Tanks!! - Page 67

Hikarufan · January 14th, 2019, 12:53 PM

One made an impression on me Dr Pepper back in the mid 1980's. I was riding my bike to high school when the army was using our air field for an exercise. An M113 came past me and I was shitting myself. I've never heard a noise like it and it's the only time I've seen an armoured vehicle on the move and could have reached out and touched it.

But fast forward 30 years and my mate lived next to the air field and one day we're out the front talking. We could here helicopters which is nothing unusual but then 2 Blackhawks and a Tiger attack helicopter rose from behind some trees and we were gobsmacked. But thats not for this thread.

**Dr Pepper** · January 14th, 2019, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikarufan

One made an impression on me Dr Pepper back in the mid 1980's. I was riding my bike to high school when the army was using our air field for an exercise. An M113 came past me and I was shitting myself. I've never heard a noise like it and it's the only time I've seen an armoured vehicle on the move and could have reached out and touched it.

But fast forward 30 years and my mate lived next to the air field and one day we're out the front talking. We could here helicopters which is nothing unusual but then 2 Blackhawks and a Tiger attack helicopter rose from behind some trees and we were gobsmacked. But thats not for this thread.

The first one I ever saw was in '76-I was walking to Uni (Otago Uni in Dunedin) from the hostel where I lived-Aquinas College-and just on the outskirts of the campus when I heard this god awful racket from the adjacent street-getting closer (Dunedin had a one way system for the northern axis-I was walking south on the southbound artery Cumberland St, the noise was coming from the northbound artery one block to the west-Gt King St....and getting louder-it sounded like a truck dragging a concrete mixer that had fallen over! I looked across the sports ground that separated both streets and suddenly into view burst an M113 heading north on Gt King Street and going like the clappers-so about 50kph! Where it was going I have no idea-as there were no military installations in the city anywhere near there-unless it was going up over the northern motorway to the army range at Waitati-some 20km away!

Furthermore the local authorities frowned on driving them on built up roads due to the damage they caused to the surface. I suppose it might have been heading to one or other of the major vehicle servicing outlets a block or two to the north of where I saw it-but the NZ army didn't usually use commercial service providers in those days-though of course the M113 power plant uses a Detroit 6V53T diesel and a 6 speed Allison automatic transmission-the same as many large commercial buses, so it IS possible -but unlikely- that it needed something done on it that a major commercial garage service centre could do-and the army workshop capability in Dunedin was quite limited-just an LAD section.

I little thought then that in 3 years time I'd be driving one and later commanding one...(albeit briefly as my unit re-roled shortly after)

Hikarufan · January 15th, 2019, 12:48 PM

I was very surprised by how much noise they make. The one that went past me was maybe doing 30 kph. Do they have a transport track, something with rubber blocks on the links to stop road damage?

**Staffsyeoman** · January 15th, 2019, 01:45 PM

I know it's not strictly a "tank", it's a Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (Tracked) [CVR (T)] but I had a whale of a time once throwing an FV107 Scimitar around a training area "somewhere in Southern England" (not Bovington). Really easy to drive... At least its speed meant you could run away from the T-72 shooting at you, or it wouldn't end well...

**Dr Pepper** · January 15th, 2019, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikarufan

I was very surprised by how much noise they make. The one that went past me was maybe doing 30 kph. Do they have a transport track, something with rubber blocks on the links to stop road damage?

Yes and no-there is only one type of track but they do have rubber blocks with a central threaded stud that goes through a hole in the track link and is secured by a nut on the inner surface-without these the damage to roading would be enormous-but of course these blocks wear-and when they weat down far enough the steel track link ridges contact the roading surface....not too damaging on straights-but on any cornering where a degree of slippage can occur-it can get ugly-especially on tarmac. Waiouru Camp-the 'home' of the RNZAC-and where most of the technical and trade course were held-had concrete laid at many of the road intersections to minimise track damage to the tarmac...

**Dr Pepper** · January 15th, 2019, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Staffsyeoman

I know it's not strictly a "tank", it's a Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (Tracked) [CVR (T)] but I had a whale of a time once throwing an FV107 Scimitar around a training area "somewhere in Southern England" (not Bovington). Really easy to drive... At least its speed meant you could run away from the T-72 shooting at you, or it wouldn't end well...

