So I Hear Imgur Likes Tanks

I was a Tank Commander

I recently did a post clearing up some questions people had about Tanks and Armored Warfare. A lot of people wanted to know about gunnery, so here we are.

The Internet is Full of Lies

I've seen a lot of nonsense about tanks on Imgur lately, so I figured I'd try to clear things up.

What Makes Tanks So Awesome?

The modern day Main Battle Tank is a combination of incredible (and classified) armor, near-perfect electronics (which break all the time), and a main gun that puts everything else to shame.

Note that some countries put bigger guns on their tanks. Considering they can't hit for shit, the bigger boom doesn't matter. 120mm gets the job done every time.

This is NOT a tank

I have also trained on an M2A2 Bradley. It is NOT a tank. It is a PC, or Personnel Carrier. Yes, there are some sexy variants with TOW missiles and FLIRs, but mostly it is a lightly-armored school bus to get the crunches into the fight.

Who Am I to Talk

Aside from being a tanker, I had the honor to command an Armor Company for 3 years. They were easily the best years of my military career.

What's a Tank Shoot?

Tanks have several weapon systems. It has a .50 Commander's Weapon Station (big ass machine-gun); two 240C machine-guns, including one slaved to the turret; and of course, the M256 120mm Smooth Bore cannon.

The main gun shoots 120mm rounds, and there are many varieties. This bad boy is a rubber simulator for a SABOT (think a lawn dart made of radioactive metal).

Loaders

Some countries have started to use auto-loader systems in their tanks. They jam often, and can be slow. We train to load a new round in under 7 seconds.

Why 7? The Russian T-90 has an auto-loader that works in 8.

Tanks are Big

The M1A1 Abrams (pictured) is a beast. It fits a crew of 4 (not comfortably): Commander, Loader, Gunner, and Driver.

A tank provides a fast and surprisingly maneuverable way to cross and dominate the battlefield. When out in the field, crews eat, sleep, and train on their tank. Yes, you can get down to use the bathroom.

Sleeping on the tank is surprisingly comfy.

Tank Names

Depending on who you ask, different crew members get to name the tank. This can only be done AFTER the crew has completed a successful tank gunnery (weapons qualification on a huge scale).

I've been raised to name tanks this way: If you are Company C, then all of your tanks get a C name.

Tread Lightly

The M1A1 uses a 1500hp turbine engine. It sounds like a jet on start-up, and it can haul some serious ass. That said, it can't go everywhere.

Tanks roll on Roller Wheels, which in turn roll on tracks. These are giant metal rubber-bands, and they can slip off. When that happens, cancel your plans for the day.

They can be put back on, but it sucks. A lot.

More Questions?

Yes, there are more ammunition types that I am leaving off, mostly because I don't know if they are unclassified yet and I'm not taking that risk.

If you do have more questions, ask me anything.