Best Tank Killer of WW2 continued (3 Viewers)

[plan_D]

On the Japanese tanks issue;

I've been going through my books again and it's quite confusing. I've read that as the Japanese forces built up for their offensive on Imphal they had to abandon all heavy material because the railroad could not support them as the Allied airforces had taken a heavy toll (reducing movements to less than 400 tons per day).

This led to the 54th Division to arrive by sea, while others marched along the unfinished railway line. The Japanese had to abandon motor transport, anti-tank guns and artillery pieces while marching to the jump-off point for the Imphal offensive.

Then later I'm told that 221 Group and USAAF aircraft were attacking massive motor transport columns with great success (no tanks are mentioned).

Further in, there's the meeting between 14/13th Frontier Force Rifles and a "strong Japanese force supported by tanks." on March 4th. On March 14th in Witok the 3rd Carabiniers with six M3 Lee tanks had to come to the aid of 100th Indian brigade who were facing 215th regiment supported by tanks.

 

[Kruska]

Maybe this can help you guy's: Battle of Imphal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Battle of Imphal: The 14th Tank Regiment was assigned to support the offensive. The regiment was equipped with 66 tanks (Type 95 Light Tanks, Type 97-Improved Medium Tanks, some captured M3 Light Tanks, Type 97 Tankettes, and Type 1 75mm SPH).

The 100th Indian Brigade had an attached tank unit, known as Claudecol.

The Japanese assumed that the British would be unable to use tanks on the steep jungle-covered hills around Imphal. For the sake of ease of movement and supply, the Japanese were leaving behind most of their field artillery, their chief anti-tank weapon. As a result, the Japanese troops would have very little protection against tanks if these were in fact used against them.

On 13 April the Indian 5th Division counter-attacked, supported by massed artillery and the M3 Lee tanks of the 3rd Carabiniers. The Japanese regiment had no anti-tank weapons, and their troops were driven from the ridge with heavy casualties.


So to my understanding both sides had tanks and these could also be moved in the respective terrain.

Regards
Kruska

 

[parsifal]

Ive read those articles as well, but there are other articles that seem to contrdict it, and then there is the geography...if the Japs had tanks at imphal, how did they get there?????? i will concede the point if anyone can provide the answer to that.

 

[Kruska]

Ive read those articles as well, but there are other articles that seem to contrdict it, and then there is the geography...if the Japs had tanks at imphal, how did they get there?????? i will concede the point if anyone can provide the answer to that.

They were airdroped by Ar234's Just joking okay

If the British got their tanks there, then why shouldn't the Japs have?

Regards
Kruska

 

[drgondog]

buzzard.....

Since you mentioned this aircraft, I thought why not give my "firsthand" account as to what I perceive its capabilities to be.

In 1989(not too sure about the date) I was lucky enough to be able to participate in the "Gathering Of Eagles" USAF Capabilities Exercise at Nellis AFB as a communications tech. There, I was able to witness up close and personal, the destructive power of the A10. I had been working at Nellis, and the Indian Springs AAFB gunnery and bombing range. I was on "hot" ranges many times and was able to see all kinds of aircraft scoring hits and misses on the various ranges. I have to say, the A10 was unmistakably the best weapons delivery system in the USAF inventory.

At the "Gathering Of Eagles" VIP capabilities demo three A10's came in on a convoy of 4 M60A1 tanks, two tanker trucks, 4 APC's and a couple of trucks. There was one pass using the GAU-8 gun of each of the three aircraft. Thats all it took. There was not one target left that was viable or not on fire. I will never forget the sound. At the time I looked at my buddy and said, it sounds like "God's zipper"!!

I just finished watching a firepower demo at Gila bend at end of April. The Euro Fighter was going through joint command paces, the F-16 and F-15E was there but most impressively, the A-10 was there.

As you noted, the close range stuff was simply devastating - but they also made a relatively high angle long slant range pass at some T72/80s and the 30mm intert puched through the entire aft deck from at least 1200-1500 meters. The close stuf f was a mix of HEI and AP and it looked like the long range stuff was same mix.

Awesome weapon. I'm still waiting on the pics from the range tower on the short range passes.

I was told we have not lost an A-10, and they are in high threat environments on the Pakistani border as well as (less frequently) the Iraqi airspace.

 

[kool kitty89]

There were also the 500 g HE/AP MK-103 round with a mch lower velocity. But that doesn't seem to have been the standard loading.

An introduction to collecting 30 mm cannon ammunition

According to the chart the 355g AP round also has the highest Muzzel energy of the MK-101/103 30x184B rounds.

 

[kool kitty89]

Something interesting to note in that previous quote I posted with the P-47 pics. (from an Il-2 gaming forum). I didn't know about Robert S. Johnson's P-47C being repaired and issued to the 9th AF. And after being shot up with 21x 20mm HE cannon shells and hundreds of 7.92mm rounds.

