Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military
From: bxr307@csc.anu.oz
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: VT rounds
Message-ID: <15600@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 14 Apr 90 04:12:12 GMT
References: <15516@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: Computer Services, Australian National University
Lines: 38
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: bxr307@csc.anu.oz
In article <15516@cbnews.ATT.COM>, nelson_p@apollo.com writes:
> 
> 
> From: nelson_p@apollo.com
> 
> 
>    [ for submission to sci.military ]
> 
> 
>    Forgive me if this is a stupid question:  I was reading
>    a book on the battles in the area of Pork Chop Hill in
>    the Korean War and I saw frequent references to an artillery
>    round called a VT round.  From context it appeared to 
>    be some kind of antipersonnel, proximity-fused round.
>    What is it exactly and what does VT stand for?
> 
>    Thanks in advance.
>                                            ---Peter

	VT stands for Variable Time.  It is basically a proximity-fused round.
The idea behind the term Variable Time is that the fuse does not have to be
set to explode after a certain time, to hopefully explode above the ground
to get an optimal dispersion of its fragments or splinters.  Rather it is
simply armed after leaving the barrel and then when it approaches the ground
at a set height explodes, hence the name Variable Time.

Brian Ross


P.S.  While we are on the subject on of artillery.  Have you people in the land
of the free heard yet about the giant artillery barrel confiscated in
England Yesterday (12 Apr'90)?  It apparently belonged to Iraq and was 1,000mm
in calibre and 45 metres long.  That makes it the largest artillery barrel
ever constructed (The previous record, Gustav by the Germans was an 800mm 
monster.  It was basically found to be tactically quite useless).