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History of the tank | A Wisdom Archive on History of the tank | | History of the tank A selection of articles related to History of the tank | |
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History of the tank
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| ARTICLES RELATED TO History of the tank | | | |  History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank classification - Specialist tanksTanks have often been modified for special purposes. Often they provide armoured capability for combat engineers. These include tanks with large-calibre demolition guns, with flails or ploughs for mine-clearing, bridge-layer tanks, or flame tanks armed with flame-throwers.
Another important modification is the amphibious tank, such as the Sherman Duplex Drive (DD). These designs are modified with waterproofing and propulsion systems to be able to traverse open water. Their most notable usage was on D-Day.
An example would be the Churchill AVRE, intended for destro ...
See also:Tank classification, Tank classification - Classifying tanks, Tank classification - Overview, Tank classification - Tank types, Tank classification - WWI tank types, Tank classification - Tank development from 1930-1945, Tank classification - Late twentieth century: the main battle tank, Tank classification - The twenty-first century: decline of heavy armour?, Tank classification - Specialist tanks Read more here: » Tank classification: Encyclopedia II - Tank classification - Specialist tanks |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank classification - Classifying tanks Many classification systems have been used for tanks over the nearly one hundred years of their history. Classification has always been determined by the prevailing theories of armoured warfare, which have been altered in turn by to rapid advances in technology. No one classification system works across all periods or all countries.
Tanks are often referred to by weight-based classification, such as 'light', 'medium' or heavy', which may also imply tactical roles. Many types are also described by their tactical role, which depends on ...
See also:Tank classification, Tank classification - Classifying tanks, Tank classification - Overview, Tank classification - Tank types, Tank classification - WWI tank types, Tank classification - Tank development from 1930-1945, Tank classification - Late twentieth century: the main battle tank, Tank classification - The twenty-first century: decline of heavy armour?, Tank classification - Specialist tanks Read more here: » Tank classification: Encyclopedia II - Tank classification - Classifying tanks |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Armoured warfare - Airborne threats Tanks and other armoured vehicles are vulnerable to attack from the air for several reasons. One is that they are easily detectable - the metal they are made of shows up well on radar, and is especially obvious if they are moving in formation. A moving tank also products a lot of heat, noise and dust. The heat makes seeing them on a forward-looking infra-red system easy and the dust is a good visual clue during the day. The other major reason is that most armoured vehicles have thinner armour on the roof of the turret and on the engine deck, ...
See also:Armoured warfare, Armoured warfare - First World War, Armoured warfare - The inter-war period, Armoured warfare - Second World War, Armoured warfare - Arab-Israeli wars, Armoured warfare - NATO and Warsaw Pact, Armoured warfare - Tank tactics, Armoured warfare - Airborne threats, Armoured warfare - Support Read more here: » Armoured warfare: Encyclopedia II - Armoured warfare - Airborne threats |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tanks 1919-1939 - United Kingdom Following the Great War, many experiments involving armoured vehicles were conducted in Great Britain. Particularly many advances were made in the areas of weaponry, tracks, and the use of these vehicles on the battlefield.
In the 1920s, a number of influential tank designs were developed. One especially notable one was the Vickers Medium Mk II, a pivotal design which combined some of the best traits of WWI tanks into a much faster tank. It had a fully rotating turret on top like the FT, but mounted a dual-use 3-pounder gun (that coul ...
See also:Tanks 1919-1939, Tanks 1919-1939 - United Kingdom, Tanks 1919-1939 - France, Tanks 1919-1939 - Soviet Union, Tanks 1919-1939 - References, Tanks 1919-1939 - Germany, Tanks 1919-1939 - Japan, Tanks 1919-1939 - United States Read more here: » Tanks 1919-1939: Encyclopedia II - Tanks 1919-1939 - United Kingdom |
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| | | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tanks 1919-1939 - France The French used a very wide range of tanks, including many unique types. France was the second largest tank producer in the world, behind the Soviet-Union. Their cavalry tank class filled the role of what are now called MBTs. They also fielded a heavy tank design, and several lighter types for scouting and infantry support. In addition to these types, they were also working on super-heavy breakthrough tanks. The French didn't have an independent Tank Corps. All tanks belonged to either the Infantry or the Cavalry.
