Reversed bullet
Encyclopedia
A reversed bullet was a German anti-tank method for penetrating the armor of the British Mark I tank
during the World 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 would. When used against World War I 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. 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.
The reversed bullet sometimes damaged German rifles, often injuring its users. This made it unpopular with German infantry.
Later in World War I, the Germans developed the armor-piercing K bullet
for use against heavier British tanks.
Mark I tank
The British Mark I was a tracked vehicle developed by the British Army during the First World War and the world's first combat tank. The Mark I entered service in August 1916, and was first used in action on the morning of 15 September 1916 during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, of the Somme...
during the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
At their inception in 1915, the British Mark I tank
Mark I tank
The British Mark I was a tracked vehicle developed by the British Army during the First World War and the world's first combat tank. The Mark I entered service in August 1916, and was first used in action on the morning of 15 September 1916 during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, of the Somme...
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
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
. 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 would. When used against World War I 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
Spall
Spall are flakes of a material that are broken off a larger solid body and can be produced by a variety of mechanisms, including as a result of projectile impact, corrosion, weathering, cavitation, or excessive rolling pressure...
) that hurt or killed the crew of the tank, making it just as effective as full penetration of the compartment. 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.
The reversed bullet sometimes damaged German rifles, often injuring its users. This made it unpopular with German infantry.
Later in World War I, the Germans developed the armor-piercing K bullet
K bullet
Also: Patrone SmK 8x57mm ISThe K bullet is a 8x57mm IS armor-piercing bullet which has a tool steel core and which was designed to be fired from a standard Mauser rifle. It was used by the German infantry against the first British tanks in World War I...
for use against heavier British tanks.