angle. Let's take, for example, the armor-piercing chamber shells of the T-34-85 tank. At a distance of 10 meters, the sharp-headed BR-365K projectile penetrates 145 mm at a right angle and 52 mm at an angle of 30°, and the blunt-headed BR-365A projectile penetrates 142 mm at a right angle, but 58 mm at an angle of 30°.
In addition to sharp-headed and blunt-headed projectiles, there are sharp-headed projectiles with an armor-piercing tip. When meeting an armor plate at a right angle, such a projectile works like a sharp-headed projectile and has good armor penetration compared to a similar blunt-headed projectile. When hitting inclined armor, the armor-piercing tip “bites” the projectile, preventing ricochet, and the projectile works like a blunt-headed one.
However, sharp-headed projectiles with an armor-piercing tip, like blunt-headed projectiles, have a significant drawback - greater aerodynamic drag, which is why armor penetration at a distance decreases more than with sharp-headed projectiles. To improve aerodynamics, ballistic caps are used, which increases armor penetration at medium and long distances. For example, on the German 128 mm KwK 44 L/55 gun two armor-piercing chamber shells are available, one with a ballistic cap and the other without it. An armor-piercing sharp-headed projectile with a PzGr armor-piercing tip at a right angle penetrates 266 mm at 10 meters and 157 mm at 2000 meters. But an armor-piercing projectile with an armor-piercing tip and a ballistic cap PzGr 43 at a right angle penetrates 269 mm at 10 meters and 208 mm at 2000 meters. In close combat there are no particular differences between them, but at long distances the difference in armor penetration is huge.
Armor-piercing chamber projectiles with an armor-piercing tip and a ballistic cap are the most versatile type of armor-piercing ammunition that combines the advantages of sharp-headed and blunt-headed projectiles.
Table of armor-piercing shells
Sharp-headed armor-piercing shells can be chambered or solid. The same applies to blunt-headed shells, as well as sharp-headed shells with an armor-piercing tip, and so on. Let's summarize all possible options in a table. Under the icon of each projectile are written the abbreviated names of the projectile type in English terminology; these are the terms used in the book “WWII Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery”, according to which many projectiles in the game are configured. If you hover over the abbreviated name with the mouse cursor, a hint with decoding and translation will appear.
 Dumbheaded (with ballistic cap) |
 Pointy-headed |
 Pointy-headed with armor-piercing tip |
 Pointy-headed with armor-piercing tip and ballistic cap |
|
| Solid projectile |
APBC |
AP |
APC |
APCBC |
 Chamber projectile |
|
APHE |
APHEC |
|
Sub-caliber shells
Coil sabot shells
Action of a sub-caliber projectile:
1 - ballistic cap
2 - body
3 - core
Armor-piercing caliber projectiles were described above. They are called caliber because the diameter of their warhead is equal to the caliber of the gun. There are also armor-piercing sabot shells, the diameter of the warhead of which is smaller than the caliber of the gun. The simplest type of sub-caliber projectile is coil-type (APCR - Armour-Piercing Composite Rigid). A reel-to-reel sabot projectile consists of three parts: a body, a ballistic cap and a core. The housing serves to accelerate the projectile in the barrel. At the moment of contact with the armor, the ballistic cap and body are crushed, and the core pierces the armor, hitting the tank with fragments.
At close ranges, sub-caliber shells penetrate thicker armor than caliber shells. Firstly, a sub-caliber projectile is smaller and lighter than a conventional armor-piercing projectile, due to which it accelerates to higher speeds. Secondly, the projectile core is made of hard alloys with a high specific gravity. Thirdly, due to the small size of the core, at the moment of contact with the armor, the impact energy falls on a small area of the armor.
But reel-fired sub-caliber shells also have significant disadvantages. Due to their relatively low weight, sub-caliber projectiles are ineffective at long distances; they lose energy faster, hence the drop in accuracy and armor penetration. The core does not have an explosive charge, therefore, in terms of armor effect, sub-caliber shells are much weaker than chamber shells. Finally, sub-caliber projectiles do not work well against sloping armor.
Coil-type sabot shells were effective only in close combat and were used in cases where enemy tanks were invulnerable to caliber armor-piercing shells. The use of sub-caliber shells made it possible to significantly increase the armor penetration of existing guns, which made it possible to hit even outdated guns against more modern, well-armored armored vehicles.
Sub-caliber shells with detachable tray
APDS projectile and its core
APDS projectile in section, showing the core with a ballistic tip
Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) is a further development of the design of sub-caliber projectiles.
Coil-fired sabot shells had a significant drawback: the body flew along with the core, increasing aerodynamic drag and, as a result, a decrease in accuracy and armor penetration at a distance. For sub-caliber projectiles with a detachable pan, instead of a body, a detachable pan was used, which first accelerated the projectile in the gun barrel, and then was separated from the core by air resistance. The core flew to the target without a pallet and, thanks to significantly lower aerodynamic drag, did not lose armor penetration at a distance as quickly as coil-type sub-caliber projectiles.
During the Second World War, sub-caliber shells with a detachable tray were distinguished by record armor penetration and flight speed. For example, the Shot SV Mk.1 sub-caliber projectile for a 17-pounder gun accelerated to 1203 m/s and penetrated 228 mm of soft armor at a right angle at 10 meters, and the Shot Mk.8 armor-piercing caliber projectile only 171 mm in the same conditions.
Feathered sub-caliber projectiles
Separation of the pallet from the BOPS
BOPS projectile
Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APFSDS) is the most modern look armor-piercing projectiles designed to destroy heavily armored vehicles protected by the latest types of armor and active protection.
These projectiles are a further development of sub-caliber projectiles with a detachable pan; they have an even greater length and a smaller cross-section. Rotational stabilization is not very effective for high aspect ratio projectiles, so armor-piercing finned sabot (APS) rounds are stabilized by fins and are typically used for firing from smoothbore guns (however, early FEPT and some modern ones are designed to be fired from rifled guns). guns).
Modern BOPS projectiles have a diameter of 2-3 cm and a length of 50-60 cm. To maximize the specific pressure and kinetic energy of the projectile, high-density materials are used in the manufacture of ammunition - tungsten carbide or an alloy based on depleted uranium. The muzzle velocity of the BOPS is up to 1900 m/s.
Concrete-piercing shells
A concrete-piercing shell is an artillery shell designed to destroy long-term fortifications and durable buildings of permanent construction, as well as to destroy the manpower hidden in them and military equipment enemy. Concrete-piercing shells were often used to destroy concrete bunkers.
From a design point of view, concrete-piercing shells occupy an intermediate position between armor-piercing chamber and high-explosive fragmentation shells. Compared to high-explosive fragmentation projectiles of the same caliber, with a similar destructive potential of the explosive charge, concrete-piercing ammunition has a more massive and durable body, allowing them to penetrate deeply into reinforced concrete, stone and brick barriers. Compared to armor-piercing chamber shells, concrete-piercing shells have more explosive material, but a less durable body, so concrete-piercing shells are inferior to them in armor penetration.
The G-530 concrete-piercing projectile weighing 40 kg is included in the ammunition load of the KV-2 tank, the main purpose of which was the destruction of bunkers and other fortifications.
HEAT shells
Rotating cumulative projectiles
Design of a cumulative projectile:
1 - fairing
2 - air cavity
3 - metal cladding
4 - detonator
5 - explosive
6 - piezoelectric fuse
The cumulative projectile (HEAT - High-Explosive Anti-Tank) is significantly different in principle from kinetic ammunition, which includes conventional armor-piercing and sub-caliber projectiles. It is a thin-walled steel projectile filled with a powerful explosive - hexogen, or a mixture of TNT and hexogen. At the front of the projectile in the explosive there is a glass-shaped or cone-shaped recess lined with metal (usually copper) - a focusing funnel. The projectile has a sensitive head fuse.
When a projectile collides with armor, an explosive is detonated. Due to the presence of a focusing funnel in the projectile, part of the explosion energy is concentrated at one small point, forming a thin cumulative jet consisting of the metal lining of that same funnel and explosion products. The cumulative jet flies forward at enormous speed (approximately 5,000 - 10,000 m/s) and passes through the armor due to the monstrous pressure it creates (like a needle through oil), under the influence of which any metal enters a state of superfluidity or, in other words, leads itself like a liquid. The damaging effect behind the armor is provided both by the cumulative jet itself and by the hot drops of pierced armor squeezed inside.
