TC Glowing Shells? Any way to turn this off or confirm this is historical?

[[KG]Destaex]

When I fire a tank main gun shell, it always seems to be a tracer with a glowing rear even on expert. Is this historical, is it the shell type I am using?

I mean I have seen modern tanks that appear to have their shell paths at the range at lower velocities and with glowing ends. Not sure though about ww2 tanks. I would have expected the shells to be invisible for the most part.

[SCG_judgedeath3]

Most countries had on their AP shells tracers that burns out after ca 3-8 second depending on shell and year and country etc. its something you want to see how the shell travels and adjust sight for the second round. HE shells depended, some nation had tracers on them too while others didnt.

[[KG]Destaex]

Thanks for the answer. I'd be interested to read about it. Would you have any good sources I could read more detail from?

[SCG_judgedeath3]

german tank encyclopedia is a start else its pretty much common knowledge and mentioned in most books and documentaries one can find on youtube etc.

[[KG]Destaex]

I have a tonne of books on tanks, most are general encyclopedias though that tend to focus on basic stats. I will have a look. I seem to remember a picture in my t34 vs panther osprey book. Most are not very comprehensive when it comes to ammunition and the specifics of firing it though.

[MicroShket]

I think that you should just google cataway view of common AP-shell. 

Here number 2 is for tracer, as you can see. 

[SCG_judgedeath3]

IF you check videos of tanks firing one can see the shell by the tracer, else they cant be seen by the eye, just like bullets.
First use of tracer round came in 1915 by the british and in the 1920s started to be used worldwide, most swedish tanks used tracer rounds for the ap in the mid 1930s.

Here is a good picture, and the copper rings you see is the tracer material that starts burning at a certain heat and air resistance etc:

[[KG]Destaex]

The help much appreciated. So the game is accurate then. Good stuff.

See below. An exert from the osprey book “tiger 1 heavy tank 1942-45 by tom jentz and hillary doyle. It specifies that the standard german AP round had tracer attached. Not so sure about the others. Will be interesting to play around in game with the different round types.

[[KG]Destaex]

I wonder if the infra red panthers late in the war still used tracer to kill st night, giving their position away!

[SCG_judgedeath3]

5 minutes ago, [KG]Destaex said:

st night, giving their position away!

As soon as you fire you will reveal yourself at night, tracer or not, the fire from firing the shell will light you up a lot.

[[KG]Destaex]

True. But a tracer would give an even more direct line back to you even between buildings or cover from all sides and angles.

You are right though, it is academic once you have displayed the initial flash from firing and then any smoke that follows would be seen by search lights etc if their were any around.

Edited July 11, 2020 by [KG]Destaex

[[KG]Destaex]

I can confirm that the Ferdinand at least has no tracer for HE. So the dev team really did their research

[Georgio]

On 7/11/2020 at 4:39 PM, SCG_judgedeath3 said:

IF you check videos of tanks firing one can see the shell by the tracer, else they cant be seen by the eye, just like bullets.
First use of tracer round came in 1915 by the british and in the 1920s started to be used worldwide, most swedish tanks used tracer rounds for the ap in the mid 1930s.

Here is a good picture, and the copper rings you see is the tracer material that starts burning at a certain heat and air resistance etc:

 

The copper is the driving band for the round and has nothing to do with the tracer material which is located in the base. This is recessed to try and minimise visibility to the front/sides.

[SCG_judgedeath3]

Interesting, most sites and books seem to claim the tracer material is located there but then I learned something new

[69th_chuter]

Tracers are most obviously seen from behind., as that's where the tracer compound is.  The USAAF spent some time developing a .50 cal round called "Headlight" that was a tracer specifically designed to be seen from the targeted area to act as a deterrent or distraction to enemy fighter pilots.  It worked by streaming a small amount of burning tracer material behind it.  The fact that some effort was put into this characteristic seems to indicate that the game's omnidirectional visibility of tracers is, perhaps, inaccurate.

[Georgio]

Ideally with tracers you want your guys to see it clearly for target marking etc. but the bad guys not to see where it's coming from.

In reality the glow is so intense that they're seen from all sides but most visible from the rear.

Interesting that long range artillery shells actually base-bleed with a material that fills the parasitic void behind the shell so adding extra range.

Makes you wonder if this was because of trying to add tracer to artillery.