What is Zimmerit?

[B24guy]

I am kind of new to armor, and I see the new FOV Tiger has a Zimmerit finish. Can someone tell me what Zimmerit is, and what is was used for? Thanks.

[Light.Inf.Scout]

Simply, its an anti magnetic mine paste.

[aferguson]

zimmerit.....no second 'm'.

It was put on german tanks and tank destroyers from mid '43 to sept '44 because of the anticipated use of magnetic anti tank mines by soviet troops (the soviets never did use them in any quantity....just the odd captured german examples, which is why it was discontinued in sept. '44, as it was expensive and time consuming to apply).

[King O' Fools]

Wikipedia: Always there when you need it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimmerit

And some pics to go with it, too:

http://www.sspanzer.net/zimmerit/zimmerit.htm

http://www.zimmerit.com/main/PagineWeb/ ... it-ing.htm

[ostketten]

It was put on german tanks and tank destroyers from mid '43 to sept '44 because of the anticipated use of magnetic anti tank mines by soviet troops (the soviets never did use them in any quantity....just the odd captured german examples, which is why it was discontinued in sept. '44, as it was expensive and time consuming to apply

Kind of ironic that the Germans were pretty much the only users of magnetic AT mines, and no allied tank that I am aware of employed the equivalent of Zimmerit.

[popeye357]

Man, you beat me to that question!!!

[MG-42]

zimmerit.....no second 'm'.

>>> You can pronounce and spell the word w/ 2 m's or 3 . Same meaning shared. +

Mitch v MG

[pickelhaube]

I did not know it was on the sdk 250 as well. I guess you learn something every day.

[GooglyDoogly]

It was put on german tanks and tank destroyers from mid '43 to sept '44 because of the anticipated use of magnetic anti tank mines by soviet troops (the soviets never did use them in any quantity....just the odd captured german examples, which is why it was discontinued in sept. '44, as it was expensive and time consuming to apply

Kind of ironic that the Germans were pretty much the only users of magnetic AT mines, and no allied tank that I am aware of employed the equivalent of Zimmerit.

The Japanese have also used magnetic AT mines against U.S. armor. But instead of doing something complicated like zimmerit, the Marines simply put planks of wood all over the sides of their Shermans.

Simple and effective.

[ostketten]

The Japanese have also used magnetic AT mines against U.S. armor

Thanks Googly... I must confess, the Jap forces and the war in the Pacific in general are not subjects I'm particularly well schooled in. One thing that may not be well known about Zimmerit is that it was not anti-magnetic in the sense that it's chemical properties were what made it anti-magnetic, the irregular rough surface created by the Zimm combined with the "stand off" space from the armor surface created by it's thickness were what made Zimmerit an "anti-magnetic" coating, and this is why it was usually applied only to vertical surfaces, then the magnetic mines would drop off under their own weight by the force of gravity. Thanks for the info.

[aferguson]

i meant no third 'm', not second 'm'. It's zimmerit, not zimmermit, in other words.

I see our thread author has corrected it.

[dragon53]

I've wondered how you pronounce "zimmerit"?

[Yoxford]

END OF STORY

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[blaster_e11]

I've wondered how you pronounce "zimmerit"?

zee-muh-reet

[dragon53]

BLASTER_E11:

Thanks. I always wondered how to pronounce it.