Re: Tanks

Ryan M Gill wrote:

> > <chuckle> I doubt that :-/ It helps them build their tanks very low
> > compared to Western ones though, and about 20 tons lighter as well,
> > and still have similar armour protection and speed. 
> 
> Screws the rate of fire too. The Gun has to depress/elevate (depends 
> where its at at the time) to allow the autoloader to function for
> each reaload. 

Usually elevate. Due to the low turrets, they can't depress the guns
more than about 5 degrees (half of what a Western tank manages)... This
hurts in hasty reverse-slope defences (ie, where they haven't had time
to dig fighting positions for the tanks), since they have to expose
themselves far more than a Western tank to be able to hit targets on
the other side of the crest. Doesn't matter that much in prepared
positions, though.

'Course, Soviet tank doctrine emphasised the attack far more than the
defence, so they'd have to expose themselves anyway - that's why they
went for the lower silouette when not in cover.

Later,

Oerjan Ohlson
oerjan.ohlson@telia.com

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
- Hen3ry