Lt. Robert S Johnson. Lawton, OK. 61st Fighter Squadron. P-47C 41-6235 HV-P "Half Pint". Detail shot of damage to canopy area

Lt. Robert S Johnson. Lawton, OK. 61st Fighter Squadron. P-47C 41-6235 HV-P "Half Pint". Well known photo but worth looking at again as contrary to popular belief, this a/c was not written of but repaired and issued to the 9th AF's 36th FG where it was finally lost on 18 August 1944.

 

[tpikdave]

I have a 30 mike-mike shell from an A10 magazine sitting on my shelf in my computer room. It was given to me by a tech at Nellis AFB. Of course it has a blue (for practice/inert) projectile, but its still a prized possesion along with three "hand signed" TBird photos.

 

[JugBR]

i dont know if it is nazi propaganda or true, but i´ve heard about stukas being a very psicologycal weapon also. by its engine´s noise when diving.

there´s an extensive services record of these planes in easter front and many german aces flew the stuka.

but i believe the "black death" besides of being a miserable plane, must have some credit, because it killed panzers and people says panzers was hard to kill. also they had faced some flaks, wich also was a real terror of allied planes like the jugs when designated for ground attacks

 

[lesofprimus]

Oh for Christsakes sakes dude, atleast get something right in ur post...

The screaming sound of the Stuka in a dive was from these small propellers mounted on the landing gear strut, not from the engine....

And last time I checked, the Stuka was a German plane, and Panzers were German as well, so............ Go read some old posts here and get urself edumacated........

 

[JugBR]

but i believe the "black death" besides of being a miserable plane, must have some credit, because it killed panzers and people says panzers was hard to kill. also they had faced some flaks, wich also was a real terror of allied planes like the jugs when designated for ground attacks

Oh for Christsakes sakes dude, atleast get something right in ur post...

The screaming sound of the Stuka in a dive was from these small propellers mounted on the landing gear strut, not from the engine....

And last time I checked, the Stuka was a German plane, and Panzers were German as well, so............ Go read some old posts here and get urself edumacated........

ok ! lollll

 

[Ki-43-I Hayabusa]

Hello.
I don´t know if the small props on the landing-gear on the JU-87 Stuka produce the screaming sound if the plane dives, but i know the german name for this system: "Jericho-Sirenen" (roughly translated "Trumpets of Jericho").
In the first years of the war, these planes have a high psychologic effect on the enemy. My grandfather fought in Poland, France and Russia and told my grandma that he was sometimes a eyewitness when Stuka´s dived, after they drop there bombs on enemy fortifications, again with screaming "Jericho-Sirenen" down on the enemy which run away because the sound of the "Jericho-Sirenen" makes them insane.

Sorry for my bad english.

 

[JugBR]

Hello.
I don´t know if the small props on the landing-gear on the JU-87 Stuka produce the screaming sound if the plane dives, but i know the german name for this system: "Jericho-Sirenen" (roughly translated "Trumpets of Jericho").
In the first years of the war, these planes have a high psychologic effect on the enemy. My grandfather fought in Poland, France and Russia and told my grandma that he was sometimes a eyewitness when Stuka´s dived, after they drop there bombs on enemy fortifications, again with screaming "Jericho-Sirenen" down on the enemy which run away because the sound of the "Jericho-Sirenen" makes them insane.

Sorry for my bad english.

stuka was a very tactical weapon and also psycological used by luftwaffe, i wish see some image of that trumpets of jericoh, the noise is really impressive, i can figure how does people in the ground should be scared when listen that sound

 

[lesofprimus]

And this has ZERO bearing on the conversation of Tank Busting, as the Ju 87G models had these small propleers removed....

 

[kool kitty89]

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/weapons-systems-tech/jericho-device-11598.html

Anyway It's different from the Stuka's siren.

 

[Ki-43-I Hayabusa]

@ Lesofprimus.
Recently, I see on a photo in a german A/C-Magazine that these props are even removed on the JU-87-D STUKA. Maybe there aren´t the "Trumpets of Jericho"? I think my dad tell´s me one time when i was a boy those system was sometimes described as "Motorsirene" (enginesirene)!

 

[JugBR]

@ Lesofprimus.
Recently, I see on a photo in a german A/C-Magazine that these props are even removed on the JU-87-D STUKA. Maybe there aren´t the "Trumpets of Jericho"? I think my dad tell´s me one time when i was a boy those system was sometimes described as "Motorsirene" (enginesirene)!

but these props makes noise by its movement against the stream or did they converts some power for an eletrical motorsirene ?

 

[Ki-43-I Hayabusa]

@ JugBR
I don´t know. I ask this question in another, german forum, maybe i get an answer.

 

[BIG BIRD]

The il-2 destroyed more tanks than any other plane, tank, anti tank, tank destroyer ect. I think thats grounds for the best tank destroyer of world war two.

 

[kool kitty89]

It was also produced in greater numbers than any other combat aircraft in history -36,000+ built. (though the Bf 109 is a close second at ~35,000)