Great Tank Battles

[great]

Great tank battle was very much minefield and infantry battle as opposed to a great tank battle. that was much losable war between nations as well as not thought able for any person.

[2ndACR]

Yep, they can penetrate thick smoke, fog. Have trouble with heavy snow fall (and it has to be really heavy) sand storms, or if the enemy is using White Phosphorus as a smoke screen. I know for a fact that you can identify a person at 500+ meters thru the thermals of our Brads and M1a1 or a2 thermals.

You can see an M1a1 alot farther than most tanks with the thermals due to the extreme heat signature of it's engine. That heat signature is one of the reason's I always gasp when they say an M1a1 was mis-identified by "friendly" fire. How can you not tell it is an M1a1 or a2.

[SLAAKMAN]

Great episode today about the battle of the bulge. The footage along with the CGI are fantastic.

[RedArgo]

Pretty impressive what US armored forces accomplished considering how overmatched the Sherman was against German tanks. I guess sheer numbers of tanks and air power made the difference.

Was the Pershing (M26?) a match for the German tanks? I think it came pretty late in any case.

[Marauders]

ORIGINAL: 2ndACR

After 73 Easting, when ever we came upon Iraqi armor (or any vehicles for that matter) we would pop a round nearby, the Iraqi would stop, bail out, run about 300 meters and plop to the ground, then we would destroy the vehicle. They learned that being in the vehicle was certain death. I honestly cannot remember if we ever had any air support outside our own attack helicopter squadron and the Apache Battalion we had assigned to us. We rolled thru areas that had been B52 strikes on them, and there were craters everywhere, but alot of times we never could figure out what they were hitting.

But the Iraqi's were terrified of the A10 and Apache. Not to mention any of our M1a1's or Brads. I know it is not politically correct, but I hold all Arab/Middle east armies in extremely low regard. Except the Israel army. All the others, well, I do not fear them in the least, at all.

Iraq is still unstable, and it has a Shia leadership. How do you feel about the Iraqi armor divisions now having M1A1-SA Abrams? Now Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, and Iraq have better tanks than Israel.

[HansHafen]

Pershing was equal or better. But it arrived too late. Can anyone direct me to some information on the force structure and dynamics of the USA and Russia in Europe on VE Day? I'd like to take a look at the numbers to see the possibilities if the war had continued with the Western Allies fighting Russia. I want to skip opinions and look at the data.
 
 

[2ndACR]

ORIGINAL: Marauders


Iraq is still unstable, and it has a Shia leadership. How do you feel about the Iraqi armor divisions now having M1A1-SA Abrams? Now Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, and Iraq have better tanks than Israel.

Most of us said Iraq would implode the moment the last US troop is out. And it will, you cannot nation build. Does not work. Look at Haiti. The middle East (any country) will always be unstable. ALWAYS.

Iraq does not have M1a1, I have no problem with Kuwait having them, don't care for Saudi Arabia having anything (they play both sides of the fence) and never, ever agreed with Egypt having anything like that. But this will go down hill from here quick.

So not going to get into the different religions, tribes, clans etc.

[2ndACR]

And the Military Channel had the Battle of 73 Easting that 2nd ACR fought on tonight. If you would like to see what I saw.

[Marauders]

ORIGINAL: 2ndACR

And the Military Channel had the Battle of 73 Easting that 2nd ACR fought on tonight. If you would like to see what I saw.

Yeah, I saw that.

Defense Industry Daily: On July 31/08, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced [PDF] Iraq’s formal request to buy M1 Abrams tanks, well as the associated vehicles, equipment and services required to keep them in the field. The tanks will apparently be new-build, not transferred from American stocks. With this purchase, Iraq would become the 4th M1 Abrams operator in the region, joining Egypt (M1A1s), Kuwait (M1A2), and Saudi Arabia (M1A2-SEP variant).

Washington Post: General Dynamics to build tanks for Iraq

General Dynamics, the maker of tanks and Gulfstream business jets, won a U.S. Army contract valued at $198 million to build 140 tanks for Iraq under the foreign military sales program.

Work will be completed by May 31, 2011, the Falls Church-based company said Monday in a statement. The Army previously leased 22 tanks to Iraq for training purposes, said Robin Porter, a spokeswoman for the defense contractor.

The M1A1 tanks will feature infrared thermal sights and engines with a filter cleaning system designed to reduce maintenance.

[2ndACR]

Don't like the idea, but also doubt they can even use them correctly.

Only 198 million for 140? They are getting a better deal than the US taxpayer. IIRC a M1a2 cost's the US taxpayer even more per tank.

[jomni]

ORIGINAL: 2ndACR

Don't like the idea, but also doubt they can even use them correctly.

Only 198 million for 140? They are getting a better deal than the US taxpayer. IIRC a M1a2 cost's the US taxpayer even more per tank.

Maybe those M1's have substandard armor and fire control.

[RedArgo]

Tomorrow (Wednesday) night is the last episode. The southern part of the battle of Kursk. My boys and I have really enjoyed watching this series and seeing the interviews with the guys who were there.