Tank ammunition. Artillery shells

Destruction of buildings, fortifications and fortifications, making passages in minefields, etc.

When it hits the armor, it does not transmit kinetic force, but explodes, causing superficial damage (scattering fragments at enormous speed, additionally causing damage to armored vehicles, contusion, injuring or killing the crew and infantry accompanying the equipment), disabling tracks (caterpillars), damaging triplex - observation devices, produces armor damage, deflections and microcracks

It is used to shell the site of a proposed attack, to facilitate the breakthrough of enemy defenses by attacking tank and motorized infantry units. Among all ammunition, it is the most explosive.

As a tank ammunition, it is included in the main ammunition load of the T-64 / / /84U / T-90 tanks and usually accounts for up to 50% of the ammunition load. total number shells.

Fuse

For a long time, the only fuse used was the impact fuse, which was triggered when the projectile hit the target.

Impact fuses are the simplest and most reliable. Most fuses of this type can be set to contact or delayed mode. In the first case, the explosion occurs upon first contact with an obstacle and is intended to destroy objects around the obstacle. In the second case, the projectile is buried into the target and only there detonation occurs - this makes it possible to effectively destroy fortifications and buildings.

In case of a direct hit in vulnerable areas (turret hatches, engine compartment radiator, ejection screens of the aft ammunition rack, etc.), the OFS can disable a modern tank. Also shock wave and shrapnel, with a high degree of probability, disables surveillance and communications devices, weapons located outside the armor volume, and other systems installed in large quantities on modern armored vehicles.

Flaws

The main disadvantage of the high-explosive fragmentation projectile is its low armor penetration. Modern tanks, from the point of view of penetrating armor and damaging the crew, are practically invulnerable to high-explosive fragmentation shells of most used calibers. Nevertheless, large-caliber OFS still remain effective against lightly armored vehicles.

See also

Write a review about the article "High-explosive fragmentation projectile"

Links

• Military affairs
• Encyclopedia Around the World
• Armored Encyclopedia
• Steel and fire: modern and promising tanks

Main purpose: Special purpose: Auxiliary purposes

An excerpt characterizing a high-explosive fragmentation projectile

“Mom, isn’t it a shame that he’s a widower?”
- That's enough, Natasha. Pray to God. Les Marieiages se font dans les cieux. [Marriages are made in heaven.]
- Darling, mother, how I love you, how good it makes me feel! – Natasha shouted, crying tears of happiness and excitement and hugging her mother.
At the same time, Prince Andrei was sitting with Pierre and telling him about his love for Natasha and his firm intention to marry her.

