Most Tank Kills

1 October 2005, 08:08 PM

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows the most tanks that were destroyed by a WW1 German pilot (probably in a Schlasta).

I know Ritter von Greim had 1 tank kill.

Thanks

David

Gregvan · 1 October 2005, 09:24 PM

Hi,

Once again, we're in uncertain territory. Yes, Greim, Udet and Osterkamp all claimed to have destroyed tanks by aerial attack in their D.VIIs, using machine gun fire only. I know that the Schlachtstaffeln crews frequently attacked tanks with small arms and grenades, etc. I guess we'll have to wait for Rick Duiven's and Dan-San Abbott's forthcoming book on the Schlachtflieger to find out if complete records survive.

Greg

Rick · 2 October 2005, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gregvan

Hi,

Once again, we're in uncertain territory. Yes, Greim, Udet and Osterkamp all claimed to have destroyed tanks by aerial attack in their D.VIIs, using machine gun fire only. I know that the Schlachtstaffeln crews frequently attacked tanks with small arms and grenades, etc. I guess we'll have to wait for Rick Duiven's and Dan-San Abbott's forthcoming book on the Schlachtflieger to find out if complete records survive.

Greg

Sorry, the records have not survived, but the book will cover the Battle of Cambrai in Nov. 1917. Actually, during my research for this tome, I found surprisingly little information concerning tank "kills" by Schlasta crews. R.

retread · 4 October 2005, 04:06 PM

I wonder what the thickness and composition of the armor was on these
tanks? Did it vary as per location of the vehicle? It couldn't have been
much thicknesswise if they knocked them out with machineguns. Did they
have AP rounds or something similar?

Shipmodeler · 4 October 2005, 05:11 PM

You should check out the "Encyclopedia of Military Vehicles" I think its called. It has all that info. its a pretty old book though, so you might have some trouble finding it.

NeilE · 4 October 2005, 07:28 PM

Looking at the question from the other way, from the point of view of the Tank Corp, this is a phenomena which does not rate a mention in works mentioning Tank Corp casualties. I was looking through "Tanks and Trenches" recently and could find no mention at all of Tank casualties to German aircraft. Given this, it sounds like it was very infrequent, if it happened at all.

Is this another case of German overclaiming?

Regards

Neil

Roadhog · 4 October 2005, 08:57 PM

Dear Rick and gang, I am aware that British tank crews were issued leather jerkins for additional protection and at least the drivers wore blue painted metal helmets with a mail chain veil to protect their eyes. The main problem that the early British tanks had with heavy machine gun fire was that when a round struck the outside armor plate, sometimes a piece of metal inside the hull chipped off and became shrapnel. It seems they used an inferior variety of carbon steel for the hulls. VR Roadhog "Memento mori."

Epee · 5 October 2005, 01:28 PM

The tanks of the First World War were very lightly armored compared to later vehicles, barely bulletproof. Indeed the Browning .50 machinegun was designed after WW1 as an anti-tank/aircraft weapon and it's bullet is based on a round the Germans developed and used in a single shot rifle during 1918. If a single rifle caliber round could not penetrate the early tank's armor it would cause spalding (flaking) opposite the bullet strike and a concentrated burst on a small area could pound it's way through. Even today tanks are more vulnerable to the top and rear were air intakes and cooling fans are found. Machinegun fire from above and behind might not result in the catastrophic destruction of the tank but it would quickly disable the engine resulting in a possible fire.

Roadhog · 5 October 2005, 09:30 PM

Thank you Epee. For the life of me I could not recall the technical term spalding yesterday when I posted my comment on tank crews' added protective gear. Another senior moment I reckon. VR, Roadhog "Memento mori."

6 October 2005, 01:30 PM

Gentlemen,

On October 5,1918 Lt.d.R. Hermann Ritter von Lechner and Vizefeldwebel Heck of FA(A)297b,single-handedly went after a column of advancing American tanks. They knocked out two of them before they themselves came under attack by a large force of enemy planes. Heck managed a landing just within their own lines but the plane flipped over. Though shaken up,the crew scrambled to the safely of friendly trenches whereupon Lechner,an ex-artillery man,made his way to the nearest German gun battery and helped direct its fire at the remaining still advancing tanks until all were knocked out.

Sincerely,

Edward