tanks vs rpg's

[ranXerox]

I'm just wondering.. I've experienced alot of penetrations from rpg-7(or similar) against even the best of tanks, and to the frontal armour. Many M1-tanks lost due those rpg-7(which maximum penetration is 380mm). Is this because of some strange randomizer in the game, as it counts how many points it can penetrate? To my knowledge, it is almost 100,00% impossible to penetrate M1's frontal armour with those old rpg's..

Just now we're playing China vs. Taiwan battle in 2010 with my friend and I just lost taiwanese M1A1ROC to RPG-69(chinese RPG-7) hitting it in front, from maybe 300 meter away(yes I know it means nothing with HEAT, but it was not an ASSAULT).

Can someone explain this?

[JaM]

Look at penetration values and then look at where exactly RPG hit when it penetrate. Im 100% sure that they dont penetrate frontal armor of M1. Maybe it was some sort of lucky shot that was fired at tank and it hit the top armor... but if you have armor 70 HEAT and RPG has pen 38, RPG will never penetrate!

[kesh]

Occasionally you get a message saying something like "shot hits targets weak point for +whatever penetration". I've seen the +whatever range from 1 or 2 up to the 50s.

[JaM]

i never saw this with RPGs, only with tank rounds fired from close range.but if you look at it, it is realistic. Some hits could hit turret ring and penetrate. (this should represent +50 hit) but it will not help you much with 33 pen against 90 HEAT armor...

[PlasmaKrab]

That's right, penetration bonus can account for the numerous weak points crowding any AFV.

And yes, sometimes you see a round getting a huge bonus but still not penetrating... that can be quite infuriating.

RanXerox, JaM is right, you should look closely at the hit reports given when your tank is hit, that will tell you which part exactly as been hit and what the penetration and armor ratings used were (depends on the hit angle).

[Busko]

Are you sure this hits were on the front armour?
Because a lucky rear or side shot (maybe when you're manouvering to get out of an ambush) can happen...