The most important advantage of a cumulative projectile is that its armor penetration does not depend on the speed of the projectile and is the same at all distances. That is why cumulative shells were used on howitzers, since conventional armor-piercing shells for them would be ineffective due to their low flight speed. But the cumulative shells of World War II also had significant drawbacks that limited their use. The rotation of the projectile at high initial speeds made it difficult to form a cumulative jet; as a result, cumulative projectiles had a low initial speed, a short effective firing range and high dispersion, which was also facilitated by the non-optimal shape of the projectile head from an aerodynamic point of view. The manufacturing technology of these projectiles at that time was not sufficiently developed, so their armor penetration was relatively low (approximately the same as the caliber of the projectile or slightly higher) and was unstable.
Non-rotating (feathered) cumulative projectiles
Non-rotating (feathered) cumulative projectiles (HEAT-FS - High-Explosive Anti-Tank Fin-Stabilised) represent a further development of cumulative ammunition. Unlike early cumulative projectiles, they are stabilized in flight not by rotation, but by folding tails. The absence of rotation improves the formation of a cumulative jet and significantly increases armor penetration, while removing all restrictions on the projectile's flight speed, which can exceed 1000 m/s. Thus, early cumulative shells had a typical armor penetration of 1-1.5 calibers, while post-war ones had 4 or more. However, feathered projectiles have a slightly lower armor effect compared to conventional cumulative projectiles.
Fragmentation and high-explosive shells
High-explosive fragmentation shells
A high-explosive fragmentation projectile (HE - High-Explosive) is a thin-walled steel or cast iron projectile filled with an explosive (usually TNT or ammonite), with a head fuse. When the projectile hits the target, it immediately explodes, hitting the target with fragments and a blast wave. Compared to concrete-piercing and armor-piercing chamber shells, high-explosive fragmentation shells have very thin walls, but have more explosive.
The main purpose of high-explosive fragmentation shells is to defeat enemy personnel, as well as unarmored and lightly armored vehicles. High-explosive fragmentation shells of large caliber can be very effectively used to destroy lightly armored tanks and self-propelled guns, since they break through relatively thin armor and incapacitate the crew with the force of the explosion. Tanks and self-propelled guns with shell-resistant armor are resistant to high-explosive fragmentation shells. However, even them can be hit by large-caliber shells: the explosion destroys the tracks, damages the gun barrel, jams the turret, and the crew is injured and concussed.
Shrapnel shells
The shrapnel projectile is a cylindrical body divided by a partition (diaphragm) into 2 compartments. An explosive charge is placed in the bottom compartment, and spherical bullets are located in the other compartment. A tube filled with a slow-burning pyrotechnic composition runs along the axis of the projectile.
The main purpose of a shrapnel projectile is to defeat enemy personnel. This happens as follows. At the moment of firing, the composition in the tube ignites. Gradually it burns and transfers the fire to the explosive charge. The charge ignites and explodes, squeezing out the partition with bullets. The head of the projectile comes off and the bullets fly out along the axis of the projectile, deflecting slightly to the sides and hitting enemy infantry.
In the absence of armor-piercing shells in the early stages of the war, artillerymen often used shrapnel shells with a tube set “to strike.” In terms of its qualities, such a projectile occupied an intermediate position between high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing, which is reflected in the game.
Armor-piercing high-explosive shells
Armor-piercing high-explosive projectile (HESH - High Explosive Squash Head) is a post-war type of anti-tank projectile, the principle of which is based on the detonation of a plastic explosive on the surface of the armor, which causes fragments of armor to break off on the rear side and damage the fighting compartment of the vehicle. An armor-piercing high-explosive projectile has a body with relatively thin walls designed for plastic deformation when encountering an obstacle, as well as a bottom fuse. The charge of an armor-piercing high-explosive projectile consists of a plastic explosive that “spreads” over the surface of the armor when the projectile meets an obstacle.
After “spreading,” the charge is detonated by a delayed-action bottom fuse, which causes destruction of the rear surface of the armor and the formation of spalls that can damage the internal equipment of the vehicle or crew members. In some cases, through penetration of the armor may occur in the form of a puncture, break or knocked out plug. The penetration ability of an armor-piercing high-explosive projectile depends less on the angle of inclination of the armor compared to conventional armor-piercing projectiles.
ATGM Malyutka (1st generation)
Shillelagh ATGM (2nd generation)
Anti-tank guided missiles
Anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) is a guided missile designed to destroy tanks and other armored targets. The former name of ATGM is “anti-tank guided missile”. ATGMs in the game are solid-fuel missiles equipped with on-board control systems (operating according to operator commands) and flight stabilization, devices for receiving and deciphering control signals received via wires (or via infrared or radio command control channels). The warhead is cumulative, with armor penetration of 400-600 mm. The missiles' flight speed is only 150-323 m/s, but the target can be successfully hit at a distance of up to 3 kilometers.
The game features ATGMs of two generations:
- First generation (manual command system guidance)- in reality they are controlled manually by the operator using a joystick, English. MCLOS. In realistic and simulator modes, these missiles are controlled using the WSAD keys.
- Second generation (semi-automatic command guidance system)- in reality and in all game modes they are controlled by pointing the sight at the target, English. SACLOS. The game's sight is either the center of the optical sight crosshair or a large white round marker (reload indicator) in a third-person view.
In arcade mode, there is no difference between the generations of missiles; they are all controlled using the sight, like the second generation missiles.
ATGMs are also distinguished by their launch method.
- 1) Launched from a tank barrel. To do this, you need either a smooth barrel: an example is the smooth barrel of the 125-mm gun of the T-64 tank. Or a keyway is made in the rifled barrel into which the missile is inserted, for example in the Sheridan tank.
- 2) Launched from guides. Closed, tubular (or square), for example, like the RakJPz 2 tank destroyer with the HOT-1 ATGM. Or open, rail-mounted (for example, like the IT-1 tank destroyer with the 2K4 Dragon ATGM).
As a rule, the more modern and the larger caliber ATGM - the more it penetrates. ATGMs were constantly improved - manufacturing technology, materials science, and explosives were improved. Combined armor and dynamic protection can completely or partially neutralize the penetrating effect of ATGMs (as well as cumulative projectiles). As well as special anti-cumulative armor screens located at some distance from the main armor.
Appearance and design of projectiles
Denormalization phenomenon that increases the path of a projectile in armor
Starting from game version 1.49, the effect of projectiles on inclined armor has been redesigned. Now the value of the reduced armor thickness (armor thickness ÷ cosine of the angle of inclination) is valid only for calculating the penetration of cumulative projectiles. For armor-piercing and especially sub-caliber projectiles, penetration of inclined armor was significantly weakened due to the denormalization effect, when a short projectile turns around during the penetration process, and its path in the armor increases.
Thus, with an armor tilt angle of 60°, previously the penetration of all projectiles dropped by approximately 2 times. Now this is only true for cumulative and armor-piercing high-explosive shells. In this case, penetration of armor-piercing shells drops by 2.3-2.9 times, for conventional sub-caliber shells - by 3-4 times, and for sub-caliber shells with a separating pan (including BOPS) - by 2.5 times.
List of shells in order of deterioration of their performance on inclined armor:
- Cumulative And armor-piercing high-explosive- the most effective.
- Armor-piercing meathead And armor-piercing sharp-headed with armor-piercing tip.
- Armor-piercing sub-caliber with detachable tray And BOPS.
- Armor-piercing sharphead And shrapnel.
- Armor-piercing sub-caliber- the most ineffective.
What stands out here is a high-explosive fragmentation projectile, for which the probability of penetrating armor does not depend at all on its angle of inclination (provided that there is no ricochet).
Armor-piercing chamber shells
For such projectiles, the fuse is cocked at the moment of penetration of the armor and detonates the projectile after a certain time, which ensures a very high armor protection effect. The projectile parameters indicate two important values: fuse sensitivity and fuse delay.
