RE: two beautiful pictures [TANKS]

["John Guy" <john-at-tankcommand.org>]

Superb,

Crackin trivia Bill, its nice to know where some of the phrases I've
heard bandied about originated. Full circle again, old methods used with
new technology!!
Cheers


John Guy
Managing Director
TANK COMMAND Ltd
www.tankcommandltd.com  


-----Original Message-----
From: tanks-admin-at-rctankcombat.com [mailto:tanks-admin-at-rctankcombat.com]
On Behalf Of Bill Hamilton
Sent: 16 December 2004 16:23
To: tanks-at-rctankcombat.com
Subject: RE: two beautiful pictures [TANKS]



On Thu, 16 Dec 2004, John Guy wrote:

> Spot on Erick
>
> The Hesh roand momentarily flattens onto the armour like a cowpat,
> before detonating and sending a shockwave through the armour,
shattering
> the inside
> Of the armour and sending red hot fragments of armour plate whizzing
> round the fighting compartment (I think the fragments were refered to
as
> "spalding").

"Spalling".  This actually is a very old concept.  The traditional image

of the pirate witha  pegleg, eyepatch and hook is based in reality.
When 
a cannonball hit the oak planking of a ship, it often would not actually

penetrate.  However, the inner surface of the boards would spall,
sending 
shards of wood flying in all directions.  This, naturally, would injure 
anyone nearby.  These injuries usually either meant amputation or a
slow, 
agonizing death, because there was no way to remove all the small
slivers 
of wood.


-Bill "Useless trivia is me" Hamilton