Soldier Magazine: ten top tanks that have helped to shape history

[Russell Phillips]

The curator of the tank museum in Bovington has made a list of ten tanks that have helped to shape history. I'm sure FSN will be pleased to note that the Centurion Mark 5 is included.

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/bc83b66b#/bc83b66b/46

[fsn]

Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!

I told them, I told them all! The Centurion is a fine tank, a lovely tank, a STRONG tank, a GREAT TANK .....

5 Brit, 2 Red, 1 yank, 1 French, 1 Israeli: Anyone surprised our good friends from the Rhine have been excluded? Ignore the Panther which is an upversioned T34, and the Tiger which is just a big old mobile pill box, wouldn't you include the Pz IV as an example of an all purpose tank that was designed to be upgradeable, and was the only major vehicle that fought from 1939 to 1945?

[petercooman]

YEah the fact that someone from the UK chooses half of the tanks from the UK armoury is not surprising 

You can never deny that german tanks shaped history, i am not talking about a particular model but talking about the german tank lines itself. They where an essential part of the blitzkrieg tactic, wich was a new and effective tacic that changed the way battles where fought. Now if that didn't shape history then i don't know.

Not surprised there are no japanese tanks in the top 10 though 

[Russell Phillips]

5 Brit, 2 Red, 1 yank, 1 French, 1 Israeli: Anyone surprised our good friends from the Rhine have been excluded? Ignore the Panther which is an upversioned T34, and the Tiger which is just a big old mobile pill box, wouldn't you include the Pz IV as an example of an all purpose tank that was designed to be upgradeable, and was the only major vehicle that fought from 1939 to 1945?

I hadn't noticed the lack of Germans, but it's an interesting point. As for the Panzer IV, I hadn't realised it was designed to be upgradeable - that's an interesting nugget. Given that the list is ten tanks that have "helped to shape the history books", I'd say there really should be a WWII German tank, though it's arguable which one it should be. I'd argue that the Tiger has a claim, simply because of Allied tank crews' obsession with it - at one time, almost every enemy tank that was spotted was reported to be a Tiger. I'd probably go with the Panzer IV, though, because in various incarnations it was present in every campaign the Germans fought, and so clearly it "helped to shape the history books".

[Hertsblue]

Interesting that the Abrams doesn't feature. I have to say I've heard some odd rumours about its vulnerability to RPG fire. 

[Russell Phillips]

Interesting that the Abrams doesn't feature. I have to say I've heard some odd rumours about its vulnerability to RPG fire. 

Bear in mind that it's a list of "ten vehicles that have helped to shape the history books". I'm not convinced that the Abrams fits that criteria, or at least not more so than some others.

On the other hand, I'd have listed the T-55 rather than the T-72. It's been produced in larger quantities, been exported to more countries, and seen more combat. On those grounds, I'd say it's done more to shape history.

[Uncle_Cthulu]

Maybes some a rubbish tank that changed Tank developement could have been included?

[mollinary]

Anyone think it odd that the article illustrates the T34/76 with a picture of a T34/85!!!??   

Mollinary

[howayman]

Got to agree with the T55 as a major player in shaping history and maybe the JS3 in 1945 a bit of a shock to the west. The lack of a German ww2 tank was also a bit strange. But mistaking a T34/85 and a T34/76 not unusual for a magazine, even Soldier.

[petercooman]

Yeah, i wasn't sure about that picture myself

[sebigboss79]

Anyone think it odd that the article illustrates the T34/76 with a picture of a T34/85!!!??    

Mollinary

Speaks for the "quality".

Not to mention the German Panther was the base for many post war designs of both east and west.
Panzer IVs were still used in the 60s (70s?) in the Arab/Israeli Wars.

For WW2 tanks I would only mention the M4 Sherman due to its vast numbers for the western allies and of course the T34 for the Soviets. Germans must be Panzer IV, Panther and Tiger had much lesser quantities. Interestingly the 75mm gun of the Panther was vastly superior to the Tigers 88mm gun  

Post War there is of course the Centurion, the M60 (USA) and the Leopard for the West and the T55 for the East.

The biggest joke is the Challenger tank, arguably the worst current tank. Besides a fantastic survivability the number of comparisons and trials the Challenger lost to even older Leopards (L2A4s!!!) surpasses the number of Challengers built. It simply failed to hit anything smaller than an aircraft carrier when moving. Not to mention anyone except the Iraquis would actually USE the firing computers AND move their bloody T55s in combat.

Absolutely unbelievable revanchist.  

[fsn]

Hmmm. I'm also a bit iffy about the Vickers 1 and the 6 tonner.

So I think  I'd have to go for:

• Mk IV - mass produced
• FT17 - Turret and mobility.
• Vickers Medium Mk 1 - Post WWI developments in thinking
• T34/76 - design classic
• Pz IV - Adaptability and upgrades
• Sherman - Production
• Centurion - just dreamy! Truly modern tank.
• T54/T55 birth of the distinctive Soviet tank
• Merkava - radical design change

... then I'm stuck. Churchill? Early Christie suspension? Panther or Tiger?

[Fenton]

Once again the Tzar tank is shamefully overlooked

[fsn]

Largely, I would suggest because of its non-appearance in the Pendraken catalogue.

[Fenton]

Largely, I would suggest because of its non-appearance in the Pendraken catalogue.

Once again the Tzar tank is shamefully overlooked