With this shell the Centurion’s 83.8-mm gun could penetrate armour twice as thick as could the 88-mm gun of the German Tiger II of World War II.Īn alternative type of armour-piercing ammunition developed during the 1950s was the high-explosive antitank (HEAT) shell. By comparison, earlier full-calibre, armour-piercing projectiles had a maximum muzzle velocity of about 900 metres (3,000 feet) per second. The APDS, which was adopted for the 83.8-mm gun of the Centurions, was fired with a velocity of 1,430 metres (4,692 feet) per second. The casing fell away on leaving the gun barrel, while the core flew on at an extremely high velocity. These had a smaller-calibre, hard tungsten carbide core inside a light casing. The last years of World War II saw the development of more- effective antitank ammunition with armour-piercing, discarding-sabot (APDS) projectiles. Smoke dischargers are fitted onto the side of the turret for concealment. West German Leopard 2 main battle tank, with a 120-millimetre gun. The British Challenger, introduced in the 1980s, was also armed with 120-mm guns, but these were still of the rifle type. M1 Abrams tank developed in the 1970s, but the subsequent M1A1 version of the 1980s was rearmed with a 120-mm gun originally developed in West Germany for the Leopard 2 tank. It was also retained in the original version of the U.S. 68 tanks produced in Switzerland, the West German Leopard 1, the Swedish S-tank, the Japanese Type 74, and the Mark 1 and 2 versions of the Israeli Merkava. The same 105-mm gun was adopted for the Pz. After the mid-1950s the M47 tanks were passed on to the French, Italian, Belgian, West German, Greek, Spanish, and Turkish armies, and during the 1960s the M48 began to be replaced by the M60, which was armed with a U.S.-made version of the 105-mm gun developed for the British Centurion. Army had were the M46, M47, and M48 medium tanks, all armed with 90-mm guns. As a result, virtually the only battle tanks the U.S. But the heavy M103 tank, armed with a 120-mm gun, was only built in small numbers in the early 1950s. Army also subscribed to a policy of developing heavy as well as medium tanks. A snorkel is mounted for submerged fording. Soviet T-72 main battle tank, with a 125-millimetre gun. Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.

Wwii ballistics armor and gunnery