From the Vault – Tank and AFV News

From the Vault: Comparison of Performance of 75mm and 76mm tank gun ammo

October 21, 2015 by tankandafvnews 3 Comments

Today we present a British report from 1944 comparing the performance of 75mm and 76mm ammunition used by the different variants of M4 Sherman tanks and British vehicles equipped with the QF 75mm gun (Cromwell, Churchill.) This report was photographed by a friend of the site who was doing some archive digging over in the UK. The armor penetration figures are not particularly interesting since these figures are quite well known. Of more interest is the data on the H.E. rounds. While it is generally stated in most sources that the 75mm gun had a superior H.E. round compared to the 76mm gun, few books give actual data as to how these H.E. rounds differed. For your reading convenience, we have provided a transcript of the report as well as images of the original photos.

Army Operational Research Group Memorandum No. 415

Comparison of the Performance of 75mm. and

76 mm. Tank Gun Ammunition

[Read more…]

Filed Under: From the Vault Tagged With: 75mm 76mm comparison, A.O.R.G., memorandum No 415

From the Vault: Robert Icks on the best Tanks books circa 1972

October 19, 2015 by tankandafvnews Leave a Comment

Today we present a two part series written by tank expert and author Robert Icks originally published in ARMOR magazine in 1972. The subject of the article is simply “books about armor.” Obviously, many of the books mentioned in this article are out of print and forgotten, although a good number of them are still available through used book sellers online. Good stuff for the serious tank book nerd.

Filed Under: Book News, From the Vault Tagged With: Armor magazine, books, Books on Armor, Robert Icks

From the Vault: 1967 article on Gas Turbine engine for Tanks

October 19, 2015 by tankandafvnews Leave a Comment

Today we present an article from the May-June 1967 issue of ARMOR titled “A New Concept in Land-Vehicle Propulsion” by Captain David Noake. This piece is about the AGT-1500 gas turbine engine that would go on to power the M1 Abrams MBT. It’s an interesting look at what was expected of gas turbine technology back when the concept was new. It is also worth noting that the author of the article makes the quite correct observation that fuel consumption of a gas turbine is generally inferior to a diesel when running at low load, a statement which garners an editors note claiming that, according to AVCO Lycoming, this is not true for the AGT-1500. It’s probably fair to say that AVCO Lycoming was being a bit optimistic with their fuel consumption figures. In service, the AGT-1500 would prove to be rather “thirsty.”

The article also points out that “the turbine engine presently is not capable of sustained operations in extremely dusty areas.” Ironically, the Abrams would go on to see combat almost exclusively in “extremely dusty areas.” Of course, dust inhalation was a serious issue for early model Abrams tanks, but those issues were sorted out many years ago. By the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the Abrams proved it could operate in a desert environment quite successfully. It may surprise some of the young men that operate the current generation of Abrams tanks that the engine powering their steel behemoth is quickly approaching it’s 50th anniversary!

Filed Under: From the Vault Tagged With: AGT-1500 gas turbine, armor magazine 1967, AVCO Lycoming

British Comet tank rusting away in Cuba

October 19, 2015 by tankandafvnews 1 Comment

This video showed up on NBC news of a British Comet tank that somehow ended up in Cuba prior to the Cuban Revolution. It has been painted pink and sits in a farmers field rusting away. Of course, NBC mis-identifies the vehicle as a “Sherman tank.” Click on the image below to watch the clip.

Filed Under: Historical Videos Tagged With: Cuban tank, NBC news

From the Vault: IDR Article on Tank Suspensions 1976

October 8, 2015 by tankandafvnews Leave a Comment

Today we present an article that originally appeared in International Defense Review way back in 1976. While much has changed since then, a good deal of the information in this article is still relevant.

Filed Under: From the Vault Tagged With: International defense review, Tank suspensions

Inside the tank: The M5 Stuart & M24 Chaffee

October 5, 2015 by tankandafvnews Leave a Comment

Wargaming Europe’s Richard Cutland takes a look at the M5 Stuart & M24 Chaffee.

Filed Under: Historical Videos Tagged With: Inside the tank, M24 Chaffee, M5 Stuart, Richard Cutland, Wargaming

From the Vault: British Report on Captured Panther Tank

October 2, 2015 by tankandafvnews 2 Comments

Today we present a report from the British Fighting Vehicles Proving Establishment from 1944 testing a captured German Panther tank provided by the Soviet Union. The tests paint a rather unflattering picture of the Panther, although it is noted in the report that this particular vehicle may have had a malfunctioning engine by the time it was handed over to the British. Tests were done comparing the Panther to the Cromwell, Sherman II, Churchill VII and T.14. The tests ended prematurely when the Panther tank caught fire. Based upon the picture provided with this report, it appears that this particular tank is an early production “Ausf D” Panther (the early model commanders cupola is a good indicator). Checking the serial number provided in the report against the chart on page 28 of the Tom Jentz book “Germany’s Panther Tank” reveals that this particular vehicle was built by MNH (Maschinenfabrik Niedersachsen Hannover) in June of 1943. These early Ausf D models were notorious for their mechanical shortcomings, having many issues that were somewhat resolved in later models of the Panther.

The vehicle also suffered from transmission problems during the tests, in particular 3rd gear become inoperable. This was not an uncommon complaint regarding Panther transmissions. While the engine and transmission issues encountered by the British are not unexpected, their criticism of the Panther suspension is somewhat surprising. The double torsion bar suspension system of the Panther is often discussed in books as complicated but very effective. According to the British report “the pitch and roll records show that the Panther suspension damps out quicker than that of the other tanks tested, it was found that in cross country going it was harder than the others. The nose of the tank dipped right down until the front suspension was “solid” when riding over the larger bumps. and this gave an uncomfortable ride for the crew.”

Photos of this report was kindly provided by P.M. Knight (who has written some very excellent books on British Cruiser tanks.) We have transcribed the text of the photographed report for better readability.

Report below:

Benning TV: Tank Talk

October 1, 2015 by tankandafvnews Leave a Comment

Here are a couple videos created by the Armor and Cavalry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia. These films are narrated by Museum director Len Dyer and feature the many vehicles found in the Museum collection. The first video deals with WWI era vehicles while the second video deals with WW2. For more information about the Museum and Len Dyer, check out this interview from 2012.

Filed Under: Historical Videos Tagged With: Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, Len Dyer, Tank talk

From the Vault: 1976 Article on US Coax Machine Guns

September 25, 2015 by tankandafvnews Leave a Comment

Last month our posts on the US M73 and M85 tank machine guns proved rather popular. We figured people might enjoy this article from an old 1976 issue of International Defense Review on US tests to find a new coax machine gun in the 1970’s. The tests compared two weapons, the M60E2 and the MAG 58. The MAG 58 would win the competition and enter US service under the designation M240.

Filed Under: From the Vault Tagged With: Coax, M60E2, MAG 58

From the Vault: Modern Mechanix.com AFV Articles

September 22, 2015 by tankandafvnews Leave a Comment

Modern Mechanix.com is a great website that hosts hundreds of old magazine articles and ads about technology. We combed through the site to find as many posts as we could relating to tanks or armored vehicles. Below is a list of what we found. Many of these articles are rather amusing since the technology presented is either fantastical or just plain impractical. Not much of use for the serious researcher, but it should provide some entertainment for tank and AFV fans.