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Yes, I already know about the military megathread, but this thread is a bit more specific. I'm writing a screenplay, and it centers around three soldiers serving in a tank during the Iraq war. I'm not too knowledgeable about how a tank is operated or what the experience is like, so if any of you could share your experiences that would be great. Also, if you know about any books, magazine articles or other media about the subject, it would be much appreciated if you could let me know. Thanks!
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| # ? Nov 04, 2009 00:25 |
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| # ? Nov 21, 2009 16:24 |
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Smirking_Serpent posted:Yes, I already know about the military megathread, but this thread is a bit more specific. Aren't there four crewmen?
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| # ? Nov 04, 2009 01:17 |
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InterceptorV8 posted:Aren't there four crewmen? Yeah, isn't it like: Driver, Loader, Shooter, Spotter/Commander?
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| # ? Nov 04, 2009 01:18 |
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Read and study the following US Army Field Manuals that apply to Armored warfare. FM 71-1 Tank and Mechanized Infantry Company Team FM 71-2 The Tank and Mechanized Infantry Battalion Task Force FM 71-3 The Armored and Mechanized Infantry Brigade FM 71-123 Tactics and Techniques for Combined Arms Heavy Forces: Armored Brigade, Battalion Task Force, and Company Team http://www.globalsecurity.org/milit...policy/army/fm/
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| # ? Nov 04, 2009 01:29 |
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Slumpy posted:Yeah, isn't it like: Driver, Loader, Shooter, Spotter/Commander? Unless we aren't talking M1A1. Back in the day, sometimes they would fight a Sheridan with a TC(track commander) and driver, with maybe the loader manning the MG because if you farted in a Sheridan, the ammo would cook off, and you'd burn. Only reason I say that, is because there has been two Iraq wars, and the M60 Patton was used in the first, well behind the M1A1.
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| # ? Nov 04, 2009 01:34 |
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What platform are you talking about? I can give some info on operating and maintaining the Abrams series, within reason.
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| # ? Nov 04, 2009 02:38 |
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Smirking_Serpent posted:
The first thing you need to do is drive a tank. All over the anglosphere, there are companies typically comprised of military tech aficionados who collect and tune up old war vehicles and then, for a price, allow someone to drive for awhile in that vehicle. Back where I lived, in expensive land, $1000 netted a ride in the T-80 and Centurion battle tanks, along with some hummers and an APC.
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| # ? Nov 04, 2009 02:49 |
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Similarly, I'm in the midst of doing a short film which involves an M4A3 tank in a battle against a Zero. I looked at this particular documentary mostly for visual reference footage but there are interesting interviews with WW2 crew members in it. It's all WW2 related, rather than Iraq related, but it's still worth a look.
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| # ? Nov 04, 2009 04:34 |
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I know several people who use to serve on the merkava mk3 and none of them liked it. Usually they will hate the tank. They will hate it because of the constant noise, they will hate it because they need to run some nasty maintenance jobs on it every day. They will hate it because they have to live in it, and they will also hate it because its main purpose is to kill!. Not sure about the u.s crews.
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| # ? Nov 04, 2009 07:35 |
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Thanks to everyone who has posted so far, it's been a lot of help!
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| # ? Nov 04, 2009 07:37 |
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InterceptorV8 posted:Unless we aren't talking M1A1. Back in the day, sometimes they would fight a Sheridan with a TC(track commander) and driver, with maybe the loader manning the MG because if you farted in a Sheridan, the ammo would cook off, and you'd burn. You mean a Sherman?
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| # ? Nov 04, 2009 10:15 |
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Huskalator posted:You mean a Sherman? I'm pretty sure he meant a Sheridan. It was used as an airmobile light tank, spent it's final years only in 18th Airborne Corps/82nd Airborne division. It was armed with a foolishly huge 152mm gun that both doubled as a shillelagh missle launcher and a convential projecticle cannon. The drat blasted gun to chasis weight ratio was so far off (this thing was designed to be LAPE'ed or low altitude parachute ejected from the back of a C-130 remember) that the crews dreaded firing the silly thing as the chasis would leap off the ground when fired (the first couple of roadwheels would actually leave the ground). Broken arms amongst crewman simply from firing the guns were not unheard of. Mercifully retired and taken behind the stables and put down. Bradleys do a much better job as the TOW missle on the Bradley far outperforms the shillelagh missile. But hey, give the poor thing it's due I guess, it WAS developed sometime in the '60s and served probably 30 or so odd (and I mean odd) years.
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| # ? Nov 04, 2009 11:05 |
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If you are a Brit you should pop over to Bovington tank museum in Dorset, some of the staff are Gulf War vets and they will happily let you sit/play/ride (although the ride will be in a Challenger 1, the limey cousin of the M1A1) in a M1A1 if you can prove that you are using the information for a screenplay/book etc. I am pretty sure Aberdeen proving ground in Maryland stateside would probably let you do the same thing. I took some goons over to Bovington a few weeks ago and nothing beats being able to do chin-ups off a King Tiger gun barrel.
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| # ? Nov 04, 2009 15:04 |
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Speculus posted:I'm pretty sure he meant a Sheridan. It was used as an airmobile light tank, spent it's final years only in 18th Airborne Corps/82nd Airborne division. It was armed with a foolishly huge 152mm gun that both doubled as a shillelagh missle launcher and a convential projecticle cannon. The drat blasted gun to chasis weight ratio was so far off (this thing was designed to be LAPE'ed or low altitude parachute ejected from the back of a C-130 remember) that the crews dreaded firing the silly thing as the chasis would leap off the ground when fired (the first couple of roadwheels would actually leave the ground). Broken arms amongst crewman simply from firing the guns were not unheard of. FYI "shillelagh" is the best name for a gun, or missile system.
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| # ? Nov 05, 2009 02:03 |
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