Infantry AT Weapons

[Cross]

These weapons play a large part in the tactical level of SP. I decided to research them, and compared the data to the game. I looked at over 20 sources and found a couple of discrepancies that are possibly serious enough to warrant some changes.

Don and Andy, I hope you see this research as helpful grognard stuff; I'm not trying to push an agenda here.

Currently

Panzerfaust
Range........100m
Accuracy.....2
Penetration..20
Kill...............4

PIAT
Range........100
Accuracy.....2......Recommend: 4
Penetration..10
Kill...............2......Recommend: 3

Bazooka
Range........200....Recommend: 150
Accuracy.....6......Recommend: 4
Penetration..10.....Recommend: 8
Kill...............4......Recommend: 2

Panzerschreck
Range........300....Recommend: 150
Accuracy.....6......Recommend: 4
Penetration..20
Kill...............4

Suggestions:

1. Reduce Panzershreck and Bazooka range to 150m

About a year ago (ver.3) the PIAT has it’s range reduced from 300m to 100m. Everyone agrees that the PIAT had a range of over 300m, but most acknowledge that its effective range was 100m.

Every source I looked at says the effective range of the Panzershreck was 120-180m; most said 150m. Two sources gave a much longer maxium range, but were realistic about the effective range. Only one source claimed targets had been engaged at ranges over 300m. Some sources said the earlier model 43 had an effective range of 150, the later model 54 had a maximum engagement range of 180m.

Apparently, Panzershreck doctrine was to engage armour at a range of 120-180m.

A range of 400yds was sited most often for the bazooka, but these sites also said the effective range was 100 or 150 yds, with one exception which didn’t note an effective range. Another site gave a range of 300 with effective range of 100. One site actually said the effective range was less than 100yds.


2. Change Bazooka ‘kill’ to 2 and PIAT kill to 3 (based on explosive wgt.)

The Panzershreck had projectile that weighed over 7lbs with almost 1.5lb of explosive
The Panzerfaust projectile weighed about 6lbs with between 14oz to 1.8lb of explosive, depending which version of Panzerfaust.
The PIAT had a 3lb projectile with 1lb of explosive.
The Bazooka had a 3.5lb projectile with 0.5lb of explosive.

3. Change the accuracy of Panzershreck, PIAT and Bazooka to 4

In trying to determine the accuracy of these weapons I looked at three criteria:

• Velocity of the projectile (fps).
• Ease of use (how cumbersome, heavy, large, awkward etc.)
• Danger to operator and those nearby. (back-blast, flames, smoke signature)

Velocity
One of the most important aspects of these weapons accuracy, is the velocity of the projectile. This is even more true when shooting at a moving vehicle, which is more often than not in SP.

Panzerfaust avg: 175 fps (30:98fps; 60:150fps; 100:200fps; 150:280fps)
Bazooka: 270 fps
Panzershreck: 345fps
PIAT: 450fps

The PIAT had, by far, the best projectile velocity. If shooting at a target 100m away, the PIAT bomb would take just over a half second to get there, the Panzerfaust would take almost 2 seconds to reach the target. A huge difference if the target is moving.

Ease of Use
I have personally picked up and aimed all these weapons. The PIAT is a real pig, heavy and cumbersome; it could be hard to load the first time, but then it usually re-cocked itself for subsequent shots. The Panzershreck is large and unwieldy. The Bazooka is a pure joy to hold after the others.

Danger to operator and those nearby
The early Panzershreck required you wear a gas mask and fire retardant clothing; the gas mask must have made accuracy quite difficult.
The later Panzershreck was almost 6 feet long with a shield, where you peered through a small visor. Its back-blast endangered those directly behind for a long way, even those to the side for several meters. You had to be very careful where and when you fired it, and could not fire it from a building or enclosed space.
The smoke signature was horrible, instantly giving away your position, the troops called it the ‘stovepipe’ because of its long stove pipe size and the smoke.

The Bazooka had the same issues as the Panzershreck, but to a lesser extent. The Bazooka was 60mm with a 3.5lb round; the Panzershreck 88mm with a 7.25lb round.

The PIAT had no back-blast and virtually no smoke signature.

Summary
Velocity: Best: PIAT Med: Panzershreck Worst: Bazooka
Ease: Best: Bazooka Med: Panzershreck Worst: PIAT
Danger: Best: PIAT Med: Bazooka Worst: Panzershreck

This is why I think these three weapons should have about the same accuracy.

5. Decrease pen of Bazooka to 8

Sites give the Bazooka a penetration from 75mm to 125mm. However, I read a convincing story of an US officer shooting 22 rounds into the rear of a T34 (in Korea) with no effect. The T34 had between 6 and 8 cm of rear armour. Also the small explosive weight of Bazooka round. And finally, there are well documented cases of the PIAT knocking out Tigers and Panthers, but a lack of stories of the Bazooka knocking out large tanks. I could be wrong about this one, so if anyone has any stories of Bazookas KO large tanks, then I’m glad I’m wrong and leave it as is.


Sources:

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Panzershrek

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...m9-bazooka.htm

http://www.wwiiequipment.com/piat.aspx

http://www.militaryfactory.com/small...mallarms_id=70

http://www.militaryfactory.com/small...mallarms_id=48

http://www.militaryfactory.com/small...mallarms_id=69

http://everything2.com/e2node/PIAT

http://www.nasenoviny.com/PIATen.html

http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/browse/FYP.HTM

http://www.inert-ord.net/atrkts/pschrek/

http://www.armyrecognition.com/forum...opic.php?t=459

http://www.gd-uk.org/panzerknacker.html

http://www.scribd.com/word/full/5266...=193jzy9e5foik

http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/8172/panzerfaust3.htm

http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/817...faust13.htm#m1

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Bazooka

http://www.sproe.com/b/bazooka.html

http://www.strictly-gi.com/bazooka.html

http://www.inert-ord.net/atrkts/bazoo/

http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/campbutner/AppendixE.pdf

et al...

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