Awsome vid I think though that is not the end of it. I'm guessing the next vid will be on the evolution of armor protection and then the next one mobility. Which will complete the iron triangle of a tank.
Honestly, im not subbed and i dont donate to your channel. I might peek in occassionally. But videos like this, that discuss actual tactics and strategic decisions in re: to tanks and their development would probably get me to sub and donate. There isnt a lot of this content, at this level of detail, available.
This is an excellent, concise introduction to tank gunnery introduced by a clear spoken and knowledgeable presenter. A really first class production all round and a great credit to the tank museum and production team.
@@altinnovation TV Production has far better in-detail and an easier experience to understand, whereas TH-cam channels that do the same, cut to the chase, missing a lot more, in a lesser easier experience is the best way i can put it.
@@zaehehe uhm, I watch these history documents on TH-cam about various civilizations and conflicts, and some of these videos are like four hours long, talking about just ONE civilization. But that's the magic of TH-cam. You want to cut to the chase, you can find it, on demand. You want in-depth, youtube has that too.
Absolutely brilliant as you folks say. All of the museums presenters do a good job but this persons knowledge, presence, and gravitas, made this perhaps one of the best chats yet. Really great job, and I look forward to more. The production value is as good as anything I have ever seen from the museum.👍
The way this gentleman comports himself; the gravitas, the quiet competence and knowledgeability, his turn of phrase when describing grisly scenes, his directness and his understatement; all give him the air of a former British Army officer. Upon meeting someone like him here in Britain, you know immediately he's an officer!
Yes very informative. It begs a question though where did the British come up with their tank names? Compare Matilda, Valentine and Firefly with Panzer, and Tiger from the Germans or the straightforward T34 of the Soviets. I know a name doesn't make it any less dangerous but psychologically I'd rather be driving a Tiger than a Matilda.😁
@@chrisparnham Well, Panzer, is just the German word for 'armour' - the fact it may sound badass to Anglophone ears is probably just a result of us living in the post-WW2 cultural milieu. When pronounced in German, the Tiger and Panther don't sound quite so cool - "Teega" and "Panta"..! 🤭 Remember it was the British who came up with the names of all the American tanks too. The Yanks just called them M4 and M5 etc, it was us Brits who came up with the naming scheme after US generals like Grant, Sherman, Stuart etc. Also the British had badass tank names of their own: Conqueror, Comet, Centurion, Churchill (named after Winston's ancestor John, 1st Duke of Marlborough, who was a famous general), Crusader, Covenanter, Tetrarch and many many Cruisers. But to answer, "where did the British come up with their tanks names?" I would guess it's a bit like our language: it's a bit haphazard with no general rules, at least early on. But as you've probably noticed, after a while, and to this very day, they start to all begin with the letter C...
@@RoganGunn Yes fair enough and I know the present tanks are the Challenger 2 and 3 which are easily the coolest names among modern tanks. I wasn't having a go I was just interested in the reasons why. Thanks for the info, it was very kind of you.
Great presentation. I was with the US Army in Desert Storm and saw how the 120mm depleted uranium sabot round from the M-1 Abrams would at 1K+ penetrate the front of a T-72 and blow its engine right out the back. It was like God smiting the enemy.
@@marioacevedo5077 I know that they were equipped with T-72 :) But not with brand new Russian. Iraq used either exported variants made mainly by Poland or their own modification of them. Neither of them were on the level of Russian made
A very well presented, well-rounded video. You are summarizing many decades of progress in 30 minutes, but you keep it flowing well and found a consistent level of detail to touch upon. I enjoyed it!
I always find it fascinating that with all this immense in technology, increase in killing power, revolutionary changes in tactics, a modern tank gun is still in essence just a massive ballista, hurling bolts at the enemy as in Roman times.
@@elias_xp95 i don't think we will be getting 100% from solar unless we invent some battery that can keep our energy needs for a month, but liquid salt/metal battery seems promising there!
This format was very informative. I appreciated the ability to explain the progression over a century of development using tanks at the museum. I hope you are able to make a future video like this discussing drivetrain and track systems.
When I was a 7 year old lad in Germany we have had a bunch of British Soldiers on a big Nato exercise, possibly one of the Reforger ones or maybe even Able Archer. Anyhow I got to check out the guns, sit on and in one of the tanks and they were overall all a bunch of very nice lads and could clearly see the shine in my eyes looking and touching all that equipment so they went out of their way to show me around. Sadly I did not get to keep any trophies but I still remember it to this day.
Very good video. One inaccuracy. First production gun stabilization was fielded on the Sherman 75MM, vertical stabilization only. Took a good trained gunner to use effectively but helped a Sherman crew get a round or two on target before a reply.
The evolution of tank design in just the few years of World War 2 is mindblowing. When you consider we started off with Matilda I and the American M2 light tank and ended up with Centurion tanks being tested in May 1945 and M26 Pershing.
I still find it kinda funny that is Americans in the Cold War and today even the Russians still keep using the same basic for all their tanks. Every US tank from the Pershing to the M48 Patton used the 90mm AA gun from the M26. The Russians used variations of the T-64’s 125mm gun on every tank they have up the T-14s currently being tested.
@@emberfist8347yeah, but is there a tank on the planet that can beat the Abrams 1v1. nope. so something is being done right... also, t14 doesn't exist
agreed. I'd love to see the three soft qualities of a tank addressed in more detail too - visibility, ergonomics, and communications. They are so frequently ignored but for example if you look at the German tanks against the early war French, British, and Soviet tanks, the biggest difference isn't armor, mobility, or firepower, but radios (communications) and 3-man turrets (ergonomics) that allow the commander to focus on situational awareness (visibility).
As a very longstanding visitor and member of 'Friends', I pride myself on having viewed all the Tank Museum's TH-cam content. This is one of the very, very best. Thank-you and very well done to the writer, director, camera & sound operators, editor, excellent presenter and indeed the entire production team. I am greatly looking forward to the next one.
Chieftain had a thermal jacketed barrel and it introduced the MRS. Our tank was one of the first to get MRS, it dramatically improved our kill ratio as we could realign our sight during live firing.
A concise yet accurate summation of the technological improvements to the tank gun. It's Anglo-centric (unsurprisingly) but very well explained indeed. Thanks, TM!
