Early HEAT for Soviet tanks...

[Pibwl]

One more thing: according to a quoted Russian article, the first Heat round for 100 mm D-10T gun - spinless 3BK5 / 3BK5M (according to Bronekllektsya, 390mm penetration) was introduced only in 1961. Also in Tekhnika i Vooruzhenie 10/2008 monograph on T-54 there is ammo for T-54A quoted: 20 HE, 14 AP, and Heat is mentioned only from 1961.

To make it complete, a Bronekollektsya monograph of T-55 claims, that in 1967 there appeared first sabot round 3BM10 (up to 290mm penetration - at 2km?), then only in 1980s: HEAT 3BK17M and sabot 3BM25.

Regards
Michal

[Marcello]

Originally Posted by Pibwl

One more thing: according to a quoted Russian article, the first Heat round for 100 mm D-10T gun - spinless 3BK5 / 3BK5M (according to Bronekllektsya, 390mm penetration) was introduced only in 1961. Also in Tekhnika i Vooruzhenie 10/2008 monograph on T-54 there is ammo for T-54A quoted: 20 HE, 14 AP, and Heat is mentioned only from 1961.

To make it complete, a Bronekollektsya monograph of T-55 claims, that in 1967 there appeared first sabot round 3BM10 (up to 290mm penetration - at 2km?), then only in 1980s: HEAT 3BK17M and sabot 3BM25.

Regards
Michal

From what I recall from discussions on tanknet BK-5 - BK-5M had rather different performance, it was something like 280mm - 380mm (BK-5M incorporated a wave shaper). BK-5 was also available earlier, around 1958 or so.

Some combat load that I collected:
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showt...ht=combat+load

[DRG]

Originally Posted by Marcello

Some combat load that I collected:
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showt...ht=combat+load

Related to this topic.

I am checking total ammo loadouts for all T-54 and T-55's in the game and correcting the ones that deviate from the standard.

That said I am finding quite a few late model T-55's with less than the standard 43 total rounds and I'm wondering if in modernizing these things the ammo load was reduced somewhat ? I'm not having a lot of success finding any relevant info on this.


Don

[Pibwl]

Originally Posted by DRG

That said I am finding quite a few late model T-55's with less than the standard 43 total rounds and I'm wondering if in modernizing these things the ammo load was reduced somewhat ? I'm not having a lot of success finding any relevant info on this.

Yes. Czechoslovak T-55AM1/2 Kladivo had 38 rounds due to FC system blocks (18 HE, 4 AP, 6 HEAT, 10 APDS). Polish T-55AM Merida had 41. I haven't found info on Soviet T-55M/AM with Volna, but it was probably the same case.

Michal

[Pibwl]

Originally Posted by Marcello

From what I recall from discussions on tanknet BK-5 - BK-5M had rather different performance, it was something like 280mm - 380mm (BK-5M incorporated a wave shaper). BK-5 was also available earlier, around 1958 or so.

I'm only quoting what is in publications:
- M. Pavlov and I. Pavlov in TiV 9/2008 write, that in 1961 there was introduced 3UBK4 cartridge with 3BK5 or 3BK5M rounds. Heat round could pierce 180mm inclined at 60deg (they don't write which one, but it looks like both were similar). There is no explanation of the difference, but in case of 76mm D-56, BK-354 had steel cone, while BK-354M had copper one (M for "myednaya" - copper). They repeated it in TiV 10/2008 on T-54 tank.
- authors of Bronekolektsya 4/2008 on T-55 tank even wrote, that 3BK5M was used in T-55 from 1963, and it penetrated 390mm.

Regards
Michal