If the thickness of the armor is less than the sensitivity of the fuse, then the explosion will not occur, and the projectile will work as a regular solid one, causing damage only to those modules that are in its path, or will simply fly through the target without causing damage. Therefore, when firing at unarmored targets, chamber shells are not very effective (as are all others, except high-explosive and shrapnel).
The fuze delay determines the time it takes for the projectile to explode after penetrating the armor. Too short a delay (in particular, for the Soviet MD-5 fuse) leads to the fact that when it hits an attached element of the tank (screen, track, chassis, caterpillar), the projectile explodes almost immediately and does not have time to penetrate the armor. Therefore, it is better not to use such shells when firing at shielded tanks. Too much delay in the fuse can lead to the projectile going right through and exploding outside the tank (although such cases are very rare).
If a chamber shell is detonated in the fuel tank or ammunition rack, there is a high probability that an explosion will occur and the tank will be destroyed.
Armor-piercing sharp-headed and blunt-headed projectiles
Depending on the shape of the armor-piercing part of the projectile, its tendency to ricochet, armor penetration and normalization differ. General rule: blunt-headed shells are best used against opponents with sloped armor, and sharp-headed shells - if the armor is not sloped. However, the difference in armor penetration between both types is not very large.
The presence of armor-piercing and/or ballistic caps significantly improves the properties of the projectile.
Sub-caliber shells
This type of projectile is characterized by high armor penetration at short distances and a very high flight speed, which makes shooting at moving targets easier.
However, when the armor is penetrated, only a thin carbide rod appears in the space behind the armor, which causes damage only to those modules and crew members in which it hits (unlike an armor-piercing chamber projectile, which covers everything with fragments). fighting compartment). Therefore, to effectively destroy a tank with a sub-caliber projectile, you should shoot at it. vulnerable areas: engine, ammunition rack, fuel tanks. But even in this case, one hit may not be enough to disable the tank. If you shoot at random (especially at the same point), you may need to fire many shots to disable the tank, and the enemy may get ahead of you.
Another problem with sub-caliber projectiles is the severe loss of armor penetration with distance due to their low mass. Studying armor penetration tables shows at what distance you need to switch to a regular armor-piercing projectile, which, in addition, has a much greater lethality.
HEAT shells
The armor penetration of these shells does not depend on distance, which allows them to be used with equal effectiveness for both close and long-range combat. However, due to the design features, cumulative projectiles often have a lower flight speed than other types, as a result of which the shot trajectory becomes hinged, accuracy suffers, and it becomes very difficult to hit moving targets (especially at a long distance).
The principle of operation of a cumulative projectile also determines its not very high destructive power compared to an armor-piercing chamber projectile: the cumulative jet flies over a limited distance inside the tank and causes damage only to those components and crew members that it directly hit. Therefore, when using a cumulative projectile, you should aim just as carefully as in the case of a sub-caliber projectile.
If a cumulative projectile hits not the armor, but an attached element of the tank (screen, track, caterpillar, chassis), then it will explode on this element, and the armor penetration of the cumulative jet will significantly decrease (every centimeter of the jet’s flight in the air reduces the armor penetration by 1 mm). Therefore, other types of shells should be used against tanks with screens, and one should not hope to penetrate the armor with cumulative shells by shooting at the tracks, chassis and gun mantlet. Remember that premature detonation of a shell can cause any obstacle - a fence, a tree, any building.
Cumulative shells in life and in the game have a high-explosive effect, that is, they also work as high-explosive fragmentation shells of reduced power (a lightweight body produces fewer fragments). Thus, large-caliber cumulative shells can be quite successfully used instead of high-explosive fragmentation shells when firing at weakly armored vehicles.
High-explosive fragmentation shells
The lethality of these shells depends on the relationship between the caliber of your gun and the armor of your target. Thus, shells with a caliber of 50 mm and less are effective only against airplanes and trucks, 75-85 mm - against light tanks with bulletproof armor, 122 mm - against medium tanks, such as the T-34, 152 mm - against all tanks, with the exception of shooting head-on at the most armored vehicles.
However, we must remember that the damage caused significantly depends on the specific point of impact, so there are often cases when even a 122-152 mm caliber projectile causes very minor damage. And in the case of guns with a smaller caliber, in doubtful cases, it is better to use an armor-piercing chamber or shrapnel projectile, which have greater penetration and high lethality.
Shells - part 2
What's better to shoot? Review of tank shells from _Omero_
Armor-piercing sharp-headed chamber projectile
Sharp-headed projectile with armor-piercing tip
Sharp-headed projectile with armor-piercing tip and ballistic cap
Armor-piercing blunt-nosed projectile with ballistic cap
Sub-caliber projectile
Sub-caliber projectile with detachable tray
HEAT projectile
Non-rotating (feathered) cumulative projectile
In the first post-war decade, the anti-tank divisions of the ground forces were armed with 57-mm ZIS-2, 85-mm D-44 and 100-mm BS-3 guns. In 1955, due to an increase in the thickness of tank armor probable enemy The troops began to receive 85-mm D-48 guns. The design of the new gun used some elements of the 85-mm D-44 gun, as well as the 100-mm gun mod. 1944 BS-3. At a distance of 1000 m, an 85-mm armor-piercing projectile Br-372, fired from the barrel of a D-48, could normally penetrate 185 mm of armor.
But in the mid-60s this was no longer enough to reliably destroy the frontal armor of the hull and turret American tanks M60. In 1961, the 100-mm T-12 “Rapier” smoothbore gun was adopted. The problem of stabilizing the projectile after leaving the barrel was solved by using drop-down fins. In the early 70s, a modernized version of the MT-12 was put into production, featuring a new carriage. At a distance of 1000 meters, the Rapier's sub-caliber projectile was capable of penetrating armor 215 mm thick. However, the downside of high armor penetration was the significant mass of the gun. To transport the MT-12, which weighed 3100 kg, MT-LB tracked tractors or Ural-375 and Ural-4320 vehicles were used.
Already in the 60s, it became clear that increasing the caliber and barrel length of anti-tank guns, even when using highly effective sub-caliber and cumulative projectiles, was a dead-end path to creating monstrous, slow-moving, expensive artillery systems, the effectiveness of which in modern combat is questionable. An alternative anti-tank weapon was anti-tank guided missiles. The first prototype, designed in Germany during World War II, is known as the X-7 Rotkappchen (“Little Red Riding Hood”). This missile was controlled by wire and had a flight range of about 1200 meters. The anti-tank missile system was ready at the very end of the war, but there is no evidence of its actual combat use.
The first Soviet complex to use guided anti-tank missiles was the 2K15 Shmel, created in 1960 on the basis of the Franco-German SS.10 ATGM. In the rear part of the body of the 2P26 combat vehicle based on the GAZ-69 off-road vehicle there were four rail-type guides with 3M6 ATGMs. In 1964, production of the 2K16 Shmel combat vehicle began on the BDRM-1 chassis. This vehicle was floating, and the ATGM crew was protected by bulletproof armor. With a launch range of 600 to 2000 m, a missile with a cumulative warhead could penetrate 300 mm of armor. The ATGM was guided manually via wire. The operator's task was to combine the tracer of a missile flying at a speed of about 110 m/s with the target. The launch mass of the rocket was 24 kg, the weight of the warhead was 5.4 kg.
“Bumblebee” was a typical first-generation anti-tank system, but due to the large mass of guidance equipment and ATGMs, it turned out to be unsuitable for arming infantry and could only be placed on a self-propelled chassis. According to the organizational structure, combat vehicles with ATGMs were combined into anti-tank batteries attached motorized rifle regiments. Each battery had three platoons with three launchers. However, the Soviet infantry was in dire need of a wearable anti-tank system capable of hitting enemy armored vehicles at a range of more than 1000 m with a high probability. For the late 50s and early 60s, creating a wearable ATGM was a very difficult task.
On July 6, 1961, a government decree was issued, according to which a competition was announced for a new ATGM. The Ovod ATGM, designed at the Tula TsKB-14 and ATGM "Malyutka" Kolomna SKB. According to the technical specifications, the maximum launch range was to reach 3000 m, armor penetration - at least 200 mm at an impact angle of 60°. The weight of the rocket is no more than 10 kg.
