TANKS OF TO DAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 30 April 1942, Page 3

TANKS OF TO DAY

EXPERT’S*ANALYSIS VS I ASV TO DRIVE AS A TAXI There i:. naturally considerable in-t Iciest just now in tanks, and the ordinary reader who knows little about j Hair construction will welcome "Tanks," by Professor A. M. Low.! writes ;i reviewer in "Public Opinion." l "Tanks to-day can be classified as! b'nvy. medium and light, although n<> v P ici categories arc generally agreed." i writes Professor Low. "The tonnages v « uld be a minimum of 25 tons for a luav.v, 11) tons or more for a medium. (I’d anything below that figure for a ■ I ght. but these arc very rough esti mates. Heavy tanks may run up to 60 oy 70 tons. STEED AND ARMAMENT The tanks differ not only in size i-ut in the amount of armour, the na Hue and number of the guns carried, i. well as speed. These arc decided I v Ihe role which the tank is expected l* adopt. A lank, like a warship, is a compromise between armour, speed and armament. With a given weight avail Mlc, so much must be allotted to the engine, so much to the guns, and so much to the armour. "If the armour is to be made thicker, some speed must be sacrificed. If the, l umber of guns or their calibre is to be increased, wc may have thinner armour plates or be content with less; miles per hour. The size of a tank also affects its range, a heavy tank with a high-powered engine must either sacrifice space and weight to petrol or ammunition storage or reduce its cruising; range. “Bearing in mind these facts, let ■us look at typical tanks of to-day,", adds Professor Low, “The heaviest ol the heavies seem to be in the services of the Russians, and photographs 1 show some really formidable types with a weight of perhaps 70 tons.' France has a number of 60-ton tanks, but they proved themselves slow. We are not likely to build such tanks, if for, p.o other reason than that many of our bridges would not bear the load and, that their usefulness would be limited j in this way. THE CHURCHILL TANK "Britain has recently announced that! she has a new kind of infantry tank in mass production. Its weight is between) 2.) and 30 tons, and it has been announ-j ced that for its size it has an unusual; speed. The size and weight should give). ;t considerable powers for negotiating rough ground or for crossing obstructions. “This tank has been very heavily armoured, no doubt in view of the in- ; p-eased power of anti-tank guns. It is stated that, even if brought to a standstill. it would be able to continue in action as a very formidable ‘pill-box.’ ••The armament and other details i aist. of course, remain secret, but it is ; known that Mr % ChurchiJl. after whom : me tank is named, himself drove one , ,;L the first models and was astonished £♦ the manner in which it could be manoeuvred —'as easily as a taxicab. It should be pointed out that because a tank is not turned like a car. but ‘skidded.’ it can be turned in a very small, •circle. Watching the manoeuvres of the tanks which led them to one vic-j i,cry after another in Libya, led the; Australians t<> christen them Waltzing; Matildas.' after the popular song they) had made their ‘battle cry.’ These j; ‘Waltzing Matildas’ arc 26 tons. 19 feet, long. 8 feet wide, with armoru 21.; inches. The speed is low. about 10. m.p.h. . ! , "The function of the heavy tanks isic smash their way through, clearing me way lor the lighter tanks and the infantry. Their armous enables thorn; io stand their ground and fight where; ! lighter tank might probably have to', manoeuvre or retire. The astonishing;, punishment these tanks can lake is shown by the'story of one from Libya, • hieh came out of action alter ieceiv- ; Lug ovei seventy direct hits without |, being put out of action. j. The gigantic tank battles in Russia j, and Libya are a sequel to the tendon-■ eics of warfare so ably detailed by Pio-i : lessor Low. The book is both histori-j cal and topical and tells the newspaper! icader just the facts he wants to know ; bout clay by day war events in the lank world