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U.S. Army 1944 Firing Test No.1

Posted on 13 April 1998 by John  — 0 Comments 

Report on Comparative Firing Program Witnessed at hoeb!ryness" #sse$" %3 &ay 19'' by

()) Army *ead+!arters #,- representatives)

ARMORED FIGHTING VEHICES ! "EA#ONS SECTION

A#O $$%

319)1 . %' &ay 19''

&#&-RA/(& ,- #$e2!tive -i2er" AF45W e2tion" *+)" #,-(A)

(6J#C, Report on Comparative Firing Program Witnessed at hoeb!ryness" #sse$" %3

&ay 19'')

1) 7ntrod!2tion Comparative iring tests beteen :mm ;&1<" 1pdr ;&=)7<" 90mm ;&1<"

and >mm ;&=)4<" g!ns ere 2ond!2ted against rolled homogeneo!s armo!r plate at 30?

obli+!ity ith servi2e" APC;6C<" amm!nitions) ,he 1pdr ired solid shot" the 90mm and

:mm g!ns ired shot loaded ith a base 2harge o #$plosive @" and the >mm ired both

inert loaded and #$plosive @ loaded shot)

%) Program

a) Phase 7 . ,he 1pdr" 90mm and :mm ere ired at 1%0mm homo plates ;B 30?< at 800"

'00" and 100 yards to determine their 2omparative armor penetration 2hara2teristi2s)

 b) Phase 77 . ,he 1pdr" 90mm and :mm ere ired at 100mm homo plate ;B 30?< ba2=ed

!p by a verti2al 100mm plate at >00 yards to determine the relative damage 2a!sed behind

the irstD plate)

2) Phase 777 . >mm APC &:1" inert loaded and #$plosive @ loaded" as ired at a %0mm

homo plate spa2ed : in2hes 1>%mmD in ront o a >0mm a2e hardened ;1< plate at 30?

obli+!ity at >00 yards to determine the limitations o base 2harge shot as opposed to solidshot in the atta2= o spa2ed armor)

3) Res!lts . ;ee 7n2los!re /o)1< ,he iring tests ere too brie to s!pport any positive

2on2l!sions" hoever the tests indi2ated that

a) At 2lose ranges the 1pdr g!n has de2idedly s!perior armor penetrating 2hara2teristi2s as

2ompared ith the other g!ns and amm!nition ired)

 b) Phase 77 . ,he instantaneo!s detonation o the relatively large base 2harge o the 90mm"

hell" APC &8% adversely ee2ts the armor penetration 2hara2teristi2s o this amm!nition

against heavy armor plate at 30? obli+!ity) As a res!lt" !nder 2ertain 2ombinations o rangeand armor thi2=ness" it 2an be o!tEperormed by inert loaded :mm APC &:%)

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2) Phase 777 . 7t is possible to deeat the atta2= o >mm APC &:1" #$plosive @ loaded" at

2ertain obli+!ities and ranges ith a %0mm homo plate spa2ed : in2hes in ront o a >0mm

a2e hardened1 plate) ,his dei2ien2y is !rther s!pported by e$tensive iring tests 2ond!2ted

!nder -rdnan2e 6oard Pro2eedings /o) %:"'9>) ;ee 7n2los!re /o)%<)

') Addend!m . 6last ee2t o :mm g!n &1" in &edi!m ,an=" &'A1" d!ring iring tests) Atotal o o!r ;'< ro!nds ere observed rom the tan= 2ommanders position) 6last obs2!ration

timed in observing a target at 1000 yards varied beteen 3)1 and >)8 se2onds) 7t is not

 believed that tra2er 2o!ld have been pi2=ed !p by a tan= 2ommander ith ield glasses !nder 

1>00 yards) Firing as 2ond!2ted in a > to 10 mile" 1% o2lo2= ind" in a grassy ield) ,here

as absol!tely no d!st en2o!ntered) All obs2!ration res!lted rom m!GGle smo=e)

RH ) 6R#/," 77"

Captain" Cavalry

% 7n2ls

7n2l 1 . Re2ord o Firing)

