Why the US military's M1 Abrams tank is still the king of the battlefield.

[Zarvan]

 

[Papa Dragon]

I thought Leopard 2 is the best but anyway its a business insider video and of course they would be promoting the Abrams

 

[Beny Karachun]

Ahm, this is common between tanks, hell, its not even above average
Leopard, Merkava, Leclerc, K2, T90MS (T90A and such are shit) etc are much better.

 

[Penguin]

Ahm, this is common between tanks, hell, its not even above average
Leopard, Merkava, Leclerc, K2, T90MS (T90A and such are shit) etc are much better.

Balony. Thank you.

 

[Hamza913]

No military weapon is invincible, it's the man behind it that matters.

 

[UkroTurk]

There is no tank can not be destroyed

In WW2 if tank hadnt been destroyed for 40 minutes in battle , This tank was succesfull.

 

[Penguin]

There is no tank can not be destroyed

In WW2 if tank hadnt been destroyed for 40 minutes in battle , This tank was succesfull.

Conscript driven T34s no doubt. Source?

 

[UkroTurk]

Dear @ penguin
as you can see İ am Living in Ukraine. And it is not for a short time. İ have a lot of friends pensioners from Red Army! If you don't want to trust you may not pay attention . No one has to confirm info for you.

 

[C130]

No military weapon is invincible, it's the man behind it that matters.

downgraded M1A2 without depleted uranium = half the protection against HEAT.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

it's the man behind it that matters.

That is such a cliche. I would like to see a man behind a spear with a sword prevail over a man with a assault rifle and hand grenade.

Or a man behind the controls of a Spitfire take on a man behind the controls of a F-16 jet. Or a man behind the gunnery sights of a T-34 take on a Leopard tank. If weapon platforms made no differance US would not be a superpower and nobody would bother upgrading military equipment.

 

[Penguin]

That cliche may apply only when the men on opposite sides are given equal equipment and operate under the same doctrine, with same support.

No military weapon is invincible, it's the man behind it that matters.

Single unsupported stationary vehicles.... not the best example of how tanks should be used (speed, shock, mass? Combined arms.?)

 

[Hamza913]

That cliche may apply only when the men on opposite sides are given equal equipment and operate under the same doctrine, with same support.

That cliche works under the vast majority of circumstances.

That is such a cliche. I would like to see a man behind a spear with a sword prevail over a man with a assault rifle and hand grenade.

Or a man behind the controls of a Spitfire take on a man behind the controls of a F-16 jet. Or a man behind the gunnery sights of a T-34 take on a Leopard tank. If weapon platforms made no differance US would not be a superpower and nobody would bother upgrading military equipment.

A man with a spear, if trained well enough, can ambush the man with an assault rifle and toss it right through him. The man with the sword could do the same, but it would be more difficult as he would have to rush the gun wielding opponent, or pray his aim sucks. Hard, but not impossible.

As for the guy in the T-34, again, it's tough, but for earlier models of the Leopard I wouldn't call it impossible.

The man in the spitfire is the only one who would find it impossible, but nobody would send a spitfire against an F-16, the earliest plane someone might send to tackle a Viper would be the MiG-21, which could do the job if the pilot is trained well enough.

 

[Penguin]

That cliche works under the vast majority of circumstances.

Really? Provide some examples from modern history pls. Meanwhile, do you know what happened to polish cavalry when they attacked grrman armor in 1939?

 

[forsigmar]

Really? Provide some examples from modern history pls. Meanwhile, do you know what happened to polish cavalry when they attacked grrman armor in 1939?

Germans were pretty well trained. And the "failure" of polish cavalry charge in ww2 was a myth, according to wiki, most charges were successful.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge_at_Krojanty
The Polish cavalry charge stopped the German pursuit for the day, and the units of Czersk Operational Group were able to withdraw southwards unopposed. Also, it took the Germans several hours to reorganise and continue the advance. On September 2, 1939, the 18th Pomeranian Uhlans Regiment was decorated by Gen. Grzmot-Skotnicki, the commander of the Operational Group, with his own Virtuti Militari medal for valour shown in this combat.

The same day, German war correspondents were brought to the battlefield, together with two journalists from Italy. They were shown the corpses of Polish cavalrymen and their horses, as well as German tanks that had arrived at the place after the battle. One of the Italian correspondents, Indro Montanelli, sent home an article, in which he described the bravery and heroism of Polish soldiers, who charged German tanks with sabres and lances. Although such a charge did not happen and there were no tanks used during the combat, the myth was used by German propaganda during the war. German propaganda magazine Die Wehrmacht reported on 13 September that the Poles had gravely underestimated German weapons, as Polish propaganda had suggested that German armored vehicles were only covered with sheet metal, leading to a grotesque attack. After the end of World War II, it was still used by Soviet propaganda as an example of stupidity of pre-war Polish commanders, who allegedly did not prepare their country for the war and instead wasted the blood of their soldiers. As late as the 1990s, this myth was still taught in history classes in American high schools and colleges.

