Straight from HAB - Major Ouchies.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-11-07 10:06am

Courtesy of our Friend Vympel - Join HAB and get this first, hot off
the presses!

Could you treat it any worse?

The M1A2SEP that got hit with the mine. The turret was blown/sheared off in- i.e. the M88 hasn't simply removed the turret from the chassis (as should be obvious, anyone removing a turret in such a careless manner would be disciplined for incompetence). Note the main cannon has rotated.

The way it was found

The hull- tracks removed for some reason

Another hull shot

Another- long view

This was a massive blast in the finest traditions of using artillery shells as mines, surely.[/quote]

Bill Door · Post by **Bill Door** » 2003-11-07 10:29am

Thats pretty damn totalled...
One question, any survivors? Because that looks like a write off of a tank...

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-11-07 11:02am

The turret crew were killed- the driver lived.

The original report said two casualties, but I'm waiting to hear more on that topic (that would imply that either the tank was missing a crewman or the report of the entire turret crew being killed was wrong- or whoever wasn't reported instantly killed died of his wounds at a later date). Time to go to bed.

2000AD · Post by **2000AD** » 2003-11-07 02:45pm

Is that the tank that was hit with the "mystery weapon" a few days ago?

Raxmei · Post by **Raxmei** » 2003-11-07 03:33pm

2000AD wrote:Is that the tank that was hit with the "mystery weapon" a few days ago?

No. The mystery weapon made a clean little hole. This tank has had its turret blown clear off. Clearly the damage is the result of a different weapon. As Sheppard pointed out in the original post, it was a mine of some sort.

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-11-07 04:31pm

What sort of mine (in general)? Did it blow up through the tank and pop the turret? 'Cause if it hadn't said mine, I would have guessed some sort of RPG that hit between the turret and the hull, given what appear to be scorch marks on one side of the turret ring (that don't appear to be on other sides).

That's somewhat worrying. In all of GWI we didn't lose any Abrams crew to hostile activity, and very few tanks (I think under a dozen were written off, with a few damaged and repaired).

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-11-07 04:42pm

In GW1, the Abrams never got into cities and prepared defenses. This is an inevitable result of that sort of peacekeeping.

As for what hit it, a giant ass mine seems to have gone off and sheared the turret completely off (the RPG hit you suggest would not take off the hull). Notice that the turret has been sheared off from the bustle.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2003-11-07 05:34pm

As much as Id like to join HAB I don't theenk Im qualfied in the topic enough for your esteemed contingency.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-11-07 05:58pm

The Dark wrote: That's somewhat worrying. In all of GWI we didn't lose any Abrams crew to hostile activity, and very few tanks (I think under a dozen were written off, with a few damaged and repaired).

One tank commander was killed when an ammunition dump blew up beside his tank, 18 tanks where lost to various causes, 9 returned to service. However almost all combat was in relatively flat and open desert, tank country does not get better.

So far in this war and occupation we've had a couple armored vehicles disabled, knocked out or totally destroyed, with some disabled vehicles being destoryed by their crews and friendly armor to prevent there capture. Considering the terrain and number of anti tank weapons that have been fired, in one action an estimated 1000 RPG's where used, losses have been very light.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-11-07 06:01pm

Darth Fanboy wrote:As much as Id like to join HAB I don't theenk Im qualfied in the topic enough for your esteemed contingency.

Your existing knowledge base doesn't really matter; an interest in militaries and military history is sufficient.

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-11-07 08:10pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:
The Dark wrote: That's somewhat worrying. In all of GWI we didn't lose any Abrams crew to hostile activity, and very few tanks (I think under a dozen were written off, with a few damaged and repaired).
One tank commander was killed when an ammunition dump blew up beside his tank,

Huh...wonder why the book I checked didn't consider that to be a tank casualty. Perhaps because it was an ammo dump cooking off rather than hostile fire? [quote[18 tanks where lost to various causes, 9 returned to service.[/quote]Couldn't remember numbers, but I think those are the numbers I saw cited.

However almost all combat was in relatively flat and open desert, tank country does not get better.

The current tank loss appears to have been in fairly open country (unless there's a dense urban area behind the camera). I do, of course, understand that urban territory is the most dangerous for any attacking force, since it's a three-dimensional battlefield with limited room to maneuver and easy choke-points and kill corridors.

Considering the terrain and number of anti tank weapons that have been fired, in one action an estimated 1000 RPG's where used, losses have been very light.

I definitely agree. I was just surprised to see an Abrams take that much damage from a mine. Just goes to show that there's always a golden BB sitting out there with your name on it. It just worries me because I have friends who drive Abrams, and while I realize the driver was the only survivor, there's no consolation in that, given the randomness of war casualties.

As a total aside, who is the director of recruitment for the HAB?

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-11-07 09:17pm

Sea Skimmer's in charge. All inquiries can be directed to him.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2003-11-08 02:18am

I feel a strange sense of sadness looking at an M-1 destroyed like that. I by no means think the M-1 is invulnerable like too many folks, however seeing one in such a condition is a bit of a shock.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-11-08 12:53pm

The Dark wrote: Huh...wonder why the book I checked didn't consider that to be a tank casualty. Perhaps because it was an ammo dump cooking off rather than hostile fire?

Maybe

The current tank loss appears to have been in fairly open country (unless there's a dense urban area behind the camera).

It's clearly not flat and has foliage, that makes it a whole different game from the Iraqi desert where a 25-meter high ridge can be considered dominating.

I definitely agree. I was just surprised to see an Abrams take that much damage from a mine. Just goes to show that there's always a golden BB sitting out there with your name on it.

Huge explosions don't generally classify as golden BB's...

As a total aside, who is the director of recruitment for the HAB?

Why would we need to recruit? The minions come to THE GLORY OF THE GREAT LEADER, not he to them.

justifier · Post by **justifier** » 2003-11-08 01:26pm

Damn, quite a shock. But still not as worrying as the "mystery gun" that hit the other tank.

And I've been trying the join HAB, but my requsts seem to be ignored. TANKS FOREVER, MECHS FOR NEVER!