7n2l % . !mmary o -rd 6d Pro2eedings %:'9>

 /otes

;1< ,he original ording o the report states @homo in type b!t this has been 2rossed o!t and

@a2e hardened ritten in in hand riting)

In&'os(re No.1

RECORD OF COM#ARATIVE FIRING TEST

hoeb!ryness . %3 &ay 19''

Rolled *omo B 30? I ervi2e 4elo2ity Amm!nition

ROUND AMMUNITION))) RANGEARMOUR 

THIC*NESS

+DF

FUNCT,

IONING RESUTS))

P*A# 71 90mm hell" APC &8% 800 yds 1%0mm yes ## . epth 3" 6!lge 3K8

% 1pdr APC6C 800 yds 1%0mm E #T#

3 5 'L 90mm hell" APC &8% '00 yds 1%0mm yes ## . epth '" 6!lge 1M

> :mm hell" APC &:% '00 yds 1%0mm no ## . epth %1K8" 6!lge 1K8

: 90mm hell" APC &8% 100 yds 1%0mm yes ## . epth '" 6!lge N

:mm hell" APC &:% 100 yds 1%0mm no ## . epth %O" 6!lge 1K8

P*A# 77

8 1pdr APC6C >00 yds 100mm E #T# . #$2ellent pall #e2t

9 90mm hell" APC &8% >00 yds 100mm yes ## . epth 33K8" 6!lge K8

10 :mm hell" APC &:% >00 yds 100mm no #T#

11 :mm hell" APC &:% >00 yds 100mm no #T#P*A# 777

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1% >mm hot" APC &:1 >00 yds %0mm

: in ront

o >0mm

 FH 1

E #T#

13 >mm hot" APC &:1 >00 yds E #T#

1' >mm hell" APC &:1 >00 yds no #T#

1> >mm hell" APC &:1 >00 yds yes ;see note %<

L !22essive ro!nds" point o impa2t one to to in2hes apart)

LL Res!lts

#T#  ProQe2tile passes thro!gh plate)

C#  Complete Penetration . proQe2tile ailed to pass thro!gh plate" b!t light visible thro!gh

hole or 2ra2= in plate)

##  Partial Penetration . ail!re to ma=e 2ra2= or hole in plate thro!gh hi2h light 3  is

visible)

LLL Hot /!mbers

90mm hell APC &8% . --P :

:mm hell APC &:% . --PE1E%>mm hot APC &:1 . 1%E%%'1>E%: -P

>mm hell APC &:1 . SRE3E'

Notes-

;1< F* Fa2e *ardened" the  FH   has been added in hand riting)

;%< Res!lt or this ro!nd reads @ProQe2tile passed thro!gh irst plate and base 2harge

detonated beteen plates . -nly spall and ragmentation ee2t on s!ra2e o se2ond plate)

;3< ,he ord ‘light’  has been added in hand riting)

In&'os(re No.

ARMORED FIGHTING VEHICES ! "EA#ONS SECTION

A#O $$%

SUMMAR/ OF CONCUSIONS FROM ORDNANCE +OARD #ROCEEDINGS No.

049

1) >mm APC &:1 7nert loaded and #$plosive @ loaded have similar ma$im!m

 perorative perorman2es against single homogeneo!s plate)

%) Against a spa2ed plate assembly 2onsisting o %0mm homo ' plate in ront o >0mm F*

 plate" the shell ailed at all velo2ities !p to the velo2ity o the g!n) ,he same shell" b!t ith

empty !se s!22eeded against this target at velo2ities above 180 Ks ;e+!ivalent to a range o 

abo!t 8>0 yards ith a &4 o %0>0 Ks<) ,he ail!re o the illed and !sed shell m!st be

attrib!ted to !se a2tion and detonation beteen the plates)

3) Against 0mm homo plate at normal or :0mm and thinner plates at 30? the shell as as

s!22ess!l as shot and gave detonations at distan2es o !p to %0 eet in rear o the target >)

') ,he ee2t o >mm and 8mm s=irting plate in ront o 30mm homo plate did not ae2t the perorman2e and s!22ess!l !n2tioning o the !se:)

