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THEMt
ABRAMS BATTLE TANK
VANGUARD SERIES
EDITOR : MARTIN WINDROW
THEMt
ABRAMS BATTLE TANK
Text and colour plates by
STEVEN]. ZALOGA
Published in 1985 by
Osprey Publishing Ltd
Member company of the George Philip Group
12- 14 Long Acre, London WC2E 9LP
Copyright 1985 Osprey Publishing Ltd
This book is copyrighted under the Berne Convention .
All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the
purpose of private study, research, criticism or review,
as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no part
of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical , optical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without
the prior permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries
should be addressed to the Publishers.
Author's note:
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Cheap anti-tank rockets relying on shapedcharge warheads have been an increasing threat to
tanks since 1942, when the first such weapons were
deployed by the US and German armies. Since that
time, tank designers have tried to cope with such
weapons by innovations in armour design. In
World War II two techniques were used . The
German and Hungarian armies used thin sheets of
armour placed about a foot from the main turret or
hull armour. This stand-off armour detonated the
rocket's warhead prematurely, and the effect of the
shaped-charge warhead was largely dissipated in
the space before it hit the actual tank armour. The
US Army used sand-bags, which had a similar
stand-off effect. Nevertheless, this technique was
short-lived. New shaped-charge designs developed
in the 1950S prevented the blast tongue from
dissipating, and moreover, thin stand-off armour
could actually enhance the damaging effects of the
new, improved warheads.
Efforts to develop other armour innovations to
defeat shaped-charge warheads began in the USSR
and the USA in the I 940S. The Soviets experimented with a special layered armour consisting of glass
or ceramic plates interleaved with steel and rubber
sheets over the main armour. Ceramic materials
were attractive, since they are very hard and far
more resistant to heat than steel armour. Their
main drawback is that they are so hard that they are
exceedingly brittle. When penetrated, they shatter
and lose all protective value. In contrast, steel is
more ductile, and when it is penetrated its integrity
as armour is not uniformly lost, but only in the area
of the penetration.
The US Army experimented with two techniques: silaceous core armour, and active armour.
Silaceous core armour is essentially similar in
concept to the Soviet layered armour, consisting of a
panel of ceramic armour inside a number of layers
of conventional steel armour. It was first experimentally fitted in the T95 tank project (which was
the first attempt to replace the M48 family in the
late I 950S). American tests showed that in terms of
weight and cost, silaceous core armour was only
The first unit in Europe to receive the MI was the 64th ArIDd.
Regt. of the 3rd (Mech.) Inf. Div. in GerIDany. This is a vehicle
of D Co., 1/64 ArInor, as is evident froID the unit plate on the
turret rear. (Michael Green)
10
Contemporary armour configurations. (A) shows conventional homogenous steel arDlour as used in tanks since
1914. (B) shows the early silaceous core armour of the 1960s,
with an initial layer of steel followed by a ceramic panel and a
thin steel backing. (C) shows reactive armour consisting of an
initial thin layer of steel to detonate the HEAT round, a layer of
reactive plastic explosive, spacing, and finally the Dlain layer
of conventional steel arDlour. (D) is a speculative depiction of
Chobham arDlour: an outer steel layer, open spacing, a Dlatrix
containing ceraDlic bar arDlour, and a final layer of steel.
12
was designed to have full fire-on-the-move capability, unlike the M60Ar, which had to stop to fire
accurately. It was designed with twice the
horsepower of the M60 in order to traverse terrain
at much higher speeds. New suspension designs and
rotary shock absorbers were to give a more stable
ride.
One of the more surprising results of the early
XM r test programme concerned the selection of the
main gun for the tank. To begin with, unconventional designs like the Shillelagh gun/missile
launcher tried on the Mssr Sheridan and MBT-70
were ruled out in view of their disastrous effects on
previous programmes. The demise of these weapons
was brought about not only because of their
troubled development history, but also because of
14
.. "
The large blue panel with black '53' identifies this MI as a tank
of 64th ArD10r during its participation in the 1982 'Reforger'
exercise. The tubular container on the turret side is an eD1pty
shell packing tube. These are popularly used by US tankers to
store personal iteD1s on the outside of the tank with a certain
D1easure of protection against rain and dust. (Pierre Touzin)
16
In January 1977 the US and German representatives announced the decision to withdraw the
Leopard II from the planned side-by-side tests with
the XM I. The reasons for this decision have never
been made entirely clear. The US licensee for the
Leopard II, FMC Corp., was unwilling to invest its
own funds in preparing a production proposal on
the Leopard II, as its management felt that the
chances for the selection of the Leopard II were
slim. The US Army had placed protection as its
primary requirement, and it was in this one area
that the US tests had found the Leopard II most
deficient. There was also the accusation that the US
Army would not seriously consider the possibility of
having as prestigious a weapon system as its main
battle tank based on a foreign design. However, the
US Army retorted that it had expressed its
willingness to accept the Leopard II if it proved
superior in tests, while the Germans were unwilling
to make the same commitment in regard to the
XM I. The heart of the problem was that the two
countries had different requirements for their next
'7
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.....
