Tank driving as an extreme sport

[Wondering Beard]

The "interesting" part happens at about the 1.5 minute



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4dhYpPLcVM


H/T to Bayou Renaissance Man (http://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2015/08/doofus-of-day-849.html)

[Drang]

They do say that the Russian Top Gear is the only one that is as good, and sometimes better, than the original.

[LOKNLOD]

Well I didn't see that coming!

Crazy Ivan... Drifts are for kids.

[Suvorov]

That would hurt - tanks don't have seat belts.

Had a BD XO once that was an Infantry Officer who was adimant that all the tankers in our BN wear out seat belts on maneuvers to keep from getting hurt. :p

[ranger]

I am an Infantry officer and I had an "overly enthusiastic" Bradley driver that almost flipped a BFV with me in the commander's seat. A armored vehicle teetering on one track is pretty scary (if your skeered - say your skeered - I was scared). The Bradley does have seat belts.

[Al T.]

Rode an M113 into a ditch one dark night and rolled it. From then on, I was one of the worst "TC low" safety Nazis out there. Nothing like getting pitched out and feeling that big bastard rocking back and forth through your boot soles. :eek:

[voodoo_man]

I mean, you could probably buy an older tank for about the same price as a used honda...

[BaiHu]

Russians are the rednecks of Europe. 'Old my wudka and wasch dees!

No I have to look up Russian Top Gear...

[Jeep]

That would hurt - tanks don't have seat belts.

Had a BD XO once that was an Infantry Officer who was adimant that all the tankers in our BN wear out seat belts on maneuvers to keep from getting hurt. :p

Had a infantry LTC on division staff create a perfect "L shaped tank ambush" during a map exercise. Except the tanks in the ambush area and the "kill zone" were separated by a low, but definite, 20 foot rise in the ground between them. He was not happy when the umpire (a mere O4), pointed out that tank guns were a direct-fire weapon.

[Drang]

We had a company commander in Korea who was an unhappy branch transfer from Armor to MI. Claimed that he had, in fact, seen M1s take out T72s through sand dunes.

[T.Stahl]

We had a company commander in Korea who was an unhappy branch transfer from Armor to MI. Claimed that he had, in fact, seen M1s take out T72s through sand dunes.

Or he read about the story in Tom Clancy's Armored Cav.

[Drang]

Or he read about the story in Tom Clancy's Armored Cav.

Surely you're not questioning the veracity of an officer in the United States Army!?

[T.Stahl]

Question the veracity of an officer? I? No, never!

[Jeep]

And there is no reason at all to question his veracity. Everyone knows that an Abrams relies on magic to operate, which is why they routinely shoot through sand dunes. They also fly, which is even cooler.

[Al T.]

Got chewed on by my Battlion Commander rather fiercely when we were doing the Observer/Controller thing with a Mech company that had just transitioned into Bradleys/Abrams (NET ARTEP 2/7 Cav, 1985). He got bent out of shape as me and the other LTs kept reporting "lost contact, monitoring by radio", time after time.

When the Bn CDR finally saw for himself how quickly the Brads and Abrams ran off and left us guys still in jeeps, he understood... :D

[Jeep]

Got chewed on by my Battlion Commander rather fiercely when we were doing the Observer/Controller thing with a Mech company that had just transitioned into Bradleys/Abrams (NET ARTEP 2/7 Cav, 1985). He got bent out of shape as me and the other LTs kept reporting "lost contact, monitoring by radio", time after time.

When the Bn CDR finally saw for himself how quickly the Brads and Abrams ran off and left us guys still in jeeps, he understood... :D

The M113 would outrun a jeep too (an embarrassing incident involving that is actually why I use "Jeep", as would the M551. Not like an M1, though.

[Al T.]

Zactly, though we had figured out how to zip around on FT Hood's hardballs to stay with the M113s. Didn't work with the Brads.

Was the survey officer for a Bradley/Jeep interface about that same time. Driver (backed over the Jeep) said he never even noticed. TC bought his very own Jeep, couldn't keep it though.

[will_1400]

I wonder what The Stig's best lap time around the Dunsfold track would be while driving an M60...

[da6dspanburg]

The M113 would outrun a jeep too....
During REFORGER Exercises in Germany in the mid-70's I was the M113 Driver for my Company CO. Lots of times we would 'accidently' lose our controllers in their jeeps.