1. INTRODUCTION
Tank, heavily armored military vehicle with cross-country mobility and road speeds up to 97 km/h (60 mph). Tanks travel on tracks or treads, rather than wheels. Tanks are classified as light, medium, and heavy. They range in weight from approximately 14 to 69 metric tons, have at least 15 cm (6 in) of armor plate, and mount cannons ranging from 75 mm to 122 mm in the tank's turret.
The turret is a structure on top of the tank that can rotate 360 degrees, enabling the tank to fire in any direction. In addition, tanks often have both light and heavy machine guns. Light tanks are used for reconnaissance; heavier tanks are used primarily to penetrate or flank enemy defenses. The concept of armor protection dates from antiquity. By the 5th century BC Greek warriors, and sometimes their horses, wore armor. Florentine artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci designed a crank-operated covered chariot in 1482, but development of an effective, track-laying armored vehicle was only possible after the invention of the internal-combustion engine.
2. THE FIRST TANKS
During World War I (1914-1918) the British developed and used the first armored track-laying vehicles in an attempt to break the deadlock of trench warfare on the Western Front. To maintain secrecy, the vehicles were shipped to the battle zone in crates marked “tanks,” hence the origin of the name.
The tank had no single inventor. The Royal Naval Air Service, which operated some armored cars, originated ideas for “landships.” Simultaneously, British colonel Ernest Swinton proposed the military use of track-laying tractors. Both suggestions came to the attention of the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Winston Churchill. He set up a Landships Committee that laid down specifications. By the end of 1915 British engineers had built a prototype landship, nicknamed “mother.” The first battle in which these tanks were employed was the Battle of the Somme, on September 15, 1916, when the British used 49 tanks with disappointing results. Although the military impact was limited, the psychological and propaganda impact was huge.
As the war progressed, armored protection and engines were improved. In November 1917, at the Battle of Cambrai, about 400 British tanks achieved a notable success in breaking through the German lines, helping capture 8,000 of the enemy and 100 guns. In 1918 tanks formed an important element of many attacks during the Allied advances that preceded the armistice ending World War I. The French army had introduced its own tanks in 1917, but the Germans had produced only a handful before the end of the war. The slowness and unreliability of early tanks prevented them from being a decisive weapon in their own right. With the exception of the French Renault light tank, early tanks deployed their armament in their hulls rather than in a rotating turret. However, they achieved enough success to secure their place on the battlefield, and development continued following World War I.
3. TANKS DURING WORLD WAR II
Tanks played an even greater role in warfare during World War II (1939-1945). Early in the warGermany organized tanks, infantry, artillery, and support troops into fast, mobile attack units; theseunits were responsible for many of Germany's early victories in the war. A group of German officers,most notably General Heinz Guderian, had formulated a method of attack that became known asblitzkrieg (lightning war), using mobile forces spearheaded by tanks and supported by dive-bombers.As a result the nations opposing Germany in the war quickly incorporated tanks into their militaryforces. By the middle of the war, tanks were a central part of most infantry units, and played a prominent role in battles in the deserts of northern Africa, in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(USSR), and in Europe.Their expert handling of massed tanks enabled the Germans to defeat the Allied forces in 1940. Evenwhen equipped with effective tanks of their own, the Allies tended to employ them clumsily, in small
formations. As the war progressed, the Allies also created large armored formations challenging the Germans on their own terms. The Soviet Union was particularly successful in this. From 1943 through 1945 the Soviets launched a series of successful tank-led offensives, in particular at the Battle ofKursk, culminating in the final defeat of Germany in Berlin. The tank production of the Allies massivelyoutstripped that of Germany, also contributing to Germany’s defeat. World War II witnessed huge advances in tank technology. In 1939 most armies had employed considerable numbers of small light tanks, largely because they were relatively cheap to build.
However, events proved that their thin armor-plating made them a liability. A race ensued to produce tanks with an optimum combination of firepower, speed, and armored protection. The Soviet T-34tank, the M4 tank of United States forces, and the German Panzer tank were notably successful inbalancing these requirements. However, the heavier tanks developed during World War II, such as the Soviet’s Joseph Stalin series,or the British Centurion (which appeared just too late to see action), foreshadowed modern tank development. Powerful though these vehicles were, the war also proved that they required the support of other arms. Tanks attempting to fight alone were vulnerable to antitank guns and to a range of newly developed infantry antitank weapons. The most effective of these antitank weapons employedmunitions that could penetrate very thick armor
4. LATER TANK DEVELOPMENT
M1 Abrams Tank
Tanks, chiefly used to combat ground targets, airplanes, and other armored vehicles, can weigh as much as 25 metric tons and travel at speeds of up to 80 km/hr (50 mph) on level ground. The M1 Abrams tank, shown here, was used in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
In the era following World War II, the world’s major armies all maintained large fleets of tanks. During the Cold War massive armored forces faced each other along the borders dividing Western Europe and Eastern Europe. However, the only major use of tanks after 1945 occurred in the Middle East, during the Six-Day War of 1967, the Arab-Israeli War of 1973, the Persian Gulf War of 1991, and the UnitedStates-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Modern tanks are beginning to differ significantly from tanks used toward the end of World War II, dueprimarily to computer technology. Modern tanks are better armored, faster, and use more powerful cannons. They also can maneuver and fight at night or in thick smoke using night-vision devices. Tank commanders can accurately determine their position with computerized maps and the global positioning system. In addition, computerized firing controls, combined with stabilized gun mounts, enable modern tanks, such as the M1 Abrams tank of the U.S. military, to accurately fire on targets even while moving.
d heavy. They range in weight from approximately 14 to 69 metric tons, have at least 15 cm (6 in) of armor plate, and mount cannons ranging from 75 mm to 122 mm in the tank's turret.