During testing of the Malyutka ATGM, created under the leadership of B.I. Shavyrin, was ahead of its competitor in launch range and armor penetration. After being put into service in 1963, the complex received the index 9K11. For its time, the Malyutka ATGM contained a lot of innovative solutions. In order to meet the weight limit of an anti-tank missile, the developers simplified the guidance system. The 9M14 ATGM became the first missile in our country with a single-channel control system brought to mass production. During development, in order to reduce the cost and labor intensity of manufacturing the rocket, plastics were widely used; a suitcase-satchel designed to carry the rocket was made from fiberglass.
Crew of the Malyutka ATGM with backpacks-suitcases designed to carry the complex
Although the mass of the 9M14 ATGM exceeded the specified value and amounted to 10.9 kg, the complex was able to be made portable. All elements of the 9K11 ATGM were placed in three backpack suitcases. The crew commander carried pack No. 1 weighing 12.4 kg. It contained a control panel with an optical sight and guidance equipment.
Control panel 9S415 and monocular eight-fold optical sight 9Sh16
The 9Sh16 monocular sight with eightfold magnification and a field of view of 22.5° was intended for target observation and missile guidance. Two anti-tank crew members transported backpack suitcases with missiles and launchers. The weight of the launcher container with ATGM is 18.1 kg. Launchers with ATGMs were connected by cable to the control panel and could be placed at a distance of up to 15 m.
The anti-tank guided missile was capable of hitting targets at a range of 500-3000 m. The warhead weighing 2.6 kg normally penetrated 400 mm of armor; at an impact angle of 60°, the armor penetration was 200 mm. The solid propellant engine accelerated the rocket to a maximum speed of 140 m/s. average speed on the trajectory – 115 m/s. Flight time maximum range was 26 s. The rocket fuse is armed 1.5-2 s after launch. A piezoelectric fuse was used to detonate the warhead.
9M14 missile on a launcher
In preparation for combat use, the elements of the rocket, which was in a disassembled state, were removed from the fiberglass suitcase and docked using special quick-release locks. In the transport position, the rocket's wings folded towards each other, so that with a spread out wing span of 393 mm, the transverse dimensions did not exceed 185x185mm. When assembled, the rocket has dimensions: length - 860 mm, diameter - 125 mm, wingspan - 393 mm.
Backpack-suitcase with disassembled 9M14 ATGM in stowed position
The warhead was attached to the wing compartment, which contained the main engine, steering engine and gyroscope. In the annular space around the propulsion engine there is a combustion chamber of the starting engine with a multi-shot charge, and behind it is a coil of a wired communication line.
Section of ATGM 9M14: 1 - ballistic tip; 2 - piezoelectric element; 3 - cumulative liner; 4 - explosive; 5 - warhead lock; 6 - diaphragm; 7 - fuse; 8 - starting engine; 9 - propulsion engine; 10 - coil with wire; 11 - stabilizer; 12 - on-board equipment; 13 - control system; 14 - gyroscope
A tracer is installed on the outer surface of the rocket body. The 9M14 rocket has only one steering engine, which moves nozzles on two opposite oblique nozzles of the main engine. At the same time, due to rotation at a speed of 8.5 rps, pitch and heading are alternately controlled.
The initial rotation is imparted when starting the starting engine with oblique nozzles. In flight, rotation is maintained by setting the plane of the wings at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the rocket. To link the angular position of the rocket with the ground coordinate system, a gyroscope with mechanical spin-up was used during launch. The rocket does not have its own on-board power sources; the only steering engine is powered from ground equipment via one of the circuits of a moisture-resistant three-core wire.
Since after launch the rocket was controlled manually using a special joystick, the probability of a hit directly depended on the operator’s training. In ideal range conditions, a well-trained operator hit an average of 7 out of 10 targets.
The Malyutka's combat debut took place in 1972, at the final stage of the Vietnam War.. Viet Cong units, using ATGMs, fought against counterattacking South Vietnamese tanks, destroyed long-term firing points, and attacked command posts and communications centers. In total, Vietnamese crews of the 9K11 ATGM recorded up to a dozen M48, M41 tanks and M113 armored personnel carriers.
Israeli tank crews suffered very significant losses from Soviet-made ATGMs in 1973. During the Yom Kippur War, the saturation of the combat formations of the Arab infantry with anti-tank weapons was very high. According to American estimates, more than 1,000 guided anti-tank missiles were launched at Israeli tanks. Israeli tank crews for their characteristic appearance backpacks-suitcases were called ATGM crews “tourists”. However, the “tourists” turned out to be a very formidable force, managing to burn and immobilize approximately 300 M48 and M60 tanks. Even with active armor, in approximately 50% of hits the tanks received severe damage or caught fire. The Arabs were able to achieve high effectiveness in using the Malyutka ATGM due to the fact that guidance operators, at the request of Soviet advisers, continued training on simulators even in the front line.
Thanks to its simple design and low cost, the 9K11 anti-tank missile system became widely used and participated in most major armed conflicts of the 20th century. The Vietnamese army, which had about 500 systems, used them against Chinese Type 59 tanks in 1979. It turned out that the ATGM warhead easily hits the Chinese version of the T-54 in the frontal projection. During the Iran-Iraq War, both sides actively used Malyutki. But if Iraq received them legally from the USSR, then the Iranians fought with Chinese unlicensed copies.
After the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, it became clear that with the help of ATGMs it was possible to effectively fight rebel firing points, since manually guided ATGMs were considered obsolete by that time and were used without restrictions. On the African continent, Cuban and Angolan crews destroyed several armored vehicles of the South African armed forces with “Baby” crews. ATGMs, which were quite obsolete by the early 90s, were used by Armenian armed forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. In addition to armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles and old T-55s, the anti-tank crew managed to knock out several Azerbaijani T-72s. During the armed confrontation in the territory former Yugoslavia anti-tank complexes "Malyutka" destroyed several T-34-85 and T-55, and ATGMs also fired at enemy positions.
Old Soviet anti-tank missiles made their mark during the civil war in Libya. The Yemeni Houthis used the Malyutka anti-tank missile system against the Arab coalition troops. Military observers agree that, in most cases, the combat effectiveness of first-generation anti-tank missiles in 21st century conflicts is poor. Although the warhead of the 9M14 missile is still capable of reliably hitting modern infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, and when hitting the side of main battle tanks, to accurately aim the missile at the target you must have certain skills. In Soviet times, ATGM operators trained weekly on special simulators to maintain the necessary training.
The Malyutka ATGM was produced for 25 years and is in service in more than 40 countries around the world.. In the mid-90s, foreign customers were offered the modernized Malyutka-2 complex. The operator's work was made easier due to the introduction of noise-proof semi-automatic control, and armor penetration increased after the installation of a new warhead. But at the moment, stocks of old Soviet ATGMs abroad have been greatly reduced. Now in third world countries there are much more Chinese HJ-73 ATGMs copied from the Malyutka.
In the mid-80s, the PRC adopted a complex with a semi-automatic guidance system. At the moment, the PLA still uses modernized modifications of the HJ-73B and HJ-73C. According to advertising brochures, the HJ-73C ATGM can penetrate 500 mm of armor after overcoming dynamic protection. However, despite the modernization, in general the Chinese complex retained the disadvantages characteristic of its prototype: a fairly long preparation time for combat use and a low missile flight speed.
Although the 9K11 Malyutka ATGM was widely used due to its successful balance of cost, combat and operational qualities, it also had a number of significant drawbacks. The flight speed of the 9M14 rocket was very low; the rocket covered a distance of 2000 m in almost 18 seconds. At the same time, the flying rocket and the launch site were clearly visible visually. During the period of time that has passed since the launch, the target could have changed its location or hidden behind cover. And deploying the complex into combat position took too much time. In addition, missile launchers had to be placed at a safe distance from the control panel. During the entire flight of the rocket, the operator had to carefully aim it at the target, guided by the tracer in the tail section. Because of this, the results of firing at the training ground were very different from the statistics of use in combat conditions.
The effectiveness of the weapon directly depended on the qualifications and psychophysical state of the shooter. Trembling of the operator's hands or slow reaction to target maneuvers led to a miss. The Israelis very quickly realized this shortcoming of the complex and immediately after detecting the missile launch they opened heavy fire on the operator, as a result of which the accuracy of the Malyutoks dropped significantly. In addition, for the effective use of ATGMs, operators had to regularly maintain guidance skills, which made the complex ineffective in the event of the crew commander's failure. In combat conditions, a situation often developed when serviceable ATGMs were available, but there was no one to use them competently.
