What killed the M1 tank?

[Nlighten1]

http://www.armytimes.com/channel.php?GQID=292236#7

Any ideas? The only thing I can think of is the M72 LAW but it shouldn't be able to pierce a M1.

[MissB]

1. I think this was discussed in the last day or two.

Let me check my bookmarks

[Cooley Hurd]

2. Sharks...

...with friggin' laser beams attached to their heads.

[MissB]

3. Here's the other thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=645320


I'm no tank expert, but I found it interesting so I bookmarked it.

[JailBush]

4. Weird

I read that article. They say the projectile was no bigger than a pencil. Doesn't that seem bizarre - bordering on impossible? I don't know much about ammunition and armor, but it's just hard to believe that something that small would penetrate an armored tank. And if there was such a weapon, wouldn't you want to make it a little bigger so it would do more damage?

Furthermore, if the Iraqis had a weapon that took out one tank, why haven't they taken out others? I've speculated that perhaps some other nation used Iraq to test one of their weapons. Another possibility is that the story is a fabrication. Perhaps the Pentagon doesn't want to admit that one of their precious tanks was taken out with a rocket-propelled grenade.

[MUAD_DIB]

6. Not impossible...if that is the correct info.

My father worked on some Conventional Defense Initiative (US defence) projects that had some peculiar properties.

Superheated metals fired at high speeds could disable tanks etc, but the chances that the Iraqies would have anything like that is unlikely.

[matcom]

5. It was a Sabot Round

do a Google

i am a former Tanker

i am a veteran

i am against this motherfuckinginvasion

peace

[GCP]

8. what he said

Sabot rounds will rock your world.

-DS1, scanning photos. Oh. Baby.

[matcom]

10. Sabot rounds will give ANY tanker nightmares

for fucking YEARS

fuck this (sorry i am so bitter tonight)

what ever happens ...... happens

why the fuck should *I* care?

bullfuckingPEACE

*not directed at you Sue*

[frylock]

9. sabot round..

thanks for the 411.

[Nlighten1]

12. Wouldn't this require a tank to fire it?

[JackSwift]

7. Probably just a redesigned anti-tank round

While CHABM is truly amazing armor, it is thickest in the front like in all tanks, and if sufficient kinetic energy is directed against it, it will fail.

Traditional anti-tank munitions use a shaped charge. A little rocket to get the thing to the tank, and then when it hits, a fuse ignites the charge, which is in back of a metal like copper (WWII used copper). The copper cone is up against the armor, and the exploding charge superheats the copper, which liquifies and squirts through the armor in a round hole and then kills the bejeezus out of the occupants. Get a powerful enough charge and you can get whatever they are using for the projectile to go through the armor. While it is rocket science, it's old rocket science.

[neverforget]

11. Found what killed the M1A1

http://www.strategypage.com/fyeo/howtomakewar/default.asp?target=HTARM.HTM
--snip--
November 5, 2003: The "Mystery Projectile" that caused the penetration of an M-1 tanks side armor was probably a Russian RPG-7V or similar type. This is an improved version with wave shaper in the HEAT warhead. The pictures (see here) of the penetration show classic HEAT warhead circular flash and light material splash (aluminum or similar from outer warhead casing) in a roughly circular area and at between 500 - 800 mm radius around the penetration hole. It also seems as if the entry hole on the skirt plate has a ragged and enlarged hole. This is consistent with wave shaped warheads that do not have optimal performance at point of impact as the jet is still being focused. In pictures 2-5 there is virtually no spalling around the inside exit hole and immediately adjacent interior equipment. Only items directly in penetration path has been punctured or splashed with molten copper (see gun guard picture). It appears as if the jet was disrupted and started deflagrating by interior components spaced effect and material compositions. The last picture shows residual heat discoloration on the switch box, which is typical of molten metal heat transfer and short-circuit effects as can be expected when you send conductive liquid or particles into an electrical box.

The damage done is similar in appearance to that done to other armored vehicles that have been penetrated by an RPG-7. In this case, the round hit one of the few areas on the side of the tank that was vulnerable to penetration by an RPG round.
--snip--

[DUreader]

13. Maybe Insurgents are picking up pieces of depleted uranium

and making bullets out of them