On this day, Countess Elena Vasilyevna had a reception, there was a French envoy, there was a prince, who had recently become a frequent visitor to the countess’s house, and many brilliant ladies and men. Pierre was downstairs, walked through the halls, and amazed all the guests with his concentrated, absent-minded and gloomy appearance.
Since the time of the ball, Pierre had felt the approaching attacks of hypochondria and with desperate effort tried to fight against them. Since the prince's rapprochement with his wife, Pierre was unexpectedly granted a chamberlain, and from that time he began to feel heaviness and shame in large society, and more often the former dark thoughts about the futility of everything human. At the same time, the feeling he noticed between Natasha, whom he protected, and Prince Andrei, his opposition between his position and the position of his friend, further intensified this gloomy mood. He equally tried to avoid thoughts about his wife and about Natasha and Prince Andrei. Again everything seemed insignificant to him in comparison with eternity, again the question presented itself: “why?” And he forced himself to work day and night on Masonic works, hoping to ward off the approach evil spirit. Pierre, at 12 o'clock, having left the countess's chambers, was sitting upstairs in a smoky, low room, in a worn dressing gown in front of the table, copying out authentic Scottish acts, when someone entered his room. It was Prince Andrei.
“Oh, it’s you,” said Pierre with an absent-minded and looking dissatisfied. “And I’m working,” he said, pointing to a notebook with that look of salvation from the hardships of life with which unhappy people look at their work.
Prince Andrei, with a radiant, enthusiastic face and renewed life, stopped in front of Pierre and, not noticing his sad face, smiled at him with the egoism of happiness.
“Well, my soul,” he said, “yesterday I wanted to tell you and today I came to you for this.” I've never experienced anything like it. I'm in love, my friend.
Pierre suddenly sighed heavily and collapsed with his heavy body on the sofa, next to Prince Andrei.
- To Natasha Rostova, right? - he said.
- Yes, yes, who? I would never believe it, but this feeling is stronger than me. Yesterday I suffered, I suffered, but I wouldn’t give up this torment for anything in the world. I haven't lived before. Now only I live, but I cannot live without her. But can she love me?... I'm too old for her... What aren't you saying?...
- I? I? “What did I tell you,” Pierre suddenly said, getting up and starting to walk around the room. – I always thought that... This girl is such a treasure, such... This rare girl... Dear friend, I ask you, don’t get smart, don’t doubt, get married, get married and get married... And I’m sure that there will be no happier person than you.
- But she!
- She loves you.
“Don’t talk nonsense...” said Prince Andrei, smiling and looking into Pierre’s eyes.
“He loves me, I know,” Pierre shouted angrily.
“No, listen,” said Prince Andrei, stopping him by the hand. – Do you know what situation I’m in? I need to tell everything to someone.
“Well, well, say, I’m very glad,” said Pierre, and indeed his face changed, the wrinkles smoothed out, and he joyfully listened to Prince Andrei. Prince Andrei seemed and was a completely different, new person. Where was his melancholy, his contempt for life, his disappointment? Pierre was the only person, to whom he dared to speak; but he expressed to him everything that was in his soul. Either he easily and boldly made plans for a long future, talked about how he could not sacrifice his happiness for the whim of his father, how he would force his father to agree to this marriage and love her or do without his consent, then he was surprised how something strange, alien, independent of him, influenced by the feeling that possessed him.
“I wouldn’t believe anyone who told me that I could love like that,” said Prince Andrei. “This is not at all the feeling that I had before.” The whole world is divided for me into two halves: one - she and there is all the happiness of hope, light; the other half is everything where she is not there, there is all despondency and darkness...
“Darkness and gloom,” Pierre repeated, “yes, yes, I understand that.”
– I can’t help but love the world, it’s not my fault. And I'm very happy. Do you understand me? I know that you are happy for me.
“Yes, yes,” Pierre confirmed, looking at his friend with tender and sad eyes. The brighter the fate of Prince Andrei seemed to him, the darker his own seemed.

To get married, the consent of the father was needed, and for this, the next day, Prince Andrei went to his father.
The father, with outward calm but inner anger, accepted his son’s message. He could not understand that anyone would want to change life, to introduce something new into it, when life was already ending for him. “If only they would let me live the way I want, and then we would do what we wanted,” the old man said to himself. With his son, however, he used the diplomacy that he used on important occasions. Taking a calm tone, he discussed the whole matter.
Firstly, the marriage was not brilliant in terms of kinship, wealth and nobility. Secondly, Prince Andrei was not in his first youth and was in poor health (the old man was especially careful about this), and she was very young. Thirdly, there was a son whom it was a pity to give to the girl. Fourthly, finally,” said the father, looking mockingly at his son, “I ask you, postpone the matter for a year, go abroad, get treatment, find, as you want, a German for Prince Nikolai, and then, if it’s love, passion, stubbornness, whatever you want, so great, then get married.
“And this is my last word, you know, my last...” the prince finished in a tone that showed that nothing would force him to change his decision.
Prince Andrei clearly saw that the old man hoped that the feeling of him or his future bride would not withstand the test of the year, or that he himself, the old prince, would die by this time, and decided to fulfill his father’s will: to propose and postpone the wedding for a year.
Three weeks after his last evening with the Rostovs, Prince Andrei returned to St. Petersburg.

The next day after her explanation with her mother, Natasha waited the whole day for Bolkonsky, but he did not come. The next, third day the same thing happened. Pierre also did not come, and Natasha, not knowing that Prince Andrei had gone to his father, could not explain his absence.
Three weeks passed like this. Natasha did not want to go anywhere and, like a shadow, idle and sad, she walked from room to room, cried secretly from everyone in the evening and did not appear to her mother in the evenings. She was constantly blushing and irritated. It seemed to her that everyone knew about her disappointment, laughed and felt sorry for her. With all the strength of her inner grief, this vain grief intensified her misfortune.

