In connection with the release of update 0.8.1 “The world of tanks”, it became possible to purchase “gold” shells for game silver. The WOT cumulative projectile is not a panacea for any kind of “non-penetration”. Many believe that such ammunition can be fired at any enemy tanks in any part of it, and they are very indignant when they hear: “I didn’t penetrate”. The world of tanks uses a very realistic system for penetrating armor-piercing, high-explosive shells, as well as cumulative ammunition. The principle of operation and application of the latter will be discussed below.
At the very beginning of the war, Soviet tankers collided with German tank destroyers that used cumulative shells. The term "cumulation" appeared in the second half of the XIX century. At this time, the effect of the cumulative jet was partially studied, but in combat conditions it was possible to use it only in 1940. The cumulative projectile completely changed the
tactics of warfare on tanks. Now the tank left without infantry cover became an easy target for enemy fighters. How does a cumulative shell work?
The principle of its work is quite simple. The warhead is equipped with a small funnel made of metal with a thickness of about 1 mm. Moreover, the pointed part of the funnel is directed towards the explosive. Undermining the projectile occurs before the cumulative projectile comes into contact with the armor.
The detonation of the explosive begins at the top of the funnel, the blast wave flattenes the funnel to the center along the axis of the projectile. The pressure inside the projectile reaches 500,000 atmospheres, which turns the funnel into a quasi-fluid flow. Huge pressure pushes it to the surface of the armor, which it begins to “blur”, as if a stream of water erodes the sand.
During the formation of a cumulative jet, its different parts acquire different speeds, due to which its length increases. The jet itself begins to collapse, the degree of penetration decreases. The cumulative projectile has the greatest degree of penetration when it is detonated at a certain distance from the main armor. The penetration of a projectile is approximately equal to its 6-8 caliber. If the projectile uses depleted uranium, the penetration of such ammunition is 10 calibers.
Of the advantages of a cumulative jet, it can be noted that it is independent of the speed and range of the projectile. Such ammunition is great for small field artillery, hand grenade launchers. Independence from the firing range gives the main advantage when shooting with cumulative shells in the "World of Tanks". But when shooting, it is worth considering the lower projectile speed, and, therefore, take a greater lead.
The use of such shells in powerful artillery with high projectile flight speeds is associated with great difficulties. The effect of the
cumulative jet directly depends on the angle of the direction of its development, and also during the flight the projectile is given a high rotation frequency, which negatively affects its penetrative capabilities. During firing from
smooth-bore weapons, the projectile does not rotate, its flight is stabilized by the plumage, but the high speed of the projectile’s approach does not allow time for the formation of a cumulative jet.
During the war, Soviet tankers began to defend their tanks from the damaging effects of the cumulative jet, hanging various screens on military vehicles that made the cumulative projectile fire earlier, and its penetration rate decreased significantly. Similar can be seen in the World of Tanks: many tanks are equipped with screens that increase the chance of getting "non-penetration" even by "golden" cumulative shells.
Currently, NATO countries are widely used combined armor, which consists of several layers of metal and ceramics. When a cumulative jet penetrates such an armor, its effect dissipates with each new layer overcome, as a result, the jet disintegrates. In the army of Russia and Israel, dynamic armor is widely used, which destroys the cumulative stream by a reverse explosion.