Jump to content

Video Thread


DemolitionMan

Recommended Posts

4 hours ago, Ssnake said:

 

Maybe because they didn't keep the keys in the tanks (neither did we in the Bundeswehr, by the way).

How much damage can a fire do to a tank if  buttoned up?whats goona burn the rubber treads and old grass stuck in between the tracks?o.O

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Rubber tires can burn hot and for quite a while, and then you also have the track pads. Above the tracks, fuel tanks in the sponsons. At that point life becomes "interesting".

If the engine catches fire (lots of fuel and oil there too), the rear turret is right above that, with its ammo storage.

 

Tanks don't immediately catch fire at the slightest provocation. But once that you have a veritable fire going on, putting it out is a challenge, and if you don't meet that challenge quickly, it will escalate to a rather nasty event, eventually.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ssnake: indeed. When the Soviets were moving out from Czechoslovakia, in 1990, one of their T-72A's caught on fire from the independent heater, whose fuel house wore through. The tank was full of ammunition and fuel, in accordance to transfer orders.

 

Since the tank was parked and it's battery was switched off, the automatic fire extinguishing system was off as well. But since it was january, pressurized water in fire hoses froze. Water from unpressurized fire tank was poured inside the burning T-72, but flooded out through the emergency hatch in the hull. An officer/mechanic attempted to close the hull, but in that moment, an APFSDS shell exploded. Miraculously, the blast of the 10kg powder threw the mechanic from underneath the tank, wounding but not killing him. But the soldiers were scared and didn't resume extinguishing the tank until an officer lead them forward. Then, soldiers-conscripts and few officers attempted to put the fire out using sand, showels and rags, the only means left. But to no avail.

 

In a few minutes, this was the result:56f2cb9c09b48_ohledani1.thumb.jpg.39b30e

 

More photos here:

http://char.rajce.idnes.cz/Vybuch_sovetskeho_tanku_T72_Bohosudov_9.1.1991_-/

 

Translating from a Czechoslovak pyrotechnic, Vaclav Bilicky, who heard the explosion caused by the fire and was one of the first responders:

Quote

I noticed pillars of smoke from the parking and fires were everywhere. At first, I couldn't locate the cause of the explosion. Only when we almost hit a tank engine on the panel road we rode on, everything was clear. As a former tanker-conscript (1966-68), it was immediately clear to me. A tank has exploded, or, more precisely, it's ammunition. I stepped out of the vehicle, searching for the site of the explosion. The fire was caused by at a minimum 1200 litres of oil, which was burning on the roofs of the garages, but the ground was on fire as well.

 

I was still looking for a tank, which was a mistake, because the site of the explosion was reduced to a meter deep crater, from which only a lower portion of the tank's hull, submerged in burning oil, was visible. Several dozens of conscripts were running around and the officers were helping the wounded. At first, I wanted to go help extinguish the burning bodies of soldiers dressed in warm winter vests. But when I came closer to the burning crater, I found out that several HE-frag tank grenades were scattered  in the burning oil, with their fuses mechanically broken in such a way the detonators were exposed. At the first moment, I hesitated to run away, but I found a shovel nearby and sunk the HE-frags under the burning oil's surface.

 

It wasn't until later that I analyzed the possible consequences of explosion of the munition in the tank's carousel. An explosion of this ammunition would have several times worse effects than the tank's explosion itself. The 125mm HE-frag fragments would have clear area around themselves. Typically, the ground contains about 40% of the fragments, but here, with the armored hull bottom of the tank, the effect would be almost 100% and the fragments would mow down many of the disoriented soldiers running around.

 

When I managed to submerge the last grenade, the firefighters arrived and started to extinguish the oil burning on the garages. I asked one of them for a fire hose, to extinguish the bottom of the tank hull, but beforehand, ordered everyone out of the explosion site. The firefighters were confused, they probably thought I was a soviet soldier, since I had a special anti-blast and anti-static green overal, custom-tailored for me by Radek ZIka tailor. They were probably confused by this outfit and gave me the hose without problems. It was almost too late. The high pressure water of the hose extinguished and flooded away the burning oil from the bottom of the tank, out of the munition. The very real danger of the blast was thus averted, I sighed with relief, it was one of the most dangerous situations in my pyrotechnic life.

 

The overall death toll was 17.

 

The tank turret flew 78 meters and demolished the corner of barracks.

86kg-heavy fragment flew 150m afar.

The commander's MG copula, on which an officer commanding the fire rescue works stood, flew 142m afar. Stomp of his shoe is visible on the copula even today.

 

(Bilicky's investigation, including illustrations of the fire and carousel:

http://www.expozice-ralsko.estranky.cz/file/46/nejvetsi-tragedie-pri-odsunu-sovetskych-vojsk-z--automaticky-ulozeno-4.pdf )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello all you fellow Steel Beasters (Not sure if thats a suitable name for us but hey lol)

 

I am very proud to be part of such a great realism gaming community which shares the same passion for both Tanks and SB Pro. That being said I am quite new here and wish to try involve myself as much as possible!

 

I aim to promote SB Pro as much as possible to increase our community and make sure we keep the treads rolling in the mud. With that being said I am very passionate about SB Pro and I have committed most of my YouTube Gaming Channel to Steel Beasts Pro PE.

 

If anyone is ever interested then please feel free to come check out my channel! You can search for Matsimus on the search bar or go straight to my channels Steel Beasts Pro playlist by clicking the link below! I really hope some of my content at least mildly entertains you and I always like to interact and chat with my viewers so please feel free to leave a comment or any feedback! If you really really like it then feel free to subscribe also for featured content as its released!

 

I hope to hear from you and enjoy the videos! 

 

Matsimus

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, matsimus said:

Hello all you fellow Steel Beasters (Not sure if thats a suitable name for us but hey lol)

 

I am very proud to be part of such a great realism gaming community which shares the same passion for both Tanks and SB Pro. That being said I am quite new here and wish to try involve myself as much as possible!

 

I aim to promote SB Pro as much as possible to increase our community and make sure we keep the treads rolling in the mud. With that being said I am very passionate about SB Pro and I have committed most of my YouTube Gaming Channel to Steel Beasts Pro PE.

 

If anyone is ever interested then please feel free to come check out my channel! You can search for Matsimus on the search bar or go straight to my channels Steel Beasts Pro playlist by clicking the link below! I really hope some of my content at least mildly entertains you and I always like to interact and chat with my viewers so please feel free to leave a comment or any feedback! If you really really like it then feel free to subscribe also for featured content as its released!

 

I hope to hear from you and enjoy the videos! 

 

Matsimus

 

 

Very nice! The more the better ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I quite enjoy the short videos that Lindybeige posts, I find that his delivery style is quite humorous, anyway, here he is re-telling a couple of anecdotes from Foley's Mailed Fist book about his exploits in a Cromwell tank during WW2

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...