IN game World of Tanks equipment can be supplied different types shells, such as armor-piercing, sub-caliber, cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation shells. In this article we will look at the features of the action of each of these projectiles, the history of their invention and use, the pros and cons of their use in a historical context. The most common and, in most cases, standard shells on the vast majority of vehicles in the game are armor-piercing shells(BB) caliber device or sharp-headed.
According to Ivan Sytin’s Military Encyclopedia, the idea for the prototype of current armor-piercing shells belongs to the Italian navy officer Bettolo, who in 1877 proposed using the so-called “ bottom shock tube for armor-piercing projectiles"(before this, the shells were either not loaded at all, or the explosion powder charge was calculated to heat up the head of the projectile when it hits the armor, which, however, was not always justified). After penetrating the armor, the damaging effect is provided by projectile fragments heated to a high temperature and fragments of armor. During the Second World War, shells of this type were easy to manufacture, reliable, had fairly high penetration, and worked well against homogeneous armor. But there was also a minus - on sloping armor the projectile could ricochet. The greater the thickness of the armor, the more fragments of armor are formed when penetrated by such a projectile, and the higher the destructive power.


The animation below illustrates the action of a chambered sharp-headed armor-piercing projectile. It is similar to an armor-piercing sharp-headed projectile, but in the rear part there is a cavity (chamber) with a TNT explosive charge, as well as a bottom fuse. After penetrating the armor, the shell explodes, striking the crew and equipment of the tank. In general, this projectile retained most of the advantages and disadvantages of the AR projectile, being distinguished by a significantly higher armor-protection effect and slightly lower armor penetration (due to the lower mass and strength of the projectile). During the War, the bottom fuses of shells were not sufficiently advanced, which sometimes led to a premature explosion of a shell before penetrating the armor, or to failure of the fuse after penetration, but the crew, in case of penetration, rarely felt better about it.

Sub-caliber projectile(BP) has a rather complex design and consists of two main parts - an armor-piercing core and a pallet. The task of the pallet, made of mild steel, is to accelerate the projectile in the barrel bore. When a projectile hits a target, the pan is crushed, and the heavy and hard pointed core, made of tungsten carbide, pierces the armor.
The projectile does not have a bursting charge, ensuring that the target is hit by fragments of the core and fragments of armor heated to high temperatures. Sub-caliber projectiles have significantly less weight compared to conventional armor-piercing projectiles, which allows them to accelerate in the gun barrel to significantly higher speeds. As a result, the penetration of sub-caliber projectiles turns out to be significantly higher. The use of sub-caliber shells made it possible to significantly increase the armor penetration of existing guns, which made it possible to hit even outdated guns against more modern, well-armored armored vehicles.
At the same time, sub-caliber shells have a number of disadvantages. Their shape resembled a coil (shells of this type and streamlined shape existed, but they were significantly less common), which greatly worsened the ballistics of the projectile, in addition, the lightweight projectile quickly lost speed; as a result, at long distances the armor penetration of sub-caliber projectiles dropped significantly, turning out to be even lower than that of classic armor-piercing projectiles. During World War II, sabot projectiles did not work well against sloping armor because the hard but brittle core easily broke under bending loads. The armor-piercing effect of such shells was inferior to armor-piercing caliber shells. Small-caliber sub-caliber projectiles were ineffective against armored vehicles that had protective shields made of thin steel. These shells were expensive and difficult to manufacture, and most importantly, scarce tungsten was used in their manufacture.
As a result, the number of sub-caliber shells in the ammunition load of guns during the war was small; they were allowed to be used only to hit heavily armored targets at short distances. First in small quantities sub-caliber shells were used by the German army in 1940 during the battles in France. In 1941, faced with heavily armored Soviet tanks, the Germans switched to the widespread use of sub-caliber shells, which significantly increased the anti-tank capabilities of their artillery and tanks. However, a shortage of tungsten limited the production of projectiles of this type; as a result, in 1944, the production of German sub-caliber shells was discontinued, while most of the shells fired during the war years were of a small caliber (37-50 mm).
Trying to get around the tungsten shortage problem, the Germans produced Pzgr.40(C) sub-caliber projectiles with a hardened steel core and surrogate Pzgr.40(W) projectiles with a regular steel core. In the USSR, fairly large-scale production of sub-caliber shells, created on the basis of captured German ones, began at the beginning of 1943, and most of the shells produced were of 45 mm caliber. The production of these projectiles is more than large calibers was limited by a shortage of tungsten, and they were issued to troops only when there was a threat of an enemy tank attack, and a report was required to be written for each spent shell. Also, sub-caliber shells were used to a limited extent by the British and American armies in the second half of the war.