The military and designers were well aware of the shortcomings of the first generation anti-tank systems. Already in 1970 it entered service ATGM 9K111 "Fagot". The complex was created by specialists from the Tula Instrument Design Bureau. It was intended to destroy visually observable moving targets moving at speeds of up to 60 km/h targets at a range of up to 2 km. In addition, the complex could be used to destroy fixed engineering structures and enemy firing points.
ATGM 9K111 "Fagot"
In the second generation anti-tank complex, to control the flight of an anti-tank missile, a special infrared direction finder was used, which controlled the position of the missile and transmitted information to the control equipment of the complex, which transmitted commands to the missile through a two-wire wire that unwound behind it. The main difference between the Fagot and the Malyutka was the semi-automatic guidance system. To hit the target, the operator simply had to point the sight at it and hold it there throughout the entire flight of the rocket. The missile's flight was controlled entirely by the complex's automation.
The 9K111 complex uses semi-automatic guidance of ATGMs at the target - control commands are transmitted to the missile via wires. After launch, the missile is automatically brought to the aiming line. The rocket is stabilized in flight by rotation, and the deflection of the nose rudders is controlled by signals transmitted from the launcher. The tail section contains a headlight lamp with a mirror reflector and a reel of wire. At launch, the reflector and lamp are protected by curtains that open after the rocket leaves the container. At the same time, the combustion products of the expelling charge warmed up the reflector mirror during the startup process, eliminating the possibility of it fogging up at low temperatures. The lamp with the maximum radiation in the IR spectrum is coated with a special varnish. It was decided to abandon the use of the tracer, since during test launches it sometimes burned out the control wire.
Externally, “Fagot” differs from its predecessors in the transport and launch container in which the rocket is located throughout the entire period of its “life” - from assembly at the factory until the moment of launch. The sealed TPK provides protection from moisture, mechanical damage and sudden temperature changes, reducing preparation time for launch. The container serves as a kind of “barrel” from which the rocket is fired under the influence of an expelling charge, and the solid propellant propulsion engine is launched later, already on the trajectory, which eliminates the impact of the jet stream on the launcher and the shooter. This solution made it possible to combine the sighting system and the launcher in one unit, eliminated the inaccessible sectors inherent in the Malyutka, facilitated the choice of location in battle and camouflage, and also simplified the change of position.
The portable version of the “Bassoon” consisted of a pack weighing 22.5 kg with launcher and control equipment, as well as two 26.85 kg packs, with two ATGMs in each. The anti-tank complex in combat position is carried by two soldiers when changing position. The deployment time of the complex is 90 s. The 9P135 launch device includes: a tripod with folding supports, a rotating part on a swivel, a swinging part with screw rotating and lifting mechanisms, rocket control equipment and a launch mechanism. The vertical guidance angle is from -20 to +20°, horizontally – 360°. The transport and launch container with the missile is installed in the grooves of the cradle of the swinging part. After the shot, the empty TPK is reset manually. Combat rate of fire – 3 rounds/min.
The launcher is equipped with control equipment that serves to visually detect and monitor the target, ensure the launch, automatically determine the coordinates of the flying missile relative to the line of sight, generate control commands and issue them to the ATGM communication line. Target detection and tracking is carried out using a monocular periscope viewfinder with tenfold magnification with an optical-mechanical coordinator in its upper part. The device has two direction finding channels - with a wide field of view for tracking ATGMs at ranges up to 500 m and a narrow one for ranges over 500 m.
The 9M111 rocket is made according to the “duck” aerodynamic design - plastic aerodynamic rudders with an electromagnetic drive are installed in the nose section, and bearing surfaces made of thin sheet steel that open after launch are installed in the tail section. The flexibility of the consoles allows them to be rolled up around the rocket body before loading into the transport and launch container, and after leaving the container they are straightened by the force of their own elasticity.
9M111 ATGM in the TPK and in the position after launch: 1 – 9M111 missile; 2 – transport and launch container; 3 – expelling charge; 4 – warhead; 5 – engine; 6 – control drive compartment; 7 – hardware compartment
The missile weighing 13 kg carried a 2.5 kg cumulative warhead capable of penetrating 400 mm of homogeneous armor along the normal line. At an angle of 60°, armor penetration was 200 mm. This ensured reliable defeat of all Western tanks of that time: M48, M60, Leopard-1, Chieftain, AMX-30. The overall dimensions of the rocket with the wing unfolded were almost the same as that of the Malyutka: diameter - 120 mm, length - 863 mm, wingspan - 369 mm.
Launch of 9M111 ATGM
After the start of mass deliveries of the Fagot ATGM, it was favorably received by the troops. Compared to the portable version of the Malyutka, the new complex was more convenient to use, was faster to deploy to a position and had a higher probability of hitting a target. The 9K111 "Fagot" complex was a battalion-level anti-tank weapon.
In 1975, the Fagot received a modernized 9M111M Factoria missile with armor penetration increased to 550 mm, the launch range increased by 500 m. Although the length of the new missile increased to 910 mm, the dimensions of the TPK remained the same - length 1098 mm, diameter - 150 mm . The 9M111M ATGM has a modified design of the hull and warhead to accommodate a charge of increased mass. An increase in combat capabilities was achieved by reducing the average flight speed of the missile from 186 m/s to 177 m/s, as well as increasing the mass of the TPK and the minimum launch range. Flight time to maximum range increased from 11 to 13 s.
In January 1974 it was put into service self-propelled ATGM regimental and divisional level 9K113 “Konkurs”. It was intended to combat modern armored targets at a distance of up to 4 km. Constructive decisions, used in the 9M113 anti-tank missile, basically corresponded to those previously tested in the Fagot complex, with significantly larger weight and size characteristics due to the need to ensure a longer launch range and increased armor penetration. The mass of the rocket in the TPK increased to 25.16 kg - that is, almost doubling. The dimensions of the ATGM also increased significantly; with a caliber of 135 mm, the length was 1165 mm, the wingspan was 468 mm. The cumulative warhead of the 9M113 missile could penetrate 600 mm of homogeneous armor along the normal line. Average flight speed is about 200 m/s, flight time to maximum range is 20 s.
Konkurs missiles were used in the armament of BMP-1P, BMP-2, BMD-2 and BMD-3 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as in specialized 9P148 self-propelled ATGMs based on the BRDM-2 and on the BTR-RD "Robot" for the Airborne Forces . At the same time, it was possible to install a TPK with a 9M113 ATGM on the 9P135 launcher of the Fagot complex, which in turn gave a significant increase in the range of destruction of battalion anti-tank weapons.
ATGM 9K113 "Competition" on PU 9P135
In connection with the increase in the protection of tanks of a potential enemy, in 1991 a modernized ATGM "Konkurs-M". Thanks to the introduction of the 1PN86-1 “Mulat” thermal imaging sight into the sighting equipment, the complex can be effectively used at night. A missile in a transport and launch container weighing 26.5 kg at a range of up to 4000 m is capable of penetrating 800 mm of homogeneous armor. To overcome dynamic protection, the 9M113M ATGM is equipped with a tandem warhead. Armor penetration after overcoming the remote sensing when hit at an angle of 90° is 750 mm. In addition, missiles with a thermobaric warhead have been created for the Konkurs-M ATGM.
The Fagot and Konkurs ATGMs have proven themselves to be quite reliable means of combating modern armored vehicles. Bassoons were first used in combat during the Iran-Iraq War and have since been in service in the armies of more than 40 countries. These complexes were actively used during the conflict in the North Caucasus. Chechen militants used them against T-72 and T-80 tanks, and by launching an ATGM they managed to destroy one Mi-8 helicopter. Federal forces They used ATGMs against enemy fortifications, destroying firing points and single snipers with them. “Bassoons” and “Konkursy” made their mark in the conflict in south-eastern Ukraine, confidently penetrating the armor of modernized T-64 tanks. Currently, Soviet-made anti-tank systems are actively fighting in Yemen. According to official Saudi data, by the end of 2015, 14 M1A2S Abrams tanks were destroyed during combat operations.
