M8 HMC's no good at long range

[PoorOldSpike]

(Old hands will already know that but I like to make my posts as noob-friendly as possible)
Rico's line of panzers on that distant ridge are making mincemeat of my Shers and HMC's. This HMC (circled) is bravely firing 75mm HEAT rounds at the arrowed PzIVH which is so far away it's almost invisible-

But it's shot hits the ground (circled). The arrow indicates the firing HMC.
Other long range HMC shots during this game have been just as inaccurate, either sailing over the target or going wide and rarely hitting at this long range, especially in these dull rainy conditions. That's because its stubby low-velocity gun is only good for shorter range work in thick bocage or cities.

 

[mTk]

But it is surprisingly effective at short range flank shots.

 

[Nort]

I made the mistake of engaging POS' Stugs and PzIV with a few M8 Gun Carriages. I won't knowingly do that again. I bounced a few shots off the front of his PzIV. I know ... a PzIV. Then he killed my guys in quick succession.

 

[PoorOldSpike]

The M8 HMC's only carry a small number of HEAT (antitank shells), and when they've gone it has to resort to HE shells which can't penetrate tanks, they just go SPLAT!

 

[Yoozername]

I believe the M8 HMC and sherman 75mm both fired the same ammunition.

In the case of the HEAT M66 round, the M8 would pop it off at 300 m/s. This was a fixed round btw (fixed powder charge) and the sherman could get more velocity from it. . Given the back heavy nature of these projectiles, they would tend to spin oddly and be innaccurate at longer range.

But what is the range that the test shows?

The M8 would be better off firing WP which has a higher velocity. Near misses or hits on the ground between firer and target better for paying off.

 

[PoorOldSpike]

Alas, we have no control in Cm1 and Cmbn over which ammo the crew decides to fire..

 

[Yoozername]

Do you recall the range that the test is firing at?

 

[PoorOldSpike]

637 metres

 

[Yoozername]

I wouldn't call that long range

 

[PoorOldSpike]

It is for poor little HMC's with their stubby low-vel gun!
Reminds me of a scene in Star Trek when Spock lashes up a crude home-made weapon:

KIRK- "It'll have to do even though you won't be able to hit a barn door with it"
SPOCK- "Why would I wish to fire at such a structure captain?"
KIRK- "Never mind.."

 

[Yoozername]

To give a real world comparison, the hit probabilities would be very similar or better than the US 75mm recoiless rifle. Elevation would be about 30 mil. Given 6 rounds, one hit would not be out of the question.

But in real life the M8 would not be shoulder to shoulder with the shermans but further back. Its 75mm could bombard the germans forcing them to button up and causing sub-system failures like optics/tracks/etc. The pack howitzer did not fire fixed HE rounds and could vary the charge just like any artillery. shermans fired fixed rounds typically.

As a side note, the HEAT round gives a decent fragmentation effect. So do the German weapons that fire rifled HEAT rounds. The shell has thick walls in the back and the near misses could do some damage from the resulting fragmentation..