Excellent presentation. Production values as good as anything from Discovery, Smithsonian etc. I'll always cherish the original 'Tank Chats' with David Fletcher et al but these videos should ensure the continued popularity of the Museum and this channel. Well done 👏
Well done and clearly presented. The conflicting demands in tank design are made clear, with an obvious emphasis on fire power. I look forward to more such videos.
Thanks very much for this really interesting video. I used to work at Chilwell Depot, so saw the chieftain, scorpion/scimitar and 432 first hand. Have yet to visit Bovington, but it's on my bucket list!
incredible video and presentation. The presenter had a way of words that kept you engaged and wanting to know more of what they could potentially say next.
Thank you for a very informative, insightful & explanatory basics into tank ammunition & evolution, it was really great & I enjoyed it immensely as always.
Absolutely terrific content! Impeccable content like this easily replaces the complete lack of similar content that we used to find on terrestrial television networks such as Discovery and History channel. My sincerest gratitude, and please keep these coming!
It would be good to see the crossover from AP to other tank ammunition in WW2 by the British and others to overcome German tanks without getting crazy big guns and vehicles as the USSR did. Also the "fun" the Germans had gained materials/making their tank ammunition as the war went on.
Fun fact: My Dad's first older brother, Uncle Cliff ord was a tank commander in a Firefly in the war. He survived it, and lived to be 99 and almost reached reached 100. Note: Dad's oldest brother Walter died at 83, Dad's sister Margaret i.e. my Auntie Betty reached 100, and Dad reached 97.
@Puzzoozoo your ancestors sound like a very determined bunch of survivors! It’s all in the genes so you’re going to be around for sometime! All the best!
Greetings from Germany! I really dig your videos as they are presented with dry facts but still with the english smirk in your voice. Really pleasant to listen to and highly educational. And adding to that you guys bring me the "outside view" on things. If there is documentary on tanks here, it mainly talks about the Leopard line or the Tiger, or the american tanks like Sherman and Abrams, but very few show the british machinery, even though the Challenger 2 is widely regarded as one of the most capable tanks in service.
Really excellent presentation. Well thought out and easy to follow. It was a great blend of live presentations on or in (loved the interior shots!) the actual tanks when possible, animations and actual footage. And THANK YOU for not just showing the same stock footage over and over like a lot of other documentaries. On each tank mentioned I wanted more and more information, which means it's a great documentary. I appreciate the explanations of some of the smaller things like the fume extractor. I had always wondered what that bump was on the barrel. More please! 🙂
Thought this was very well made, with solid presentation, which can be trickier than some people think. Reminds me a quite a bit of the old documentaries that got me interested in this in the first place, back before Reality TV took over. Very well done!
Excellent. Many thanks from a former troop leader in 43 Tank Battalion of the Dutch Army in 1967/1968. I would have liked to hear a bit more about the Centurion tank we and numerous other countries used. The ranging HE round to establish the distance of a target over 1,000 yards seems outdated at the time as range finders had long been in use.
An engaging video covering a wide history of tank development. However as an American I was surprised that so little was mentioned about the Centurian tank. I was under the impression that it was the best tank developed in the immediate post-war period and not just among British tanks but across the world.
Nice to hear proper professional hosts talk about military hardware, that's why it's fantastic for museums to have channels.... I've been there and, if you're a military buff and enthusiast like me...... its absolute heaven
A really interesting and highly informative video. I learnt a lot of things I thought I knew but actually didn't. One day I'll have to scrape my rear off my swivel chair, cross the Channel and visit Bovington. For the time being I'll have to do with your brilliant vids! Thank you so much for sharing.
great feature I know you touched on it but I would love to see a similar feature on the evolution and a little of the science of sighting systems, thanks for the guns.
Very well presented and informative. What I would like added was some mention of the Renault FT tank that came late in WWI, with the lay out that later tanks would be built on, with a single gun in a rotating turret. Then what happened in the interwar years, and how light tanks armed only with machine guns were still used in the early days of WWII. They proved effective where the opposition did not have tank forces or sufficient anti tank weapons, such as during the invasion of Poland, Denmark and Norway.
That was the one thing that was missing for me in an otherwise excellent video. The change from having two guns in sponsons to a single turret gun was probably the most important development in the history of tank design! But perhaps it's covered in other videos - after all, this film was all about the gun itself rather than how it was mounted.
How the gun was mounted does impact the size of the gun. In a small turret, you can not mount a large gun, as you need room for the breech, space to load the rounds and space for the gun to recoil. A major problem for tank designers was how to shoehorn in a large gun into the turret. That's why many earlier tanks could not be re armed with more powerful guns. One example mentioned in this video was the Mathilde tank. While others, such as the T-34, the Valiant and the Sherman could be up gunned.
very informative and descriptive, i learned so much but what interested me the most was the muzzle brake on the tiger I. i always wondered what that was for my first asssumption was just for looks lol but now i know its true intent thx
As someone who was lucky enough to serve as an armored crewman on both the M60A3 and the M1A1, I had a chance to compare apples to oranges. I and all my buddies agree that the rifled 105mm on the 60 was much more accurate than the smooth bore 120mm on the Abrams. You'd think the obvious reason would be the spin imparted on the round, which makes sense. We think it's because that old hog of a tank took and held a good boresight. The gunner on an M-1 get to choose between the hull and the turret when calling his shot. The 60 gunner picks what road wheel he wants to hit.
Great video from end to end. Information, presentation, narration and illustration! I left this video much better informed than from any other tank video I've ever seen. 10/10.
That was an excellent overview on the evolution of the tank gun. Will you be doing similar episodes on the other two sides of the triangle? One on the evolution of anti-tank ammunition would be quite welcome as well. The changes to armor arrangement and materials forcing rounds from relatively low velocity solid shot to APFSDS and tandem warhead ATGMs is a fascinating subject.
Also could have needed a section about the invention of smoothbore guns to gain additional boost in kinetic energy, not to mention enhanced endurance the gun. Only the British currently use rifled guns.
Question re: 6 pounder. My understanding was that it only referred to the weight of the projectile tangentially. Similar to how gauge is used with shotguns (how many bore diameter spherical lead balls in a pound = gauge), the “pound” measurement for larger guns was a carryover from black powder cannons, and referred to the weight of a solid spherical iron shot of that bore diameter. With black powder cannons, that actually was the primary projectile, but IIRC, by the time you get to single piece cartridges in WWI, the projectile for a “6 pounder” could range anywhere from 3 to 8 pounds, depending on construction and purpose.
