PTRD videos

T

The Frogge

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
35   0   0
Location
Prince George, BC
Found these files while cleaning up my hard-drive and thought you folks would like to see them. http://s116.photobucket.com/albums/o4/TheFrogge/Rifle/?action=view&current=ptrd.flv
Missed this shot, was also wearing earplugs in addition to the muffs and my ears still rang.
http://s116.photobucket.com/albums/o4/TheFrogge/Rifle/?action=view&current=ptrd_downrange.flv
This second one shows the target for the second shot. It's a peice of 2" steel about 18" in diameter, we found it around 10 feet farther back. Because it wasn't braced the bullet didn't penetrate but did leave a massive gouge in the steel(steel cored sks rounds hardly left a mark), if i can get them scanned I'll upload some pictures of the target. Altogether it was a good ending for a day, going to have to get some more shells and take my boss out to it this summer.
 
A buddy has a video of him shooting his 20mm Lahti AT rifle at 2" plate steel. It's AMAZING. And the rounds DO prnetrte all the way through. A 200# piece of steel will also fly back about 20 or 30 feet. Nifty stuff.
 
I think the Red Army should have issued the PTRD man an extra ration of vodka to 'numb up' his shoulder when he had to put in a day's work at the front. I read that alot were issued for the Kursk battle in 1943.
 
I doubt it made much difference. The German lead units all had Panzer MkIV, Panther and tiger tanks. The PTRD was completely ineffective against those vehicles.
 
A/T Teams

Claven2 said:
I doubt it made much difference. The German lead units all had Panzer MkIV, Panther and tiger tanks. The PTRD was completely ineffective against those vehicles.
Click to expand...
Wrong. Teams using A/T rifles were used to shoot off tracks, bogeys. Once the tank was immobolized, it was destroyed using a combination of grenades, magnetic mines, satchel charges. Russian defenses at Kursk were designed to separate the supporting infantry from its armour, making it easier for the A/T teams to do their job. The largest tank used(Ferdinand) were slaughtered by A/T teams as the Germans did not arm this AFV with any machineguns.Kursk was the introduction of the Panther, but too often these vehicles broke down due to transmission and cooling system failures. Sixty years later the .50BMG cartridge chambered in a sniper rifle is classed as a "anti-material weapon", used to destroy thermal-imaging, fire-control, radar systems attached to armoured vehicles. History repeats itself.
 
c1a1 said:
Wrong. Teams using A/T rifles were used to shoot off tracks, bogeys. Once the tank was immobolized, it was destroyed using a combination of grenades, magnetic mines, satchel charges. Russian defenses at Kursk were designed to separate the supporting infantry from its armour, making it easier for the A/T teams to do their job. The largest tank used(Ferdinand) were slaughtered by A/T teams as the Germans did not arm this AFV with any machineguns.Kursk was the introduction of the Panther, but too often these vehicles broke down due to transmission and cooling system failures. Sixty years later the .50BMG cartridge chambered in a sniper rifle is classed as a "anti-material weapon", used to destroy thermal-imaging, fire-control, radar systems attached to armoured vehicles. History repeats itself.
Click to expand...

Interesting take on the battle. I'm reading "Ivan's War" right now and it certainly paints a vey different picture of that battle as told by the vetrans. According to this reference, infantry was virtually ineffective in the battle and that it was won by the T34. Period.

Though I guess these kinds of assessments are pretty subjective.
 
No, I haven't read it. When I'm done Ivan's War, next will be The Fall of Berlin: 1945 by Beevor. I've heard good things and already bought the book.

After that will be Lowel Green's "How the Granola Muching, Tree Hugging Thug Huggers are Ruining the Country". I can hardly wait.
 
>Where do you find the rounds for it?
The video was shot some time last year and I haven't been able to find any shells since then, only have the one left now.
>That Bad boy must have a good kick to it?
Has less kick than my Enfield, but then the enfield doesn't have a padded leather buttpad or a muzzle brake.
 
Claven2 said:
The Fall of Berlin: 1945 by Beevor.
Click to expand...


Excellent, excellent book. I read that and then Col. Dmitry Loza's book "Fighting for the Soviet Motherland: Recollections from the Eastern Front" (i think that was the full title). First hand experience from a tank commander who used T-34s, Shermans and Matildas. Very telling book broken into small stories.
 
For an in-depth look at the russian front told by german soldiers, I highly reccomend the book "Infantry Aces" by Franz Kurowski. Great read. Incredible stories.
 
Slimbo said:
For an in-depth look at the russian front told by german soldiers, I highly reccomend the book "Infantry Aces" by Franz Kurowski. Great read. Incredible stories.
Click to expand...

Oh, and I think there is an Infantry Aces Part 2 listed at JJ Fedorowicz's.
 
Hey, maybe you guys want to run some book exchange? I have a few books for JJ Fed and wouldn't mind trading to read others. Kind of a trade, read, and mail it back thing.
 
Claven2 said:
Interesting take on the battle. I'm reading "Ivan's War" right now and it certainly paints a vey different picture of that battle as told by the vetrans. According to this reference, infantry was virtually ineffective in the battle and that it was won by the T34. Period.

Though I guess these kinds of assessments are pretty subjective.
Click to expand...


The PTRD was an effective weapon... when used in the proper sense. The Armoured Skirt that the Panzer Mk.IVs had attached were made to counter the threat posed by the Russian infantry AT rifles, not originalluy to stop the shaped-charge shots fired by Bazookas or what have you, though they did prove to be useful against that as well.

The PTRD couldn't penetrate enemy armour at a distance, however it was fine at it when the Panzers rolled forward and bypassed the Infantry lines, or when the Ruskies infiltrated behind enemy lines. When close enough, and beside or behind the tank, a well-placed shot could actually pierce the armour and damage th engines or take out a crew member. In very rare cases, it could even penetrate the ammunition compartment and set off the powder, blowing the tank.

However, when the Armoured skirt came up, and the heavier tanks rolled in, the AT rifle lost it's effectiveness, and so it was used against softer targets and to try and track the medium Panzer 4s.

When the Russians started their big advance, the battle was often moving too fast for the PTRD to prove particularly useful, and so the T34 with it's great speed, maneuverability and big gun was the effective weapon at that point.

When it all boils down to it, though... I want a KV-II for my front lawn. Not related, I know, but I don't care. I just like those big friggin' awkward buggers...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom