Why was the 122mm gun chosen for the IS-2 ?

Propaganda it might very well be, but I believe we are talking about the L/56 in any case. The story does have a core of thruth to it though; A shortage of manganese from late 1944 led to a switch to using high-carbon steel alloyed with nickel for armour plate on the Panther. this made the armour more brittle, particulary along the weld seams.

The Soviets did test their guns on captured enemy armour as well, so did the British. Often evaluating them against captured German guns in the same process. And it´s hard to tell sometimes where all those penetration tables comes from or what sources they are based upon.

 

Quite true....

That might explain why the front of the panther was ripped off... :lol:

KBO

 

How would a frontal hit ever do that? One would suppose that the thrust of the impact would be directed into the tank, rahter than to spread outward so diffusely as to rip off (sidewise? Upward? Down?) the glacis plate.

 

Yes i agree...

It is Russian propoganda....so what can i say...

Regards, KBO

 

Welcome back KBO!

I missed you!

:smok:

 

The kinetic and chemical energi has to go somewhere. If the projectile hits the Panther´s frontal glacis plate right on, then it would try to move it upwards I guess. If the welded seams were brittle one could easily imagine that they would crack, given the blast from the projectile was powerful enough. And the projectile from the 122mm gun gave quite a blast.

 

Thanks Greg..

Its nice to know

regards, KBO

 

Here are the results against 30* sloped armor for both the russian 122mm and the German 88mm L/56 and L/71, plus the american 90mm M3 and T15E2 gun :

88mm KwK43 (APCBC) at 30*: 500m=183mm / 1000m=167mm / 1500m=153mm / 2000m=139mm / 2500=132mm / 3000m=124mm.

88mm KwK36 (APCBC) at 30*: 500m=122mm / 1000m=111mm / 1500m=102mm / 2000m=93mm / 2500m=85mm / 3000m=78mm.

90mm T15E2 (APBC) at 30*: 457m=132mm / 914m=127mm / 1370m=124mm / 1830m=122mm / 2286m=118mm / 2743m=109mm.

90mm M3 (APCBC) at 30*: 457m=129mm / 914m=122mm / 1370m=114mm / 1830m=106mm / 2286m=99mm / 2743m=91mm.

90mm M3 (APBC) at 30*: 457m=119mm / 914m=117mm / 1370m=114mm / 1830m=109mm / 2286m=103mm / 2743m=98mm.

122mm DT25 (APBC) at 30*: 500m=128mm / 1000m=120mm / 1500m=111mm / 2000m=105mm / 2500m=99mm / 3000m=93mm.

100mm Bs-3 (APBC) at 30*: 500m=150mm / 1000m=140mm / 1500m=132mm / 2000m=121mm / 2500m=111mm / 3000m=106mm.

Sources: Jentz, Thomas L: Panzer Truppen Vol 2; Spielberger, Walter J.: Panzerkampfwagen Tiger und seine Abarten and Hogg, Ian V.: German Artillery of World War Two; Tom jentz, Peter Sarson: KingTiger Heavy tank 1942-45; Russian Military Zone; Soviet Guns 1920-1945 and Red Steel. Plus some info from Livingstones and Birds WW2 ballistics and ammunition. and the "Onlineconversion" site.

All the best, KBO