LIght-arms tactics against TANK Warfare

Tanks were a great resource in the ancient past of open fields and rolling medows as seen in Europe, Russia and the deserts of middle east, but today, they are useless, as human population centres had expanded into massive concrete jungles. Those are death traps for tanks and their occupants.

Tanks have the capability to act as mobile artilleries, but it can NEVER flatten entire blocks of buildings, let alone even one whole block. There is no vast arsenel of ammo that can be carried by tanks.

Worse, all they would have blasted was to create rubbles for snipers and demolition sappers to hide and counter attack. Rubbles can also be used as obstruction, espacially low by the sides that can entangle the tank tracks. When that happens, tank crew have to come out to remove the traps, and be exposed to enemy fire.

When the tanks move into streets and alleyways, they too can be easily targetted from the numerous windows that hides a RPG gunner, or a guy with a 'sticky bomb' to toss at tank tracks to disable them. Once those tanks are disabled, their firepower is useless as its sight would be blocked by numerous buildings.

Fighters only need fire, retreat to draw tanks into street alleys, where the tanks can be trapped and destroyed easily.

Anotherway is to destroy the tank support vehicles such as fuel and ammo trucks so that no resupply can be make.

There are many more tactics, but lightly armed fighters need not fear or over-estimate the capabilities of tanks in built up areas, no matter how many tanks there are. The fight can be even, if not in favor, for lightly armed fighters with brains.

As for the armed troops that follows behind tanks, buildings offer the best hiding places to ambush them. Lead one of them into a building, and as the entranceway are often made for only one to enter, they will become sitting ducks one by one.

However, one important rule above all is - to remove ALL civilian and non-combatants into bunkers or out of the areas of operations. When all options for peace had failed, and humanity have to fight, we must do it with honor and always to spare the innocents. It is for them that we sacrifice our lives, and not the other way around. The enemies may have no qualms to butcher every living being, by bombing indiscriminately into the city, neither caring for innocents or soldiers, but we must never descend to their barbaric levels.

Well, I would prefer to destroy the vehicle and kill the crew with a thermite grenade on the bustle rack.
No they aren't at all useless.We will still have need of heavy armor to counter existing enemy armor.

The tracks on the tank are the biggest pain in the butt to fix right after shaking the filters clean which really sucks. But having the 240B, .50 Cal, Berettas, smoke grenades, and 120mm canon with different rounds for different purposes would help keep them safe until support arrived. The main things to go after are the tracks, viewing ports, and exhaust system. A friend of mine from basic was killed when an IED went off and sent his tank rolling down a hill. Other than that you can disable a tank, but destroying one would take alot of effort, almost to the point where it wouldn't be worth it, amd you would definitely need the help of a sniper.
RIP Campoy!

Thanks for the replies and sharing.

And my condolences to you 1MrMarc for your friend's untimely passing and condolences to your friend's family as well.

Taking out a tank is no mean task, and not just any explosive round can take it out with just one shot. It needs special ammo and espacially certain angles to make a clean clear destructive shot, such as on the angular and advanced angular profiled Sherman and Israeli Merkava tanks.

The best hope of taking out tanks are the tracks. Destroy it and it is rendered ineffective, out of action, if it is part of a drive. One less tank and ammos to deal with.

But if it was only just a team of a small group, all that the lightly armed fighters need is just to stay hidden, and wait for the crew to come out. Most crew are trained never to leave the tank or even expose themselves while in enemy terrority, armor sheilding or protective gear notwithstanding, unless under dire circumstances.

And most crew would rather sit it out inside and wait for rescue, humanly natural.

There will be 2 cases when the crew HAVE to get out. 1- when the air conditioner stops as the fuel drys up and will cause suffocation, or when the rescue crew comes.

From hidden enclaves, rubbles or windows left standing, that's the opportunity for fighters to end the enemies permanently. Wars are often a matter of patience and clear mindedness. And tanks in built up areas are more a liability than an asset. Nothing to fear for the fighters whom have brains and patience.

There either be advancement for tank track protection in manufacturing research, or tank commanders never to deploy their units in built up areas. It would be suicide for the crew. Machines we can replace anytime, but replacing humans will take years.

What is everybody Infantry?1 ea thermite bomb on the rear of the turret also known as the bustle rick will cause said tank's ammo to blow up. possibly killing the crew and easily deadlining ANY tank on earth.
Cav knows the deal.

reply to post by SeekerofTruth101


Plastic Bags Duct Tape and JB Cold WELD and a metal pipe ....

