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Repot in today's paper on how the new state of the art radio system is so heavy that it breaks Landie's rear axle.....they won't work in the Warrior of Challenger and the "Portable" equipment is very heavy (we are waiting for new lightweight batteries) and the hand sets cause radiation burns, otherwise perfect...reading a book about Gallipoli at the moment, not a lot of change.
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Was going to say 'Why not give them all mobile phones?' but in view of what happened in Al Majar, it's too serious a subject. A mobile phone might have helped,though.
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These tank stories are very interesting. Could someone tell me what the gearbox situation was on Italian tanks?
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No, but I bet they got tin-worm very quickly!
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Roger. (Costa del Sol, España)
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Ah but they handled as if on rails,looked as if they had been designed by angels and an exhaust note to die for !
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And they could be parked anywhere
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<< the differential housing on the rear axles of army trucks and Land Rovers is always painted white...
Don't shoot until you can see the whites of his .......differential housing!
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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These tank stories are very interesting. Could someone tell me what the gearbox situation was on Italian tanks?
One forward and five reverse gears, of course!
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Well done madux
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Professor Ian takes over the lecture.
Pay attention, as there will be an oral quiz afterwards ....
Italian tanks, aircraft and most other weaponry was rubbish during WW2 due to Mussolini's armaments policy.
"More is better".
So they had really funky quick planes, with no armour and only two piddly little machine guns.
And some lumbering 3 engined bombers with no range or bombload to speak of.
Naturally, these things proved OK when slaughtering Ethiops etc, but weren't quite up to it against the RAF and USAAF.
Tanks were under-armoured and outgunned.
There was also the problem of his politicians lying to him re production figures etc etc etc - that is what happens when you appoint a toady cabinet.
Weapons were in short supply, as was ammo.
Then, to keep the 'nobles' happy (remember, Italy was still a very feudal society when Victor Emmanuel was in charge) he allowed them to form their own regiments.
And they did. With little or no training.
So we have a scenario of ill-led, under-trained troops, fighting with obsolete and/or unreliable weaponry.
Recipe for "Run away, run away!"
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Picky little point I know, but:
People are referring to German WW2 tanks as 'Panzers'. As in 'Panzer IV', which I think I saw further up the thread.
Panzer is simply the German word for armour, also taken to mean tank in this sense - it doesn't describe any particular design (or series of designs).
n the above discussion about German tanks and their effectiveness (or otherwise) on the Eastern front, I assume people really mean Panthers? As in Panther IV, generally agreed to be the finest tank of WW2.
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Picky little point I know, but: People are referring to German WW2 tanks as 'Panzers'. As in 'Panzer IV', which I think I saw further up the thread. Panzer is simply the German word for armour, also taken to mean tank in this sense - it doesn't describe any particular design (or series of designs). n the above discussion about German tanks and their effectiveness (or otherwise) on the Eastern front, I assume people really mean Panthers? As in Panther IV, generally agreed to be the finest tank of WW2.
To be even more picky
Panzer is the generic term for a tank. It is also the word for armour.
The full name of the Panzer IV is the PanzerKampfWagen IV. PanzerKampfWagen loosely translates as "armoured combat vehicle". The Panzer IV was in production throughout WWII, and capable of constant upgrading. The Panzer IV was a developement of the Panzer III.
The Panther was in fact the PanzerKampfWagen V, and as discussed above reflected many of the features encountered on the Soviet T34 (sloping armour etc). There was no Panther IV's, the sub type being designated with letters. My reference material is in the loft, but the subtypes were Ausf D and G from memory.
Just to round it off, the Tiger was PanzerKampfWagen VI, and i think was in service before the Panther. But i could be wrong (book's in the loft). Porsche's design for the tank was rejected.
Panzer IV's were used post war by Israel and Panthers by the Post war French Army.
And the Sherman's in Allied service were nicknamed Ronson's, after the lighters (they ignited easily).
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Thanks for the clarification. I haven't played any of the Close Combat games for quite a while, so my knowledge is a bit rusty!
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All this talk of tanks, and not ONE mention of a pink centurion!
No wonder this forum is going to the dogs!
(in-joke for the oldsters)
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'And the Sherman's in Allied service were nicknamed Ronson's'
Only by the Allies - the Germans called them 'Tommycookers' for obvious reasons.
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Thanks mare for coming to my rescue. Of course I could have defined the Panzer IV as a PzKw but Panzer is generally what the I through IV series is known as. Later PzKw obviously had names as above. I think that the Porsche turret design for the Konigstiger was rejected after a short production, and replaced by the Henschel one. Something to do with the mantlet, IIRC.
PM
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Of course the forward gear was only there in case the enemy attacked from behind....
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The forward gear comment of course was meant to have slotted in with the discussion on Italian Tank gearboxes.
I do remember a few years back when I worked very near Parliament Square seeing a guy in a Tank circling the square outside the gasworks with protest banners hanging off it.
I have no idea which type it was but even London Buses got our of his way pretty smartish.
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Then there was the crackpot in the States who stole a tank and went ballistic in it, swiping cars and anything else in his way on a terrifying trip around a builtup area.
Eventually he stalled it on a motorway crash barrier and got several bullets pumped into his body....
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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I actually saw that video. Quite harrowing and I think a few people moaned at why he got shot.
I wonder if they watched the countless cars he drove over.
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Adam
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I've seen the video of the incident at least twice on Channel 5's American police pursuits programme on Sunday nights - definitely no way of pitting a tank....:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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There was an article in the Telegraph a month or so ago, stating that the Russians are selling off a huge quantity of second world war armaments. Machine guns, tanks, etc. One careful owner F(USSR)SH. I dare say that if you want one they won't be too difficult to get hold of at the moment...
There's a tank parked round the corner from my house, that is painted a fetching shade of pink.
www.cubittartists.org.uk/mirpink.html
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This pink tank according to the caption is parked in Mandela Way , Bermondsey.
It amused me because it has echoes of Del Boy and Rodney ( address Nelson Mandela House , Peckham )
I can just see Boycies car lot with a nice line in second hand Russian tanks under the bunting....
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Hehe - on this side of the world EVERYTHING is named after him!
Every sports stadium, bridge, shopping complex, etc etc etc...
Makes finding any place really difficult!
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There's a tank parked round the corner from my house, that is painted a fetching shade of pink.
And it's a T34 / 76, the upgunned larger turret version of the original T34. At least 60 years old
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