'0
-: :
:...... . . . .
~-
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I9
20
2 I
The M240 loader's machine gun on the MI. This is a licencebuilt version of the Belgian FN machine gun. Besides this
Belgian gun, the MI uses a British-designed main gun, Britishdesigned armour and a British-designed smoke mortar
system. (S. Zaloga)
22
r
(
')
,
."
Reforger '82
MERDC Patterns:
MERDC Patterns:
1: Tropics, Verdant
2: Red Desert
3: Gray Desert
4: Winter Arctic
Cr ew uniforms:
3: Loader's station
Key
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
to Plate H opposite:
M68AI 105 InDl lDain gun
Gunner's Tank Integrated Sight (TIS)
Gunner's telescopic sight
Gunner's controls
COlDputer controls (cover closed)
(fJ Gunner's seat
(g) Tank cOlDlDander's (TC's) lDain sight
(h) TC's lDachine gun sight
(i) TC's cupola traverse
(j) TC's lDain gun control
(k) TC's aziJDuth control
(I) TC's grenade-launch panel
(ID) Stowage
(n) IntercolD control
(0) MG aInDlO stowage
(p) Turret dOlDe light
(q) Turret lock
(r) TC's CBR hose and filter
(s) Voice security unit (not fitted)
(t) TC's seat, folded
(u) Left aIDIDO blast door
(v) Right aIDIDO blast door
(w) Loader's seat
(x) Loader's intercolD control
(y) Knee control for blast doors, folded
(z) Turret blower
----
_ _. . . . . .
27
MI Tactical ForlDations
Basic Combat Formations for the ' Divison 86' Tank Platoon
:~
Platoon l eader
Platoon Sergeant
No 2 Tank
NO. 4 Tank
Combat Wedge
Platoon leader
The MI Battalion
The M I has begun to enter service at the same time
as the US Army is changing the organisation of its
tank battalions. The new Div-86 M I tank battalion
has 58 tanks, as compared to 54 M60s in the old
battalion. The new battalion has four companies
with three platoons, compared to three companies
with three platoons in the old battalion. However,
32
Platoon Sergeant
No 4 Tank
Combat Column
34
While many feel that the M I and its contemporaries such as the Leopard II and Challenger
represent the last generation of heavy main battle
tanks, the jury is still out. Armour and ammunition
improvements continue to ensure the viability of
main battle tanks on the modern battlefield, and
continue to enhance their firepower and defensive
strengths. Many of the new technological wonders
that were supposed to doom the tank, such as
precision guided munitions, have yet to prove
themselves. Furthermore, even if the technical
'bugs' in such weapons are overcome, tank
countermeasures are likely. For example, laserguided projectiles like the US M 7 I 2 Copperhead
155 mm round require active laser designation.
There already exist simple detectors that can be
fitted to tanks to trigger laser-jamming smoke
dispensers when a coded laser beam is directed at a
tank. Precision guided munitions using millimetre
wave guidance can conceivably be jammed; and
heat-seeking PGMs have proved to be very difficult
to develop. Probably the main new threat to tanks
The Plates
AI: MI Abmms, Initial Production Vehicle LI
The initial series production vehicle from the Lima,
OR Tank Plant was christened 'Thunderbolt' in
memory of the M4 Sherman tank that Creighton
35
Colollrs
( PriIlWI)'J
FG
FD
FG
W
(Secolldm)')
S
BLK
BLK
S
FD
BLK
FG
LG
BLK
FG
ER
S
W
DG
EY
FD
W
LG
S
EY
W
BLK
BLK
BLK
W
These tankers are wearing the standard US Army foulweather gear including the poncho, coveralls and muckluck
boots . (Arnold Meisner)
39
Farbtafeln
AI Das allcrcrste Fa hrzc ug di ese r Art wurele nach dem S herman-Panzer VOl
General Abrams im 2. \Veltkricg ' Tluwdnho/I' ge nannt. A2 Die ' US & Ellrop,
IViI/fer I'ffda lll' - A usfi.ihrllng dcr regul aren tH ERDC- Tarllllng. Die fiir di e US'
Armee iiblichen Abkiil-l llllgen vo rn auf d em Rumpf gebell di e Einlteit an. Dil
i\larkicrung d el' 2. Division in Fo rm eines sc hwarzen Drciec ks, die Sic in d Cl
Besc hreibun g D 1 sehen, ist hi er ve rd cckt. Dcr Panzer hat d en N amel
. Bmslmasler.
B, C Les IlUit va riations principales des p rogra mmes de camo ufla ge d e A/ERDC'.
