Panzer questions.

[DaC-Sniper]

So, i`m digging a little bit in tank history and new ones etc. just to be ahead of times, when ze apocalypse comes, i`ve come to this conclusion, betta run away, if its a nuke, die. So i have taken a look at modern tanks and there is somethings i`d like to know and DaC is the military supercomplex.



Here is the german Leopard 2 (salute), and it has this kind of unknown objects, what is this? my thought is, that it has to do something with the defensive system, but i dont know what it could be.



The abrams has some kind of the same stuff in a different form, again what exactly is this? Looks strange.

Also i heard, some abrams use some special uranium armor or something, whats this all about and i thought radioactive shit is bad for the soldiers, it is, but they don`t seem to care.

One more thing, where exactly is the engine of the tanks located?, my guess is, that its in the rear area, because you don`t expect to be attacked from behind. probably selfanswered.

If you have more tank questions, ask. This is your chance, DaC.

[Thor Kaufman]

those apparati are for shooting smoke grenades to provide a smoke wall before tactical retreat.

Uranium armor somehow reacts with panzer shells and depletes itself thereby, I don't know how it works exactly.

[Goretheglowingone]

allot of cold war era Russian tanks are radiation proof.


and engine locations vary from tank to tank.. the Abram's turbine is located in their rear though, in a pod so it can be quickly extracted and replaced.


the depleted uranium armor is not naked D.U.
its encased in a protective ceramic the blocks the
tiny bit of radiation it still emits.

D.U. armor basically just burns like thermite in the spot there the A.P round hits and incenerated it, or at least that's how i was informed it works, and it only burns where hit, so no chance for a "gang burn"

[Machiavelli]

Most tanks have their engines mounted in the rear although the Israeli Merkava tank has its engine mounted in the front of the tank. Also it really does have more gears in reverse than forward. Its designed to fight defensive battles or some such. At least thats how it was explained to me when I was in the Army. Yeah, those things are smoke launchers and I dont know about d.u. armor. I thought it was pieces of ceramic sandwiched by steel, but the armor on the abrams was classified last time I tried to look into it. Its probably declassified by now though. If anyone knows what that "Zimmermit" coating that the germans put on their tanks in WWII does though, I'd like to know.

[VasikkA]

I've been 'run over' by a Leopard 2. It was retarded.

[DaC-Sniper]

thanks for all the answers, eh did some small googling, its called Zimmerit, no wonder, you couldn`t find it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimmerit

So is this smoke system kinda like a smoke grenade which comes out of these holes or at the german tank, just explodes or is it more like a smoke machine, which produces it? I thought the whole fuel pollution of the tanks produces enough smoke to be covered in it.

Didn`t the germans had plans for a gigantic monsta tank or something, also, which is the biggest and "Overlord"-ish (C&C generals) tank ever produced?

I also find a video on youtube, shows the T-90 defensive system, where he shoots the rockets with something before those can hit him, pretty gut.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lEw5eMPxJY

[fallout ranger]

There is no radiation over normal background levels produced by DU, also used in the APFSDS rounds for the 120mm gun. But when it impacts (or is impacted) it merely gives a bad case of heavy metal poisoning due to particles in the air. But when in tiny particles the effects of that tiny amount of radiation increases.

As for the armor content, the Chobham armor used in both the German Leopard II and M1 is made up of Depleted uranium sheets, backed by two layersof ceramic blocks. Between the two sets of blocks, there is a resin matrix in which small glass balls are held, about the size of BBB shotgun pellets. All of this is encased in the steel outer shell.

[Redeye]

...If anyone knows what that "Zimmermit" coating that the germans put on their tanks in WWII does though, I'd like to know.

"
From what I remember, it was applied as a countermeasure to magnetic anti-tank weapons. There was no antimagnetic property in the paste itself, it was simply intended as a barrier against the magnets themselves. The idea was that most magnetic anti-armor weapons were designed to focus their blast at one point, and thus need to be an exact distance from the hull to do optimal damage against armor, (ie the cone-shaped German Panzerhandmine/Hafthohlladung). Therefore it was believed that an extra layer of paste would either make the mine fall of the tank or detonate out of the optimum range for penetration.

Im unaware if any specific Russian weapons prompted the development of the Zimmermit, rather it seems it was developed "just is case" the Russians had developed such weapons, or had captured German versions of these mines.

Apparently the paste was made from sawdust and glue, so considering how cheap it was to make I'm guessing some German engineer decided "Why not?" and started applying the Zimmermit since it just might help save a panzer or two here and there..."



Chobham Armor

[Machiavelli]

Well that answered my question then. Sawdust and glue huh? I never would have thought that the Germans would use something so inexpensive since Hitler was all about "superweapons". As for those launchers, yes they do launch grenades in front of the vehicle to create a smoke screen. The M1 also has a system that shoots fuel or oil directly on the engine that creates a LOT of smoke also. It's primarily used to screen "light skinned" vehicles behind the tank.

[VasikkA]

Tzar Tank

[DaC-Sniper]

The M1 also has a system that shoots fuel or oil directly on the engine that creates a LOT of smoke also. It's primarily used to screen "light skinned" vehicles behind the tank.

also, a good place for eggs and bacon or some buffalo steak. How do soldiers use the toilet in this small tank? there must be liek no privacy at all, no wonder i hear so many gay storys about ze military on DaC.

Tzar Tank

more like a psychological weapon, i guess. keep on rollin`

[fallout ranger]

The M1 also has a system that shoots fuel or oil directly on the engine that creates a LOT of smoke also. It's primarily used to screen "light skinned" vehicles behind the tank.

THey shoot unburned fuel into the exhaust stream.

[OnTheBounce]

The M1 also has a system that shoots fuel or oil directly on the engine that creates a LOT of smoke also. It's primarily used to screen "light skinned" vehicles behind the tank.

That system is actually disabled these days on both Abrams and Bradleys. The reason being that the US Army uses JP-8 as its standard fuel, and while dripping diesel on a hot manifold produces lots of thick smoke doing the same with JP-8 will set the vehice on fire.

The smoke isn't there to screen other vehicles, but rather the vehicle itself. No, smoke grenades and generators aren't designed simply to cover retreating vehicles, but rather to help mask any movement, e.g. from one position to another.

BTW, the British have come up with "IR screening" smoke grenades. The smoke generated by them will keep IR systems from looking through the smoke, which has been one of the things on the modern battlefield that has rather limited the effectiveness of smoke...

OTB

[fallout ranger]

Dont they use some sort of chaff that is dispersed with the smoke?

[OnTheBounce]

Could be. I'm not sure and my research would be limited going out to the ammo conex and setting them off...

OTB

[fallout ranger]

Have you seen the newest T-80 with the advanced French optics? It's pretty great from the youtube videos I saw but still not equal to the M1.

Not like that matters, they're probably going to build 5x what we've got.

[YouSeeAPenis]

anything from africa is equal to the m1

[fallout ranger]

Yeah, sure...


EDIT: Not a tank but...

[Dreadnought]

[johnnygothisgun]

it was a rather idiotic design