Found this slightly interesting and decided to do a little reading on it since taking a look at the Panzerfaust Kline.
The idea of the shaped charge has been around since 1883, however the first military use of the shaped charge wasn't applied till May 10th 1940 when German troops invaded and attacked the then once thought to be inpenetrible Fort Eben Emaelin Belgium (7th Parachute Division, consisted of 85 Paratroopers (Fallschirmjäger), on May 11th 1940 at 1:30pm (1330) 1200 Belgian forces surrendered and were captured by German forces).
A shaped charge is generally in the shape of a cone such as this round from an RPG-7:
or this of a Panzerfaust (not sure if its a Kline or a Gross (Large) its hard to tell).
Or the modern day SABOT round used by the US Abrams Tank:
(yes, the very same round I tried stealing from an Army base when I used to hang out with my Army buddies.)
Another variations of the SABOT tank round:
This one a M830A1 HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) round also for the M1A1 and M1A2 Main Battle Tank (Abrams).
When a shaped charge is detonated the energy is concentrated to the center or "hollow" space of the charge in front of and along the axis of the charge. A forceful jetstream of the explosion gases results that hits the "target" (could be steel from a wall the steel armor of a tank or concrete of a building just to name a few). Many hollow shaped charges have a metal plate in the tip of the projectile being fired that forms a molten metal spike 9it is undetermined if the "spike" is liquid or solid so it is commonly referred to as "plasma" jet. Not subatomic plasma though.)
In order for a shaped charge to be effective it needs to detonate at the right distance from teh target. If detonated too late the plasma jet is unable to form resulting in no penetration or little damage, if it is detonated too far from the target the plasma jet is unfocused and partly spent also resulting in little to no damage.
During WWII Allied forces were struck witht he issue of losing many men and armored units to shaped charges specifically from the Panzerschrek and Panzerfaust divisions and units due to the thin armor of the Allied tanks. As a result Allied armored divisions resorted to covering the tanks with sand bags or welding sheets of steel to the outer armor also knwon as "Spaced-Armor" as it left an "air" gap between the outer shell of the tank and the back of the secondary piece of steel of their tanks or creating steel "cages" on the outside of them in which they would put sand bags in.
Today's military (US cause we are the only ones who matter) employ different types of protection against shaped charges. The M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams tanks employs armor that "flakes" off as its hit (I can't for the life of me remember what it's technical name is and its bugging the hell out of me now.) There is also "Flat" armor that basically looks like a fence on the outside of the tank when an shaped charge projectile strikes the fence it's penetrating effects are *******ly rendered useless.
Thats all I got.
If anyone has anythign else to add be my guest. Especially since I can't remember the name of the armor the Abrams tank utilyzes. Although I do know that it recently had an upgrade from an 104mm (?) main gun to an 120mm main gun.
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wow thats a long ass post, but thats one of ur many unique qualities i enjoy. i read ti all, and all i can say is that that is very interesting to me too.
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the training sabot rounds the military uses is just a hunk of steel rebar, however the real deal sabot is a hardened spike of depleated uranium. it is basicaly a kenetic energy round since the actual projectile itself is small, but is traveling around 5000 fps if not more. Yea, I said 5000fps. I know, I used to be a mech in a heavy cavalry unit and I worked on the M1A1, nice ride
also, the Russian T72 tank has a type of armor that actualy explodes apun impact of a projectile. this is used to repel a projectile and hopefully keep the tank from becomeing a kill. however, when the US upgraded from the 104mm to the 120mm, the sabot round is able to fly right through that armor where the 104 needed a HEAT round followed by a sabot round to do the same.
Now some of the guy's in my old Nat. Guard unit said they would rather have the older M60 tank over the M1, mainly since you can use it as a small artillery piece, where as you cannot do that with the M1.
the 25mm Bushmaster chaingun that is in the Bradley M3A2 has ammo that is essently the same as the M1, only on a smaller scale. Origionaly that vehicle was supposed to replace the M113 APC, however, someone though it would be better to put a big gun on it.
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the training sabot rounds the military uses is just a hunk of steel rebar, however the real deal sabot is a hardened spike of depleated uranium. it is basicaly a kenetic energy round since the actual projectile itself is small, but is traveling around 5000 fps if not more. Yea, I said 5000fps. I know, I used to be a mech in a heavy cavalry unit and I worked on the M1A1, nice ride
also, the Russian T72 tank has a type of armor that actualy explodes apun impact of a projectile. this is used to repel a projectile and hopefully keep the tank from becomeing a kill. however, when the US upgraded from the 104mm to the 120mm, the sabot round is able to fly right through that armor where the 104 needed a HEAT round followed by a sabot round to do the same.
Now some of the guy's in my old Nat. Guard unit said they would rather have the older M60 tank over the M1, mainly since you can use it as a small artillery piece, where as you cannot do that with the M1.
the 25mm Bushmaster chaingun that is in the Bradley M3A2 has ammo that is essently the same as the M1, only on a smaller scale. Origionaly that vehicle was supposed to replace the M113 APC, however, someone though it would be better to put a big gun on it.
Good stuff, thanks for adding to it.
I was never enlisted in the military but had a lot of friends who were and I was privy enough to be able to climb inside of an M1A1 Abrams tank. I was shown how to drive, fire and load it. Of course, I wasn't allowed to actually do any of the above. I was amazed by the door to where the ammo goes. The thing was big, heavy and closed with enough force to cut steel in half. I've always loved the Abrams tank just because I was one of the few civilians who was allowed to enter one in the town I lived in because of my buddies.
I didn't get in any trouble. The sargeant that caught me reprimanded my friend for even letting me in the armory. I had to give it back and then leave. I wasn't allowed back on base.
I probably wouldn't of done anything with it. There would be no way for me to detonate it safely without killing myself or others.
The Shaped Charge...
(yes, the very same round I tried stealing from an Army base when I used to hang out with my Army buddies.)
