Now we know: the top ten greatest ever tanks of all time

godofthunder9010 said:
My main point was, the M1-Abrams was the first US tank design that was a really really great design.

But yeah, the Sherman just screams: "Shoot me, I'll die fast for ya!" High profile, big target, no armor sloping, thinner armor than other mediums of the era and we've already covered the part about it being a Deathtrap.
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Not forgetting the artillery piece for a gun and the aircraft radial engine that backfired like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, immediately giving away the tank's position to grateful Germans.
 
godofthunder9010 said:
Huh, some reason I thought the Leopard 2 initially came out a lot later than it did, but apparently it was 1979. Therin lies the problem with me relying on my own memory. I had it at 1989 or so. Only off by ten years, right?? LOL.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_2
M1-Abrams was 1980, and I'd remembered that one correctly. The two designs deriving from MBT70 essentially came out at about the same exact time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_Abrams

On the other hand, the Leapard 1 was the very best of its era of tanks. The M-60 which was the USA's main MBT, really wasn't. Middle of the pack at best.

Leopard 1 --> Leopard 2 = Good progressive move forward in tech and design.


M-60 --> M1 Abrams = A giant leap forward!! <---That was my main point. Also, that the Abrams was the first instance that I am aware of the USA's MBT was among the very best in the world, if not initially the #1 MBT in its own right.

Both of them are top-notch tanks and IMHO belong in any all-time top 10 list.

Its all sortof wandering offtopic anyways.
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Actaully the M60A3 TTS was a pretty impressive tank. Was one of the first armed with a Thermal Sight (Best TIS the Army ever produced) and an awesome Ruby Red Laser Rangefinder and a Soild State Ballistic Computer and FCS. The M60 helped some what in design of what a tank should have tech wise. Also coupling the layout and design of the MBT-70.

I think the Army used all it's past lessons learned on what too and what no too put in and on a tank to produce the M1.

Also in 1979 the Germany presented the U.S. Army with a Leopard 2 as a test-bed.
 
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zander_0633 said:
my country just developed a Artillery so light,it can be airlifted by the chinook!
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Really, cool! I think the US has three or four that we can do that with.
 
Nice! Imagine in the middle of the battlefield Artillery comes from the sky, Literally! It would be devastating for the enemy! One moment no artillery, the next they are running away from artillery!
 
zander_0633 said:
Nice! Imagine in the middle of the battlefield Artillery comes from the sky, Literally! It would be devastating for the enemy! One moment no artillery, the next they are running away from artillery!
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If you read about the Veitnam War, you'll see how the U.S. pioneered the use of air liftable arty.
 
zander_0633 said:
Wad do you mean? DO you mean those used by air drop?
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Well in 1940 the U.S. Army had a 76mm Pack Howitzer used by paratroopers, but when Vietnam came about the U.S. when on a helo transportable Arty frenzy.

For the larger guns, like the 175mm, the Army had special platform's with telescopic legs that where put in place in the junlge to serve as temporary firebases, everything was helo transportable.

If you read Gen. Tommy Franks book "American Soldier" he goes to explain them to quite an extent.
 
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So they made artillery very portable in Vietnam war? I thought Vietnam is a heavily forested country? how do they use artillery?
 
zander_0633 said:
So they made artillery very portable in Vietnam war? I thought Vietnam is a heavily forested country? how do they use artillery?
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Well they used the special platforms, and in other cases engineer's and Seabee's bulldozed down trees and flatend area's out to make into fire bases. There are also Self-Propeled Arty peice's we used, like the M109 and M110.

Here are some pics of firebases.
firebasejudy.jpg


firebasej2.jpg


moorelashley.jpg

firebasejudy3.jpg

http://splorg.org:8080/vietnam/firebasej2.jpg
 
zander_0633 said:
oh! Nice Pics! Those fire bases, I thought they are constantly under atack from the viet cons?
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No. Early in Veitnam in the 40's, the Veit Cong learn that they didn't stand a chance fighting a conventional war, exspecially with the U.S backing the French.

Then when we intervened, they had an even harder time fighting conventionally. But in every major battle the U.S. won, the Viet Cong didn't have anything on the U.S other than terror. It was said "Charlie Owned the Night".

But, most of the time they lobbed mortars and RPG's at the bases, then at night would tr and over run the base. Most of the time they would retreat, often with heavy losses, but they did infiltrate and reak havoc among the base.
 
Cadet Seaman, did it ever occur to you that maybe that would be a result of the unconventional methods used by the VC and NVA that were meant to sap America's will to fight?
 
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