Best Tank Poll & Opinions

[copeab]

I took the T-34 primarily because it gets considerably better mileage than just about every other choice (I think the Sherman is the only one close).

If I could take a tank not on the list, I'd go with the THS-301,

[Turboswede]

Part of the reason for this post is my intense dislike for the Abrams due to the logistic support it requires. If you think about it a platoon of 4 Abrams uses 550 liters of fuel (say JP4) every 4 hours, given 12 hours of operation per day that's (3 x 4 x 550) 6600 liters of fuel per day. So, to stay active each platoon basically needs 1 Tanker truck of fuel per day.

No matter how thick the Abrams armor or how powerful the gun, if the tanks can't move then they are useless as tanks. Seems like the Abrams is darn near indestructible, but any one of those 7 fuel trucks per week could be taken out fairly easily. Given a logistic support base like we have had in the middle east the Abrams is just about perfect. But in central Europe with Russian FA all over its supply lines the Abrams would be a sitting duck.

I Love the Centurion, but for a T2K campaign I would think the T34 or T-55 would be Ideal. First off , neither one would be as conspicuous as an M-1 so the Russians (or poles or whatever) would actually need to identify who is in that tank before opening fire. Second is the fuel thing, a T-55 will operate on the Fuel as an M-1 and will operate for a longer period if its external tanks are used. The T-34 is even more of a gas miser. As for the armor and gun combo, both the T-55 and the T-34 will withstand small arms and auto cannon fire rather well and would be effective against an M-1's side or rear armor. Given that the M-1 will probably be out of gas, it shouldn't be that hard to out maneuver.

If you take an example from history, the Panthers and Tigers of WW2 were clearly superior to allied tanks of the time. Problem was that they required a lot of regular maintenance, were thirsty and were out produced 10:1; coincidently that's about the ratio of T-55s to M1s in the early 90's.

[Targan]

Turboswede = Word.

I agree with his last post in its entirety. Except I love the Challenger more than the Centurion.

[copeab]

Only problem with the Russian tanks is you have to make sure the crew doesn't drink your brake fluid ...

[headquarters]

hehe

On;y problem with the Russian tanks is you have to make sure the crew doesn't drink your brake fluid ...

as a former crewman I dont really see this as a problem - more of a possibility ...

I think the need to drink something posionous like that would be greater in a Moslem country than in the T2K Poland . I would think alcohol would be a common trade good -as it was in the centuries before petroleum products took over that role .

[Turboswede]

Only problem with the Russian tanks is you have to make sure the crew doesn't drink your brake fluid ...

I don't get it, do Russians like the taste of DOT3

[copeab]

I don't get it, do Russians like the taste of DOT3

Alcohol based fluid. First I ever heard of it was in the movie _The Beast_, but Dunnigan/Nofi mentioned it in their book _Dirty Little Secrets_.

[Turboswede]

Alcohol based fluid. First I ever heard of it was in the movie _The Beast_, but Dunnigan/Nofi mentioned it in their book _Dirty Little Secrets_.

Thats right! I have never seen the Beast but I want to. Thats about the T-55 in Afghanastan, right

[copeab]

Thats right! I have never seen the Beast but I want to. Thats about the T-55 in Afghanastan, right

Well, it's *called* a T-62, but yes.

[Raellus]

As for the armor and gun combo, both the T-55 and the T-34 will withstand small arms and auto cannon fire rather well and would be effective against an M-1s side or rear armor. Given that the M-1 will probably be out of gas, it shouldnt be that hard to out maneuver.

I'm not sure about that. During both U.S. wars against Iraq, there were plenty of Bradley 25mm chaingun kills against T-55/62s. A BMP-2's 30mm autocannon could probably kill them as well.

And you'd better hope that M1 has lost its turret traverse as well.

[O'Borg]

I'm not sure about that. During both U.S. wars against Iraq, there were plenty of Bradley 25mm chaingun kills against T-55/62s. A BMP-2's 30mm autocannon could probably kill them as well.

And you'd better hope that M1 has lost its turret traverse as well.

I may be talking out of my hat, but IIRC on the early M1s didn't the engine have to be running to power the turret traverse Then later marks (M1A2) added a diesel generator to power the turret and other systems without the main engine being run.

I've always been curious, how would the gun of a modern light tank, say the 76mm of a Scorpion fare against the armour of WW2 era tanks like the T34 or Tiger

[Turboswede]

I'm not sure about that. During both U.S. wars against Iraq, there were plenty of Bradley 25mm chaingun kills against T-55/62s. A BMP-2's 30mm autocannon could probably kill them as well.

And you'd better hope that M1 has lost its turret traverse as well.

No power to traverse the turret, unless there is a manual traverse for emergencies

Chaingun kills without DU munitions against frontal armor on T-55/62 If thats the case then why do we need 120mm guns at all

[Turboswede]

I've always been curious, how would the gun of a modern light tank, say the 76mm of a Scorpion fare against the armour of WW2 era tanks like the T34 or Tiger

I can check that out when I get home looking at my set of Combined Arms Rules (By GDW no less). In general WW2 armor would be devistated because of the invention of the HEAT and HESH rounds.

[Legbreaker]

The Beast - awesome movie but certainly not a blockbuster.
Shame it was destroyed.

The 76mm should do rather well against almost all WWII era vehicles up to and probably including the Tiger and Panther.
The thing to remember is that even on D-day, most of the allied tanks were still armed with low velocity short barrelled 75mm guns. The 76mm wasn't very widespread and the 90mm didn't see action until the very last days of the war I believe.

With the advances in ammo and gun technology in the past 60+ years, one would think the 76mm, a good, servicable weapon in it's earliest days, would be absolutely devastating against WWII armour.

However, anything much past Korea would probably be a crap shoot at best.

[headquarters]

a must

Thats right! I have never seen the Beast but I want to. Thats about the T-55 in Afghanastan, right

great movie