George Parada states:[8]

Contrary to German propaganda, Polish cavalry brigades never charged tanks with their sabres or lances as they were equipped with anti-tank weapons such as 37 mm Bofors wz.36 (exported to UK as Ordnance Q.F. 37 mm Mk I) antitank guns, that could penetrate 26 mm of armour at 600 m at 30 degrees. The cavalry brigades were in the process of being reorganized into motorized brigades.

The Poles also had the anti-tank rifle model 1935 (karabin przeciwpancerny wz. 35). Its calibre was 7.92 mm and it could penetrate 15 mm of armour at 300 m at 30 degrees. In 1939, the Germans were mainly equipped with the small Panzer I and Panzer II models, which were vulnerable to such weapons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_cavalry#Cavalry_charges_and_propaganda

Apart from countless battles and skirmishes in which the Polish cavalry units fought dismounted, there were 16 confirmed[4] cavalry charges during the 1939 war. Contrary to common belief, most of them were successful.

The first and perhaps best known happened on September 1, 1939, during the Battle of Krojanty. During this action, elements of the 18th Pomeranian Uhlan Regiment met a large group of German infantry resting in the woods near the village of Krojanty. Colonel Mastalerz decided to take the enemy by surprise and immediately ordered a cavalry charge, a tactic the Polish cavalry rarely used as their main weapon. The charge was successful and the German infantry unit was dispersed.

The same day, German war correspondents were brought to the battlefield together with two journalists from Italy. They were shown the battlefield, the corpses of Polish cavalrymen and their horses, alongside German tanks that had arrived at the field of battle only after the engagement. One of the Italian correspondents sent home an article,[5] in which he described the bravery and heroism of Polish soldiers, who charged German tanks with their sabres and lances. Other possible source of the myth is a quote from Heinz Guderian's memoirs, in which he asserted that the Pomeranian Brigade had charged on German tanks with swords and lances.[6] Although such a charge did not happen and there were no tanks used during the combat, the myth was disseminated by German propaganda during the war with a staged Polish cavalry charge shown in their 1941 reel called "Geschwader Lützow".[1] After the end of World War II the same fraud was again being disseminated by Soviet propaganda as an example of the stupidity of Polish commanders and authorities, who allegedly did not prepare their country for war and instead wasted the blood of their soldiers.[citation needed]

Even such prominent German writers as Günter Grass, later accused of anti-Polonism by Jan Józef Lipski among others, were falling victims to this Nazi deception. Grass wrote the following passage, somewhat metaphorically, in his famous novel The Tin Drum:

O insane cavalry... with what aplomb they will kiss the hand of death, as though death were a lady; but first they gather, with sunset behind them - for color and romance are their reserves - and ahead of them the German tanks, stallions from the studs of Krupps von Bohlen und Halbach, no nobler steeds in all the world. But Pan Kichot, the eccentric knight in love with death, lowers his lance with the red-and-white pennant and calls on his men to kiss the lady's hand. The storks clatter white and red on rooftops, and the sunset spits out pits like cherries, as he cries to his cavalry: "Ye noble Poles on horseback, these are no steel tanks, they are mere windmills or sheep, I summon you to kiss the lady's hand".
On 1 September 2009 Sir Simon Jenkins, writing for the The Guardian newspaper's website, characterised the notion of pitting Polish cavalry against tanks as "the most romantic and idiotic act of suicide of modern war."[7] On 21 September 2009, The Guardian was forced to publish an admission that his article "repeated a myth of the second world war, fostered by Nazi propagandists, when it said that Polish lancers turned their horses to face Hitler's panzers. There is no evidence that this occurred."[7]



"Representative Cavalry Squadron of Polish Army" on military parade in Warsaw commemorating the Feast of the Polish Army 2006


Polish Mounted Police city of Poznań
Other cavalry charges of 1939 were as follows:

