Paul Vebber -> (12/16/2001 10:06:00 PM)
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You can believe what you want, but the FACT is that ON AVERAGE German armor was superior to US test Plate.
TO quote from World war II Ballistics, the result of DECASED of research by Mr. Bird and Mr. Livingston, and backed up by independant research I have conducted:
quote:
"German armor plate retained a high level of ballistic resistance in hte face of dclining alloy content. Shortages of nickel and molydbenum resulted in steel alloyed with vanadium and chromium, produced in thickness up to 120mm. Nickel was added for thicker armor used on teh heaviest tanks. Carbon content of most German plate exceeded Allied plate making welding extremely diffficult, but adding strain hardeniing propeties which resulted in higher resistenace to penetration."
In addition, German thickness specifications tended to be MINIMUM that were generally exceeded. The book lists 6 instances where measuremets of at least 5 tanks demonstrated actual average thickness to be 5-10% greater than "spec".
I say again, the penetration figures are scaled to a common armor plate definition. IT IS WRONG not to adjust the respective plate thickness to account for teh realities of the composition of those plates.
Anecdotal evidence about deficiences in specific lots from specific mills in specific time periods represent STATISITICAL DEVIATIONS FROM THE NORM, and it is simply not know (though Lorrin continues research into the subject as posted on the TOE forum.
To assume that because such deviations existed, in unknown quantity in the sample population, to IGNORE the KNOWN statistics about the population is BAD STATISTICS by your own admonition about "limited accuracy and applicability".
If you don't have a copy of WWII Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery, get one!
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