cash@uxc.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter Cash) (11/27/90)
From: convex!cash@uxc.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter Cash)
In television newscasts, I have seen M1 tanks deployed in SA towing
trailers. What is the purpose of these trailers? Are they towed into
battle? (Are they, perhaps, used to cart along extra ammo?)
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| Die Welt ist alles, was Zerfall ist. |
Peter Cash | (apologies to Ludwig Wittgenstein) |cash@convex.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Mr David Morning <dam@cs.glasgow.ac.uk> (11/29/90)
From: Mr David Morning <dam@cs.glasgow.ac.uk> In article <1990Nov27.045751.4761@cbnews.att.com> convex!cash@uxc.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter Cash) writes: > >In television newscasts, I have seen M1 tanks deployed in SA towing >trailers. What is the purpose of these trailers? Are they towed into >battle? (Are they, perhaps, used to cart along extra ammo?) > I believe that they are fuel bowsers. As an aside but related to this, I read an article in a UK national that the Iraq situation is being used as a proving ground to test the combat and reliability of some of the tanks under consideration by the British Army as a replacement for the ageing Chieftain tank. The four tanks are:- Vickers UK Challenger 2 Abrams Mk1 (M1?) Leopard (West German) a French tank whose designation I don't know. [mod.note: Probably the Leclerc. - Bill ] The French tank and the Leopard have been eliminated due to light weight armour although (apparently) the Leopard had the best gun control of the four. The Challenger, after a troublesome start, is now proving to be reliable and effective (unlike the Kuwaiti Army's Chieftains which, according to a report on BBCs Newsnight had mostly broken down before firing a shot. Apparently none were taken out by Iraqi tanks, those that were still working fled to SA) Some concern is being raised as to the reliability and range of the M1. The M1 was the Army's original favourite for replacement of the Chieftan however the gas turbine engines used in the M1 are sucking in large quantities of grit and sand clogging filters restricting the range. In addition it consumes fuel at an alarming rate, over 3 times as much as the Challenger, and this places an extra burden on the tank in that it has to carry extra fuel to get the range up, hence the fuel bowsers. Since the fuel bowsers are wheeled it is felt by some that these are unsuitable for use in sand environs, the bowsers themselves restrict mobility in combat by making reversing and manouvering more difficult, they would be an obvious target for attack not being particularly well armoured and it imposes a weight penalty on the tank. Anyone like to comment on this? I would have thought the tank would drop the bowser before engaging the enemy but it may not have time if an air attack were to take place. Dave