Richie's Little Tank

[sbt]

Spoke to one of the collectors over there, they had a hang fire on the main armament, rather than leaving the shell in battery, they cleared it and it went off out of battery....you can work out what happened next.

And again - for those who don't understand tank-speak?

They tried to fire the main gun and the round failed to go off. This is a 'hang fire' - so called because quite often the round goes off ofter a delay, especially if you are dealing with a Black Powder weapon (which, of course, this wasn't).

Rather than leave the dud round in the gun whilst it is in the ready to fire position with the breach closed ('in battery') they opened the breach and at least started to remove the round ('clearing the gun'). As they removed the round it went off, either when clear of the gun or when it was still in the gun with the breach open (ie. when the gun wasn't ready and safe to fire, 'out of battery').

What happened next would have either been an explosion (actually a very very rapid burning, deflagration) or an intense jet of flame in the turret (most film of real tanks that 'explode' when hit actually show massive jets of flame exiting the turret, like rocket exhaust, for a few seconds, sometimes but not always followed by a bigger 'bang').

[Richie]

^^^^^^^What he said^^^^^^^^

Here is an idea of what's being described

http://youtu.be/wHZbC-VCyoE

[Renegadenemo]

Hmmm, looks like one of my cordite parties from the diving days only in a metal box. So if a round fails to fire but it's safe in a metal tube what's the procedure for getting it out without incinerating yourself?

[Richie]

Unsure exactly what the MOD do (SBT will know)

Me personally. All operations stop, crew out except gunner.

Range op stopped and cleared, residual ammo removed from vehicle.

Barrel left pointing at target (I would have left it for a good 60mins to be sure)

Then consider unload procedure or get the MOD lads in !

[Renegadenemo]

I assume that blazing tank was a genuine accident with people inside and not some sort of experiment.

[Richie]

No the link is a loaded but crew less tank being shot at to demonstrate what happens.

The tank involved in the accident was an M18 Hellcat Which has an open turret so easier for the energy to escape.

[Renegadenemo]

The tank involved in the accident was an M18 Hellcat Which has an open turret so easier for the energy to escape.

But surely it didn't go off like the one in the video - there'd only be crispy ashes in the bottom after that lot.

[Richie]

Not necessarily. The driver sits low down in the hull, plus the footage shown is of a fully bombed up tank, hatches closed, not a collector in an open topped turret with a hand full (if that) shells onboard.

The guy at the breach would have been toast.

[Richie]

Well the nasty green paint has started to go on, all in preparation for Normandy in June....feel like I am conforming to the masses !

Will be painting her up in 7th armoured unit markings...

Engine is down being hot tanked, new crank and bearings ordered, it's all go........again !

[Renegadenemo]

I think I like the green better than the yellow. Much more like in the movies (the few I've actually seen, that is)