Tape Plastic Bags on air intakes, JB Cold WELD in barrel - and door handle housing. metal pipe in track gear.

approach from left or right corner (huge blind spot)

reply to post by SeekerofTruth101


Historically the usual anti weapons were the "MOLOTOV COCKTAIL" - bottle filled with flammable liquid (gasoline, kerosene) often thickened with tar or motor oil. A rag was stuffed in bittled or tied around it
to ignite the liquid. Sometimes flares or bengal matches tied to bottle as ignitors

Target was the air intakes and engine compartment of the tank. Moltov cocktails throw here would stop
the engines, immobilizine the tank and setting engine on fire

Were used by the Finns during Winter war (Nov 1939-Mar 1940) against invading Soviets

During 1956 Hungarian Revolt the partisans used Molotv Coctails against the invading Soviets

Anothe tactic was to soak blankets in gasoline and drop on tanks from upper floors then ignite them with
Molotov Cocktails

Would often spread motor oil/soap on steep slopes to cause tanks to slide downhill where could be attacked
with Molotov cocktails

Another weapon if had access to explosives was satchel charge - bags of explosives with short fuse which was
ignited shortly before throwing it on tank

Idea was to land on engine deck of tank to disable engine - blast could also enter the crew compartment and kill
or stun the crew

Germans used "bundle charges" - would take half dozen grenades and remove throwing sticks. Tie them around a stick grenade to throw on engine deck of tank.

Problem with all these improvised weapons is short range - must literally be within touching distance of the
tank

Originally posted by 1BornPatriot
reply to post by SeekerofTruth101

 

Plastic Bags Duct Tape and JB Cold WELD and a metal pipe ....

Tape Plastic Bags on air intakes, JB Cold WELD in barrel - and door handle housing. metal pipe in track gear.

approach from left or right corner (huge blind spot)

edit on 26-7-2012 by 1BornPatriot because: (no reason given)

You gotta be dreaming. You can have the job of stuffing the barrel with JB Weld and waiting around for it to harden. I guess you can be duct taping the air intakes while you wait.

BTW, tanks usually hunt in groups or pairs. They protect each other by, if necessary, bouncing their small caliber rounds off the hulls of their brothers if they notice someone climbing aboard that shouldn't be there.

Slingshot with small rocks. Shoot the rocks down the barrel.

Wow, I'm at some point going to run a Star Wars tabletop RPG, and this is good stuff. I can totally have an ARC trooper brigade as a special NPC group that could teach my PC's this, any more ideas? Trying to see how a lightsaber would help, but with tank armor maybe not, any other good tactics to reduce the effectiveness of the 2-team tank? Using low-tech methods, because it might be a low-tech campaign.

Your best bet would be to form a spec ops reconnaissance team and take out the Tank commanders from within.
Snipers watching the base and tanks themselves, mines placed on strategic access points around a designated perimetre. You want to prevent the tanks from even getting out on the battlefield in the first place.
Cut the supply line.

Great information, thanks. I hope I never have to fight against tanks on my own turf, but you really never know what those psychopaths running the show will do to us one day.

Thanks.

reply to post by Aliensun


they line up, or they are in a column - the most you can do is take one out. and it is a suicide mission for sure.
you would have to - JB Cold Weld the doors first 4 mins. then cut off the air. put a pipe in the tracks - and then glue a rock in the barrel. you might get one or two this way - someone asked how to take out a tank with small arms - I gave you a method without firing a shot.

Put a chain on the ring on the back and hook it on the track crack.

A grease gun filled with degreaser

Mothballs in the fuel tank

when I think of more I will post them - where there is a will there is away. We are Americans and we dont surrender to Terrorist.

The way tankers run security? recon is easy.In fact go for the TOC they hate that.

reply to post by SeekerofTruth101


It isn't that difficult to disable a tracked vehicle, I know this because I still currently work with them every day. All it takes is a sandbag, tires also work, if they are used as barriers or somehow placed under the road wheels the vehicle will 'throw track,' meaning it will no longer roll.

An excellent case study would be the recent 2006 Lebanon War and Israels failure to effectively occupy Lebanon due to heavy armour losses on the ground. Hezbollah destroyed 38 Israeli Merkava main battle tanks and damaged 82, highlighting perhaps the serious disadvantage battle tanks can play during an invasion.

Geography also plays a serious part of course, you dont find many Abrams patrolling the Hindu Kush.

tiger pit = imobilized

reply to post by SeekerofTruth101


While I will not argue what you say in theory, in practice things are quite different

Modern Tanks are simply devastating, maneuverable and fast

The venerable LAAW is infective against modern tanks with modern armor as is almost every other man portable weapons system

Just speaking as a combat vet here and I can assure you, it is not as simple as you make it out to be

Semper

Originally posted by SeekerofTruth101
Fighters only need fire, retreat to draw tanks into street alleys, where the tanks can be trapped and destroyed easily.

Don't you think tankers already know this tactic and avoid getting caught in alleys, etc?

One thing you forgot. Armor has infantry support. It's not as easy as COD makes it seem.

Sling shot rocks down the barrels of the main gun?

JB Weld doors, etc?

Duct tape air ducts?

SpecOps kill the commanders (what, don't think other crew members can do his job?)

I have a question: Are you all on crack?

When you're scampering up to the tank with your freakin' tube of JB Weld, some dismounted 11B is going to be putting a few rounds into your empty heads.

But hey, keep up with these ideas. It will be fun watching you get wasted.