A pparcmmcnt, lIll programme d e cam oufla ge COlllllllll1 po ur lOllS les tanks d e
I'OTAN cs t en co urs d e preparation , pour d es raisons d c sectlrite, afin quc I'as pec t
d 'un tank n 'indiquc pas automatiqucmcnt sa nalionalite.
01 ' Deslruclor' (' Dcs tru ctcu r' ) prese nt c Ie d essin el1lierCmelll vert , qui es t Ie plus
01 Die meisten Abrams in Europa sind wie dieser Pa nzc r f /Jrslrllclor durchwC'1
commun sur Ic mod ele Abrams en Europe. L'insigne en tri angle d c la to urelle
permet d e reconnaitrc la di vision. Les insignes su r Ie co te som Ull carre
(Compa gni e D ) et I'insigne ' H ell-H ound ' du ba tai llo n. Les insignes prese nt ees
comme 0 3 som plus tard ivcs qu e cellcs-ci. 02 Tank appartenant a line equipe d e
d emonstratio n envoyee en Arabic Seouditc, ca mo uR age d e co ul e ur sa ble, avec un
petit insigne d e palmier. 03 Systeme d e rcperage cxista nt d epuis 1982: ( 1- 4) Les
compa gni es dU1J1 BII. , 6.1111 Armored Regl. ; (5- 8 ) 211d. BII. 6~/III Armor; (9- 12) IJI BII ..
IIlh Armoud Camh)'; ( 13) Les compa gnies elu HI BIl., 66fh .tlmlor; ( 14) 1/67 Armor;
( 15) 2/66 Armor; ( 16 ) 2/252 Armor; ( 17 ) 3/66 Armor; ( 18 ) 3 /67 Armor.
grli n gestri chen . Die dreieckigc Gesc hiitzmarki er un g gibt di e Division a n. Dil
Seitenmarkierunge n bes tchen a us eincm Vicreck (D-Kompa ni e) lind d en ' Hell
Hound '-Insigni en d cs Bataillons. Die i\l arki erungc n in D3 sind ncuercn Datums
02 Ocr Panze r eines Vorfii hrtea ms fiir Saudi-Arabien. Er ist als T arnulli
sa ndfa rben ges tri chen und mil kl eincn Pa lmeninsig ni en verselten. 03 D~
i\'larkierullgs-sys tem seit 1982: ( 1- 4) Ko mpanien des H I BIl., G./flt Armored Regl.
(5- 8) 2111 BI1. , 6411" lrlllor; (9- 12) 1,1BII., 11111 Arlllor,dCam lr),; ( 13) K ompanicn de
HI BI1., 66111 Arlllor; ( q ) 1/67 Arlllor; ( 15) 2/66 Amlor; ( 16) 2/252 Arlllor; ( 17 ) 3/(),
rl r/llor; ( 18) 3/67 Ar/llor.
EI Lcs insig ncs sont I'identification auregee ha bituellc sur I' ava nt de la coqu e;
I'insig ne presentee a D3 pour cen e unit e etl 'insigne '53 sur blcu' port ee par celie
unit e faisa nt partic d e ' I'armee blcuc' pour ces ma noe uvres. E2 Tank identiqllc,
montranl I'emplace ment d es ins ign cs arriere.
Einheit ha t di cssclbc i\l a rki erung wie D3, und di e Insignicn , '53-on-blu e',
bed eutcn, class di e Einheit in di escl11 Manove r zur ' B1a llen Armee' gc hon. E!;I:
Dersclbe Panzer mit dCIl lnsig nien hinten.
FI Diesc Einheit linter General Abrams Sohn ha t ihre Pan ze r fiir di esc O bung
mit Sch lal11l11 gC la rnt , cine T a rnun g, di e sic VOIl d en Leo pard-Einlteiten del
BlIIu/esll:ehr ko pien ha t. F2 Eine andere Art Schlallll1lt arllun g der Illh Armort'd
Cal'tI/I)' wa hrend clcm ' Reforger '83'-M anove r.
GI La no uve lle sa lopette vert fo nce en tiss u nomex des equipes des tan ks
H Posi tions du ca no ni cr, du comm and ant et dll chargeur d a ns l'Abrams i\'II ; un
elessin-c1e et la lislC d es articles (en a nglais) se trOU\'cnt a la page 25 .
H Dic Positionen des Schiit ze n, d es Kommandanten und d es Ladcsc hlit zen irn
i\11-Abrams; ei nc Zcichnung sowic Z ubehbrtcile find cll Sic in eng lisc her Sprachr
auf Seite 25.
OSPREY . VANGUARD
A series of books describing key units and weapons systems of
20th century warfare, prepared by leading military experts
for the enthusiast and mod eller, and illustrating authentic details
of armour and supporting vehicles, camouflage, markings,
uniforms, insignia and weapons.
Avec annotations en francais sur les planches en couleur
Mit Aufzeichnungen auf deutsch uber die Farbtafeln
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