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Survey of Allied Tank Casualties in WWII


Priory_of_Sion

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Here are some interesting pages from the report. Probably add more later. 

 

Summary

5wYF1oy.png

 

Basic Breakdown of Causes of Tank Losses

rZvXaS0.png

 

Average Range of Gunfire/Panzerfausts

3sNFK7G.png

 

Placement of Gunfire Hits

OrLYFnx.png

 

Caliber of Enemy Gunfire(most 8.8 cm are actually misidentified 7.5 cm, which is noted later in the report)

teFWUGY.png

 

Mine/Tank Exchange Rate

RMMllyt.png

 

Crew Casualties by Position

GpHjgf7.png

 

Sampling of Tank Losses 

LvXvwfJ.jpg

 

 

Causes of Vehicles Destroyed v. Vehicle Disabled

RzeqFn4.png

 

 
Distribution of Gunfire Hits(Aspect)

ZnWe8CI.png

 
 

 

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It would be interesting to compare this to the Soviet data I have. Until I put up a proper article, have some scraps of info:

T-70s: 

Front hull: 8.5%

Turret front: 5.6%

Total front: 14.1%

 

Hull side: 43.8%

Turret side: 18.4%

Total side: 62.2%

 

Hull rear: 12%

Turret rear: 0.5%

Total rear: 12.5%

 

Hull roof: 2.4%

Turret roof: 5.0%

Total roof: 7.4%

 

About the same side shots, but a lot more rear and top shots. The numbers don't add up to 100% since there are other hits to weird parts of the tank I didn't take into account.

 

T-34:

Hull front: 22.65%

Turret front: 4.86%

Total front: 27.51%

 

Hull side: 50.5%

Turret side: 8.61%

Total side: 59.11%

 

Hull rear: 7.52%

Turret rear: 2.48%

Total rear: 10%

 

Hull roof: 0.19%

Turret roof: 1.11%

Total roof: 1.3%

 

Again, less hits in the front, a little more to the rear, about the same side. 

 

AT artillery calibers (knocked out by)

88: 35.2%

75: 46.2%

50: 12.8%

37: 5.0%

Mines: 0.8%

 

Looks like the Western Front had a hell of a lot more heavy guns.

 

Orel-Kursk Operation (tank types not given)

Turret: 38%

Hull front: 26%

Hull sides: 34%

Rear: 2%

 

Rechitskaya Operation (tank types not given)

Turret: 32%

Front: 23%

Sides: 41%

Rear: 4%

 

The amount of rear shots has fallen to about Western European levels, but the weirdness with counting turret shots as a separate category doesn't allow for a full comparison. 

 

Rogachevskaya operation: 20% of hits are 105 mm HEAT! So much for all the big guns being West.

 

T-34, summer 1944:

Turret front: 15%

Front hull: 16.2%

Total front: 31.2%

 

Turret sides: 23%

Sides: 35.3%

Total sides: 58.3%

 

Turret rear: 8%

Hull rear: 2.5%

Total rear: 10.5%

 

Again, really close to American numbers, but the rear of the turret gets hit a hell of a lot. I guess the Soviets are more inclined to rotate their turret actively in combat?

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I'll get that scan on Sunday. I don't have access to the doc until then.  

 

I'm a little surprised that 29% of hits to the front hull of Panthers and Tigers penetrated. Blows a hole in the "invincible from the front" argument even though most hits came from the sides anyway.  

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  • 4 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I'll get that scan on Sunday. I don't have access to the doc until then.  

 

I'm a little surprised that 29% of hits to the front hull of Panthers and Tigers penetrated. Blows a hole in the "invincible from the front" argument even though most hits came from the sides anyway.  

Was this purely with American guns, or does it include British? It's impressive either way, but even moreso if the former.

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