Weak Spots

Introduction: Tanks and Their Weak Sides

If you ask a layman what they think when they hear the word “tank,” in most cases they will respond with “heavily armoured vehicle,” “mobile fortress,” “steel bunker” and so on. Each of these associations reflect the general impression that tanks are hard, sturdy, impenetrable machines that are almost unstoppable when advancing. That is all true to a certain degree, especially from the perspective of infantry armed with nothing but anti-personnel weapons. However, in reality, there is no such thing as an unstoppable vehicle, and even tanks have their weaknesses.

Being a breakthrough combat vehicle, the tank usually faces the enemy with its front side, so this is naturally in most cases the part with the thickest armour, both on the turret and the hull. Its sides and, above all, the rear are a different story, though. Therefore, the easiest way of damaging a tank - especially of the heavy class - is to attack it from the flank or from behind. Here’s why exactly:

• Tank sides: Attacking the enemy vehicle from the side has numerous advantages. The most obvious one is the much thinner armour of that part. This means that your shells will have an incomparably higher chance of penetrating and dealing damage, even if they’re of an inferior caliber. What is also important, tanks are much bigger from the profile than from the front, so catching an enemy vehicle from the flank gives you a bigger and thus easier target to hit. Last but not least, shooting at the sides creates more opportunities of damaging the enemy’s modules and injuring their crew members. Remember, damaged modules or a knocked out crew translate to a reduced combat effectiveness of the enemy vehicle.
  
  Remember, however, that there are some exceptional vehicles that may have strong sides as well. The VIII IS-6  , for example, is notorious for scoring many 0 damage shots fired at its sides, thanks to the spaced armour (two or more plates, mounted with a gap between them, which are capable of drastically reducing the projectile’s kinetic energy upon impact) mounted above its tracks.
  
  
  
  
• Tank rear: This is the most vulnerable part of any tank and the ultimate gift for any gunner blessed with the opportunity to fire some shells at it. Being in most cases only lightly armoured (if at all), shooting the rear means guaranteed damage almost every time. Additionally, mind that this part of the tank is the place where the engine compartment is located. As a result, landing shells there may additionally damage this module and, with a bit of luck, set the enemy vehicle on fire, causing extra damage every second until the fire is put out.
  
  The catch is that no sane enemy will approach you rear-first in combat, and if they have some experience and common sense, they will do everything in their power to deny you the opportunity of even taking as much as a glimpse of their tank’s rear.

Frontal Weak Spots

Having covered all the sides of a tank but one, the time has come to discuss the front. As aforementioned, this is the most armoured part for a large majority of tanks, especially when it comes to heavy tanks. Therefore, confronting the enemy head on may be a very difficult task and the source of great frustration, accompanied by the sound of your shells bouncing off one after another.

However, bear in mind that no armour is impenetrable. In fact, even the frontal plates are not uniform on their entire surface and have various soft spots, which are usually much thinner, and thus easier to penetrate. These are commonly referred to as Weak Spots. Knowing them can give you the upper hand in a direct confrontation and/or allow you to deal damage even if, in theory, your gun shouldn’t leave as much as a scratch on the enemy armour.