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Old 03-28-25, 07:09 AM   #10
Hooston
中国水兵
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
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Default Will 20mm go through a uboat hull

Well i found a useful source and the answer is YES... but NO.... but YES.... but maybe.
See
http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.p...kets&Itemid=60


The HE and ball ammo would not cut it. So NO
The armour piercing round (many flavours used!) would penetrate around 20mm of armour plate at 200yds at 0 degrees incidence. So YES
Most attacks would have to be at a shallow dive angle and I'd guess around 3-400 yds. For shallow incidence shots there's not a lot of difference between armour plate and high tensile steel and the penetration drops off (reference only goes up to 40 degree incidence). The thin deck plates would also get in the way a bit. So NO, but YES against conning towers and the thin unpressurised saddle tanks. Some boats had added armour on the conning towers (I guess for this reason).
Seems to me that you should incur a lot of damage to deck crew, guns, periscopes and deck plates, a bit of damage to the conning tower and a slight nibble at the hull integrity (never enough to sink the boat).
Looks like we are not too far off!
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