Quote Originally Posted by Kraxis
Direct hits by 105mm HE shells were not enough, then I doubt that a 150mm 30 meters away would have much better success against better tanks.

Image if you will - that a 155mm high explosive shell weighs 96.5 pounds on average. I could go into square weights of the shell which are simply a varition from standard of 1.1 pounds per square weight from the standard of 4 square. Then fired with the maximum charge of the howitzer - with during WW2 and up until around the 1980's was Charge 7 M4A2 powder. This created a muzzle volecity of over 454 meters per second. If you do the physics - the round serves as a huge kinetic energy weapon if you do not use a fuze on the projectile. Placing a fuze on the round does lessen this impact - however to kill a tank does not always require its destruction. A direct hit from an artillery round will often cause problems for the tank and more important the crew inside


Now back to WW2 when the tank armor was still in its developmental stages. WW1 being infant - WW2 armor is adoslent (SP). One of the soviet lessons learned was how to use artillery and anti-tank weapons together to kill tanks. Several battles show how effective such a systems is. The germans also did this (along with the Finnish as already pointed out)

From a translated WW2 German document

9. When antitank weapons are encountered at long or medium ranges, you must first return fire and then maneuver against them. First make a firing halt in order to bring effective fire to bear - then commit the bulk of the company to maneuver on the enemy with the continued support of one platoon.

10. When antitank weapons are encountered at close range, stopping is suicide. Only immediate attack at the highest speed with every weapon firing will have success and reduce losses.

11. In combat against the antitank guns you may never - even under the protection of strong fire support - allow a single platoon to attack alone. Antitank weapons are not employed singly. Remember - lone tanks in Russia are lost!

17. Always prepare dug in positions and camouflage against the possibility of air or artillery attack. Being sorry afterwards is no excuse for losses taken by these causes.
http://www.combatmission.com/article...ard/panzer.asp

Notice what this actually tells you about the combinaton of Artillery and Anti-Tank weapons used together.

To set an effective Armor Ambush is a very difficult thing to do - but is every Infantry commanders dream from WW2 on. Whole doctrines were invisioned from using exambles from WW2. Anti-Armor Guns - now missles - used with effective and planned Artillery support can cause great harm to any armor attack.