eli5 why didn’t they but .50 caliber instead of the 7.62mm in the coaxial and hull gun in the m4 sherman
In: 0
A 7.62 AP round will do just fine and is far smaller
Tanks, especially early in the war, were designed to be infantry support. They’d travel with the infantry, fight infantry, take out bunkers and pillboxes for the infantry. You don’t need a 12.7mm round for infantry, even against light vehicles a 7.62mm round is plenty
Sticking with M1919 machine guns for the bow and coaxial guns resulted in more space inside for the crew, more ammo for those guns, and no loss of effectiveness. They carried about 6000 rounds for those guns but only up to 600 for the 12.7mm on the roof for the commander
Having the heavier roof gun is beneficial though. A 12.7mm round is more likely to take down a dive bomber before it gets to you than a 7.62mm so it’s worth the extra weight
Latest Answers