Looking for some information ...

[RADO]

In action, for both German and Russian AFVs the load out would vary considerably, especially once the "start line" had been crossed. They would take what they can get and the supply train would ship the most commonly used round in predominante numbers. This also varied considerably by year due to changes in availability, quantity in production, etc... As you appear to be (like me) somewhat of an armor/penetration science buff, you are already aware that trying to understand why two particular hits had dramatically different results even though fired from the same weapons, same angles, range, etc..., the number of variables are very high and can almost never be properly quantified even if we know the exact composition of the rounds being used. In the German case especially, despite high efforts at quality control, the high portion of slave labor used in the war industries (along with a host of other factors) often resulted in erratic propellant mixes, etc..., particularly the later in the war you get. While Soviet quality control varied for other reasons, this too would have an impact on "standardized" combat performance. I still think the tests done by the US Army at the Aberdeen proving grounds using large quantites of period ammunition for almost every major weapon in the war are the absolute best performance figures as the testing procedures were all standardized, conducted on the same range, and without "top 1 percent" ammo load outs. These tests used to piss a lot of folks at Lead Eaters off years ago, because they can't be refuted and tend to show that supposedly vaunted guns aren't all that special. It's pretty easy to build a gun with great penetration (it's simple math); the thing that makes it a killer (and something to be feared by your opponents) is the optics and gun laying system. Not as macho and some of the black uniform fetishist crowd would like, but then, reality usually isn't.

But I ramble yet again....

LR

Great input Larry, & yes, I'm one of those weapons & armor effectivness buffs. As you point out, the number one issue to getting a kill is being able to hit the target! Doesn't make any difference what gun you have it you cannot hit. In simple layman's language, the probability of a kill (Pk) is the probability of a hit (Ph), times the probability of penetrating the armor if you get a hit (Pp), times the probability of inflicting lethal damage if you penetrate the armor (Pl). If all three of these items were some 90%, then even in the best of situations, Pk is in the 70% range.

Take your hit probability down to 20% and Pk becomes very low! (Like shooting at the flank of a Stuart going 30 mph across country in the desert).

The APDS ammo was not available until 1944 so primarily we are dealing with standard AP, APBC, APCR, & HEAT ammo. Of course, HEAT weapon penetration is an entirely different affair from the other ammo types.

Still, it would be nice to be able to find out what standard compliments were for each nation. Perhaps there was no standard & that's why we can't find it.