In 1979, anti-tank squads of motorized rifle companies began to receive ATGM 9K115 "Metis". The complex, developed under the leadership of chief designer A.G. Shipunov in the Instrument Design Bureau (Tula), was intended to destroy visible stationary and moving armored targets at various heading angles at speeds of up to 60 km/h at ranges of 40 - 1000 m.
In order to reduce the mass, dimensions and cost of the complex, the developers simplified the design of the rocket, allowing for the complication of reusable guidance equipment. When designing the 9M115 rocket, it was decided to abandon the expensive on-board gyroscope. The 9M115 ATGM flight is adjusted according to commands from ground equipment that monitors the position of the tracer installed on one of the wings. In flight, due to the rotation of the rocket at a speed of 8-12 rps, the tracer moves in a spiral, and the tracking equipment receives information about the angular position of the rocket, which allows the commands issued to the controls via a wired communication line to be adjusted accordingly.
Another original solution, which made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of the product, was the rudders in the bow with an open-type air-dynamic drive using free-stream air pressure. The absence of an air or powder pressure accumulator on board the rocket, and the use of plastic casting for the manufacture of the main drive elements greatly reduces the cost compared to previously adopted technical solutions.
The missile is launched from a sealed transport and launch container. At the rear of the ATGM there are three trapezoidal wings. The wings are made of thin steel plates. When equipped in a TPK, they are rolled up around the rocket body without residual deformations. After the rocket leaves the TPK, the wings straighten under the action of elastic forces. To launch an ATGM, a solid propellant starting engine with a multi-shot charge is used. The 9M115 ATGM with TPK weighs 6.3 kg. The length of the rocket is 733 mm, the caliber is 93 mm. TPK length – 784 mm, diameter – 138 mm. The average flight speed of the rocket is about 190 m/s. It flies a distance of 1 km in 5.5 seconds. A warhead weighing 2.5 kg penetrates 500 mm of homogeneous armor along the normal line.
ATGM 9K115 "Metis" in a firing position
The 9P151 launcher with a folding tripod includes a machine with a lifting and rotating mechanism on which control equipment is installed - a guidance device and a hardware unit. The launcher is equipped with a mechanism for precise targeting of the target, which facilitates the operator’s combat work. The container with the missile is placed above the sight.
The launcher and four missiles are carried in two packs by a crew of two people. Pack No. 1 with a launcher and one TPK with a missile weighs 17 kg, pack No. 2 - with three ATGMs - 19.4 kg. “Metis” is quite flexible in use; it can be launched from a prone position, from a standing trench, and also from the shoulder. When shooting from buildings, about 6 meters of free space behind the complex is required. The rate of fire with coordinated crew actions is up to 5 launches per minute. The time to bring the complex into combat position is 10 s.
For all its advantages, the Metis by the end of the 80s had a low probability of hitting modern Western tanks head-on. In addition, the military wanted to increase the launch range of ATGMs and expand the capabilities combat use in the dark. However, the reserves for modernizing the Metis ATGM, which had a record low mass, were very limited. In this regard, the designers had to re-create a new missile while maintaining the same guidance equipment. At the same time, the Mulat-115 thermal imaging sight weighing 5.5 kg was also added to the complex. This sight made it possible to observe armored targets at a distance of up to 3.2 km, which ensures the launch of ATGMs in night conditions at maximum destruction range. The Metis-M ATGM was developed at the Instrument Design Bureau and officially entered service in 1992.
ATGM "Metis-M" and ATGM 9M131
The design of the 9M131 ATGM, with the exception of the cumulative tandem warhead, is similar to the 9M115 missile, but increased in size. The caliber of the rocket increased to 130 mm, and the length was 810 mm. At the same time, the mass of the ready-to-use TPK with ATGM reached 13.8 kg, length - 980 mm. The armor penetration of a tandem warhead weighing 5 kg is 800 mm behind dynamic protection. The crew of the complex of two people carries two packs: No. 1 - weighing 25.1 kg with a launcher and one container with a rocket and No. 2 - with two TPK weighing 28 kg. When replacing one container with a missile with a thermal imager, the weight of the pack is reduced to 18.5 kg. Deploying the complex into combat position takes 10-20 seconds. Combat rate of fire - 3 rounds/min. Target launch range – up to 1500 m.
To expand the combat capabilities of the Metis-M ATGM, a 9M131F guided missile with a thermobaric warhead weighing 4.95 kg was created. It has a high-explosive effect at the level of a 152-mm artillery shell and is especially effective when firing at engineering and fortifications. However, the characteristics of a thermobaric warhead make it possible to successfully use it against manpower and lightly armored vehicles.
At the end of the 90s, tests of the Metis-M1 complex were completed. Thanks to the use of more energy-intensive jet fuel, the firing range has been increased to 2000 m. The thickness of the penetrated armor after overcoming the remote zone is 900 mm. In 2008, an even more advanced version of “Metis-2” was developed, characterized by the use of modern electronic components and a new thermal imager. Officially, Metis-2 was put into service in 2016. Prior to this, since 2004, the modernized Metis-M1 complexes were supplied only for export.
Launch from the Metis-M1 ATGM in Syria
The Metis family complexes are officially in service in the armies of 15 states and are used by various paramilitary forces around the world. During the fighting in the Syrian Arab Republic, "Mestis" were used by all parties to the conflict. Before the start of the civil war, the Syrian army had about 200 ATGMs of this type, some of them were captured by Islamists. In addition, several complexes were at the disposal of Kurdish armed forces. The victims of ATGMs were both T-72 of the Syrian government forces, as well as Turkish M60 and 155-mm self-propelled guns T-155 Firtina. Guided missiles equipped with a thermobaric warhead are a very effective means of combating snipers and long-term fortifications. Also, the Metis-M1 ATGM was seen in service with the DPR army during the armed confrontation with the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2014.
Until now, the majority of anti-tank systems in the Russian armed forces are second-generation systems with semi-automatic missile guidance and transmission of control commands over wires. On the Fagot, Konkurs and Metis ATGMs, in the tail section of the missiles there is a source of frequency-modulated light signal emitting in the visible and near-infrared range. The coordinator of the ATGM guidance system automatically determines the deviation of the radiation source, and therefore the missile, from the aiming line and sends correction commands to the missile via wire, ensuring that the ATGM flies strictly along the aiming line until it hits the target. However, such a guidance system is very vulnerable to blinding by special optoelectronic jamming stations and even by infrared spotlights used for driving at night. In addition, the wired communication line with the ATGM limited maximum speed flight and launch range. Already in the 70s, it became clear that the development of ATGMs with new guidance principles was necessary.
In the first half of the 80s, development began at the Tula Instrument Design Bureau anti-tank complex regimental level with laser-guided guided missiles. During the creation of a wearable ATGM "Kornet" the existing reserves for the tank complex were used guided weapons"Reflex", while maintaining the layout solutions of a guided tank projectile. The functions of the Kornet ATGM operator are to detect a target through an optical or thermal imaging sight, track it, launch a missile and keep the sight crosshair on the target until it is hit. The launch of the rocket after launch onto the line of sight and its further retention on it is carried out automatically.
For the first time, armor-piercing shells made of hardened cast iron (sharp-headed) appeared in the late 60s of the 19th century in service with naval and coastal artillery, since conventional shells could not penetrate the armor of ships. IN field artillery They began to be used in the fight against tanks in the 1st World War. Armor-piercing shells are included in the ammunition load of guns and are the main ammunition for tank and anti-tank artillery.
Sharp-headed solid projectile
AP (armor piercing). A solid (without explosive charge) sharp-headed armor-piercing projectile. After penetrating the armor, the damaging effect was provided by projectile fragments heated to a high temperature and fragments of armor. Projectiles of this type were easy to manufacture, reliable, had fairly high penetration, and worked well against homogeneous armor. At the same time, they had some disadvantages: low, compared to chambered (equipped with an explosive charge) shells, armor effect; tendency to ricochet on inclined armor; weaker effect on armor hardened and cemented. During the Second World War they were used to a limited extent; mainly, shells of this type were used to equip ammunition for small-caliber automatic guns; Also, shells of this type were actively used in the British army, especially in the first period of the war.