Would it not be determined by the size (diameter) of the charge case too? After all, the bore of the gun and the charge case diameter have to be almost the same.
@@thewomble1509 Sort of. The “pound” reference is just the bore diameter, which is universal, but then you need additional info (such as the cartridge size/length) for the specific chambering and power. For example, when the US went from the 75mm to the 76mm in the Sherman, the bore diameter barely changed at all, but it went from a 75x350R to 76.2×539R round with a much larger base and bottlenecked casing, like going from a straight walled 30 Carbine to a 308 Win. You can see both rounds in the video, though not next to each other.
Thanks for that, I never realised that the 'pound' reference was similar to defining the bore (or 'gauge' over the pond 😊) of a shotgun. I'm now going to start referring to 4 Bores as 'Quarter pounders'.
It would have been rather fitting to include a moment or two on the how, when and why of the migration from hull-mounted guns to the currently ubiquitous turret mounted armaments and the mix of main-gun and auxiliary weaponry like coaxially mounted and Turret-top machineguns etc.
@@mvfc7637 Not so. The French applied the fully rotating turret in their miniscule , but quite effective Renault FT tank in 1916 onward and were experimenting with heavier types and models during the the war.
This again a very nice series, please continue with this. I absolutely love it! Thank you all for all this knowledge, tidbits etc... Many thanks from Belgium 🇧🇪
It might be useful to graph with a line graph the increasing size of typical tank main guns in medium tanks and MBTs starting in 1940 to illustrate how they grew from 40mm at the start of WWII to 76mm plus at war's end and then to 90mm, 105mm, and today 120 mm. This would be a very useful chart for the conclusion of the presentation.
That was a great film. One thing I'd like to see [and forgive me if you have done some already] but some detail upon the details of design. HESH & APFSD rounds - who thought of, designed, tested, trials, failures of the process before we have what we have today? Same for things like stabilised guns, fume extractors, thermal covering to the barrels etc.
It's great that you've put this video out. It shows the frantic race to keep shell technology ahead of armour technology. For me, the really interesting story (not in the video) is how the Sherman barrel was used to develop the armour piercing shell. That story in itself is worthy of a full video.
I like the "Bigger Picture" overview. Seems like this would work for other topics like Combined Arms tactics or describing updates and improvements in various Marks across different eras. Also consider a bit of storytelling describing tank battles from the perspective of the crews and individuals involved. The war in Ukraine has likely sparked a renewed interest in not only tanks but other modern armoured fighting and support vehicles....a good way to bring enthusiasts into the world of current weapons and systems.
Would it be possible to do a comparison of guns with their ammunition its balistics/effectiveness maybe ww1, ww2, cold war. Sort of a top tumps for the period would be intresting to see how regardless what they were mounted in how the different guns compared
I feel you missed 2 big points. 1. The 2 part ammo limits the length of the penetrator. Look how much space the perpetrator takes up on US 1 piece. This is a huge effect on armor penetration values. 2. in that rifling video it's kind of ironic the graphic is actually showing how APFSDS is dealt with when you have a rifled barrel. What the arrows are showing is the rifling "band" spinning but the APFSDS does not spin. This is because using fins and spinning in not good. The only reason they would have chosen APFSDS and drawn the arrows is to demonstrate inefficiencies of APFSDS and rifled barrels. So there's more compelling reasons to go to smooth bore than you mention.
The 'male' and 'female' tank distinction always makes me chuckle. "You see when a Mommy Tank and a Daddy Tank love each other very much.." "And that's where tankettes come from!"
Mr Picky here.. firstly Chris refers to a "round" and a "charge" when describing 120 TK ammunition. Not quite right.. the term "round" applies to all the ammunition components needed for a shot. He should have said "projectile" not "round". A round for an L30 consists of a projectile, charge and tube! Secondly, the description of the fume extractor is again not quite correct. There is no vacuum involved during firing. The fume extractor fills up with high pressure propellent gas as the projectile passes it and before it exits the muzzle. When the projectile exits the muzzle, the pressure in the barrel drops as it vents to atmosphere. The high pressure gas in the fume extractor now vents out through a series of forward facing holes in the barrel creating a gas flow blowing the remaining fumes in the barrel out of the muzzle. As the barrel returns to battery after recoiling, the breech block is opened automatically allowing clean air from the turret to flow up and out of the barrel. If the tank is closed down and the CBRN pack is operating, the turret will be at a positive air pressure assisting the barrel fume clearance process. The use of a combustible charge bag with the L30 gun also reduced the fume load as there was no smoking cart case ejected into the turret. This was a significant source of fume with the L7 gun and needed to be removed from the turret.
Really nice: showing tank interiors, good editing and graphs! Best video you ever did. One small nitpick if u don't mind, be consistent with unit subtitles.
Something missing from this otherwise extraordinary video is L7 gun. I think it would deserve its own episode. It seems its derivatives are still in service, and with deployment of Leopards (1) in Ukraine the gun will be revived.
Mentions the 17pdr on Firefly but totally misses out the Centurion tank which went from 17pdr to 20pdr to, via a great story about the British Embassy in the Hungarian Uprising, the L7 105mm gun. Misses out a huge slice of the development of the tank main gun and erroneously says we hadn't reached a universal tank by the end of WW2. Centurion was a universal tank and was produced before WW2 ended. It's like doing a series on bomber aircraft and going straight from WW2 heavies to the V bombers without mentioning of the Canberra!
Thank you for the video. It was fascinating to see the development of the tank gun, but also explaining the “lumps and bumps” was very interesting too.
I play War Thunder im just a kid but i love this so much and ive seen through the history of tanks and there firepower everyone hates British solid shot but we were just right! We used solid shot right up to everyone using APFSDS and that shrapnel is crazy in my WW2 British tank german tanks dont stand a chance
A super presentation Chris - I assume that you are at Bovington. I visited Bovington some years ago and spent half a day in the Museum and realised that I should have spent 2 days there. A really fascinating museum - But what a shame that such a great deal of time money and resources are spent on the development of increasingly sophisticated ways to kill each other !
