Why did German tanks have side skirts?

Many World War II-era German tanks used armored skirts (Schürzen) to make their thinner side armor more resistant to anti-tank rifles. Contrary to popular belief the German Schürzen were designed against kinetic (AP, APBC, APCBC) projectiles.

How many tanks were destroyed by Panzerfausts?

The Panzerfaust is mentioned only in the summary talble. Of 122 lost tanks and SPGs 98 were lost to artillery and tanks, 15 were lost to mines, 7 were taken out by Panzerfausts, and two were disabled by aircraft.

What is the difference between a Panzerschreck and an Panzerfaust?

The Panzerschreck was designed as a lightweight infantry anti-tank weapon and was an enlarged copy of the American Bazooka. It was made in smaller numbers than the Panzerfaust, which was a light, disposable anti-tank weapon that used a system not unlike those of recoilless rifles.

Why do tanks have side skirts?

What is the side skirt of a tank? – Quora. They are the metal fenders that hang down to partially cover the bogies and tread. Their purpose is to keep dust down. In muddy conditions they can be a hindrance by concentrating mud on the bogies and tracks causing thrown tracks.

What does Hesh stand for?

High Explosive Squash Head
High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) in British terminology, or High Explosive Plastic/Plasticized (HEP) in American terminology, is a type of explosive projectile which utilizes a plastic explosive that conforms to the surface of a target before detonating to improve the transfer of explosive energy to the target.

Is the Fliegerfaust real?

Only a few produced, 10,000 launchers and 4 million rockets were ordered. The Fliegerfaust (lit. “air fist”), was a German prototype of an unguided, man-portable, multi-barreled ground-to-air rocket launcher, designed to destroy enemy ground attack planes. …

How common was the Panzerfaust?

Introduced in September 1944, the Panzerfaust 60 was the most common version (1.3 million of the 6 million produced), with a wider tube diameter that boosted the muzzle velocity to 150 feet per second and its range to 200 feet.

What is a tank skirt?

A tank skirt is made of a high-quality coating cloth that is clamped around the tank rack by means of an aluminium frame. In this way, the tank bottom is optimally protected against the ingress of rainwater. In this way, tearing is excluded and the tank skirts are completely waterproof.

What is HESH skating?

Hesh comes from 1980’s skateboard and crossover heavy metal vernacular, derived from ‘hessian’ to denote Germanic warriors and soldiers. Hesh is some kind of skating term. It’s supposed to be derogatory and mean someone doesn’t care about anything.

Why did tanks have skirts on the left side?

The left-side skirts had to be removed to refuel the tank. The skirts covered the vision and submachine gun ports. This allowed close-combat anti-tank units to approach the tank from the sides and rear, and to climb on and off the tank, without the crew being able to see or shoot at them.

What anti-tank rifles could penetrate the side armor of German tanks?

At the time of the German invasion of Russia in 1941, the Russian 14.5 mm PTRD and PTRS anti-tank rifles could penetrate the side armor of all of Germany’s tanks. Even the side armor of the Panther could be penetrated at very short ranges.

How did Schürzen protect tanks from anti tank rifles?

To increase protection against anti-tank rifles, 8 mm steel sheets, Schürzen (skirts) were hung on rails along the side of the tanks. These steel sheets caused the shots to tumble, preventing them from penetrating the tank’s armor.

Why do tanks have brackets on their armor skirts?

The brackets and hangers are clearly visible. The brackets allow the skirts to be hung at difference distances from the tank, to accomodate for the different widths of the summer and winter tracks. A downwards and oblique view of a part of the armor skirt. The brackets and hangers are clearly visible.