10-20-2020, 11:03 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Feb 2014
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Replenishing a WW2 tank?
Say a bunch of tanks (Pathers or Tigers etc) are in a heavy firefight:
Do they keep firing until they're running low , then keep 2 or three shells to make their escape? Did each model carry a different amount of shells and shell types i.e HE or amour piercing? Where do they go to be resupplied, surely the ammo / fuel dump's location should be secret?. If the other side know where the ammo dump is they could just go and destroy it? or in an emergency could they expect to be resupplied by the air force? |
10-20-2020, 01:09 PM | #2 | |||
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Re: Replenishing a WW2 tank?
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A small temporary resupply site might be a short-lived secret, but mostly aimed at not letting the enemy know where it will be before it's even set up so they can get an airstrike on it. Quote:
Air resupply of tank forces is possible, but horribly expensive. It might happen if the assets are available and the people controlling them really needs your unit resupplied, but don't count on it.
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10-20-2020, 01:35 PM | #3 | |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Replenishing a WW2 tank?
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Also, unless the tank needs repairs or is going to be reassigned, you probably bring the supplies to the tank (in a truck), rather than having the tank drive back to the supply depot. |
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10-20-2020, 03:53 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Jun 2016
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Re: Replenishing a WW2 tank?
Most tanks carried about 30% AP and 70% HE. Running into other tanks was pretty uncommon. Since tanks can go off road, their ammunition supply needs to follow them. It was common to have tracked vehicles to supply ammunition. Here’s a photo of an ammunition carrier for a Sturmgeschütz assault gun.
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10-20-2020, 04:22 PM | #5 |
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Southeast NC
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Re: Replenishing a WW2 tank?
Only a small portion of the ammo load would be "ready stowage" (i.e. convenient and quick to access). Once you run low of that, ideally you'd want a chance to reload the ready racks from reserve stowage under the floor and scattered around the hull.
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RyanW - Actually one normal sized guy in three tiny trenchcoats. |
10-20-2020, 04:30 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Re: Replenishing a WW2 tank?
Any military unit has its own organic stores and ammo teams, whose job is to collect from the rear echelon units and deliver to the front line. Part of a unit's battleplan involves arranging rendezvous to transfer supplies - retreating these may be pre-arranged, advancing they are generally on call. Ideally these will be carried out at leisure between tasks, otherwise unit officers need to arrange the details, sending individual vehicles into cover to transfer rounds.
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10-20-2020, 05:24 PM | #7 | ||||
Join Date: Oct 2008
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Re: Replenishing a WW2 tank?
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Tanks cannot really be effectively supplied by air by anyone in WW2. But as said the likely supply comes by truck. |
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10-20-2020, 05:36 PM | #8 |
Icelandic - Approach With Caution
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Reykjavík, Iceland
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Re: Replenishing a WW2 tank?
I looked up the Panther. It had a total ammo load of 79-82 rounds (depending on variant). Of those only three were in the ready rack.
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10-20-2020, 05:46 PM | #9 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wellington, NZ
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Re: Replenishing a WW2 tank?
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Resupplying a tank is a pain, as each round has to be lifted into the tank, by hand, and then placed in its rack, by hand. Each type needs to be placed in the same spot every time, so that the loader will know what they're picking by placement so they can quickly find the right kind of shell rapidly, in a tank that might be moving, and might be quite dark inside.
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10-20-2020, 05:49 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wellington, NZ
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Re: Replenishing a WW2 tank?
There were quite a few more that were readily available to the loader in the hull sponsons. Are the loader was on the right, the right-hand sponson racks would also count as 'ready'.
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