HEAT projectile(KS).
The operating principle of this armor-piercing ammunition differs significantly from the operating principle of kinetic ammunition, which includes conventional armor-piercing and sub-caliber projectiles. A cumulative projectile is a thin-walled steel projectile filled with a powerful explosive - hexogen, or a mixture of TNT and hexogen. At the front of the projectile, the explosive has a goblet-shaped recess lined with metal (usually copper). The projectile has a sensitive head fuse. When a projectile collides with armor, the explosive detonates. At the same time, the lining metal is melted and compressed by an explosion into a thin stream (pestle) flying forward with extremely high speed and armor piercing. The armor effect is ensured by a cumulative jet and splashes of armor metal. The hole of a cumulative projectile is small in size and has melted edges, which has led to a common misconception that cumulative projectiles “burn through” armor.
The penetration of a cumulative projectile does not depend on the speed of the projectile and is the same at all distances. Its production is quite simple; the production of the projectile does not require the use of large quantity scarce metals. The cumulative projectile can be used against infantry and artillery as a high-explosive fragmentation projectile. At the same time, cumulative shells during the war were characterized by numerous shortcomings. The manufacturing technology of these projectiles was not sufficiently developed, as a result, their penetration was relatively low (approximately the same as the caliber of the projectile or slightly higher) and was unstable. Rotation of the projectile at high initial speeds made it difficult to form a cumulative jet; as a result, cumulative projectiles had a low initial speed, small sighting range firing and high dispersion, which was also facilitated by the non-optimal shape of the projectile head from an aerodynamic point of view (its configuration was determined by the presence of a notch).
The big problem was the creation of a complex fuse, which should be sensitive enough to quickly detonate a projectile, but stable enough not to explode in the barrel (the USSR was able to develop such a fuse, suitable for use in shells of powerful tank and anti-tank guns, only at the end of 1944 ). The minimum caliber of a cumulative projectile was 75 mm, and the effectiveness of cumulative projectiles of this caliber was greatly reduced. Mass production of cumulative projectiles required the deployment of large-scale production of hexogen.
The most widely used cumulative shells were German army(for the first time in the summer and autumn of 1941), mainly from 75 mm guns and howitzers. Soviet army used cumulative shells, created on the basis of captured German ones, from 1942-43, including them in the ammunition loads of regimental guns and howitzers, which had a low initial speed. English and american army shells of this type were used mainly in the ammunition loads of heavy howitzers. Thus, in the Second World War (unlike the present time, when improved shells of this type form the basis of the ammunition load of tank guns), the use of cumulative shells was quite limited, mainly they were considered as a means of anti-tank self-defense of guns that had low initial speeds and low armor penetration with traditional shells (regimental guns, howitzers). At the same time, all participants in the war actively used other anti-tank weapons with cumulative ammunition - grenade launchers, aerial bombs, hand grenades.

High-explosive fragmentation projectile (OF).
It was developed in the late 40s of the twentieth century in Great Britain to destroy enemy armored vehicles. It is a thin-walled steel or cast iron projectile filled with an explosive substance (usually TNT or ammonite), with a head fuse. Unlike armor-piercing shells, high-explosive fragmentation shells did not have a tracer. When it hits a target, the projectile explodes, hitting the target with fragments and a blast wave, either immediately - a fragmentation effect, or with some delay (which allows the projectile to go deeper into the ground) - a high-explosive effect. The projectile is intended primarily to destroy openly located and sheltered infantry, artillery, field shelters (trenches, wood-earth firing points), unarmored and lightly armored vehicles. Well-armored tanks and self-propelled guns are resistant to high-explosive fragmentation shells.
The main advantage of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile is its versatility. This type of projectile can be used effectively against the vast majority of targets. Another advantage is that it costs less than armor-piercing and cumulative projectiles of the same caliber, which reduces the cost of combat operations and firing training. In case of a direct hit in vulnerable areas (turret hatches, engine compartment radiator, ejection screens of the aft ammunition rack, etc.), the HE can disable the tank. Also hit by projectiles large caliber can cause destruction of lightly armored vehicles, and damage to heavily armored tanks, consisting of cracking of armor plates, jamming of the turret, failure of instruments and mechanisms, injuries and concussions of the crew.

