Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Land Forces Quiz

Collapse
This is a sticky topic.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Name this tank.

    "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

    Comment


    • Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
      Name this tank.

      It's a prototype mine roller based on a Sherman tank.

      It was called the T10 Bigfoot.
      Last edited by Albany Rifles; 20 Jul 18,, 14:35.
      “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
      Mark Twain

      Comment


      • Yup, you got it, you're up.

        http://www.strijdbewijs.nl/tanks/sherman/mineng2.htm
        The Big Foot M4 Sherman T10, aka the Tricycle Tank, Mine Exploder (1944)

        Maybe the most eccentric and futuristic idea to clear mines, was the T10. It was developed out of the Tricycle constructed by the NDRC. The idea was to built small engines into the giant 96 inches front wheels (so it could drive without the internal engine of the tank). Between the traction wheels were six heavy discs loosely placed around the axel so it good follow the rough ground easy. It had a long frame at the rear with a wheel (were it’s nickname came from; Tricycle). Test were done at Aberdeen with wheels without the engines and the discs in the middle. It worked well, but it was not further developed.

        The Tricycle dropped the idea to place engines inside the wheels, and used the traction of the internal engine. Fisher was given de order to produce a pilot with the designation T10. The standard bogies with tracks were removed from an M4A2. The underside was thickened with 25mm steel. The side of the tank was adapted to give room for the enormous 96 inch wheels. The wheel at the rear was 72 inches in diameter.

        The M4A2 stood 55 half inches above the ground. The width of the path was 153 inches (the front wheels had a width of 36-half inch each). The 116.400 pounds heavy tank could reach a speed of 3 km/h when it was clearing mines (on a clear road it could drive 10 km/h). In June, 1944 the T10 was tested, but it was evident that the weight was the drawback in action.
        Some more photos:





        Last edited by Ironduke; 21 Jul 18,, 14:07.
        "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

        Comment


        • This future US President was catapulted to fame and early promotion to brigadier general because of his success in this battle.

          Who was the man and what was the battle?
          “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
          Mark Twain

          Comment


          • William Henry Harrison? Battle of Tippecanoe?

            Comment


            • Could be but that is not who I was looking for.

              But I'll give it to you.

              This is who I was referring to....

              James Garfield and the Battle of Pound Gap.
              “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
              Mark Twain

              Comment


              • There was also Zachary Taylor and his victory at Battle of Lake Okeechobee in 1837. Taylor first entered the US Army as a 2LT in 1808 though, so his promotion nearly 30 years later to brigadier doesn't seem to qualify as an "early" promotion.
                "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

                Comment


                • Anyway...your thread.
                  “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
                  Mark Twain

                  Comment


                  • Lacking a fleet and the means with which to take this island city, a causeway was ordered built so that the city could be besieged. To this day, the former island remains connected to the mainland via a peninsula. What siege saw the conquest of this city, and who was the conqueror?
                    "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
                      Lacking a fleet and the means with which to take this island city, a causeway was ordered built so that the city could be besieged. To this day, the former island remains connected to the mainland via a peninsula. What siege saw the conquest of this city, and who was the conqueror?
                      The answer is the Siege of Tyre, and the conqueror was Alexander the Great.

                      I was wrong about the lacking a fleet bit, perhaps it would have been more apt to say he lacked the ability to take the city by making landings from the fleet alone.



                      As Alexander could not attack the city from the sea, he built a kilometre-long causeway stretching out to the island on a natural land bridge no more than two meters deep.[5]

                      This causeway allowed his artillery to get in range of the walls, and is still there to this day, as it was made of stone. As the work came near the city walls, however, the water became much deeper, and the combined attacks from the walls and Tyrian navy made construction nearly impossible. Therefore, Alexander constructed two towers 50 m (160 ft) high and moved them to the end of the causeway. Like most of Alexander’s siege towers, these were moving artillery platforms, with catapults on the top to clear defenders off the walls, and ballista below to hurl rocks at the wall and attacking ships. The towers were made of wood, but were covered in rawhide to protect them from fire arrows. Although these towers were possibly the largest of their kind ever made, the Tyrians quickly devised a counter-attack. They used an old horse transport ship, filling it with dried branches, pitch, sulphur, and various other combustibles. They then hung cauldrons of oil from the masts, so that they would fall onto the deck once the masts burned through. They also weighed down the back of the ship so that the front rose above the water. They then set the ship on fire and ran it up onto the causeway. The fire spread quickly, engulfing both towers and other siege equipment that had been brought up. The Tyrian ships swarmed the pier, destroying any siege equipment that hadn’t caught fire, and driving off Macedonian crews who were trying to put out the fires.

                      After this set back, Alexander was convinced that he would not be able to take Tyre without a navy. Fortunately for him, his previous victory at Issus and subsequent conquests of the Phoenician city states of Byblos, Arwad and Sidon had meant that the fleets of these cities, which had composed most of the Persian navy, came under his banner. This immediately gave him command of a fleet of 80 ships. This development coincided also with the arrival of 120 war galleys sent by the king of Cyprus, who had heard of his victories and wished to join him. With the arrival of another 23 ships from the Greek city states of Ionia, Alexander had 223 galleys under his command, giving him command of the sea.

                      With his new fleet, Alexander's forces sailed on Tyre and quickly blockaded both ports with its superior numbers. Alexander had several of the slower galleys and a few barges refitted with battering rams. Finding that large underwater blocks of stone kept the rams from reaching the walls, Alexander had them removed by crane ships. The rams were then anchored near the walls, but the Tyrians sent out ships and divers to cut the anchor cables. Alexander responded by replacing the cables with chains.

                      The Tyrians launched another counter-attack, but according to Arrian, were not so fortunate this time. They noticed that Alexander returned to the mainland at the same time every afternoon for a meal and a rest along with much of his navy. They therefore attacked at this time, but found Alexander had skipped his afternoon nap, and was able to quickly counter the sortie.

                      Alexander started testing the wall at various points with his rams, until the rams made a small breach in the south end of the island. He then coordinated an attack across the breach with a bombardment from all sides by his navy. Alexander is said to have personally taken part in the attack on the city, fighting from the top of a siege tower.[7] Once his troops forced their way into the city, they easily overtook the garrison, and quickly captured the city.
                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Tyre_(332_BC)

                      Open thread.
                      Last edited by Ironduke; 14 Aug 18,, 20:41.
                      "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

                      Comment


                      • Okay....who was Margaret...aka Flame LaRue?


                        (Very esoteric but....)
                        “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
                        Mark Twain

                        Comment


                        • Hint: Grafenwhoer
                          “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
                          Mark Twain

                          Comment


                          • Okay....


                            Margaret "Flame" LaRue was a Scottish lass who used to perform dances at the Grafenwhoer Officers Club in the 1980s. Her big act was as a fire eater....while flexed arched over backwards.

                            Big hit.

                            She regaled varied NATO junior officers during Graf rotations during the Cold War.

                            In 1988 she walked into the bar at the FT Stewart O Club...on the arm of an Engineer Lieutenant. He had been stationed at Graf, wooed and married her.

                            The couple got a standing ovation from the assembled officers!

                            Told you it was esoteric!

                            okay....open thread.
                            “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
                            Mark Twain

                            Comment


                            • Open Thread
                              “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
                              Mark Twain

                              Comment


                              • Originally posted by Albany Rifles View Post
                                Open Thread
                                A World War II armored vehicle known as one of "Hobart's Funnies".

                                What is this, and what was its purpose?

                                "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X