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Notes-

;'< ,his possibly is a typo and sho!ld have been altered to Fa2e *ardened . it is !n2lear i 

 both plates ere a2eEhardened" or Q!st the se2ond ;>0mm thi2= < one)

;>< 0mm plate at 30? is e+!al to a thi2=ness o 81mm on the horiGontal plane) ,he re2ords o 

these irings are not in2l!ded in the do2!mentation);:< ,he re2ords o these irings are not in2l!ded in the do2!mentation)

CONSOIDATION OF DATA FROM ORDNANCE +OARD #ROCEEDINGS 2114

AND 094

>mm APC6C &:1 . *# illed vers!s 7nert loaded

>mm APC6C &:1 E *# illed vers!s 7nert loaded

ETOUSA OUTGOING MESSAGE

-R7S7/A,-R #,-(A)

A,# %' &ay 19'')

AC,7-/ ,- ASWAR)

7/F- ,- CS ASF)

,#T, Re2ent iring tests indi2ate tenty mm homo plate spa2ed si$ in2hes rom ity mm

F* plate at thirty degree obli+!ity ill deeat servi2e velo2ity seventyEive mm APC & si$tyEone at ive h!ndred yards by !n2tioning base !Ge)

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;signed #isenhoer<

Also tests itnessed indi2ated instantaneo!s !n2tioning o *# illing in ninety mm APC &

eightyEto does not permit satisa2tory armor penetration perorman2e on one h!ndred mm

homo plate at thirty degrees at ive h!ndred yards)

;Reeren2e #,-(A 2able WH dash to one nine to and 6ritish ordnan2e board

 pro2eeding n!mber to si$ ive nine o!r<

7 tests in ( indi2ate above dei2ien2ies 2annot be 2orre2ted immediately it is re+!ested all

seventyEive mm seventyEsi$ mm and ninety mm APC shipped or #,- be inert loaded)

7,R76(,7-/ -rd -" SE3" SE'" F(AS" *A#F)

-R7S7/A,7/S 7477-/ AF45W e2tion)

PR#C##/C# Ro!tine)

 /A&# 5 RA/ W) J) Reardon" Col" Cav" 1039)

,his signal as prepared as a res!lt o these tests b!t not a2t!ally sent ;possibly be2a!se o 

the potential morale ee2ts i it had lea=ed o!t or be2ome p!bli2 =noledge" or be2a!se the

tests ere not 2onsidered ade+!ate or this 2on2l!sion to be made<)

,his inormation above as s!pplied to me by Jim -/eil ;AriGona" (A<" the original

so!r2e is de2lassiied do2!ments made available in 19' and 1988)

S3re t3is-

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More i5e T3is-

1) ()) Army 19'' Firing ,est /o)% Firing ,ests 2ond!2ted 1%E30 J!ly 19'' by 1st ()) Army in

 /ormandy) R#P-R, -F PR-C##7/S -F 6-AR -F -FF7C#R -rganiGation *ead+!arters"First ()) Army) Pla2e)))

%) ()) Army 19'' Firing ,est /o)3 ()) Army Firing ,ests 2ond!2ted A!g!st 19'' by 1%th ())

Army Sro!p at 7signy" Fran2e) 6oard o -i2ers AP- :>> 30 A!g!st 19'' (6J#C, Final)))

3) #e2tiveness o 6ritish ;5 ())< ,an= S!ns #e2tiveness o S!ns and typi2al AF4 Ammo

Hoads in 6ritish ervi2e ;in2l!ding some ()) ,ypes<) ,his is a 19'' 6ritish War -i2e o2!ment)A)F)4) Armament")))

') etermining hot Penetration Chara2teristi2s ,he penetration o AP ;Armo!r Pier2ing< hot

is determined primarily by its eight and velo2ity at the moment o impa2t) -ther a2tors 2an inl!en2eits)))

>) ,able o Compo!nd Angles o 7mpa2t ,he Angle o 7mpa2t on Armo!r Plate ith the Angle o

Atta2= in the *oriGontal Plane Form!la Cosine ;Compo!nd Angle< Cosine ;4erti2al Angle< $)))

U #e2tiveness o 6ritish ;5 ())< ,an= S!ns

()) Ar