Infantry Tanks ...
See also:Tanks 1919-1939, Tanks 1919-1939 - United Kingdom, Tanks 1919-1939 - France, Tanks 1919-1939 - Soviet Union, Tanks 1919-1939 - References, Tanks 1919-1939 - Germany, Tanks 1919-1939 - Japan, Tanks 1919-1939 - United States Read more here: » Tanks 1919-1939: Encyclopedia II - Tanks 1919-1939 - France |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - History
Tank - World War One: the first tanks.
Having already seen Rolls Royce armoured cars used by Royal Naval Air Service in 1914, and aware of schemes to create a tracked fighting vehicle, First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill sponsored the Landships Committee to oversee development of this new weapon. The first successful prototype tank, nicknamed Little Willie, was tested for the British Army on September 6, 1915. Although initially termed landships by the Admiralty, the initial vehicles were colloqu ...
See also:Tank, Tank - History, Tank - World War One: the first tanks, Tank - 1920s to the end of Second World War, Tank - The Cold War and beyond, Tank - Design, Tank - Weapons, Tank - Fire control, Tank - Ammunition, Tank - Protection, Tank - Armour, Tank - Grenade launchers smoke and passive defences, Tank - Countermeasures, Tank - Exposed crew, Tank - Mobility, Tank - Water operations, Tank - Power plants, Tank - Sonic seismic and thermal traces, Tank - Command control and communications, Tank - Vulnerability, Tank - Infantry, Tank - Artillery, Tank - Helicopters, Tank - Mines, Tank - Aircraft, Tank - The future of tanks through research and development Read more here: » Tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - History |
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| | | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Command, control, and communications Commanding and co-ordinating a tank organisation in the field has always been subject to particular problems. Because of the isolation of small units, individual vehicles, and even the crewmen of a tank, special arrangements have had to be made. Armoured bulkheads, engine noise, intervening terrain, dust, and smoke, and the need to operate "hatches down" (or "buttoned up") comprise severe detriments to communications.
Every action of a tank's crew, movement and fire, is ordered by its commander. In some early tanks, the crew commander ...
See also:Tank, Tank - History, Tank - World War One: the first tanks, Tank - 1920s to the end of Second World War, Tank - The Cold War and beyond, Tank - Design, Tank - Weapons, Tank - Fire control, Tank - Ammunition, Tank - Protection, Tank - Armour, Tank - Grenade launchers, smoke and passive defences, Tank - Countermeasures, Tank - Exposed crew, Tank - Mobility, Tank - Water operations, Tank - Power plants, Tank - Sonic, seismic, and thermal traces, Tank - Command, control, and communications, Tank - Vulnerability, Tank - Infantry, Tank - Artillery, Tank - Helicopters, Tank - Mines, Tank - Aircraft, Tank - The future of tanks through research and development Read more here: » Tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Command, control, and communications |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Sonic, seismic, and thermal traces Stationary tanks can be well camouflaged in woodland and forested areas where there is natural cover, making detection and attack from the air more difficult. By contrast, in the open it is very hard to hide a tank. In both cases, however, once a tank starts its engine or begins to move it can be detected much more easily due to the heat and noise generated by its engine. The tank tracks across lands can be spotted from the air, and in the desert movement can st ...
See also:Tank, Tank - History, Tank - World War One: the first tanks, Tank - 1920s to the end of Second World War, Tank - The Cold War and beyond, Tank - Design, Tank - Weapons, Tank - Fire control, Tank - Ammunition, Tank - Protection, Tank - Armour, Tank - Grenade launchers, smoke and passive defences, Tank - Countermeasures, Tank - Exposed crew, Tank - Mobility, Tank - Water operations, Tank - Power plants, Tank - Sonic, seismic, and thermal traces, Tank - Command, control, and communications, Tank - Vulnerability, Tank - Infantry, Tank - Artillery, Tank - Helicopters, Tank - Mines, Tank - Aircraft, Tank - The future of tanks through research and development Read more here: » Tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Sonic, seismic, and thermal traces |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Vulnerability Whilst being a tremendously powerful weapon and the undoubted king of the land battlefield, the tank is not invulnerable. In fact it is the tank's superiority which has focused so much effort on improving antitank weapons.