Before the battle begins, shells must be loaded into the tank. Without them, the tank will not be able to fire and, accordingly, will be useless. The number of shells that can be loaded into a tank depends on the type of tanks in WoT, or more precisely on the type of gun (caliber) and turret. Different types shells have different properties.

Regular shells

Armor-piercing (AP) shells

Armor-piercing shells are the main type of shell that can be fired by almost any weapon. This projectile deals damage only if the armor is broken enemy (accompanied by the messages “Breakthrough” and “There is a penetration”). He can also damage modules or crew, if it hits the right place (accompanied by the messages “Hit” and “There is a hit”). If the penetrating power of the projectile is not enough, it will not penetrate the armor and will not cause damage (accompanied by the message “Did not penetrate”). If a projectile hits the armor under too much acute angle, then it ricochets and also does no damage (accompanied by the message “Ricochet”).

High-explosive fragmentation shells - have greatest potential damage, But insignificant armor penetration. If a shell penetrates the armor, it explodes inside the tank, causing maximum damage and additional damage to modules or crew from the explosion. A high-explosive fragmentation projectile does not need to penetrate the target's armor - if it does not penetrate, it will explode on the tank's armor, causing less damage than if it penetrates. The damage in this case depends on the thickness of the armor - the thicker the armor, the more damage from the explosion it absorbs. In addition, the damage from explosions of high explosive shells is also absorbed by tank screens, and the slope of the armor is also not affected, nor is its given value affected. High-explosive fragmentation shells can also damage several tanks at the same time, since the explosion has a certain radius of action. U tank shells smaller radius of high-explosive action, for self-propelled gun shells - maximum. It is also worth noting that only when firing high-explosive shells is it possible to receive the Bombardier award!

Sub-caliber (AP) shells

Sabot shells are the main type of shells for most medium tanks of the 10th level, some medium tanks of the 9th level and light tanks T71, M41 Walker Bulldog, as well as M4A1 Revalorisé, IS-5, IS-3 with MZ, T26E5. The operating principle is similar to armor-piercing ones. They are distinguished by increased armor penetration and a higher projectile flight speed, but they lose more penetration with distance and have less normalization (they lose more effectiveness when firing at an angle to the armor).

Improved projectiles

Sub-caliber (AP) shells

Sabot shells are the most common premium shells in the game, installed in almost any weapon. The operating principle is similar to armor-piercing ones. They are distinguished by increased armor penetration, but have less normalization (they lose more effectiveness when fired at an angle to the armor).

Cumulative (CS) projectiles

What are cumulative projectiles? These are improved shells for many tanks in the game, with the exception of shells for the top gun light tank T49 and tank destroyer Ikv 103, which are not improved. Their penetration is noticeably higher than that of standard armor-piercing shells, and the damage they cause is at the level of armor-piercing shells for the same weapon. The penetration effect is not achieved through kinetic energy projectile (like an BB or BP), but due to the energy of the cumulative jet formed when an explosive of a certain shape is detonated at some distance from the armor. They are not subject to the normalization rule, three calibers and they do not lose armor penetration with distance, but quickly lose armor penetration when hitting a screen.

The detailed design of a cumulative projectile is presented on Wikipedia.

High Explosive (HE) shells

These shells differ from conventional high-explosive fragmentation shells by either a larger explosion radius (when playing on self-propelled guns) or increased armor penetration (HESH shells on some British guns). It is also worth noting that only when firing high-explosive shells is it possible to receive the Bombardier award.

Armor-piercing (AP) shells

Armor-piercing premium shells are found on several vehicles in the game and differ from regular armor-piercing shells or have increased armor penetration for the same damage ( 152 mm M-10 ( "type": "Gun", "mark": "152 mm M-10", "data": ( "Level": "VI", "Penetration": "110/136/86 mm", "Damage" : "700/700/910 units", "Average damage per minute": "1750/1750/2275 units/min", "Rate of fire": "2.5 rounds/min", "Reload time": "24 s", " Spread": "0.6 m/100m", "Convergence": "4 s", "Weight": "2300 kg", "Price": "60000" ) )) and for most guns Japanese tanks, or less armor penetration with more damage ( 130 mm B-13-S2 ( "type":"Gun", "mark": "130 mm B-13-S2", "data": ( "Level": "VIII", "Penetration": "196/171/65 mm", " Damage": "440/510/580 units", "Average damage per minute": "1650/1913/2175 units/min", "Rate of fire": "3.75 rounds/min", "Reload time": "16 s" , "Spread": "0.38 m/100m", "Convergence": "2.9 s", "Weight": "5290 kg", "Price": "147000" ) )).