As a retired American tank officer, I really enjoyed your video. I did not know that HESH required a rifled gun. I am a bit surprised that the old L7 gun wasn't mentioned, as it was pretty ubiquitous. From the Centurion to the LEO I to the M48, M60 and M1, it was a world-class gun. We even stuck it on our Stryker Mobile Gun Systems, until we finally realized the autoloader was a mess. Yet Americans didn't use HESH with this rifled gun. However, we did have beehive, HEAT, White Phosphorous (not on M1s - had to be stowed vertically), and HEP-T or High Explosive Plastic-Tracer. It probably wasn't as effective as British 105mm HESH, as the warhead was significantly smaller. I think we were to use it on bunkers, not vehicles. On a separate note, while I'm a new subscriber and not completely familiar with your video catalog yet, I'd like to recommend a review of ranging methods from WW1 through modern days. Current US Tanks have laser range finder, ballistic reticles, and a collapsing bracket in the primary sight, and a stadia rangefinder in the gunner's auxiliary sight. I'm curious what others used through the cold war.
Fantastic presentation. Great transfer of knowledge. You give a very professional presentation but make us feel relaxed listening to you. Thku very much.
Your explanation of how the fume extractor works is wrong.,. There is no "vacuum" in the FE but high pressure gasses from the round ,when the round exits the barrel the high pressure gas in the extractor discharges into the barrel through ring of muzzle facing drillings towards the muzzle causing lower pressure air to enter the barrel from the breech and vent outside. Other than that , nice general video.
Having worked on several weapons systems including maritime one, the challenges are quite familiar. I missed hearing about the Centurion tank which was used to great effect in the Middle East and in the Angolan civil war. The latter theatre was not conducive to tank warfare as it was in dense bush enabling armoured cars eg SADF Ratels to neutralise Soviet tanks at short range - the mobility of the Ratel compensated for its weak armour. Doctrine and training were also highly important
In 1974 when I joined my regiment, as a Chieftain gunner. We were using .50in Browning ranging gun which fired 3 tracer round. At BATUS in Canada I engaged a target at 3,500yards hit it using HESH after using the .50in ranging gun. We didn't have TOGS or laser range finding system, but just good old steam gunnery. Never had MRS,each morning on the range we had to use a boresight.
Excellent work, lads! I'd definitely love to see more in-depth episodes (and perhaps a series, if possible), each focused on specific nations: their design choices, the rationale behind them and their associated components (like the turret characteristics, sensors, ammunition storage and handling, etc.). It would be awesome to see dedicated episodes about the evolution of tank firepower in the USA, the UK, the USSR, France, Germany, Italy, etc. As an example, an episode about German tank guns could start exploring the ones on the A7V from WWI, then the ones mounted on the Panzers II, III, IV, V (Panther), VI (Tiger) and VII (Königstiger) from WWII and finalize with the Leopard and Leopard II's main armament, from the Cold War to the present day. This is just a humble personal fantasy though 🙃; you guys are already doing a stellar job as it is! Cheers from Chile!
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Hi Tank Nuts! Let us know what you think of this new series in the comments below.
Awesomeness 💯🤟🇬🇧🇺🇲🙏
Awsome vid I think though that is not the end of it. I'm guessing the next vid will be on the evolution of armor protection and then the next one mobility. Which will complete the iron triangle of a tank.
Love it!
Honestly, im not subbed and i dont donate to your channel. I might peek in occassionally.
But videos like this, that discuss actual tactics and strategic decisions in re: to tanks and their development would probably get me to sub and donate. There isnt a lot of this content, at this level of detail, available.
Fantastic, thank you. Great presenter.
This is an excellent, concise introduction to tank gunnery introduced by a clear spoken and knowledgeable presenter. A really first class production all round and a great credit to the tank museum and production team.
Right? How do the History channel stay in business when these youtuber accounts are just killing it with quality!
@@altinnovation because on a tv the production quality doesn't stand up.
Simp
@@altinnovation TV Production has far better in-detail and an easier experience to understand, whereas TH-cam channels that do the same, cut to the chase, missing a lot more, in a lesser easier experience is the best way i can put it.
@@zaehehe uhm, I watch these history documents on TH-cam about various civilizations and conflicts, and some of these videos are like four hours long, talking about just ONE civilization. But that's the magic of TH-cam. You want to cut to the chase, you can find it, on demand. You want in-depth, youtube has that too.
Absolutely brilliant as you folks say. All of the museums presenters do a good
job but this persons knowledge, presence, and gravitas, made this perhaps one
of the best chats yet. Really great job, and I look forward to more. The production
value is as good as anything I have ever seen from the museum.👍
I appreciate the gravitas too.
The way this gentleman comports himself; the gravitas, the quiet competence and knowledgeability, his turn of phrase when describing grisly scenes, his directness and his understatement; all give him the air of a former British Army officer.
Upon meeting someone like him here in Britain, you know immediately he's an officer!
Yes very informative. It begs a question though where did the British come up with their tank names? Compare Matilda, Valentine and Firefly with Panzer, and Tiger from the Germans or the straightforward T34 of the Soviets. I know a name doesn't make it any less dangerous but psychologically I'd rather be driving a Tiger than a Matilda.😁
@@chrisparnham Well, Panzer, is just the German word for 'armour' - the fact it may sound badass to Anglophone ears is probably just a result of us living in the post-WW2 cultural milieu. When pronounced in German, the Tiger and Panther don't sound quite so cool - "Teega" and "Panta"..! 🤭
Remember it was the British who came up with the names of all the American tanks too. The Yanks just called them M4 and M5 etc, it was us Brits who came up with the naming scheme after US generals like Grant, Sherman, Stuart etc.
Also the British had badass tank names of their own: Conqueror, Comet, Centurion, Churchill (named after Winston's ancestor John, 1st Duke of Marlborough, who was a famous general), Crusader, Covenanter, Tetrarch and many many Cruisers.
But to answer, "where did the British come up with their tanks names?" I would guess it's a bit like our language: it's a bit haphazard with no general rules, at least early on. But as you've probably noticed, after a while, and to this very day, they start to all begin with the letter C...
@@RoganGunn Yes fair enough and I know the present tanks are the Challenger 2 and 3 which are easily the coolest names among modern tanks. I wasn't having a go I was just interested in the reasons why. Thanks for the info, it was very kind of you.
