WWII Panzer Tank question

[Fairley B. Strange]

(takes of his SP topper, and puts on his RL Cap, service, mans, khaki.)

While White Phosphorus is an effective tank-killer at close ranges, it is not to be recommended if one intends to occupy said Panzer soon afterwards.

A WP grenade or shell functions by the use of a HE burster opening the container and simultaneously heating and distributing gobs of burning WP around the area. While the majority will then burn in reaction with the atmosphere, primarily to produce smoke, the WP lumps will also set fire to the contents of the vehicle, chiefly any oil-lubricated parts and the ammunition. This is the main problem, as the burning ammunition will usually remove the turret rather spectacularly...

Even if the vehicle is abandoned intact, there will always be random bits of WP that crust-over or get trapped in materials and , excluded from oxygen, will lie dormant until disturbed by the next occupant.

Areas where WP is used on training ranges etc are routinely quarantined long-term to avoid this particular form of military embarrassment

[akumabito]

Anything incendiary or explosive would be out of the question if you want to capture the tank, really.. It's quite easy to mess up vital control systems, gauges, gun sights, communication equipment, etc..

[BB BlackDog]

It would be possible for one person to Man a Tank, driving then stopping to load and shoot.
But having been in a few Tanks of the period, almost impossible in a tight situation, the drivers view is very restricted, and needs a commander to provide information.

Even when close it would be hard to disable a tank without damaging it, catching the commander poking out of his turret and physically overcoming the crew is the most likely scenario
Although the Panther and the Tiger receive the most attention, like the Spitfire in the battle of Britain far less used than the Hurricane, most of the work was done buy the earlier designed Panzers, the IV being the most used and the mainstay of armoured units.

[Wormster]

and, the method most accessible to a small American patrol to disable the aforementioned tank?

P.I.A.T, Bazooka or Panzerfaust (captured) fired at UNDER 100 yards into the tracks/bogie's is a possibility open to your "Small American Patrol", failing that call up the "Taxi Rank" of Typhoons armed with cannon and rocket. In a truly mobile situation I doubt that your "small American patrol" would tackle something as large as a Panzer, they would have used the "shoot and scoot" policy to get away from the danger and then call in air or artillery support to finish of the monster! - armour vs armour the only thing capable of taking on a late model panzer would have been a Sherman "firefly" (a Sherman up gunned with the British 17pdr A/T piece rather than its standard 75mm piece).

I suggest that you read this wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_Sherman

snip:

The original Shermans were able to defeat the relatively small German tanks such as the Panzer III and IV they faced when first deployed in North Africa. Later, they found themselves more evenly matched against the newer up-gunned and up-armored Pz.Kpfw. IV medium tanks. Shermans were often outmatched by the 45 ton Panther tank and wholly inadequate against the 56 ton Tiger I and later 72 ton Tiger II heavy tanks, suffering high casualties against their heavier armor and more powerful 88 mm L/56 and L/71 cannons. Mobility, mechanical reliability and sheer numbers, supported by growing superiority in supporting fighter-bombers and artillery, helped offset these disadvantages strategically. The relative ease of production allowed huge numbers of the Sherman to be produced. This allowed many divisions, even many infantry divisions, their own organic Sherman assets. Some infantry divisions had more tanks than German panzer divisions did. This was a huge advantage for the Americans.