Tank - Infantry.
The tank is still vulnerable to infantry, especially in close country or built up areas. The armour and mobility of tanks, while usually notable assets, also makes them large and noisy. This can give enemy infantry the initiative, allowing them to spot, track and evade t ...
See also:Tank, Tank - History, Tank - World War One: the first tanks, Tank - 1920s to the end of Second World War, Tank - The Cold War and beyond, Tank - Design, Tank - Weapons, Tank - Fire control, Tank - Ammunition, Tank - Protection, Tank - Armour, Tank - Grenade launchers smoke and passive defences, Tank - Countermeasures, Tank - Exposed crew, Tank - Mobility, Tank - Water operations, Tank - Power plants, Tank - Sonic seismic and thermal traces, Tank - Command control and communications, Tank - Vulnerability, Tank - Infantry, Tank - Artillery, Tank - Helicopters, Tank - Mines, Tank - Aircraft, Tank - The future of tanks through research and development Read more here: » Tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Vulnerability |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - The future of tanks through research and development There has been much speculation as to how tanks will evolve for modern day conflicts. Current research involves making the tank invisible to radar by adapting stealth technologies originally designed for aircraft and a variety of luminosity and colour shaping technologies. Research is also ongoing in armour systems and new propulsion units.
One clear trend is the increasing number of electrical and communication systems on a tank, such as thermal scopes and higher powered radios.
If tank designs switched to electrical motors li ...
See also:Tank, Tank - History, Tank - World War One: the first tanks, Tank - 1920s to the end of Second World War, Tank - The Cold War and beyond, Tank - Design, Tank - Weapons, Tank - Fire control, Tank - Ammunition, Tank - Protection, Tank - Armour, Tank - Grenade launchers smoke and passive defences, Tank - Countermeasures, Tank - Exposed crew, Tank - Mobility, Tank - Water operations, Tank - Power plants, Tank - Sonic seismic and thermal traces, Tank - Command control and communications, Tank - Vulnerability, Tank - Infantry, Tank - Artillery, Tank - Helicopters, Tank - Mines, Tank - Aircraft, Tank - The future of tanks through research and development Read more here: » Tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - The future of tanks through research and development |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Weapons
Main article: tank gun
The main weapon of any modern tank is a single large gun. Tank guns are among the largest-calibre weapons in use on land, with only a few artillery pieces being larger. Although the calibre has not changed substantially since the end of the Second World War, modern guns are technologically superior. The current common sizes are 120mm calibre for Western tanks and 125mm for Eastern (Soviet and Chinese legacy) tanks. Tank guns have been able to fire many types of rounds, but their ...
See also:Tank, Tank - History, Tank - World War One: the first tanks, Tank - 1920s to the end of Second World War, Tank - The Cold War and beyond, Tank - Design, Tank - Weapons, Tank - Fire control, Tank - Ammunition, Tank - Protection, Tank - Armour, Tank - Grenade launchers smoke and passive defences, Tank - Countermeasures, Tank - Exposed crew, Tank - Mobility, Tank - Water operations, Tank - Power plants, Tank - Sonic seismic and thermal traces, Tank - Command control and communications, Tank - Vulnerability, Tank - Infantry, Tank - Artillery, Tank - Helicopters, Tank - Mines, Tank - Aircraft, Tank - The future of tanks through research and development Read more here: » Tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Weapons |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Command control and communications Commanding and co-ordinating a tank organisation in the field has always been subject to particular problems. Because of the isolation of small units, individual vehicles, and even the crewmen of a tank, special arrangements have had to be made. Armoured bulkheads, engine noise, intervening terrain, dust, and smoke, and the need to operate "hatches down" (or "buttoned up") comprise severe detriments to communications.
Every action of a tank's crew, movement and fire, is ordered by its commander. In some early tanks, the crew commander ...
