Suggestion for improvement: option to empty the ammo rack in the Tiger II’s turret
I’d like to suggest adding an option that lets players empty the ammo storage in the turret of Tiger II tanks (all variants) in War Thunder. Historically, Tiger II crews, aware of the high risk of ammo detonation when hit, often chose to keep the turret racks empty to improve their chances of survival.
In the game, there’s currently no way to choose where your ammo is stored. This forces players to carry a number of shells that inevitably fills the turret racks, increasing the risk of instant detonation after being hit. This not only goes against historical records but also hurts the tactical viability of the vehicle in high-tier matches.
Here’s my proposal:
- Add an option to load only enough shells to fill the hull racks, leaving the turret storage empty, even if the tank’s total ammo capacity allows for more.
- Alternatively, allow players to manually set where their ammo is stored in the battle preparation menu, always prioritizing the safest (historically most protected) racks.
Benefits:
- Better historical accuracy.
- Improved gameplay realism for vulnerable vehicles like the Tiger II.
- Gives players more strategic control over the risk of ammo explosions.
Thanks for your attention!
1
- In the first image, we see the inside of the TIGER II completely empty, where some crews would intentionally leave the turret storage without ammo to avoid it detonating if the turret got pierced.
2
- In the second image, we see the tank completely filled with ammo in the turret, with a high risk of detonation if it got pierced, increasing the chances of complete crew elimination.
Yes, there are historical records confirming that the crews of the Tiger II tanks, also known as the Königstiger, adopted the practice of not fully loading the rear munition compartment in the turret as a safety measure to reduce the risk of internal detonations if hit.
Historical Accounts
According to the site AMZ Newspaper, after incidents in August 1944 where Tiger IIs suffered internal explosions after being hit on the side, it was recommended that crews avoid fully loading the munition compartments in the turret. This practice aimed to reduce the risk of fires and explosions, making the vehicle less vulnerable to fatal damage.
Additionally, the site Tank Archives mentions that in Soviet anti-tank manuals of the time, it was advised to target specific areas of the Tiger II, including the rear turret area where ammunition was stored. This indicates that the enemies were aware of the vulnerability of those areas, and the German crews were also aware of the risks associated with fully loading ammunition in those regions.
Reminder:
The site “tank-archives” provides very little information about sharing tactics on how to destroy Tiger IIs, but that could be because these monstrous tanks were only faced for a short period of time! Soviet companies, on the few occasions they had, would sometimes share their successful experiences destroying TIGER IIs, pointing out possible penetration spots, since official information and test results took a long time to reach them.
Even though the site doesn’t actually show the TIGER II, we can still find this kind of information on more “hidden” websites but I can’t access them because of my location (country) and the laws that block access to some sites around the world.
Munitions Storage Strategy
The munition storage in the Tiger II was designed to allow quick access during combat. However, due to the risk of internal detonations, especially from side impacts, crews adopted the practice of not fully loading the munition compartments in the turret. This strategy aimed to minimize damage in case of armor penetration, increasing the survival of the crew and the effectiveness of the vehicle in combat.
Conclusion
So, it’s confirmed that the crews of the Tiger II adopted the practice of not fully loading the munition compartment in the turret, especially the rear, as a safety measure to reduce the risk of internal detonations in case of impact. This strategy reflects the crews’ adaptation to the vehicle’s vulnerabilities and the combat conditions of the time.
So yes, crews were advised to partially fill the turret or leave it completely empty to avoid greater risks! And the reloading speed with an experienced crew wouldn’t change at all since the sides, which also had stored ammo with easy access, didn’t cause any delays in reloading the gun.
As we can see in the following image.
Thanks thats all.
