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Proceddings of a board of officers which convened at Headquarters, First U.S. Army, pursuant
to Special Order No.196, Headquarters, First U.S. Army, 19 July 1944, a copy of which is
attached as Exhibit A1.
The board met pursuant to the foregoing order at Headquarters, First U.S. Army, APO 230, at
1400 on 12 July 1944 and on subsequent dates to conduct the firing tests. The final meeting
was held on 30 July 1944.
Purpose: To conduct tests to determine the effectiveness of tank and anti-tank weapons in First
U.S. Army, against the German Mk V “Panther” and Mk VI “Tiger” tanks.
1a. Firing was conducted on terrain permitting 1500 yards maximum range with zero angle of
site. All guns and types of ammunition, suitable for anti-tank purposes, available to First U.S.
Army were defeated on targets whose armour plate was slightly burned. Upon determination
of critical ranges, all penetrations were proven against the armor plate of a German Mk V
“Panther” Tank with armor undamaged and in excellent condition. All firing was conducted
normal2 to the target. No firing was conducted against the German Mk VI “Tiger” Tank as there
were none available.
1b. The following normal types of tank and anti-tank weapons and ammunition were tested;
WEAPON - AMMUNITION
1c. The board assumed that the effect of hollow charge ammunition is not dependent on
terminal velocity but the effect does vary with the angle at which the projectile strikes. Hits
approaching 90º angle of impact give better penetration.
Rocket, AT, 2.36″, M6A1 will penetrate the side of the turret and the side and rear armor plate
of the ‘Panther’ Tank at 100 yards. On the bassis of the assumption in paragraph 1c it follows
that as the range increases, thereby reducing the angle of impact4 against the side of the turret
and side armor plate, the possibility of penetration will materially decrease.
2) Launcher, Grenade, M8
Grenade, AT, M9A1, will penetrate the side of the turret and the side and rear plate of the
‘Panther’ Tank at 60 yards. On the basis of the assumption in paragraph 1c it follows that as
the range increases, thereby reducing the angle of impact4 against the side of the turret and side
armor plate, the possibility of penetration will materially decrease.
APC, M51 will penetrate the sides and rear of the ‘Panther’ Tank at 600 yards.
AP, M58 will penetrate the sides and rear of the ‘Panther’ Tank at 600 yards.
a) APC, M86 will penetrate the sides and rear of the ‘Panther’ Tank at 1500 yards.
b) Sabot fails to penetrate front glacis slope plate and gun shield at 200 yards. Due to difficulty
experienced in obtaining hits no conclusion as to the effectiveness of this ammunition was
reached.
a) APC M61 will penetrate the sides and rear of the ‘Panther’ Tank up to 1500 yards. APC
M61 at 200 yards will not penetrate the front armor of the ‘Panther’ Tank.
b) HEAT M66 (Special) will not penetrate the front glacis slope plate at 500 yards (see
assumption made in paragraph 1c).
a) APC M62 w/BDF M66A1 will not penetrate front glacis slope plate at 200 yards. Will
penetrate gun mantlet at 200 yards and penetrate sides and rear of the ‘Panther’ Tank up to
1500 yards.
b) AP M79 will not penetrate the front slope plate or the mantlet at 200 yards. It holds no
advantage over APC M62 ammunition w/BDF M66A1.
HEAT M67 will penetrate front glacis slope plate and gun mantlet at 500 yards (see assumption
made in paragraph 1c).
In addition to testing the normal types of tank and anti-tank weapons and ammunition,
additional types were tested with the following results:
WP M64 – Three rounds were fired at 500 yards for the purpose of obtaining an incendiary or
blinding effect. The results were unsatisfactory.
HE M48 w/fz T105 – Three rounds were fired at the front glacis slope plate at 500 yards to
determine its armor penetrative characteristics. The rounds failed to penetrate, ricochetting
from the plate and bursting in the air.
HE M71, w/fz M48 – One round was fired at 1500 yards as a ranging shot. No perceptible
effect was obtained beyond cracking the welds between the glacis and nose plate and the glacis
and side plate for a distance of approximately 12 inches. The corner of the glacis slope plate
appeared to have a slight depression as a result of this round.
1. That steps be taken by the Ordnance Department to develop armor piercing ammunition of
materially higher muzzle velocity and penetrative characteristics for the 3-inch, 76mm, and
90mm Guns, accepting, if necessary, a gun tube life as low as 200 rounds.
2. That upon availability of 90mm APC M82 ammunition in this theater, tests be conducted to
determine the effectiveness of this ammunition against the ‘Panther’ Tank.
(1) These were not included so I have been unable to reproduce it.
(2) That is from directly “square on” (to either the front or side of the target) and presumably
on level ground.
This information above was supplied to me by Jim O’Neil (Arizona, USA), the original source
is a declassified document made available in 1988.
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