Great presentation. I was with the US Army in Desert Storm and saw how the 120mm depleted uranium sabot round from the M-1 Abrams would at 1K+ penetrate the front of a T-72 and blow its engine right out the back. It was like God smiting the enemy.
You mean Assad Babil tank or some T-62
@@xmeda There were some T-62s (and Chinese versions) but the unit I was with squared off against brand new Russian T-72s.
@@marioacevedo5077 bye bye Ivan!
@@marioacevedo5077 How could you fight brand new russian T-72 if Russia or USSR at the time didn't export brand new T-72 to Iraq
@@marioacevedo5077 I know that they were equipped with T-72 :) But not with brand new Russian. Iraq used either exported variants made mainly by Poland or their own modification of them. Neither of them were on the level of Russian made
A very well presented, well-rounded video. You are summarizing many decades of progress in 30 minutes, but you keep it flowing well and found a consistent level of detail to touch upon. I enjoyed it!
I always find it fascinating that with all this immense in technology, increase in killing power, revolutionary changes in tactics, a modern tank gun is still in essence just a massive ballista, hurling bolts at the enemy as in Roman times.
Just like almost all power is generated by moving a turbine with steam :D
We've just been throwing rocks at each other with improving technology and effective for 10's of thousands of years
@@harvyhun We are slowly entering the solar age but its taken a minute!
@@elias_xp95 i don't think we will be getting 100% from solar unless we invent some battery that can keep our energy needs for a month, but liquid salt/metal battery seems promising there!
@@thisiswhereidied3054 We've got batteries like that in concept already. Check out gravity batteries.
This format was very informative. I appreciated the ability to explain the progression over a century of development using tanks at the museum. I hope you are able to make a future video like this discussing drivetrain and track systems.
When I was a 7 year old lad in Germany we have had a bunch of British Soldiers on a big Nato exercise, possibly one of the Reforger ones or maybe even Able Archer. Anyhow I got to check out the guns, sit on and in one of the tanks and they were overall all a bunch of very nice lads and could clearly see the shine in my eyes looking and touching all that equipment so they went out of their way to show me around. Sadly I did not get to keep any trophies but I still remember it to this day.
Another great presenter. Love these videos they have everything, technical, historical, and personal.
The level of professionalism in your video editing, knowledge of the tanks (obviously), and the narrative you tell in these videos is just fenomenal!
Very good video. One inaccuracy. First production gun stabilization was fielded on the Sherman 75MM, vertical stabilization only. Took a good trained gunner to use effectively but helped a Sherman crew get a round or two on target before a reply.
Very well done. I’ve been a military history fan since the mid 70’s.
I was impressed how well you compressed so many subjects, so well.
The evolution of tank design in just the few years of World War 2 is mindblowing. When you consider we started off with Matilda I and the American M2 light tank and ended up with Centurion tanks being tested in May 1945 and M26 Pershing.
I still find it kinda funny that is Americans in the Cold War and today even the Russians still keep using the same basic for all their tanks. Every US tank from the Pershing to the M48 Patton used the 90mm AA gun from the M26. The Russians used variations of the T-64’s 125mm gun on every tank they have up the T-14s currently being tested.
@@emberfist8347yeah, but is there a tank on the planet that can beat the Abrams 1v1. nope. so something is being done right... also, t14 doesn't exist
@@mikeprimm4077 The T-14 does exist we see it.
@@mikeprimm4077the t14 very much exists. There's been confirmed use of it in Ukraine
Very impressed with Mr. Copson's German pronunciation, neat idea for a series as well, looking forward to armor and mobility.
agreed. I'd love to see the three soft qualities of a tank addressed in more detail too - visibility, ergonomics, and communications. They are so frequently ignored but for example if you look at the German tanks against the early war French, British, and Soviet tanks, the biggest difference isn't armor, mobility, or firepower, but radios (communications) and 3-man turrets (ergonomics) that allow the commander to focus on situational awareness (visibility).
As a very longstanding visitor and member of 'Friends', I pride myself on having viewed all the Tank Museum's TH-cam content. This is one of the very, very best. Thank-you and very well done to the writer, director, camera & sound operators, editor, excellent presenter and indeed the entire production team.
I am greatly looking forward to the next one.
It’d be cool to see a similar video on the evolution of tank gunner and/or the commander’s optics.
This is some of the best content this channel has ever put out (a very high bar) - informative, but sufficiently concise, and incredibly insightful.
As to the video itself: what an excellent presentation! Charismatic and clear speech, along with good visuals, where needed.
Chris really is a brilliant & knowledgeable presenter. Have him presenting more often please.
Chieftain had a thermal jacketed barrel and it introduced the MRS. Our tank was one of the first to get MRS, it dramatically improved our kill ratio as we could realign our sight during live firing.
A concise yet accurate summation of the technological improvements to the tank gun. It's Anglo-centric (unsurprisingly) but very well explained indeed. Thanks, TM!
?
Anglo centric?
@@icantthinkofaname4265 Focused primarily on English armor & guns
Excellent presentation. Production values as good as anything from Discovery, Smithsonian etc. I'll always cherish the original 'Tank Chats' with David Fletcher et al but these videos should ensure the continued popularity of the Museum and this channel. Well done 👏
Love this series guys! Incredible content. It is just an overview but if you turned this into a mini-series, i'd watch every episode.
Well done and clearly presented. The conflicting demands in tank design are made clear, with an obvious emphasis on fire power. I look forward to more such videos.
Thanks very much for this really interesting video. I used to work at Chilwell Depot, so saw the chieftain, scorpion/scimitar and 432 first hand. Have yet to visit Bovington, but it's on my bucket list!
Great video, the quality of internal refurbishment and equipment in Tiger 131 is astounding and good to see.
incredible video and presentation. The presenter had a way of words that kept you engaged and wanting to know more of what they could potentially say next.
Thank you for a very informative, insightful & explanatory basics into tank ammunition & evolution, it was really great & I enjoyed it immensely as always.
Absolutely terrific content! Impeccable content like this easily replaces the complete lack of similar content that we used to find on terrestrial television networks such as Discovery and History channel.
My sincerest gratitude, and please keep these coming!