See also:Tank, Tank - History, Tank - World War One: the first tanks, Tank - 1920s to the end of Second World War, Tank - The Cold War and beyond, Tank - Design, Tank - Weapons, Tank - Fire control, Tank - Ammunition, Tank - Protection, Tank - Armour, Tank - Grenade launchers smoke and passive defences, Tank - Countermeasures, Tank - Exposed crew, Tank - Mobility, Tank - Water operations, Tank - Power plants, Tank - Sonic seismic and thermal traces, Tank - Command control and communications, Tank - Vulnerability, Tank - Infantry, Tank - Artillery, Tank - Helicopters, Tank - Mines, Tank - Aircraft, Tank - The future of tanks through research and development Read more here: » Tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Command control and communications |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Design The three traditional factors determining a tank's effectiveness are its firepower, mobility and protection. The psychological effect on enemy soldiers of a tank's imposing battlefield presence is called shock action.
Firepower is the ability of a tank to defeat a target. This takes into account the maximum distance at which targets can be engaged, the ability to engage moving targets, the speed with which multiple targets can be attacked, and the capability to defeat armoured v ...
See also:Tank, Tank - History, Tank - World War One: the first tanks, Tank - 1920s to the end of Second World War, Tank - The Cold War and beyond, Tank - Design, Tank - Weapons, Tank - Fire control, Tank - Ammunition, Tank - Protection, Tank - Armour, Tank - Grenade launchers smoke and passive defences, Tank - Countermeasures, Tank - Exposed crew, Tank - Mobility, Tank - Water operations, Tank - Power plants, Tank - Sonic seismic and thermal traces, Tank - Command control and communications, Tank - Vulnerability, Tank - Infantry, Tank - Artillery, Tank - Helicopters, Tank - Mines, Tank - Aircraft, Tank - The future of tanks through research and development Read more here: » Tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Design |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Protection The main battle tank is the most heavily armoured vehicle in modern armies. Its armour is designed to protect the vehicle and crew against a wide variety of threats. Commonly, protection against kinetic energy penetrators fired by other tanks is considered the most important. Tanks are also vulnerable to antitank guided missiles; antitank mines, larger bombs, and direct artillery hits, which can disable or destroy them. Tanks are especially vulnerable to airborne threats. Most modern MBTs do offer near complete protection from artillery frag ...
See also:Tank, Tank - History, Tank - World War One: the first tanks, Tank - 1920s to the end of Second World War, Tank - The Cold War and beyond, Tank - Design, Tank - Weapons, Tank - Fire control, Tank - Ammunition, Tank - Protection, Tank - Armour, Tank - Grenade launchers smoke and passive defences, Tank - Countermeasures, Tank - Exposed crew, Tank - Mobility, Tank - Water operations, Tank - Power plants, Tank - Sonic seismic and thermal traces, Tank - Command control and communications, Tank - Vulnerability, Tank - Infantry, Tank - Artillery, Tank - Helicopters, Tank - Mines, Tank - Aircraft, Tank - The future of tanks through research and development Read more here: » Tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Protection |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Mobility There are essentially two main aspects of mobility to consider, the tank's basic mobility such as its speed across terrain and ability to climb obstacles, and its overall battlefield mobility such as range, what bridges it can cross, and what transport vehicles can move it. Mobility of a tank is categorised as either Battlefield Mobility, Tactical Mobility, or Strategic Mobility. The first is a function of its engine performance and capability of its running gear and is determined by aspects such as acceleration, speed, vertical obstacle cap ...
See also:Tank, Tank - History, Tank - World War One: the first tanks, Tank - 1920s to the end of Second World War, Tank - The Cold War and beyond, Tank - Design, Tank - Weapons, Tank - Fire control, Tank - Ammunition, Tank - Protection, Tank - Armour, Tank - Grenade launchers smoke and passive defences, Tank - Countermeasures, Tank - Exposed crew, Tank - Mobility, Tank - Water operations, Tank - Power plants, Tank - Sonic seismic and thermal traces, Tank - Command control and communications, Tank - Vulnerability, Tank - Infantry, Tank - Artillery, Tank - Helicopters, Tank - Mines, Tank - Aircraft, Tank - The future of tanks through research and development Read more here: » Tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Mobility |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Sonic seismic and thermal traces Stationary tanks can be well camouflaged in woodland and forested areas where there is natural cover, making detection and attack from the air more difficult. By contrast, in the open it is very hard to hide a tank. In both cases, however, once a tank starts its engine or begins to move it can be detected much more easily due to the heat and noise generated by its engine. The tank tracks across lands can be spotted from the air, and in the desert movement can stir ...