1. September 1 - Battle of Mokra - 19th Volhynian Uhlan Regiment took by surprise the elements of German 4th Panzer Division, which retreated in panic.[5][8] During the charge, lances were used. In fact, the cavalry charge in the traditional sense was neither planned, nor executed. The mounted infantry rode over behind the attacking German armor in behind the tankettes with the tank men throwing smoke grenades to cover the approach. Indeed, the mounted infantry did repel the German support infantry and forced part of the German armored regiment to continue to advance while deprived of the infantry support.
2. September 1 - Battle of Janów - 11th Legions Uhlan Regiment on a reconnaissance mission encountered a similar unit of German cavalry. Lieut. Kossakowski ordered a cavalry charge, but the enemy did not accept battle and after a short clash withdrew[4] towards their positions.
3. September 2 - Battle of Borowa Góra - 1st squadron of the 19th Volhynian Uhlan Regiment encountered a squadron of German cavalry in the village of Borowa. A charge was ordered, but the Germans withdrew.[4]
4. September 11 - Osuchowo - 1st squadron of the 20th Uhlan Regiment of King Jan III Sobieski charged through[4] the German infantry lines to avoid encirclement, and broke through. There were negligible losses on both sides.
5. September 12 - Kałuszyn - 4th squadron of the 11th Legions Uhlan Regiment charged overnight at the German positions in the town of Kałuszyn. Although the charge was a mistake (the Polish infantry commander issued a wrong order which was understood as a charge order while the cavalry was meant to simply move forward), it was a success. After heavy casualties on both sides, the town was retaken[4] in the early morning.
6. September 13 - Mińsk Mazowiecki - 1st squadron of the 2nd Regiment of Grochow Uhlans charged German infantry positions, but was repelled by German MG and artillery fire.
7. September 13 - Maliszewo - 1st squadron of the 27th Uhlan Regiment was engaged in heavy fighting near the village of Maliszewo. After the Germans were beaten[4] and started to retreat towards the village, the Poles charged and took the village along with a large number of German prisoners.
8. September 15 - Brochów - elements of the 17th Greater Poland Uhlan Regiment charged towards the German positions to frighten[4] the enemy infantry. Shortly before reaching the range of enemy weapons, they dismounted and continued their assault on foot; the attack was successful.
9. September 16 - Dembowskie - a platoon from the 4th squadron of the 17th Uhlan Regiment charged towards a small German outpost located around a foresters' hut. The small number of Germans withdrew.[4]
10. September 19 - Battle of Wólka Węglowa - Most of the 14th Regiment of Jazlowiec Uhlans (without its MGs and AT platoon) was ordered to probe the German lines near the town of Wólka Węglowa. After elements of 9th Regiment of Lesser Poland Uhlans arrived, the group was ordered to charge through the German lines to open the way towards Warsaw and Modlin for the rest of Polish forces who were withdrawing from the Battle of Bzura. The Poles charged through a German artillery barrage and took the German infantry by surprise.[4] Polish losses were high (205 killed and wounded), the German losses remain unknown, but the Polish unit broke through and was the first to reach Warsaw after the Battle of Bzura.
11. September 19 - Łomianki - recce squad of 6th Mounted Artillery Detachment charged through the German lines in the town of Lomianki and paved[4] the way for the rest of the unit to Warsaw.
12. September 21 - Battle of Kamionka Strumiłowa - 3rd squadron of the 1st Mounted Detachment (improvised) charged through German infantry who were preparing to assault the Polish positions. The preparations were paralysed and the Germans withdrew.[4]
13. September 23 - Krasnobród - 1st squadron of the 25th Wielkopolska Uhlan Regiment charged towards the town of Krasnobród. After heavy casualties, they reached the hilltop on which the town was located. A unit of German organic cavalry from the German 8th Infantry Division countercharged from the hill, but was repelled and the Poles captured the town and took the HQ[4] of the division, together with its commander and about 100 German soldiers. 40 Polish combatants previously taken prisoner by the Germans were also freed.
14. September 24 - Husynne - reserve squadron of the 14th Regiment of Jazlowiec Uhlans (some 500 sabres), reinforced with an improvised cavalry unit of police and some remnants of divisional organic cavalry, was ordered to break through the Soviet infantry surrounding the Polish positions in the village of Husynne. The charge was led by the mounted police, and the Soviet forces withdrew in panic.[4] However, the attack was soon halted by a strong Soviet tank unit. Casualties were similar on both sides.
15. September 26 - Morańce - 27th Uhlan Regiment twice charged an entrenched German infantry battalion in the village of Morańce. Both charges were repelled with heavy casualties (the Poles lost 20 KIA and about 50 wounded, German losses are unknown). After the second charge the Germans sent out a soldier with a white flag and, after a short discussion with the Polish commander of the Nowogródek Cavalry Brigade, the Germans withdrew.[4]

 

[Sliver]

Ahm, this is common between tanks, hell, its not even above average
Leopard, Merkava, Leclerc, K2, T90MS (T90A and such are shit) etc are much better.

T 90 better than the M1A? in which aspects? can you please elaborate how a t 90 is "much better" than M1A?