Great Video! I would be interested in a deeper dive into the evolution of tank ammunition. Maybe in a future epidode. Thanks
It would be good to see the crossover from AP to other tank ammunition in WW2 by the British and others to overcome German tanks without getting crazy big guns and vehicles as the USSR did. Also the "fun" the Germans had gained materials/making their tank ammunition as the war went on.
Fun fact: My Dad's first older brother, Uncle Cliff ord was a tank commander in a Firefly in the war. He survived it, and lived to be 99 and almost reached reached 100. Note: Dad's oldest brother Walter died at 83, Dad's sister Margaret i.e. my Auntie Betty reached 100, and Dad reached 97.
@Puzzoozoo your ancestors sound like a very determined bunch of survivors! It’s all in the genes so you’re going to be around for sometime! All the best!
Those are fun facts. Thanks for sharing them.
Okay for you, but who cares !!!!
@@ivatt442 Thank you.🤞I make it to at least 100 to become the first male member of my family to do so.
@@babathegoodmansamba8533 Well you for one, otherwise you wouldn't have replied. 😉
Greetings from Germany! I really dig your videos as they are presented with dry facts but still with the english smirk in your voice. Really pleasant to listen to and highly educational. And adding to that you guys bring me the "outside view" on things. If there is documentary on tanks here, it mainly talks about the Leopard line or the Tiger, or the american tanks like Sherman and Abrams, but very few show the british machinery, even though the Challenger 2 is widely regarded as one of the most capable tanks in service.
Wow you pretty much explained every question I had from my observations of modern tank designs, very informative thank you
Really excellent presentation. Well thought out and easy to follow. It was a great blend of live presentations on or in (loved the interior shots!) the actual tanks when possible, animations and actual footage. And THANK YOU for not just showing the same stock footage over and over like a lot of other documentaries.
On each tank mentioned I wanted more and more information, which means it's a great documentary. I appreciate the explanations of some of the smaller things like the fume extractor. I had always wondered what that bump was on the barrel.
More please! 🙂
That was first class, well done to you all. I particularly enjoy seeing whatever equipment using the ammunition
Thought this was very well made, with solid presentation, which can be trickier than some people think. Reminds me a quite a bit of the old documentaries that got me interested in this in the first place, back before Reality TV took over. Very well done!
Superb, against an already high bar. Thanks.
This video does an amazing job of explaining things in a clear way while explaining specialist terminology
Love the video! As a none brit I would have loved a little more talk on the new smoothbore guns like the rheinmetal 120
That would be classified.
Excellent. Many thanks from a former troop leader in 43 Tank Battalion of the Dutch Army in 1967/1968. I would have liked to hear a bit more about the Centurion tank we and numerous other countries used. The ranging HE round to establish the distance of a target over 1,000 yards seems outdated at the time as range finders had long been in use.
An engaging video covering a wide history of tank development. However as an American I was surprised that so little was mentioned about the Centurian tank. I was under the impression that it was the best tank developed in the immediate post-war period and not just among British tanks but across the world.
Very well presented, Informative video. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks Tank team. Keep up the great work
Nice to hear proper professional hosts talk about military hardware, that's why it's fantastic for museums to have channels.... I've been there and, if you're a military buff and enthusiast like me...... its absolute heaven
A really interesting and highly informative video. I learnt a lot of things I thought I knew but actually didn't. One day I'll have to scrape my rear off my swivel chair, cross the Channel and visit Bovington. For the time being I'll have to do with your brilliant vids! Thank you so much for sharing.
This was very well explained, excellent speaking voice, very thorough, and I really enjoyed it.
Very comprehensive information. This video will be a hit with the tank community.
Utterly first class presentation, it sets the benchmark for whatever ( and whoever ) follows. Well done !
great feature I know you touched on it but I would love to see a similar feature on the evolution and a little of the science of sighting systems, thanks for the guns.
Excellent, Chris and Tank Museum production team! As usual - a no-frills, hard information presentation. Thank you, for your work.
This was an awesome video, really enjoyed it! Would love to see something similar on armour 😁
Awesome video! Thank you so much for taking the time to guarantee such quality.
Superb video. Can we have matching ones on self protection / armour and future of the tank please.
Great presenter. Easy to follow and understand. A good blend of technical jargon mixed with layman terms. Learned a lot and enjoyed it.
Excellent. Looking forward to more vids on tank technology.
Very well presented and informative. What I would like added was some mention of the Renault FT tank that came late in WWI, with the lay out that later tanks would be built on, with a single gun in a rotating turret. Then what happened in the interwar years, and how light tanks armed only with machine guns were still used in the early days of WWII. They proved effective where the opposition did not have tank forces or sufficient anti tank weapons, such as during the invasion of Poland, Denmark and Norway.
That was the one thing that was missing for me in an otherwise excellent video. The change from having two guns in sponsons to a single turret gun was probably the most important development in the history of tank design! But perhaps it's covered in other videos - after all, this film was all about the gun itself rather than how it was mounted.
How the gun was mounted does impact the size of the gun. In a small turret, you can not mount a large gun, as you need room for the breech, space to load the rounds and space for the gun to recoil. A major problem for tank designers was how to shoehorn in a large gun into the turret. That's why many earlier tanks could not be re armed with more powerful guns. One example mentioned in this video was the Mathilde tank. While others, such as the T-34, the Valiant and the Sherman could be up gunned.
Brilliant video and the hole left by the legend David Fletcher is being filled in well!
very informative and descriptive, i learned so much but what interested me the most was the muzzle brake on the tiger I. i always wondered what that was for my first asssumption was just for looks lol but now i know its true intent thx
Great video. Looking forward to more in this series.
Great video, and very well presented / narrated Chris. We miss you up the road!
As someone who was lucky enough to serve as an armored crewman on both the M60A3 and the M1A1, I had a chance to compare apples to oranges. I and all my buddies agree that the rifled 105mm on the 60 was much more accurate than the smooth bore 120mm on the Abrams. You'd think the obvious reason would be the spin imparted on the round, which makes sense. We think it's because that old hog of a tank took and held a good boresight. The gunner on an M-1 get to choose between the hull and the turret when calling his shot. The 60 gunner picks what road wheel he wants to hit.
Great video from end to end. Information, presentation, narration and illustration! I left this video much better informed than from any other tank video I've ever seen. 10/10.
