Steve,
Concerning your question about tracks on ice/snow. In the late 80's I =
was a tank company commander with the 2nd Bn/172nd Armor, VTARNG. We =
were then equiped with the M-60A3 MBT. Now Vermont has never been known =
for its mild winter weather and diesel fuel can turn to jelly at -40 =
degrees F. We used a method once to negotiate an icy training area (and =
I've heard of this being used elsewhere) that involved reversing every =
4th or 6th center track/road wheel guide so as to have the "pointy" side =
down--like spikes on a tire. This improves traction on ice and hard =
packed snow and can help reduce=20
side-slipping. (Yes, even 60-ton tanks can slide out of control on ice). =
As with any field expedient, though, there are drawbacks.
* It takes a considerable amount of time to break the track and reverse =
the guides.=20
* When you're forced to do something like this, it's usually very cold, =
and nothing works well in the cold, to include the crew who has to =
handle the sledge hammer, track tools and "Lil Joe."
* It tears the hell out of asphalt and cobblestones and maneuver damage =
is
expensive.
* And if cautious driving is not observed, you can throw a track in the =
turns, which puts you back to square one.
The best method to negotiate icy roads and snow in a track laying =
vehicle is to
slow down and take it easy. If you're out in that type of weather in a =
track, you can't be it that much of a hurry to get someplace.
Hope that helps you Steve.
Addendum: A last word on tracked vehicles. Perhaps the biggest enemy =
to a track, besides another track that has a bigger gun than you do, is =
mud--"...too thick to drink and too thin to plow..."--mud. In the =
spring of
1972, at a small midle-of-nowhere place called Ben Het, MR II, RSVN, a =
buddy and I "captured" an NVA PT-76 amphibious tank, its motor still =
running, that the crew had abandoned in a mud hole on our bunkerline.=20
Just like our mothers used to tell us when we were kids, don't play in =
the mud.
Mark Truhan
LTC, Armor, VTARNG
Late of His Majesty's (Nixon) MR II Border Ranger Command
RSVN, Clash of '71-'72
=20
----------
From: Steven P. Allen[SMTP:spallen@rolemail.ccis.edu]
Sent: Friday, January 16, 1998 6:53 AM
To: mil-veh@skylee.com
Subject: [MV] MVs and Snow, etc.
The stories so far have been entertaining AND enlightening. A further
question (brought up by the M109 tale):
How many of you have any experience with tracked vehicles, especially
halftracks, in snow, etc? The M109 leads me to believe that there will =
be
no real gain to using tracks, but does anyone have any first hand info?
=3D=3D=3D
To unsubscribe from the mil-veh mailing list, send the single word
UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of a message to <mil-veh-request@skylee.com>.
===
To unsubscribe from the mil-veh mailing list, send the single word
UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of a message to <mil-veh-request@skylee.com>.