Our CVR(T) Scorpions went like stink too-we only had the 76mm armed Scorpion version-not the Scimitar....many decades ago-as a cheeky young driver I quizzed the Director of Armour as to why we hadn't purchased Scimitar as well as it was a much better vehicle for recce whereas the Scorpion was very good in the fire support role...his answer was that the Corps still hoped that one day they would be able to re-equip with tanks-and that it was necessary to retain the big gun handling skills-which the 30mm Rarden cannon with its 3 round clip did not....

ChrisB211 · August 24th, 2020, 12:24 PM

The Chieftan had an annoying habit of breaking down. And it happened quite a lot.

Just like the Combat Engineering Tractor, you were a lucky boy if you saw one actually move.

**haroldeye** · August 24th, 2020, 08:31 PM

Stood talking to an RAF pilot (who was attached to Bde HQ) on a training area in Poland when a Challenger Recovery Vehicle (CRAAV) went past at speed. This man flew Tornados for a living but was mightily impressed by the sheer power of the CRAAV. He managed to get himself an hours cabby in the vehicle.

taradiddle · December 25th, 2021, 12:04 PM

One of my favorite tanks.It's beautiful and do its job well.

**seivad** · December 25th, 2021, 03:47 PM

My favourite tank Drum.

January 15th, 2019, 01:45 PM	#664
Staffsyeoman Vintage Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,269 Thanks: 34,179 Thanked 26,756 Times in 2,160 Posts	I know it's not strictly a "tank", it's a Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (Tracked) [CVR (T)] but I had a whale of a time once throwing an FV107 Scimitar around a training area "somewhere in Southern England" (not Bovington). Really easy to drive... At least its speed meant you could run away from the T-72 shooting at you, or it wouldn't end well... Last edited by Estreeter; January 15th, 2019 at 02:41 PM.. Reason: pic size and host

December 25th, 2021, 12:04 PM	#669
taradiddle Member Join Date: Dec 2021 Location: Finland Posts: 10 Thanks: 142 Thanked 437 Times in 10 Posts	Finnish Army Leopard 2A6 One of my favorite tanks.It's beautiful and do its job well.

December 25th, 2021, 03:47 PM	#670
seivad Vintage Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Old South Wales Posts: 3,171 Thanks: 28,056 Thanked 35,013 Times in 3,168 Posts	My favourite tank Drum. __________________ It'd be such an ignorant thing to do If the Russians love their children too. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

January 14th, 2019, 12:53 PM	#661
Hikarufan Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Down under Posts: 399 Thanks: 68 Thanked 4,200 Times in 395 Posts	One made an impression on me Dr Pepper back in the mid 1980's. I was riding my bike to high school when the army was using our air field for an exercise. An M113 came past me and I was shitting myself. I've never heard a noise like it and it's the only time I've seen an armoured vehicle on the move and could have reached out and touched it. But fast forward 30 years and my mate lived next to the air field and one day we're out the front talking. We could here helicopters which is nothing unusual but then 2 Blackhawks and a Tiger attack helicopter rose from behind some trees and we were gobsmacked. But thats not for this thread.

January 15th, 2019, 12:48 PM	#663
Hikarufan Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Down under Posts: 399 Thanks: 68 Thanked 4,200 Times in 395 Posts	I was very surprised by how much noise they make. The one that went past me was maybe doing 30 kph. Do they have a transport track, something with rubber blocks on the links to stop road damage?

August 24th, 2020, 12:24 PM	#667
ChrisB211 Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 36 Thanks: 742 Thanked 333 Times in 30 Posts	The Chieftan had an annoying habit of breaking down. And it happened quite a lot. Just like the Combat Engineering Tractor, you were a lucky boy if you saw one actually move.

August 24th, 2020, 08:31 PM	#668
haroldeye Moderator Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Halfwitistan Posts: 5,716 Thanks: 113,534 Thanked 59,972 Times in 5,708 Posts	Stood talking to an RAF pilot (who was attached to Bde HQ) on a training area in Poland when a Challenger Recovery Vehicle (CRAAV) went past at speed. This man flew Tornados for a living but was mightily impressed by the sheer power of the CRAAV. He managed to get himself an hours cabby in the vehicle.