| Achtung Minen | 22 Mar 2007 6:46 a.m. PST |
My search-fu is weak today, can anyone provide me with the armour penetration and maximum point-target range of the German LG40 75mm recoilless rifle? If you have the same info for its bigger cousin, the 105mm variant, that would help too! I'm pretty sure they both used HC or HEAT rounds, so the penetration should be consistant at any range. |
| Achtung Minen | 22 Mar 2007 9:03 a.m. PST |
Just found the ranges of these weapons. Lexicon der Wehrmacht puts the 75mm range at a stunning 6 and a half kilometers while the 105mm LG42 can reach out to 8 kilometers. I've also read elsewhere that the backblast of these weapons was out to 50 meters. Still the ranges seem pretty long HEAT rockets. Here is a link to that site (it's in German): link |
| Achtung Minen | 22 Mar 2007 9:07 a.m. PST |
And THIS site ( link ) puts the 75mm at 50mm penetration (30 degree plate). One down! |
| Griefbringer | 22 Mar 2007 9:21 a.m. PST |
Those 6-8 kilometer ranges are probably at rather high elevation, so primarily for indirect fire. Griefbringer |
| Bob in Edmonton | 22 Mar 2007 9:40 a.m. PST |
Wow, I've got models of those in 6mm. Have to put them on the board next game! Talk about good stand off weapons! |
| LFreeman | 22 Mar 2007 10:15 a.m. PST |
Yeah, but at that range, I'll bet they're just happy if they hit the earth, let alone the target. With that huge backblast, to another FO, that will look like a giant sign saying "shoot me!" I'm willing to bet their use was more subdued and hidden or only used when the range was such it could get a kill as 50mm, even at 30 degrees, isn't alot.
Larry |
aecurtis  | 22 Mar 2007 3:35 p.m. PST |
I don't *even* want to get into this again! Allen |
| Achtung Minen | 22 Mar 2007 9:37 p.m. PST |
Well I can't find anything on the 105mm. I'm just going to guess that if the armour penetration of a HEAT round is roughly connected to the size of the round, and a 75mm round penetrates 50mm of armour, then a 105mm round probably penetrates around 70mm. |
| Mobius | 24 Mar 2007 1:51 p.m. PST |
Range:
The 75mm was about 6800m. The 105mm was 7950m. There was considerable backblast 50m-100m with debris throw up. The firer was suppose to stuff clay or mud in their ears to prevent eardrum bursting. The HEAT rounds were the standard HEAT shell used in the same sized infantry howitzer. |
| Conrad | 25 Mar 2007 2:36 p.m. PST |
Given the huge backblast from a RR, I doubt that they could even be "cocked-up" to give them any elevation at all. Killing the crew with a giant blast of debris would militate against getting a second shot in, after all. |
| crhkrebs | 03 Apr 2007 5:30 a.m. PST |
I agree that the distances given are for maximum artillery (indirect) fire. But, as Conrad askes, how do you fire a open-ended recoiless gun in this way? Ralph |
| Achtung Minen | 03 Apr 2007 5:44 a.m. PST |
Some kind of elbow-macaroni like tube attached to the end would not be unfeasible, although I have never heard of the Germans using anything like it. |
| Griefbringer | 04 Apr 2007 12:31 a.m. PST |
I would think that placing the RR on the backward slope of a hill would allow for the sufficient elevation without causing troubles with the back blast. Griefbringer |
| GrotGnome | 04 Apr 2007 1:08 a.m. PST |
The back blasts from 6 rockets launching from a nebelwerfer over a couple of seconds doesn't seem to bother the crew – they always fire indirectly. |