Penetration rules for cumulative projectiles

Update 0.8.6 introduces new penetration rules for cumulative projectiles:

• The cumulative projectile can now ricochet when the projectile hits armor at an angle of 85 degrees or more. During a ricochet, the armor penetration of the ricocheted cumulative projectile does not decrease.
• After the first penetration of the armor, the ricochet can no longer work (due to the formation of a cumulative jet).
• After the first penetration of the armor, the projectile begins to lose armor penetration at the following rate: 5% of the armor penetration remaining after penetration - per 10 cm of space traversed by the projectile (50% - per 1 meter of free space from the screen to the armor).
• After each penetration of armor, the armor penetration of the projectile decreases by an amount equal to the thickness armor, taking into account the angle of inclination of the armor relative to the flight path of the projectile.
• Now the tracks also serve as a screen for cumulative projectiles.

Changes to ricochet in update 0.9.3

• Now, when a projectile ricochets, it does not disappear, but continues its movement along a new trajectory, and 25% of the armor penetration is lost for an armor-piercing and sub-caliber projectile, while the armor penetration of a cumulative projectile does not change.

Projectile tracer colors

• High-explosive fragmentation - the longest tracers, noticeable orange in color.
• Sub-caliber - light, short and transparent tracers.
• Armor-piercing - similar to sub-caliber ones, but more noticeable (longer, lifetime and less transparency).
• Cumulative - yellow and thinnest.

What type of projectile should I use?

Basic rules when choosing between armor-piercing and high-explosive fragmentation shells:

• Use armor-piercing shells against tanks of your level; high-explosive fragmentation shells against tanks with weak armor or self-propelled guns with open deckhouses.
• Use armor-piercing shells in long-barreled and small-caliber guns; high-explosive fragmentation - in short-barreled and large-caliber. The use of small-caliber HE shells is pointless - they often do not penetrate, and therefore do not cause damage.
• Use high-explosive fragmentation shells at any angle, do not fire armor-piercing shells at an acute angle to the enemy's armor.
• Targeting vulnerable areas and shooting at right angles to armor are also useful for HE - this increases the likelihood of breaking through armor and taking full damage.
• High-explosive fragmentation shells have a high chance of inflicting small but guaranteed damage even if they do not penetrate armor, so they can be effectively used to knock down a grapple from the base and finish off opponents with a small margin of safety.

For example, the 152mm M-10 gun on the KV-2 tank is large-caliber and short-barreled. The larger the caliber of the projectile, the more the explosive substance it contains and the more damage it causes. But due to the short length of the gun barrel, the projectile flies out with a very small initial speed, which leads to low penetration, accuracy and range. In such conditions, an armor-piercing projectile, which requires an accurate hit, becomes ineffective, and a high-explosive fragmentation one should be used.

Detailed review of shells

In English military terminology, the British term “High Explosive Squash Head” is used. HESH) and adopted instead in the USA “high explosive with plastic explosives” (English: High Explosive Plastic - HEP). The principle of operation of an armor-piercing high-explosive projectile is based on the spread of the charge over the largest possible area of ​​armor and the destruction of the internal equipment and crew of the armored vehicle by fragments formed during detonation on the inside of the armor.

Armor-piercing high-explosive shells were created in Great Britain and became widespread in the 1950s and 1960s, primarily together with the 105 mm tank gun, which became the de facto standard in Western tank construction. At the same time, the low effectiveness of armor-piercing high-explosive projectiles against combined and especially spaced armor, as well as their low effectiveness against enemy infantry due to insufficient fragmentation action, caused a decline in interest in armor-piercing high-explosive projectiles in the 1970s - 1980s and abandonment of them in favor of cumulative ones in most countries, with the exception of the UK.

Design and principle of operation

In its design, an armor-piercing high-explosive projectile is generally similar to a conventional high-explosive one, however, unlike the latter, it has a body with relatively thin walls, designed for plastic deformation when encountering an obstacle, and always only a bottom fuse. The charge of an armor-piercing high-explosive projectile consists of a plastic explosive substance and when the projectile meets an obstacle, it “spreads” over the surface of the latter. Contrary to popular myth, increasing the armor angle negatively affects the penetration and armor penetration of high-explosive armor-piercing shells, which can be seen, for example, in documents on testing the British 120mm L11 gun.

