Shot traps
Encyclopedia
Shot traps are locations on the exterior of an armored vehicle where impacting shells
are deflected to a weaker or vulnerable point in the armor, or simply guided to hit the vehicle, instead of bouncing or skimming off. Shot traps are undesirable features in armored vehicle design.
For example the initial turret design of the Tiger II
had a curved mantlet
in the front. This acted as a shot trap by deflecting incoming shots that hit the lower part of the mantlet downwards towards the thinner hull roof armour, or into the turret ring where the shell could potentially jam the traverse mechanism. A new design replaced the front curved mantlet with a flat armor plate sloped at 81 degrees.
However, modern armour piercing rounds have very little tendency to be deflected, so shot traps are no longer a major concern of armoured vehicle design.
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
are deflected to a weaker or vulnerable point in the armor, or simply guided to hit the vehicle, instead of bouncing or skimming off. Shot traps are undesirable features in armored vehicle design.
For example the initial turret design of the Tiger II
Tiger II
Tiger II is the common name of a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B,Panzerkampfwagen – abbr: Pz. or Pz.Kfw. Ausführung – abbr: Ausf. .The full titles Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf...
had a curved mantlet
Gun mantlet
A gun mantlet is an armour plate or shield attached to an armoured fighting vehicle's gun, protecting the opening through which the weapon's barrel projects from the hull or turret armour and, in many cases, ensuring the vulnerable warhead of a loaded shell does not protrude past the vehicle's...
in the front. This acted as a shot trap by deflecting incoming shots that hit the lower part of the mantlet downwards towards the thinner hull roof armour, or into the turret ring where the shell could potentially jam the traverse mechanism. A new design replaced the front curved mantlet with a flat armor plate sloped at 81 degrees.
However, modern armour piercing rounds have very little tendency to be deflected, so shot traps are no longer a major concern of armoured vehicle design.