PTAB

PTAB (Russian ПТАБ, short for Противотанковая Авиабомба, "Antitank Aviation Bomb") was a Soviet World War II design of a Shaped Charge bomb.

Use

Bombs were widely deployed from Il-2 Ground Attack Aircraft and also, due to its very light weight, from Yak-9 Fighter, specifically from the internal weapon bay in the Yak-9b (Fighter-Bomber) modification. The Po-2 was also capable of carrying and deploying PTABs. The use of PTAB's was seemingly mostly from the Il-2, which accounted for a large part of the tanks destroyed by the PTAB. The weapon was first used in 1943.

Design

The bomb itself was 2.5kg with 1.5kg of explosives. The Il-2 was capable of carrying 280 2.5kg bombs immediately on the bomb-bay folds, or 4x48 in four cassettes. The PTAB 2.5 was capable of penetrating 60 to 70 millimeter tank armor, sufficient at the time even for the top-armor of heavy tanks.