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Forums - Research / WW2 |
This WW2 forum is intended for asking and discussing reference or historical related issues pertaining to WW2 (1939-1945) subjects. |
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| Subject: | Re: German 128mm over 88mm |  |
| Date: | May 10, 2006 |
| From: | Paul Dimopoulos | |
The 88 L/71's main disadvantage was its inferior High Explosive shell performance. The 128 L/55 had excellent High Explosive performance. The "trend" was the "Breakthrough tank" as the Soviets proved. They didn't integrate the excellent 100mm gun in their heavy "breakthrough" tank designs in favor of the slower-firing 122mm, which had inferior anti-tank performance. Truth is that the "breakthrough" tank is designed to break-through fortifications and prepared defence lines. That's why HE is more important than AP. In 1942, when the Maus and the E-100 were being designed, the Wehrmacht was still advancing and having more trouble with the soviet prepared defences than with their armor, which could be dealt with even with the Pz Iv's 75mm L/48 gun, not to mention the Panther's 75mm L/70 gun. That concept was reinforced in 1943, after the debacles at Stalingrad and Kursk.
When it comes to AP performance, the 128mm L/55 gun wasn't really inferior to the 88mm L/71. In his book Otto Carius describes how a shell from his Jagdtiger went cleanly through a hole house and completely destroyed a Sherman that was hiding on the other side. It did have a much slower RoF though, the shells being two-piece and much heavier.
In regard to Hitler's "big is beautiful" mentality, it did have merit, as both the Tiger I and the Tiger II proved. Their big size and almost impervious frontal armor made most enemy tanker "soil their pants" whenever those beasts appeared ont he battlefield, causing the infamous "Tiger fright". |
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