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Army Tanks

M1 Abrams Armament
The main armament is the 120mm M256 smoothbore gun, developed by Rheinmetall GmbH of Germany. The 120mm gun fires the following ammunition: the M865 TPCSDS-T and M831 TP-T training rounds, the M8300 HEAT-MP-T and the M829 APFSDS-T which includes a depleted uranium penetrator. Textron Systems provides the Cadillac Gage gun turret drive stabilization system.

The commander has a 12.7mm Browning M2 machine gun and the loader has a 7.62mm M240 machine gun. A 7.62mm M240 machine gun is also mounted coaxially on the right hand side of the main armament.

Depleted Uranium Armor
The M1A1 tank incorporates steel encased depleted uranium armor.  Armor bulkheads separate the crew compartment from the fuel tanks. The top panels of the tank are designed to blow outwards in the event of penetration by a HEAT projectile. The tank is protected against nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) warfare.

One L8A1 six-barreled smoke grenade discharger is fitted on each side of the turret. A smoke screen can also be laid by an engine operated system.

US Army Tank Crewmen
Revealing what it was like to live and fight in a medium tank this book is structured around the career of a single tanker from 37th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division. The focus is largely on the crew of an M4 Sherman, though light tank service is also studied. Tank operation required a well- trained and well-coordinated crew. The crew positions and roles of tank commander, gunner, driver, loader, and assistant driver are all covered in detail, together with recruitment procedure, specialist training, and the variety of specialized clothing and personal weaponry.

Patton's Vanguard
Every few years a book comes along that is truly impressive and this book is one of them. The author has written an excellent account of an armored division at war. It is very easy to read and understand and he is very descriptive of the battles and movement of the 4th Armored Division. The author talks about the big picture to help the reader understand why the division attacked in certain directions. He also peppers each chapter with small unit actions that conveys the terror and triumphs the men of the division experienced. The chapter on the relief of General Wood was well written and thought out. The author avoids trying to lay blame at one person's feet, but tries to show how certain factors (from COL Withers incompetent handling of CCA to Wood's arguments with his corps commander, Eddy) may have lead to Wood's dismissal from command of his beloved division. The only "flaw" if you can call it that is at the beginning of each section he includes a map of the area of operations the chapter is describing. What would have been helpful would have been if the author showed the routes of CCA, CCB and CCR along with what units were on the flanks. It would have helped follow the action a little better. Nonetheless this book is worth every penny and If the author decides to write another book on "Patton's Best" I will be first in line to buy it.
 

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