After the charge “spreads,” it is detonated by a delayed-action bottom fuse, creating a pressure of explosion products of up to several tens of tons per square centimeter of armor, dropping to atmospheric pressure within 1-2 microseconds. As a result, a compression wave with a flat front and a propagation speed of about 5000 m/s is formed in the armor; when it meets the rear surface of the armor, it is reflected and returns as a tension wave. As a result of wave interference, the rear surface of the armor is destroyed and spalls are formed that can damage the internal equipment of the vehicle or crew members. In some cases, through penetration of the armor may occur in the form of a puncture, break or knocked out plug, but in most cases it is absent. In addition to this direct effect, the explosion of an armor-piercing high-explosive projectile creates a shock impulse that acts on the tank's armor and can disable or tear off internal equipment, or injure crew members.

The effectiveness of armor targets, in American documents, is estimated as up to 1.3 of the caliber.

Due to its operating principle, an armor-piercing high-explosive projectile is effective against homogeneous armor and, like cumulative projectiles, its action depends little on the speed of the projectile and, accordingly, the firing distance. At the same time, the action of an armor-piercing high-explosive projectile is ineffective against combined armor, which poorly transmits the explosion wave between its layers, and is practically ineffective against spaced armor. Even against conventional homogeneous armor, the effectiveness of the armor-piercing high-explosive projectile can be significantly reduced or even negated by installing anti-fragmentation lining on the inside of the armor.

Two more disadvantages of the armor-piercing high-explosive projectile arise from its design features. The thin-walled body of the projectile forces it to limit its initial velocity compared to other types of ammunition, including cumulative ones, to less than 800 m/s. This leads to a decrease in trajectory flatness and an increase in flight time, which sharply reduces the chances of hitting moving armored targets at real combat distances. The second disadvantage is due to the fact that an armor-piercing high-explosive projectile, despite the significant mass of the explosive charge, has a relatively small fragmentation, since its body has thin walls, and its mechanical properties designed primarily for deformation, and not for effective education fragments, as in specialized high-explosive fragmentation or multi-purpose cumulative shells. Accordingly, the effect of the shells against enemy manpower turns out to be insufficient, which is considered a serious drawback of armor-piercing cumulative shells, since with the refusal of the overwhelming majority of Western tanks from high-explosive fragmentation shells, the role of the latter in the fight against manpower falls on cumulative or armor-piercing high-explosive shells shells

High Explosive Projectile - Basic Type artillery ammunition for conducting combat operations against a fortified enemy or in urban areas. The main difference between a high-explosive projectile and a conventional one is the delayed fuse. In a conventional projectile, the fuse is triggered immediately after contact with the surface. Because of this, the energy of the explosion penetrates little deeper. The effectiveness of such ammunition against fortification is very low. For this reason, high-explosive shells, mines for mortars, bombs for aircraft, and warheads for missiles were developed. The design of their fuses and the principle of operation are the same. As a rule, this is a bottom fuse.

Options for armor-piercing high-explosive shells

The effect of the explosion of a high-explosive projectile with the penetration of energy deep into it turned out to be very convenient for destroying armor. This is precisely what is associated with the massive distribution of armor-piercing high-explosive shells of any caliber. They are ineffective for small calibers, where armor-piercing shells with a carbide core have the advantage. Armor-piercing high-explosive shells are produced in calibers from 76 mm and above.

The armor-piercing high-explosive projectile is somewhat different from the usual one in that it uses a soft casing that deforms upon contact with the armor. For example, in a concrete-piercing projectile or in specialized ammunition that must pass through ceilings, this solution does not apply. Armor-piercing high-explosive ammunition, upon contact with armor, seems to spread over its surface. When this process is completed, the bottom fuse is activated.

Bottom fuses are universal for high-explosive shells. Their main drawback- when falling into a viscous shock-absorbing environment, it does not work. This is precisely the reason for the unexpected discovery of a large number of unexploded shells in swampy areas of military operations.

Explosive compounds for high-explosive projectiles

Since the invention of nitro compounds (and only they are used for high-explosive projectiles), gunpowder, the development of projectiles has gone very quickly. Early examples used on howitzers of the First World War are very close to modern ones. There are almost no differences in the composition of the explosive.