That was an excellent overview on the evolution of the tank gun. Will you be doing similar episodes on the other two sides of the triangle?
One on the evolution of anti-tank ammunition would be quite welcome as well. The changes to armor arrangement and materials forcing rounds from relatively low velocity solid shot to APFSDS and tandem warhead ATGMs is a fascinating subject.
Yeah I'd second the request for a video on the evolution of AT weapons
Also could have needed a section about the invention of smoothbore guns to gain additional boost in kinetic energy, not to mention enhanced endurance the gun. Only the British currently use rifled guns.
Question re: 6 pounder. My understanding was that it only referred to the weight of the projectile tangentially. Similar to how gauge is used with shotguns (how many bore diameter spherical lead balls in a pound = gauge), the “pound” measurement for larger guns was a carryover from black powder cannons, and referred to the weight of a solid spherical iron shot of that bore diameter. With black powder cannons, that actually was the primary projectile, but IIRC, by the time you get to single piece cartridges in WWI, the projectile for a “6 pounder” could range anywhere from 3 to 8 pounds, depending on construction and purpose.
Would it not be determined by the size (diameter) of the charge case too? After all, the bore of the gun and the charge case diameter have to be almost the same.
@@thewomble1509 Sort of. The “pound” reference is just the bore diameter, which is universal, but then you need additional info (such as the cartridge size/length) for the specific chambering and power. For example, when the US went from the 75mm to the 76mm in the Sherman, the bore diameter barely changed at all, but it went from a 75x350R to 76.2×539R round with a much larger base and bottlenecked casing, like going from a straight walled 30 Carbine to a 308 Win. You can see both rounds in the video, though not next to each other.
Thanks for that, I never realised that the 'pound' reference was similar to defining the bore (or 'gauge' over the pond 😊) of a shotgun. I'm now going to start referring to 4 Bores as 'Quarter pounders'.
It would have been rather fitting to include a moment or two on the how, when and why of the migration from hull-mounted guns to the currently ubiquitous turret mounted armaments and the mix of main-gun and auxiliary weaponry like coaxially mounted and Turret-top machineguns etc.
that happened between WWI and WWIi
@@mvfc7637 Not so. The French applied the fully rotating turret in their miniscule , but quite effective Renault FT tank in 1916 onward and were experimenting with heavier types and models during the the war.
This again a very nice series, please continue with this. I absolutely love it! Thank you all for all this knowledge, tidbits etc... Many thanks from Belgium 🇧🇪
It might be useful to graph with a line graph the increasing size of typical tank main guns in medium tanks and MBTs starting in 1940 to illustrate how they grew from 40mm at the start of WWII to 76mm plus at war's end and then to 90mm, 105mm, and today 120 mm. This would be a very useful chart for the conclusion of the presentation.
That was a great film. One thing I'd like to see [and forgive me if you have done some already] but some detail upon the details of design. HESH & APFSD rounds - who thought of, designed, tested, trials, failures of the process before we have what we have today? Same for things like stabilised guns, fume extractors, thermal covering to the barrels etc.
nice video i love the tank museum
Not only do you not need rifling for modern HEAT rounds, the spin actually has a degrading effect on their function.
Weird to ignore the FT17, but maybe it'll turn up in the Armour or Mobility videos.
It's great that you've put this video out. It shows the frantic race to keep shell technology ahead of armour technology.
For me, the really interesting story (not in the video) is how the Sherman barrel was used to develop the armour piercing shell. That story in itself is worthy of a full video.
I like the "Bigger Picture" overview. Seems like this would work for other topics like Combined Arms tactics or describing updates and improvements in various Marks across different eras. Also consider a bit of storytelling describing tank battles from the perspective of the crews and individuals involved. The war in Ukraine has likely sparked a renewed interest in not only tanks but other modern armoured fighting and support vehicles....a good way to bring enthusiasts into the world of current weapons and systems.
Verrrry good presentation.
And the audio quality is exquisit.
Thank you for making content of this quality!
Would it be possible to do a comparison of guns with their ammunition its balistics/effectiveness maybe ww1, ww2, cold war. Sort of a top tumps for the period would be intresting to see how regardless what they were mounted in how the different guns compared
I feel you missed 2 big points.
1. The 2 part ammo limits the length of the penetrator. Look how much space the perpetrator takes up on US 1 piece. This is a huge effect on armor penetration values.
2. in that rifling video it's kind of ironic the graphic is actually showing how APFSDS is dealt with when you have a rifled barrel. What the arrows are showing is the rifling "band" spinning but the APFSDS does not spin. This is because using fins and spinning in not good.
The only reason they would have chosen APFSDS and drawn the arrows is to demonstrate inefficiencies of APFSDS and rifled barrels.
So there's more compelling reasons to go to smooth bore than you mention.
Most tank engagements are against infantry and fortifications, in modern warfare tanks are normally dealt with by air power or ATGM’s not other tanks
I don't always Triforce, but when I do, I prefer depleted uranium armor piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot, tracer.
Fantastic video - really enjoyed the presentation, particularly seeing inside one of my favourite MBTs, the Chieftain. Lots more like this please!
The 'male' and 'female' tank distinction always makes me chuckle. "You see when a Mommy Tank and a Daddy Tank love each other very much.." "And that's where tankettes come from!"
And how in these woke times did he miss out the hermaphrodite!
More than doubled my acquired life-long understanding of tank technology; super-well done presentation, thanks!
Mr Picky here.. firstly Chris refers to a "round" and a "charge" when describing 120 TK ammunition. Not quite right.. the term "round" applies to all the ammunition components needed for a shot. He should have said "projectile" not "round". A round for an L30 consists of a projectile, charge and tube!
Secondly, the description of the fume extractor is again not quite correct. There is no vacuum involved during firing. The fume extractor fills up with high pressure propellent gas as the projectile passes it and before it exits the muzzle. When the projectile exits the muzzle, the pressure in the barrel drops as it vents to atmosphere. The high pressure gas in the fume extractor now vents out through a series of forward facing holes in the barrel creating a gas flow blowing the remaining fumes in the barrel out of the muzzle. As the barrel returns to battery after recoiling, the breech block is opened automatically allowing clean air from the turret to flow up and out of the barrel. If the tank is closed down and the CBRN pack is operating, the turret will be at a positive air pressure assisting the barrel fume clearance process. The use of a combustible charge bag with the L30 gun also reduced the fume load as there was no smoking cart case ejected into the turret. This was a significant source of fume with the L7 gun and needed to be removed from the turret.