See also:Tank, Tank - History, Tank - World War One: the first tanks, Tank - 1920s to the end of Second World War, Tank - The Cold War and beyond, Tank - Design, Tank - Weapons, Tank - Fire control, Tank - Ammunition, Tank - Protection, Tank - Armour, Tank - Grenade launchers smoke and passive defences, Tank - Countermeasures, Tank - Exposed crew, Tank - Mobility, Tank - Water operations, Tank - Power plants, Tank - Sonic seismic and thermal traces, Tank - Command control and communications, Tank - Vulnerability, Tank - Infantry, Tank - Artillery, Tank - Helicopters, Tank - Mines, Tank - Aircraft, Tank - The future of tanks through research and development Read more here: » Tank: Encyclopedia II - Tank - Sonic seismic and thermal traces |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - History of the tank - The Cold War In the Cold War, the two opposing forces in Europe were the Warsaw Pact countries on the one side, and the NATO countries on the other side. The Warsaw Pact was seen by the West as having an aggressive force outnumbering the NATO forces.
Soviet domination of the Warsaw Pact led to effective standardization on a few tank designs. In comparison, NATO adopted a defensive posture. The major contributing nations, France, Germany, the USA, and the UK deve ...
See also:History of the tank, History of the tank - Early vehicles in warfare, History of the tank - World War I: dawn of the tank, History of the tank - Between the wars, History of the tank - World War II, History of the tank - Nazi Germany, History of the tank - United Kingdom, History of the tank - Soviet Union, History of the tank - The United States, History of the tank - The Cold War, History of the tank - Entering the twenty-first century, History of the tank - Media Read more here: » History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - History of the tank - The Cold War |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - History of the tank - Entering the twenty-first century The ongoing development of the tank is covered in more detail in the Tank research and development article.
With the end of the Cold War in 1991, questions once again started sprouting concerning the relevance of the traditional tank. Over the years, many nations cut back the number of their tanks or replaced most of them with lightweight armoured fighting vehicles with only minimal armour protection.
This period also brought an end to the superpower blocs, and the military industries of Russia and Ukraine are now vying to sell ...
See also:History of the tank, History of the tank - Early vehicles in warfare, History of the tank - World War I: dawn of the tank, History of the tank - Between the wars, History of the tank - World War II, History of the tank - Nazi Germany, History of the tank - United Kingdom, History of the tank - Soviet Union, History of the tank - The United States, History of the tank - The Cold War, History of the tank - Entering the twenty-first century, History of the tank - Media Read more here: » History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - History of the tank - Entering the twenty-first century |
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| | | | | History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - History of the tank - Early vehicles in warfare The problem of advancing to attack while under fire is as old as warfare itself. The idea of using some kind of movingconstruction for protection seems to be almost as old. The Assyrians had moveable barriers for archers. The Roman Empire had shielded towers on wheels armed with catapults. The Poles and Czechs had wheeled metal-plated war-wagons in the Middle Ages. Leonardo da Vinci designed a man-powered fighting vehicle with wheels.
Most of these older ideas focused on sieges, where the more common tactics of manoeuvre and formation ...
See also:History of the tank, History of the tank - Early vehicles in warfare, History of the tank - World War I: dawn of the tank, History of the tank - Between the wars, History of the tank - World War II, History of the tank - Nazi Germany, History of the tank - United Kingdom, History of the tank - Soviet Union, History of the tank - The United States, History of the tank - The Cold War, History of the tank - Entering the twenty-first century, History of the tank - Media Read more here: » History of the tank: Encyclopedia II - History of the tank - Early vehicles in warfare |
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