- Reversed bullet
A reversed bullet was a German anti-tank method for penetrating the armor of the British
Mark I tank during theWorld War I .At their inception in 1915, the British
Mark I tank proved nearly impregnable to standard rifle fire. The first attempt at boosting the power of German infantry rifles was the "reversed bullet". This utilized the same case and bullet as a normal round, except with the bullet seated backwards and more propellant added to the cartridge. When fired, the blunt end of the bullet hits the target first. The bullet does not break apart against armor plating like a normal bullet wouldArmour Plate. (2006). Retrieved from: [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Armour_Plate Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 11] .] . When used against WWI tanks, it sometimes penetrated into the tank compartment, but often it severely distorted the plate armor of the tank. This caused a spray of metal shrapnel (spall ) that hurt or killed the crew of the tank, making it just as effective as full penetration of the compartment [Paschall, p 113.] . At short range, armor required a minimum thickness of one-half inch in order to stop a reversed bullet. The Germans also used reversed bullets at short ranges against French infantry [A NEW DUMDUM CHARGE. (1915). New York Times. Retrieved from: [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E0CE5DA1538E633A2575BC2A9679C946496D6CF&scp=1&sq=a+new+dumdum+charge&st=p New York Times Archive] .] .The reversed bullet sometimes damaged German rifles, often injuring its users. This made it unpopular with German infantry.Later in WWI, the Germans developed the armor piercing
K bullet for use against heavier British tanks.References
Notes
Bibliography
* Paschall, Rod. (1994). Defeat of Imperial Germany, 1917-1918. Da Capo Press.
External links
[http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot32_4.htm Backwards bullets at The Box O' Truth] .
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