Really nice: showing tank interiors, good editing and graphs! Best video you ever did. One small nitpick if u don't mind, be consistent with unit subtitles.
Something missing from this otherwise extraordinary video is L7 gun. I think it would deserve its own episode. It seems its derivatives are still in service, and with deployment of Leopards (1) in Ukraine the gun will be revived.
Mentions the 17pdr on Firefly but totally misses out the Centurion tank which went from 17pdr to 20pdr to, via a great story about the British Embassy in the Hungarian Uprising, the L7 105mm gun.
Misses out a huge slice of the development of the tank main gun and erroneously says we hadn't reached a universal tank by the end of WW2. Centurion was a universal tank and was produced before WW2 ended.
It's like doing a series on bomber aircraft and going straight from WW2 heavies to the V bombers without mentioning of the Canberra!
@@DraigBlackCat Ever thought about doing your own vids Stephen?
@@thewomble1509 I would be too much in awe of David Fletcher and The Chieftain (Nicholas Moran)
@@DraigBlackCat Me too!
Thank you for the video. It was fascinating to see the development of the tank gun, but also explaining the “lumps and bumps” was very interesting too.
I play War Thunder im just a kid but i love this so much and ive seen through the history of tanks and there firepower everyone hates British solid shot but we were just right! We used solid shot right up to everyone using APFSDS and that shrapnel is crazy in my WW2 British tank german tanks dont stand a chance
Awesomeness 🇬🇧💯🤠 amazing looking game ,I'm old 🎅 but I still have my xbox360E ,I play an awesome game called Airborne 🎮
@@ianmangham4570 sound like a cool game
Santa emoji :)
@@FuriousFire898 And Ace Combat Assault Horizon with lock on missiles,I need to get a Tank game 🤟🙏
Haha. Boys and their toys. Brilliant!!
@@dazofthemoo1531 AMEN 🙏 for TOY'S, I'm 52 and I have an rc land rover mn99s and a rc su35 fighter 🤣🤠💯🤟🇬🇧 you gotta always have TOYS 👍
A super presentation Chris - I assume that you are at Bovington. I visited Bovington some years ago and spent half a day in the Museum and realised that I should have spent 2 days there. A really fascinating museum - But what a shame that such a great deal of time money and resources are spent on the development of increasingly sophisticated ways to kill each other !
As a retired American tank officer, I really enjoyed your video. I did not know that HESH required a rifled gun. I am a bit surprised that the old L7 gun wasn't mentioned, as it was pretty ubiquitous. From the Centurion to the LEO I to the M48, M60 and M1, it was a world-class gun. We even stuck it on our Stryker Mobile Gun Systems, until we finally realized the autoloader was a mess. Yet Americans didn't use HESH with this rifled gun. However, we did have beehive, HEAT, White Phosphorous (not on M1s - had to be stowed vertically), and HEP-T or High Explosive Plastic-Tracer. It probably wasn't as effective as British 105mm HESH, as the warhead was significantly smaller. I think we were to use it on bunkers, not vehicles.
On a separate note, while I'm a new subscriber and not completely familiar with your video catalog yet, I'd like to recommend a review of ranging methods from WW1 through modern days. Current US Tanks have laser range finder, ballistic reticles, and a collapsing bracket in the primary sight, and a stadia rangefinder in the gunner's auxiliary sight. I'm curious what others used through the cold war.
Fantastic presentation. Great transfer of knowledge. You give a very professional presentation but make us feel relaxed listening to you. Thku very much.
Muzzle brake and fume extractor…two things I have always wondered about and now I know what they do.
Really clear and precise with your information 👌👍. A breath of fresh air on TH-cam I tell you...
Thanks for putting a time indicator on the pre-roll ad.
Your explanation of how the fume extractor works is wrong.,.
There is no "vacuum" in the FE but high pressure gasses from the round ,when the round exits the barrel the high pressure gas in the extractor discharges into the barrel through ring of muzzle facing drillings towards the muzzle causing lower pressure air to enter the barrel from the breech and vent outside.
Other than that , nice general video.
Hi I honestly don't understand why the British 105 mm Gun was left out , in my humble opinion a major step in tank guns
Fantastic. I love how your videos have become more in depth over the years. I can’t wait to get down to Bovington the next time we go to England.
You've got it all Chris - armour, mobility and firepower!
been a tank history video watching spree, this is the best one yet
The quality of this series is exceptional, I’m looking forward to more!
Having worked on several weapons systems including maritime one, the challenges are quite familiar.
I missed hearing about the Centurion tank which was used to great effect in the Middle East and in the Angolan civil war.
The latter theatre was not conducive to tank warfare as it was in dense bush enabling armoured cars eg SADF Ratels to neutralise Soviet tanks at short range - the mobility of the Ratel compensated for its weak armour. Doctrine and training were also highly important
This is excellent. Thank you. I appreciate the detail packed into this short video. Well done.
In 1974 when I joined my regiment, as a Chieftain gunner. We were using .50in Browning ranging gun which fired 3 tracer round. At BATUS in Canada I engaged a target at 3,500yards hit it using HESH after using the .50in ranging gun. We didn't have TOGS or laser range finding system, but just good old steam gunnery. Never had MRS,each morning on the range we had to use a boresight.
Excellent work, lads! I'd definitely love to see more in-depth episodes (and perhaps a series, if possible), each focused on specific nations: their design choices, the rationale behind them and their associated components (like the turret characteristics, sensors, ammunition storage and handling, etc.).
It would be awesome to see dedicated episodes about the evolution of tank firepower in the USA, the UK, the USSR, France, Germany, Italy, etc.
As an example, an episode about German tank guns could start exploring the ones on the A7V from WWI, then the ones mounted on the Panzers II, III, IV, V (Panther), VI (Tiger) and VII (Königstiger) from WWII and finalize with the Leopard and Leopard II's main armament, from the Cold War to the present day.
This is just a humble personal fantasy though 🙃; you guys are already doing a stellar job as it is!
Cheers from Chile!
Brillliant documentary and the sort of thing I’d love to see museums doing more. Keep up the great work!