History of Tank development

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What is a tank?

The word tank originated from the deception campaign organized by the British War Office to hide the true purpose of the vehicles. They were termed water tanks to hide their intended use from the Germans.

Tanks are now defined as tracked armored fighting vehicles fitted with 360 degrees rotating turrets which are primarily intended to engage the enemy in direct sight of combat. They are many types of armored vehicles such as the armored personnel carrier, self-propelled artillery, armored engineer vehicles, infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks. In 1916 there was not this plethora of vehicles so any tracked armored vehicle was automatically dubbed a tank, even though they lacked rotating turrets and today would be more likely to be classified as assault guns or self-propelled guns. It was only after World War 1 that the term tank became associated with this specific type of tracked armored vehicle. Since World War 2 the term main battle tank has come into use to differentiate these machines from reconnaissance vehicles and armored personnel carriers. To the layman these vehicles may appear to be tanks but they are really intended for tasks other than direct combat with the enemy.

Adapted from - Tim Ripley, Battle Tactics: Tank Warfare

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Why is it such an important weapon system?

Since World War 2 the tank emerged as a significant weapon in land warfare. Almost every country in the world scrambled to rebuild its army around the tank. Hard hitting offensive tank forces and efficient anti-tank defenses became the main combat components of armies. Land warfare technology revolved around building better tanks or devising new weapons to defeat the enemies tanks.

Tanks, along with aircraft, missiles and the atomic bomb, symbolized a new era of mechanized and industrialized warfare, where a nations technological prowess and potential was now decisive.

Adapted from - Tim Ripley, Battle Tactics: Tank Warfare

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Why have tanks endured on an ever evolving battlefield?

Ever since the first tanks appeared there have been people claiming it will be obsolete. First was the anti-tank (AT) gun, followed by the AT mine and then the atomic bomb. In the 1960s and 1970s the fielding of large numbers of highly accurate AT guided missiles (ATGM) and attack helicopters.

The tank has survived all these developments and continued to evolve into an even more powerful weapon system. The concept of a highly mobile armored vehicle with a powerful armament has proved to be very enduring. Tanks are just very flexible pieces of military hardware. Their armor means they can risk driving into range of the enemy. Their mobility means they are not dependent on other units or services to maneuver across the battlefields, and can get to the scene of action under their own power. In the war they can attack or defend using their own onboard weapon systems. In peacetime their sheer physical bulk and noise can intimidate opponents without them even having to fire their weapons.

Many countries also saw the tanks as the answer to the nuclear threat because its armor allowed armies to maneuver across irradiated battlefields with some sort of protection.

In the modern era, AT guided weapons have not proven to be wonder-weapons and developments in armor and self-defense systems mean the modern tank has a degree of protection unrivalled in its history. This degree of protection is considered essential in the age of zero casualties conflicts. The main threats to the tank are currently proving to be the budget cutters who balk at the huge cost.

Adapted from - Tim Ripley, Battle Tactics: Tank Warfare

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How tank crews fight their vehicles

In spite of almost a century of development in tank technology the basic roles of a tank crew are essential similar to those in the beginning.

It is only in the 70s that modern tanks have automatic loaders, eliminating the need for a human loader. Advances in communications technology have also largely negated the need for specialist radio operators. Reduction in crew numbers save space, reducing the size, shape and weight of the tank, but experienced tank men are not keen to go below a minimum of four crew members. Human muscle power is needed to change tracks and carry out other essential maintenance. To operate the tank over extended periods in battle also requires the crew to sleep, so a larger crew allows some to rest while the others maintain watch.

Adapted from - Tim Ripley, Battle Tactics: Tank Warfare

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What are the basics of tank tactics?

Battlefield tanks rarely fight alone. They are combined into platoons, companies, and larger formations.

The tactics used by the tank have evolved over time to meet particular battlefield threats. There are a number of core tactical procedures that have remained universal throughout the world.

Finding and engaging the enemy in a way that minimizes the chance of the enemy returning fire is still the heart of tank tactics. Central to tank tactics is the use of ground. Fire and maneuver is a universal tactics that ensures tank units are never caught unaware by the enemy. Using the principle of one foot on the ground at all times, pairs or platoon of tanks will take up fire positions to cover their comrades as they move forward. From their over-watch positions, the reserve tanks will be able to engage any enemy forces that threaten the advancing friendly tanks.

Tanks are large, noisy and threatening. By presenting their heavy frontal armor to the enemy, tanks minimize their vulnerability during engagement. There is nothing more frightening to an enemy soldier than a tank advancing a full speed towards him, firing on the move. Once tanks close with the enemy, their rotating turrets engaged targets on either side as it moves through the enemys defense lines. In close-quarter battles, the tanks tracks become weapons, crushing enemy bunkers or trenches.

No other weapon system combines the mobility, firepower and armored protection necessary to advance into the heart of the enemys defenses, spreading terror and chaos in its wake. For this reason a replacement for the tank is difficult to image.

Adapted from - Tim Ripley, Battle Tactics: Tank Warfare

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Many strategists predict the end of the age of tanks.
In the past, the tanks enemies included some types of armour piercing guns, fighter aircraft and maybe anti-vehicle mines but their main enemy was almost always another tank.

These days, tanks can be hunted from aircraft at high altitude using "tank-plinking" ammunition which attack tanks from the top, where their armour is thinnest. Armour piercing ammunition has greatly improved in design and lastly, Anti-Tank missiles have given even simple infantry a way to destroy tanks.

Besides this, in an era where rapid deployment is becoming a key feature of armed forces around the world, main battle tanks are shunned because of the difficulty in transporting them by air in large numbers.

To be fair, with the arrival of wheeled tanks and tanks incorporating low IR and stealth technologies, tanks will be around for quite some time more, but it does seem like tanks (or at least Main Battle Tanks) might become obsolete in future...