Unsually modified Tanks

[smurf]

Another field mod was to cover the glacis in sand bags to add another layer of protection.

Zimmerite Paste was used by the Germans to prevent sticky bombs. IIRC this then developed into spaced armour to hold off shaped charges.

[Þorkell]

Originally Posted by smurf

Zimmerite Paste was used by the Germans to prevent sticky bombs. IIRC this then developed into spaced armour to hold off shaped charges.

Magnetic bombs actually. They stopped applying the paste when they discovered that they were the only ones using said bombs.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

Magnetic bombs actually. They stopped applying the paste when they discovered that they were the only ones using said bombs.

Also it was (incorrectly) rumoured to be a fire risk. Besides it didn't stop sticky bombs from sticking, though they weren't a major problem for tanks, being seldom used on them.

As for the skirts and other sheets of steel the Germans started adding - they were not a development of the paste, but a different idea entirely, and were originally intended as a defence not against the HEAT warheads of early LAWs (against which they weren't that useful anyway because those weapons tended to have less stand-off than was optimal so giving them more didn't hurt them much), but against Soviet 14.5mm anti-tank rifles, against which they were reasonably effective. Indeed, their effect vs the AT rifles when mounted on the sides of the Panther's hull was good enough that the Panther II was put on hold, as the weakness of the mid-hull side armour was a major reason for the Panther II's development.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Rupert

Also it was (incorrectly) rumoured to be a fire risk. Besides it didn't stop sticky bombs from sticking, though they weren't a major problem for tanks, being seldom used on them.

Sticky bombs seem (based on anecdotal evidence) to have mostly adhered to the users' own uniforms, rather than to often-muddy enemy tanks, hence their falling out of use fairly quickly.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Sticky bombs seem (based on anecdotal evidence) to have mostly adhered to the users' own uniforms, rather than to often-muddy enemy tanks, hence their falling out of use fairly quickly.

They were incredibly dangerous if you were careless or under-trained. Hence why they were rather unpopular with the Home Guard, and with many regular soldiers. People like the Commandos and the Long Range Desert Group found them pretty useful though - but not for tank killing. They were mostly used on trucks and other relatively soft targets, as they had a HE warhead, not a HEAT warhead and were therefore difficult to kill modern tanks with.

[acrosome]

Various folks would apply track-wideners to reduce ground pressure. I think the Americans called these "duckbills". On the other hand, the Germans had to put special narrow tracks on their heavy tanks to get them to fit onto railroad flatcars.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by acrosome

Various folks would apply track-wideners to reduce ground pressure. I think the Americans called these "duckbills". On the other hand, the Germans had to put special narrow tracks on their heavy tanks to get them to fit onto railroad flatcars.

And usually, in practice, didn't bother if they knew the route didn't go through any tight tunnels or the like, even though that was against regulations.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by smurf

Another field mod was to cover the glacis in sand bags to add another layer of protection.

Which, it's generally asserted, didn't really provide any useful protection.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Which, it's generally asserted, didn't really provide any useful protection.

Things that are broadly effective usually make it into the standard version, so pretty much all field mods are either ineffectual, very situational, or responding to previously unknown threats.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Things that are broadly effective usually make it into the standard version, so pretty much all field mods are either ineffectual, very situational, or responding to previously unknown threats.

Sometimes the troops at the front and the people controlling procurement just have divergent priorities.

Which might apply in this case - medium tank crews might have generally preferred to have heavier tanks than they were provided. But they didn't have a really effective way to implement that preference.