The reason that I am not as quick to dismiss the veteran's claim as other Forum members apparently are is because I know that when there is an interface between 2 bearing surfaces, as in the turret and the hull of the tank in this case, there will normally also be a certain amount of clearance between the interfaces. This clearance is important because it allows the parts to move freely; further, generally speaking, the larger the bearing in size the more clearance will be present. If there was no clearance between the turret and the hull, the turret would not move.

The question here is whether or not there is enough clearance for a round to penetrate and since we have no idea what model of Germanicon tank is in question it is a very difficult question for anyone to answer conclusively. Some of the early WW2 tank designs left much to desired, even some of the German designs.

Are we sure that the veteran was talking about a single shot or a mag full of rounds?