Incorrect Filler Weights and Compositions for British Shells

[SuperComrade 377]

# Game version 2.7.0.176

# Description

Some British shells have incorrect explosive fillers.

 

Late-war British HE shells of calibre less than 8-inches (especially those with VT fuzes) should be using RDX/TNT, instead of pure TNT. Shells that should have RDX/TNT ingame are:

• All HE-VT shells smaller than 8-inches , since VT fuzes were introduced in the Royal Navy around 1944 and thus they represent late-war shells on British ships.
• All HE shells for the Battle-class destroyers HMS Armada and HMAS Tobruk (HE, HE-TF, HE-VT), since Armada, the first of the class, was commissioned in July 1945 and Tobruk was commissioned in 1950.

 

Furthermore, the explosive fillers of the 4.5-inch gun's shells are too low:

• HE shells for the QF 4.5-inch guns on HMS Armada and HMS Tobruk currently have only 1.22 kg TNT, which is only about 4.5% of the shell mass (55 lb = 24.95 kg); the mass should be 4 lb 1 oz (1.84 kg), i.e., about 7% of the shell's mass . As mentioned above, the filling should be RDX/TNT since these ships were commissioned in 1945 or later.
• In general, British SAP shells should have 4% of their weight as explosive filler. The SAP for the QF 4.5-inch guns on HMS Armada and HMS Tobruk currently has only 0.72 kg TNT, which is only very slightly above 3% of the shell mass (23 kg), whereas at 4% the mass should be 0.92 kg.

 

 

# Steps to reproduce the issue

1. Open up relevant shell information in hangar/port.

 

# Affected vehicles

• All British ships with access to HE-VT shells of smaller calibre than 8 inches,

• HMS Armada

• HMAS Tobruk.

 

# Sources

1. Source 1 (for SAP filler and RDX/TNT for late-war British HE shells)

   1. B.R. 932, Handbook on Ammunition (1945); Admiralty S.W.1, Naval Ordnance Department

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      Page 10, Paragraph 79

       

      

       

      Page 41, Paragraph 285
      
      

 

1. Source 2 (HE filler amount for 4.5-inch QF HE shells)

   1. Ammunition Bulletin No. 1 For Inspecting Ordnance Officers (May 1939); Chief Inspector of Armaments, Woolwich

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      Page 1

       

      Note that this refers to the QF 4.5-inch Mk. II AA gun, which is the land-based version of the naval 4.5-inch gun but used the same Navy ammunition and was only sited near Navy installations (see Campbell below). Since this bulletin is from 1939, the filler is listed as TNT. By 1945, when the Battle-class first entered service, all Navy HE ammunition was RDX/TNT filled (see Ammunition Handbook B.R. 932 above).

       

      

2. Source 3 (HE filler for HE shells, SAP filler, 4.5-inch Army AA gun is the same as Navy's 4.5-inch gun)

   1. Naval Weapons of World War II; John Campbell

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      Page 7

       

      

       

      Page 51 (4.5-inch QF Army AA gun is the same as 4.5-inch QF naval gun)

       

      

3.  

Edited August 10, 2021 by SuperComrade

[aizenns 3,530]

Hi,

Thanks for the report.

We  will read, investigate, test if needed and get back to you soon.

Cheers,

Technical Moderation Team

[SuperComrade 377]

Thank you @aizenns, I was also able to find further documentation you can see in this post:

 

[HK_Reporter 958]

@SuperComrade

 

Thank you for you interest and help improving the game. Your information has been forwarded to developers for their consideration.

 

If there's anything further regarding the report a Technical Moderator will contact you.

 

HK