Tanks and Armored Vehicles (20th Century Weapons)

56 Pages·1984·21.82 MB·English

by  Ian V. Hogg

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Designer Malcolm Smythe ©Aladdin BooksLtd Firstpublishedin the
ArtDirector CharlesMatheson UnitedStatesin 1984by
SeriesEditor JamesMcCarter Designedandproducedby Franklin Watts
Editor JennyMulhern Aladdin BooksLtd 387 ParkAvenueSouth
Consultant CharlesMessenger 70OldComptonStreet NewYork NY 10016
Researcher John MacClancy LondonW1
ISBN 0-531-04868-3
Illustrators RobShone
Nick May PrintedinBelgium LibraryofCongress
Catalog Card No. 84-51224
Thepublisherswouldliketothankthefollowingorganizationsand PhotographicCredits:
individualsfortheirhelpinthepreparationofthisbook: 4/5IanVHogg; 8/9TheMacClancyCollection,Teledyne
BarrandStroudLtd; BritishAerospaceDynamics; BoforsOrdnance; ContinentalMotors, Interavia,IanVHogg,SwedishEmbassy; 10/1
FerrantiPLC; FordAerospaceandCommunicationsCorporation; TASS; 12/13 MalcolmSmythe; 14/15MalcolmSmythe, MARS;
ChristopherFFoss; GIAT; GeneralDynamicsCorporation; 18/19Barr&StroudLtd; RainerKarras; 24/25GIAT,ChristopherF
Honeywell; InternationalDefenceReview; Krauss-Maffei; Martin Foss; 30/31 C M Harvey, BritishAerospace; 34to44IanVHogg,The
Marietta; OerlikonMilitaryProducts; ThePlesseyGroup; Racal- MacClancyCollectionandCharlesMessenger.
Decca; Saab-ScaniaAB; TeledyneContinentalMotors; Thomson-
Brandt; Thomson-CSF; ThornEMI ElectronicsandVickers
ShipbuildingandEngineering.
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The armoredvehicle is a combination ofmobility,
protection and firepower, and the relative
importance ofeach ofthese features depends upon
the task thevehicle is intended to perform. Alight
tank for scoutingwill rely on mobility, andwill give
protection and firepowerless importance; a main
battle tankwill be concernedwith firepower and
protection; a self-propelled gunwillhavelittle orno
protection butwill place most importance on
firepower and mobility.
Protection means armor and this means that
armies must haveweaponswhich can defeat
armor. Firepowermeans guns and the ammunition
that goeswith them. Inthe case oftanks, the
ammunition must be able to defeat anothertank's
protection. Mobilitymeans engines and
transmissions, powerful and strong enough to stand
the hardships ofbattle. These are the three basics.
Howthey are mixed together is the reason that
tanks come in different shapes and sizes. But aswell
as these basics, there must be otherthings: sights,
to allowthe gun to be used effectively, ammunition
storage, and radio sets to communicatewith other
tanks. And, ofcourse, there must be men to operate
the tank.
Varietyoftanks
Although the main battle tankis the starofthe
militaryshow, there are manyother kinds of
armoredvehicle needed to carryout avarietyof
tasks. The firsttankswere designed simplyto
smash theirwaythrough a line ofdefenses and
allow infantryto followup and complete thevictory.
But aswarfare got more complicated, so the task
became less easilydefined. Today's tanks still aim
to break through the enemy's defenses, but the
infantrynow needs armoredvehicles ofits own in
whichit can ride and, ifnecessary, fight from. Tanks
canbreak down and need to be rescued. Ifthis
happens in the frontline, then the rescuerneeds to Anatomy ofa Tank 6
bein an armoredvehicle, but onewith special
equipmentto allow repair orrecoveryofbroken- Suspension and Tracks 8
down tanks. Armoredtroops on the move are easily The Powertrain 10
attacked fromthe air, by fixed-wingaircraft orby
helicopters, and so there is a need for special Tank Crew 12
armored gun-carriageswith anti-aircraftweapons
The Crew's Role 14
and radar. Supporting artilleryhas to be ableto
accompanythe tanks in battle, and so heavyguns Turret and Gun 16
have to be mounted on tracked and armored
Rangefinding and Sighting 18
mountings.
Ammunition andArmor 20 Tanks andArmoredVehicles:
History and Development 33
Protection 22
Tanks andArmoredVehicles
Tank Family 24
in Service Today 45
The Tank in Combat 26
Glossary 46
Supply Line 28
Index 47
Anti-tank 30
FutureTanks? 32
Above: AlvisScorpion reconnaissancevehicles
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In spite ofthe many differences in detail between
the different models oftanks in service today, most 1 Nightvision camera
tanks are designed and constructed in a similar 2 Smokegrenade launchers
manner. This illustration is ofthe FrenchAMX-40 43 GGuunnnneerr''sstTeVlemsocnoipteor
main battle tank and shows the basic partswhich 5 Gunner's instruments panel
are common to all tanks. 6 Machinegun
There are two main units, the hull and the turret. 87 SCeoamrmcahlnidgehrt'sTV monitor
The hull is an armored boxwhich carries the 9 Commander's instruments panel
suspension and road-wheels, surrounded by the 10 Commander'stelescope
tracks, on its outside. At the back ofthe hull is the 1112 RNuacdlieoars,etsBallisticand Chemical
engine and transmission, driving the drive sprockets compartment
at the rear comers. The drive sprockets connect to 13 Main gun ammunition
two toothedwheelswhich engage in the tracks on 14 Engine compartment
15 Driving wheels
both sides and drive them around.
16 Tracks
At the front ofthe hull sits the driverwith his 17 Road-wheels
controls. He has his own hatch for gettingin and 18 Armored skirts
out, andwhen conditions allow it he can raise his 2109 DDrriivveerr''ssccoonmtproalrstment
seat so that his head is through the hatch and he can 21 120mmgun
see to drive. Whenin battle, he lowers his seat, 22 Coaxial machinegun
closes the hatch, and relies on periscopes to be able 23 Coaxial machine gun ammunition
to see where he is going.
Turretunit
The turret fits into the turret ring on the hull and
revolves on rollers. Beneath it is the basketwhich
carries the floor and uponwhich the gunner, loader
and tank commander can stand. The basket is fixed 20.
to the turret so thatit revolveswith it; some Russian
tanks do not have a basket, but revolve the floor
with the turret. Inside the turret is the gun, with a
machine gun alongside it. 19.
Ammunitionis usually stored in the hull.
Sometimes itis stored in the bustle at the back of
the turret aswell, as in theAMX-40. Therewill also
be radio and fire control equipment inside the turret.
Ahatch in the turret roofallows the commander
to get in and out, and there are periscopes forhim to
usewhen the hatchis closed. There is also another
hatch forthe loader and gunner to use. The
commanderhas a machine gun outside his hatch,
and there are also sights and nightvision equipment
mounted on the roofofthe turret.