The turret is a structure on top of the tank that can rotate 360 degrees, enabling the tank to fire in any direction. In addition, tanks often have both light and heavy machine guns. Light tanks are used for reconnaissance; heavier tanks are used primarily to penetrate or flank enemy defenses. The concept of armor protection dates from antiquity. By the 5th century BC Greek warriors, and sometimes their horses, wore armor. Florentine artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci designed a crank-operated covered chariot in 1482, but development of an effective, track-laying armored vehicle was only possible after the invention of the internal-combustion engine.
2. THE FIRST TANKS
During World War I (1914-1918) the British developed and used the first armored track-laying vehicles in an attempt to break the deadlock of trench warfare on the Western Front. To maintain secrecy, the vehicles were shipped to the battle zone in crates marked “tanks,” hence the origin of the name.
The tank had no single inventor. The Royal Naval Air Service, which operated some armored cars, originated ideas for “landships.” Simultaneously, British colonel Ernest Swinton proposed the military use of track-laying tractors. Both suggestions came to the attention of the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Winston Churchill. He set up a Landships Committee that laid down specifications. By the end of 1915 British engineers had built a prototype landship, nicknamed “mother.” The first battle in which these tanks were employed was the Battle of the Somme, on September 15, 1916, when the British used 49 tanks with disappointing results. Although the military impact was limited, the psychological and propaganda impact was huge.
As the war progressed, armored protection and engines were improved. In November 1917, at the Battle of Cambrai, about 400 British tanks achieved a notable success in breaking through the German lines, helping capture 8,000 of the enemy and 100 guns. In 1918 tanks formed an important element of many attacks during the Allied advances that preceded the armistice ending World War I. The French army had introduced its own tanks in 1917, but the Germans had produced only a handful before the end of the war. The slowness and unreliability of early tanks prevented them from being a decisive weapon in their own right. With the exception of the French Renault light tank, early tanks deployed their armament in their hulls rather than in a rotating turret. However, they achieved enough success to secure their place on the battlefield, and development continued following World War I.
3. TANKS DURING WORLD WAR II
Tanks played an even greater role in warfare during World War II (1939-1945). Early in the warGermany organized tanks, infantry, artillery, and support troops into fast, mobile attack units; theseunits were responsible for many of Germany's early victories in the war. A group of German officers,most notably General Heinz Guderian, had formulated a method of attack that became known asblitzkrieg (lightning war), using mobile forces spearheaded by tanks and supported by dive-bombers.As a result the nations opposing Germany in the war quickly incorporated tanks into their militaryforces. By the middle of the war, tanks were a central part of most infantry units, and played a prominent role in battles in the deserts of northern Africa, in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(USSR), and in Europe.Their expert handling of massed tanks enabled the Germans to defeat the Allied forces in 1940. Evenwhen equipped with effective tanks of their own, the Allies tended to employ them clumsily, in small
formations. As the war progressed, the Allies also created large armored formations challenging the Germans on their own terms. The Soviet Union was particularly successful in this. From 1943 through 1945 the Soviets launched a series of successful tank-led offensives, in particular at the Battle ofKursk, culminating in the final defeat of Germany in Berlin. The tank production of the Allies massivelyoutstripped that of Germany, also contributing to Germany’s defeat. World War II witnessed huge advances in tank technology. In 1939 most armies had employed considerable numbers of small light tanks, largely because they were relatively cheap to build.
However, events proved that their thin armor-plating made them a liability. A race ensued to produce tanks with an optimum combination of firepower, speed, and armored protection. The Soviet T-34tank, the M4 tank of United States forces, and the German Panzer tank were notably successful inbalancing these requirements. However, the heavier tanks developed during World War II, such as the Soviet’s Joseph Stalin series,or the British Centurion (which appeared just too late to see action), foreshadowed modern tank development. Powerful though these vehicles were, the war also proved that they required the support of other arms. Tanks attempting to fight alone were vulnerable to antitank guns and to a range of newly developed infantry antitank weapons. The most effective of these antitank weapons employedmunitions that could penetrate very thick armor
4. LATER TANK DEVELOPMENT
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In the era following World War II, the world’s major armies all maintained large fleets of tanks. During the Cold War massive armored forces faced each other along the borders dividing Western Europe and Eastern Europe. However, the only major use of tanks after 1945 occurred in the Middle East, during the Six-Day War of 1967, the Arab-Israeli War of 1973, the Persian Gulf War of 1991, and the UnitedStates-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Modern tanks are beginning to differ significantly from tanks used toward the end of World War II, dueprimarily to computer technology. Modern tanks are better armored, faster, and use more powerful cannons. They also can maneuver and fight at night or in thick smoke using night-vision devices. Tank commanders can accurately determine their position with computerized maps and the global positioning system. In addition, computerized firing controls, combined with stabilized gun mounts, enable modern tanks, such as the M1 Abrams tank of the U.S. military, to accurately fire on targets even while moving.
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