Blunt-headed solid projectile (with ballistic tip)
APBC (armor piercing projectile with a blunt caped and a ballistic cap). A solid (without explosive charge) blunt-headed armor-piercing projectile, with a ballistic tip. The projectile was designed to penetrate surface-hardened armor of high hardness and cemented, destroying the surface-hardened layer of armor, which had increased fragility, with a blunt head. Other advantages of these projectiles were their good effectiveness against moderately inclined armor, as well as simplicity and manufacturability of production. The disadvantages of blunt-headed projectiles were their lower effectiveness against homogeneous armor, as well as their tendency to over-normalize (accompanied by the destruction of the projectile) when hitting armor at a significant angle of inclination. In addition, this type of projectile did not have a bursting charge, which reduced its armor protection. Solid blunt-headed shells were used only in the USSR from the middle of the war.
Sharp-headed solid projectile with armor-piercing tip
APC (armor piercing capped). Sharp-headed projectile with an armor-piercing cap. This projectile was an APHE projectile equipped with a blunt armor-piercing cap. Thus, this projectile successfully combined the advantages of sharp-headed and blunt-headed projectiles - the blunt cap “bite” the projectile on the inclined armor, reducing the possibility of ricochet, contributed to a slight normalization of the projectile, destroyed the surface-hardened layer of armor, and protected the head of the projectile from destruction. The APC projectile worked well against both homogeneous and surface-hardened armor, as well as armor located at an angle. However, the projectile had one drawback - the blunt cap worsened its aerodynamics, which increased its dispersion and reduced the projectile's speed (and penetration) at long distances, especially large-caliber projectiles. As a result, shells of this type were used rather limitedly, mainly on small-caliber guns; in particular, they were included in the ammunition load of German 50-mm anti-tank and tank guns.
Sharp-headed solid projectile with armor-piercing tip and ballistic cap
APCBC (armor piercing capped ballistic capped) . A sharp-headed projectile with an armor-piercing cap and a ballistic tip. It was an ARS projectile equipped with a ballistic tip. This tip significantly improved the aerodynamic properties of the projectile, and when it hit the target, it easily crumpled without affecting the process of penetrating armor. APCBC shells were the pinnacle of development of armor-piercing caliber shells during the war, due to their versatility in relation to action on armor plates different types and tilt angles, with high armor penetration. Projectiles of this type have become widespread in the armies of Germany, the USA and Great Britain since 1942-43, virtually displacing all other types of armor-piercing caliber projectiles. However, reverse side high efficiency the projectile was of great complexity and cost of its production; for this reason, the USSR was unable to establish mass production of shells of this type during the war.
Armor-piercing chamber shells
These shells are similar to conventional armor-piercing shells, only they have a “chamber” with TNT or heating element in the rear part. When it hits a target, the projectile pierces the barrier and explodes in the middle of the cabin, for example, hitting all the equipment and also the crew. Its armor penetration is higher than that of the standard one, but due to its lower mass and strength, it is inferior to its “brother” in terms of armor penetration.
The principle of operation of a chamber armor-piercing projectile
Sharp-headed chamber projectile
APHE (armor piercing high explosive) . Chamber sharp-headed armor-piercing projectile. In the rear part there is a cavity (chamber) with a TNT explosive charge, as well as a bottom fuse. The bottom fuses of shells at that time were not sufficiently advanced, which sometimes led to a premature explosion of a shell before penetrating the armor, or to failure of the fuse after penetration. When it hit the ground, a projectile of this type most often did not explode. Projectiles of this type were used very widely, especially in large-caliber artillery, where the large mass of the projectile compensated for its shortcomings, as well as in small-caliber artillery systems, for which the determining factor was the simplicity and low cost of producing projectiles. Such shells were used in Soviet, German, Polish and French artillery systems.
Blunt-headed chamber projectile (with ballistic tip)
APHEBC (armor piercing high explosive projectile with a blunt nose and a ballistic cap) . A chambered, blunt-headed armor-piercing projectile. Similar to the APBC projectile, but had a cavity (chamber) with a bursting charge and a bottom fuse in the rear part. It had the same advantages and disadvantages as the APBC, being distinguished by a higher armor effect, since after penetrating the armor the projectile exploded inside the target. In fact, it was a slow-witted analogue of an APHE projectile. This projectile is designed to penetrate high-hardness armor and destroys the initial layer of armor, which is highly brittle, with a blunt head. During the War, the advantages of this projectile were its good effectiveness against inclined armor, as well as its simplicity and manufacturability. The disadvantages of blunt-headed projectiles were their lower efficiency against homogeneous armor, as well as the tendency for the projectile to destroy when it hits the armor at a significant angle of inclination. Projectiles of this type were used only in the USSR, where they were the main type of armor-piercing projectiles throughout the war. At the beginning of the war, when the Germans used relatively thin cemented armor, these shells worked quite satisfactorily. However, since 1943, when German armored vehicles began to be protected by thick homogeneous armor, the effectiveness of this type of projectiles decreased, which led to the development and adoption of sharp-nosed projectiles at the end of the war.
Sharp-headed chamber projectile with armor-piercing tip
ARHCE (armor piercing high capped explosive) A sharp-headed projectile with an armor-piercing tip. This projectile is an APHE projectile equipped with a blunt armor-piercing tip. Thus, this projectile successfully combines the advantages of sharp-headed and blunt-headed projectiles - the blunt tip “bites” the projectile on the inclined armor, preventing ricochet, destroys the heavy layer of armor, and protects the head of the projectile from destruction. During the APC War, the projectile performed well against both homogeneous and surface-hardened armor, as well as armor located at an angle. However, the blunt tip worsened the aerodynamics of the projectile, which increased its dispersion and reduced the speed and penetration of the projectile at long distances, which was especially noticeable on large-caliber projectiles.
Pointed-head chamber projectile with armor-piercing tip and ballistic cap
(APHECBC - Armour-Piercing high explosive capped ballistic cap). The projectile is pointed-headed, with a ballistic tip and an armor-piercing cap, chambered. The addition of a ballistic cap significantly improved the aerodynamic properties of the projectile, and when it hit the target, the cap easily crumpled without affecting the process of penetrating armor. In general, based on the totality of its properties, this type can be considered the best caliber armor-piercing projectile. The projectile was universal and was the crown of development of AP projectiles during the Second World War. Worked well against any type of armor. It was expensive and difficult to produce.
Sub-caliber shells
Sub-caliber projectile
Sabot projectile (APCR - Armour-Piercing Composite Rigid) had a rather complex design, consisting of two main parts - an armor-piercing core and a pallet. The task of the pallet, made of mild steel, was to accelerate the projectile in the barrel bore. When the projectile hit the target, the pan was crushed, and the heavy and hard pointed core, made of tungsten carbide, pierced the armor. The projectile did not have a bursting charge, ensuring that the target was hit by fragments of the core and fragments of armor heated to high temperatures. Sub-caliber projectiles had significantly less weight compared to conventional armor-piercing projectiles, which allowed them to accelerate in the gun barrel to significantly higher speeds. As a result, the penetration of sub-caliber shells turned out to be significantly higher. The use of sub-caliber shells made it possible to significantly increase the armor penetration of existing guns, which made it possible to hit even outdated guns against more modern, well-armored armored vehicles. At the same time, sub-caliber shells had a number of disadvantages. Their shape resembled a coil (shells of this type and streamlined shape existed, but they were significantly less common), which greatly worsened the ballistics of the projectile, in addition, the lightweight projectile quickly lost speed; as a result, at long distances the armor penetration of sub-caliber projectiles dropped significantly, turning out to be even lower than that of classic armor-piercing projectiles. Disposal projectiles did not work well against sloping armor, since the hard but brittle core easily broke under the influence of bending loads. The armor-piercing effect of such shells was inferior to armor-piercing caliber shells. Small-caliber sub-caliber projectiles were ineffective against armored vehicles that had protective shields made of thin steel. These shells were expensive and difficult to manufacture, and most importantly, scarce tungsten was used in their manufacture. As a result, the number of sub-caliber shells in the ammunition load of guns during the war was small; they were allowed to be used only to hit heavily armored targets at short distances. The German army was the first to use sub-caliber shells in small quantities in 1940 during battles in France. In 1941, faced with well-armored Soviet tanks, the Germans switched to extensive use of sub-caliber shells, which significantly increased the anti-tank capabilities of their artillery and tanks. However, a shortage of tungsten limited the production of projectiles of this type; as a result, in 1944, the production of German sub-caliber shells was discontinued, while most of the shells fired during the war years were of a small caliber (37-50 mm). Trying to get around the tungsten problem, the Germans produced steel-core sabot projectiles Pzgr.40(C) and surrogate Pzgr.40(W) projectiles, which were a sub-caliber projectile without a core. In the USSR, fairly large-scale production of sub-caliber shells, created on the basis of captured German ones, began at the beginning of 1943, and most of the shells produced were of 45 mm caliber. The production of these shells of larger calibers was limited by a shortage of tungsten, and they were issued to troops only when there was a threat of an enemy tank attack, and a report was required to be written for each shell used. Also, sub-caliber shells were used to a limited extent by the British and American armies in the second half of the war.
