How are the Iraqi Resistance destroying US tanks?

[bvar22]

Over the last few months, more pictures of destroyed M1A1 tanks, and more frequent reports of our frontline tanks being destroyed are appearing in the US media.

I was under the impression that the US tanks were invulnerable to the types of weapons used by the Iraqi Resistance. (rpg, AK47, etc)

Are the Iraqis using new tactics, or are more powerful weapons being used?


(thanks for the pic,jmcgowanjm)

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Here is my theory from many years

of one playing games (Role Playing game) writign them, and talkign to tankers

They found the softest point in the MI, which also happens to be the softest point in ANY armor around the word... the underbelly... they are using AIDs that explode as the tank goes by... I am almost willing to hazard command detonated shape charge.... by the by, the Palestinians took Merkavas that way in Gaza, so I would not be too surprised if this is now common info in the middle east.

Oh and RPGs through the ventilation (hard shot) or under the skits that protect the drive train) could also do the trick.

[K-W]

2. Tanks are quite vulnerable to any number of explosions.

You are wrong in that the tank is not invulnerable to RPG's. It is also not invulnerable to explosives and bombs being rolled underneath it.

[jpgray]

3. An RPG can take an M1A1 if fired in certain places (nt)

[ET Awful]

4. Some improvised devices could no doubt damage a tank, but

I don't see signs of that in the picture you posted.

An IED (as they're being called, i.e. roadside bomb) COULD damage a tank if powerful enough, but I see no crater here to indicate one. Also, the tank's tracks are both intact (the track would most likely be thrown in an explosion close to the ground).

I can't really tell where the initial impact came from on this tank to cause the damage to be honest. That makes it hard for me to say what weapon may have caused it.

The very top does look like it sustained an impact. Which, if it were an enemy tank, would be consistent with an attack from an A10 plane bombing it, or from a TOW II missile (which was not ready for primetime when I left the military, but which was supposed to use a top down approach to the target because the top of the turret is usually the most vulnerable to attack). The TOW is an optically tracked missile, basically you fire while looking through the site, keep the crosshairs on the target, and the missile will hit whereever the crosshairs are. The old version went straight to wherever the crosshairs were, the new was supposed to go above the target and down into it from above.

I wouldn't think that any Iraqi would have access to a TOW II system though.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. look closely the tracks are there

but the wheels are coming out, the AID is UNDER that tank and so is the crater, you can see where the force came from under that tank

The upside does look like an impact from above and what the Iraqis have, good question... I still remmeber finding a Stinger in a place you would never expect to see one many years ago...

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. I have worked heavy equipment in the past.. and the rollers on

the side of the tank that took the hit... at the bottom... are laid over... this machine appears to have taken one helluva blast from the side... down low... perhaps an ied just below the surface of the road... but shaped to blow up and in the direction of a passing vehicle... just my 2 cents... for what it is worth.


http://quickstart.clari.net/qs_se/webnews/wed/dn/Qiraq-us-attack-fallujah.RvNe_DN8.html
>>The heavily armored personnel carrier differs only slightly from a tank. The destruction of the Bradley would mark the second time since US troops invaded Iraq that insurgents have ripped apart US armor with their explosives.

The first time was on October 29 when an M1 Abrams tank was hit by a bomb, killing two crew members near the northeastern town of Balad.<<

[bvar22]

7. Thanks for the info, all.

One of my concerns (among many) for our troops in Iraq has been the reports of an influx of foreign fighters. As World opinion turns to hatred of the US and our evolving policy of War against the Iraqi People, I fear that some foreign governments will begin supplying the Iraqi Resistance with more sophisticated weapons such as heat seeking missiles and more powerful anti-tank weapons. (such as we gave to the emerging Taliban during the Russian occupation)

I hate to imagine what will happen to our soldiers if these types of weapons begin to appear in Iraq in any significant numbers.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. I hve another far longer term concern

Jihad, whether you suport the war or not... is imaterial, I'd say that we refused to learn that lesson we have sown the winds and we will reap the whirlwind, I am thinking Checknya a direct descendant of the Russian experiece in Afghanistan in many ways

[wishlist]

9. They have stolen quite a few U.S. tanks and vehicles and equipment

I saw a story on TV this week about how at least a dozen Bradley tanks and U.S. vehicles with weapons, body armor and equipment have been taken over and stolen by insurgents recently. Very scary since they will certainly be turned against the coalition. Retaliation for these actions is probably a big reason why U.S. military bombed the tank that was taken over and set fire yesterday, killing a number of innocent onlookers and reporters who were in the crowd surrounding the tank.

[neebob]

10. I seem to recall something about the Bradleys being deathtraps

from years ago. Perhaps they never fixed the problem?