The most important technological parameter for high-explosive projectiles is the power of the explosive compound. Interestingly, the nitro compounds in it are at the technological limit. It is impossible to obtain more energy from chemical (non-nuclear) explosives. In professional language, this parameter is designated as TNT equivalent. Usually it is 1.1, maximum 2. V pure form explosives are not used in shells. It is too unstable and can explode from impacts, unloading of boxes with shells and other factors. To increase stability, plasticizers are used.

High-explosive fragmentation shells

They are designed in the same way as conventional high-explosive ones, but instead of a thin body, which is flattened upon impact, they use a heavy, thick-walled body. Fragmentation damaging elements are formed precisely when such a body is destroyed. Otherwise structural device similar.

When you need to hit dispersed objects (or the object is far away and cannot be hit accurately), a high-explosive fragmentation projectile is most effective. He has large area defeats. They are optimally suited for long-range artillery, where ammunition consumption is very high.

The mass of explosive in a fragmentation projectile is less than in a non-fragmentation projectile of the same caliber. However, the efficiency is higher. This process can be described as follows. blast wave from a shrapnel-free projectile dissipates in any environment. Most often in the air, in liquid media, in contact with hard object. In all cases, the damage radius will be different. It can deflect if it breaks close to a wall or armor. A high-explosive fragmentation projectile spends the energy of the internal charge to scatter fragments. It is always the same amount of energy directed in all directions. It does not depend on the environment into which the projectile hits. Its damage radius is greater than that of a non-fragmentation weapon.

Types of fragmentation submunitions

Metal is used as fragmentation damaging elements in ammunition. The cheapest option for large caliber artillery uses cast iron and steel. The so-called jacket and body of the projectile are simultaneously torn apart by the action of explosives and turned into fragments. Manual fragmentation grenades use aluminum. The low weight of the ammunition is important there. Specialized anti-personnel projectiles have steel balls. Finally, the most exotic and expensive option is tungsten balls, steel darts and other striking elements. This design is used in anti-aircraft missiles, as well as in specialized projectiles to destroy radar stations.

Design features of high-explosive ammunition

The high-explosive action of projectiles requires a delay in the operation of the fuse, so all explosive compounds used for high-explosive projectiles must be insensitive to shock. This fully applies to ordinary shells, since otherwise they will simply explode in the cannon channel.

Ammunition has a limited shelf life. At the same time, they use very stable chemical explosive compounds hidden in a sealed housing. The shelf life according to the standards is deliberately underestimated several times. This is done for reliability, since an expired projectile becomes more sensitive to impacts, and the likelihood of it exploding in the gun channel increases. Theoretically, firing expired shells is possible, but they must be handled very carefully, and there should be no people in the affected area when firing.

Promising developments

The theoretical limit has long been reached in the field of explosive compounds, so the efforts of developers are aimed at other aspects. There are two main directions. This is the development of guided projectiles and the improvement of fuses. From guided missiles Russian military-industrial complex So far it produces only one variant - the Krasnopol projectile. This model performed very well in testing. Now its production volume amounts to tens of thousands of copies. All other technologically advanced armies in the world have their own designs of guided high-explosive projectiles.

Improvement of fuses is aimed at regulating the depth of detonation. If there is an explosion at the first contact with the surface, then this is not a high-explosive projectile. Excessive deepening is also undesirable. For example, when conducting combat operations in cities, this leads to shells exploding in the basements of buildings or being buried too far into the ground. All these shortcomings can be eliminated either by making an adjustable fuse or by using remote control.

A classic example of a variable fuze is anti-submarine grenades, bombs and shells. Before firing, they manually set the depth of the explosion depending on the depth of the detected target. Since the speed of a projectile in water depends little on the distance of the shot, this method is quite accurate. Adjustable fuses have a built-in delay system on simple mechanisms, such as a hand grenade.

A projectile with a radio detonation will explode where a regular one will fly past. The radio detonation system has been developed for anti-aircraft shells since World War II.

Remote controlled fuses use a radio channel. The “Ainet” system can be considered an exemplary weapon of this class. Such a projectile can hit targets that are invulnerable to conventional projectiles. In combat conditions, the most dangerous are crews camouflaged on the ground with ATGMs, for example, Javelin. They need to be detected and defeated as quickly as possible. With the Ainet system this is done with one shot from the main tank gun.