Sub-caliber projectile with detachable tray
Discarding sabot projectile (APDS - Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot) . This projectile has an easily detachable tray, released by air resistance after the projectile leaves the barrel, and had enormous speed (about 1700 meters per second and above). The core, freed from the pan, has good aerodynamics and retains high penetration ability over long distances. It was made of super-hard material (special steel, tungsten alloy). Thus, the action of this type of projectile resembled an AP projectile accelerated to high speeds. APDS shells had record armor penetration, but were very complex and expensive to produce. During the Second World War, such shells were used to a limited extent by the British army from the end of 1944. Modern armies still use improved shells of this type.
HEAT shells
HEAT projectile
Cumulative projectile (HEAT - High-Explosive Anti-Tank) . The operating principle of this armor-piercing ammunition differs significantly from the operating principle of kinetic ammunition, which includes conventional armor-piercing and sub-caliber projectiles. A cumulative projectile is a thin-walled steel projectile filled with a powerful explosive - hexogen, or a mixture of TNT and hexogen. At the front of the projectile, the explosive has a goblet-shaped recess lined with metal (usually copper). The projectile has a sensitive head fuse. When a projectile collides with armor, the explosive detonates. At the same time, the lining metal is melted and compressed by the explosion into a thin stream (pestle), flying forward at extremely high speed and piercing armor. The armor effect is ensured by a cumulative jet and splashes of armor metal. The hole of a cumulative projectile is small in size and has melted edges, which has led to a common misconception that cumulative projectiles “burn through” the armor. Soviet tank crews aptly dubbed such marks “Witch’s Hickey.” In addition to cumulative shells, such charges are used in anti-tank magnetic grenades and Panzerfaust hand grenade launchers. The penetration of a cumulative projectile does not depend on the speed of the projectile and is the same at all distances. Its production is quite simple; the production of the projectile does not require the use of a large amount of scarce metals. But it is worth noting that the manufacturing technology of these projectiles was not sufficiently developed, as a result, their penetration was relatively low (approximately the same as the caliber of the projectile or slightly higher) and was unstable. The rotation of the projectile at high initial speeds made it difficult to form a cumulative jet; as a result, the cumulative projectiles had a low initial speed, a short effective firing range and high dispersion, which was also facilitated by the non-optimal shape of the projectile head from an aerodynamic point of view (its configuration was determined by the presence of a notch).
Action of a cumulative projectile
Non-rotating (feathered) cumulative projectiles
A number of post-war tanks use non-rotating (finned) cumulative projectiles. They could be fired from both smooth-bore and rifled guns. Feathered projectiles are stabilized in flight by a caliber or over-caliber fin, which opens after the projectile leaves the barrel, in contrast to early cumulative projectiles. The absence of rotation improves the formation of a cumulative jet and significantly increases armor penetration. For the correct action of cumulative projectiles, the final, and therefore the initial, velocity is relatively small. This allowed during the Great Patriotic War use not only guns, but also howitzers with initial speeds of 300-500 m/sec to fight enemy tanks. Thus, early cumulative shells had a typical armor penetration of 1-1.5 calibers, while post-war ones had 4 or more. However, feathered projectiles have a slightly lower armor effect compared to conventional cumulative projectiles.
Concrete-piercing shells
Concrete-piercing projectile is a percussion projectile. Concrete-piercing shells are intended to destroy strong concrete and reinforced concrete fortifications. When firing concrete-piercing projectiles, as well as when firing armor-piercing projectiles, the speed of the projectile when meeting an obstacle, the angle of impact and the strength of the projectile body are of decisive importance. The body of the concrete-piercing projectile is made of high-quality steel; the walls are thick, and the head part is solid. This is done to increase the strength of the projectile. To increase the strength of the head of the projectile, a point for the fuse is made in the bottom part. To destroy concrete fortifications, it is necessary to use high-power guns, so concrete-piercing shells are used only mainly in large-caliber guns, and their effect consists of impact and high-explosive. In addition to all of the above, a concrete-piercing projectile, in the absence of armor-piercing and cumulative ones, can be successfully used against heavily armored vehicles.
Fragmentation and high-explosive shells
High-explosive fragmentation projectile
High-explosive fragmentation projectile (HE - High-Explosive) It has fragmentation and high-explosive effects and is used to destroy structures, destroy weapons and equipment, destroy and suppress enemy personnel. Structurally, a high-explosive fragmentation projectile is a metal cylindrical thick-walled capsule filled with explosive. In the head of the projectile there is a fuse that includes a detonation control system and a detonator. TNT or its passivated version (with paraffin or other substances) is usually used as the main explosive to reduce sensitivity to detonation. To ensure high hardness of fragments, the projectile body is made of high-carbon steel or steel cast iron. Often, to form a more uniform fragmentation field, notches or grooves are applied to the inner surface of the projectile capsule.
When it hits a target, the projectile explodes, hitting the target with fragments and a blast wave, either immediately - a fragmentation effect, or with some delay (which allows the projectile to go deeper into the ground) - a high-explosive effect. Well-armored vehicles are resistant to these ammunition. However, a direct hit in vulnerable areas (turret hatches, engine compartment radiator, ejection screens of the aft ammunition rack, triplexes, chassis, etc.) can cause critical damage (cracking of armor plates, jamming of the turret, failure of instruments and mechanisms) and disabling crew members out of action. And the larger the caliber, the stronger the effect of the projectile.
Shrapnel shell
Shrapnel got its name in honor of its inventor, the English officer Henry Shrapnel, who developed this projectile in 1803. In its original form, shrapnel was an explosive spherical grenade for smooth-bore guns, into the internal cavity of which lead bullets were poured along with black powder. The projectile was a cylindrical body divided by a cardboard partition (diaphragm) into 2 compartments. There was an explosive charge in the bottom compartment. The other compartment contained spherical bullets.
The Red Army made attempts to use shrapnel shells as armor-piercing shells. Before and during the Great Patriotic War, artillery rounds with shrapnel shells were included in the ammunition load of most artillery systems. For example, the first self-propelled gun SU-12, which entered service with the Red Army in 1933 and was equipped with a 76-mm cannon mod. 1927, the ammunition carried was 36 rounds, of which one half was shrapnel and the other half was high-explosive fragmentation.
In the absence of armor-piercing shells, in the early stages of the war artillerymen often used shrapnel shells with a tube set “to strike.” In terms of its qualities, such a projectile occupied an intermediate position between high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing, which is reflected in the game.
Armor-piercing high-explosive shells
Armor-piercing high-explosive projectile (HESH - High Explosive Squash Head) – a high-explosive main-purpose projectile designed to destroy armored targets. It can also be used to destroy defensive structures, which makes it multi-purpose (universal). It consists of a thin-walled steel body, an explosive charge made of plastic explosives and a bottom fuse. Upon impact with the armor, the head part and the explosive charge are plastically deformed, thereby increasing the area of contact of the latter with the target. The explosive charge is detonated by a bottom fuse, which provides the explosion with a certain directionality. As a result, the armor chips away from the back side. The mass of broken pieces can reach several kilograms. Pieces of armor hit the crew and internal equipment of the tank. The effectiveness of an armor-piercing high-explosive projectile is significantly reduced when shielded armor is used. In addition, the low initial speed of armor-piercing high-explosive shells reduces the likelihood of hitting fast-moving armored targets at real tank combat ranges.
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