Question about tanks (WW2)

[Sp4]

During a lengthly WoT session I had with a friend today, the question came up, wether the shell casings were ejected from the turrets back then and quite frankly, I have no idea if they even are today. I guess it works that way on some tanks, but as I understand, a lot of tank guns are still loaded manually, so I am wondering, where does/did the shell casing go?

Do they just fall out at the back of the tank somewhere or did they have to clean out the turret after a major engagement?

[CBR]

There was no automatic ejection in WW2 tanks. Modern tank guns use a semi combustible case that just leaves a short metal base and I think only the Russian tanks has automatic ejection.

[drone]

Didn't the older tanks (up to the M60, the Abrams does not) have bottom hatches for safer cleanup on the battle field? You could also take a whizz without exposing yourself to sniper fire. ~D

[Fisherking]

When full metal casings were still used they were ejected into the turret. When the loader had time he stowed them away where ever he could until they could be tossed out or turned in.

If you couldn’t have a hatch open and just toss them then you had to stand on them and work the best you could. It could slow you down a second or two. That can be a death sentence in a tank battle.

The bottom escape hatches were not used to drop casings out. That would be more trouble than it is worth. It would also mean that the hatch was not in place. That can prove dangerous too.

[Sp4]

Actually, yes. At least, the M60 did--I'm not sure about other older models. I've been inside an M60 and a T55, and I found both to be far more roomey than an Abrams--and both had escape hatches. The Abrams has an incredibly small amount of space inside, and with all three people in the turret there's no space for anything. When you get ready for combat operations you deploy a whole bunch of metal gates and guards inside the tank, which protect you from getting hit by the Breech during recoil.

I wanted to post a good picture of the inside of an Abrams with all three people in the turret (Driver would be in the Driver's hole), but I can't find a good one at all. Trust me when I say that you're begging for extra inches. The Loader especially has to be careful, because he is working around the breech and the ammo door while the tank is moving and rumbling about. Failure for everyone to pay very close attention usually leads to the Loader getting hurt. During my time as a loader, I had a hand broken by the Breech, and then next gunnery the same hand got smashed while messing with the semi-ready Ammo rack--my TC wasn't paying attention, and slid the door over to my side without checking first.

Tanking's dangerous, and usually its your own Tank that makes it so.

That sounds fun =/

I had a granduncle tell me some stories but I was too young to really care or wanna hear about it. Then he died and sometimes I hate myself for not talking to him more about his experiences =(