Picture of the day

diopter said:
Conqueror, grandad of the Chieftain and Challenger series of British tanks.

Handler.ashx


Details:
http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/UK/FV-214_Conqueror.php
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wasnt that the tank that was too heavy for half the bridges in Europe? as a kid I recall a Might Antar Mk II attempting (barely successfully) to haul a Conqueror up a very small grade in Farnham Surrey ... not too far from Aldershot
 
AP said:
wasnt that the tank that was too heavy for half the bridges in Europe? as a kid I recall a Might Antar Mk II attempting (barely successfully) to haul a Conqueror up a very small grade in Farnham Surrey ... not too far from Aldershot
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Quote from Wiki:
"The armour was very heavy for the time, especially in the front, where it was seven inches (178 mm) in the horizontal plane.[2] Unfortunately, this, along with the weight of the huge turret required to house the large gun and the very large hull volume, made the vehicle very heavy, giving it a relatively low top speed and making it mechanically unreliable. Also, few bridges could support its weight."
 
diopter said:
Quote from Wiki:
"The armour was very heavy for the time, especially in the front, where it was seven inches (178 mm) in the horizontal plane.[2] Unfortunately, this, along with the weight of the huge turret required to house the large gun and the very large hull volume, made the vehicle very heavy, giving it a relatively low top speed and making it mechanically unreliable. Also, few bridges could support its weight."
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The Conqueror weighed 64 tons. A US contemporary, the 120mm armed M103 which saw limited service, weighed 65 tons. In comparison the current M1A2 weighs 72 tons and the Leopard 2 weighs 68 tons. The big difference between these early heavy tanks and the current models is a vastly improved power to weight ratio.
 
purple said:
The Conqueror weighed 64 tons. A US contemporary, the 120mm armed M103 which saw limited service, weighed 65 tons. In comparison the current M1A2 weighs 72 tons and the Leopard 2 weighs 68 tons. The big difference between these early heavy tanks and the current models is a vastly improved power to weight ratio.
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yes. however for this comparison with the Abrams (72 short tons) apparently the Conqueror weighed 71 (short) tons
 
XRCD011 said:
British tanks of the post war years.................a great way to turn diesel fuel into noise.
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I have read that the Chieftain was considered the best tank in the world .... provided it broke down in a good fire position!

i wonder how long it took to ‘R&R’ a Conqueror powerplant vs a Leopard? Just for fun. have seen a lot of Centurions making much noise and smoke ... with very little forward motion
 
AP said:
wasnt that the tank that was too heavy for half the bridges in Europe? as a kid I recall a Might Antar Mk II attempting (barely successfully) to haul a Conqueror up a very small grade in Farnham Surrey ... not too far from Aldershot
Click to expand...

Tank transporter Mighty Antar made by Thornycroft (uk)
1024px-Mighty_Antar_Trekker_2.jpg

1280px-Mighty_Antar_Truck_front.jpg


The Mighty Antar was a heavy-duty 6×4 tractor unit built by Thornycroft from the 1940s onwards. For some decades it was the standard tank transporter of the British Army and was also used by other nations. It was powered by a shortened V8 land version of the V12 Merlin Aircraft engine, modified to run on diesel, and known as the Rolls-Royce Meteorite.
Origins[edit]
The civilian version of the Antar was developed in the late 1940s as an oilfield vehicle for transporting pipes over rough ground.[1] They were of 6×4 layout (i.e. six wheels, four of them driven), with the front (steering) axle undriven and with twin wheels on both driven (rear) axles (technically ten wheels, eight of them driven, as each rear axles has four wheels). The vehicle was designed from the outset for off-road use, like the earlier Scammell Pioneer and unlike the road-going Diamond T it was eventually to replace.

The engine, the Meteorite, was a cut-down V8 version of the V12 Rolls-Royce Meteor used in tanks, itself a terrestrial version of the Merlin and made under licence by the Rover Co Ltd. Early Antars used the petrol version made by Rover and by the early 1950s the Rolls-Royce-manufactured diesel versions of the engine.[2]

The name[edit]
The name "Antar" was a reference to Antar Ibn Shadded, a pre-Islamic Arab poet-warrior. The intended lead customer for the "Mighty Antar" was the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, previously the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, and this was an intentional ploy to flatter the customer.[citation needed]
 
AP said:
I have read that the Chieftain was considered the best tank in the world .... provided it broke down in a good fire position!

i wonder how long it took to ‘R&R’ a Conqueror powerplant vs a Leopard? Just for fun. have seen a lot of Centurions making much noise and smoke ... with very little forward motion
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The Centurion only fulfilled its potential after the Israelis upgraded/replaced the engine and drive train.
 
Centurion turrets converted to pillboxes in Austria.

http://4.bp.########.com/-JHlXqU-FtFw/VArFM_sb8eI/AAAAAAAAE_E/0z3vo6YKc5A/s1600/P8293481.JPG

6825692727_afaa93d4a5_b.jpg
 
CV32 said:
Centurion turrets converted to pillboxes in Austria.

http://4.bp.########.com/-JHlXqU-FtFw/VArFM_sb8eI/AAAAAAAAE_E/0z3vo6YKc5A/s1600/P8293481.JPG

6825692727_afaa93d4a5_b.jpg
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I see they have provided tie down points in case of a strong wind......are the sheep the welcoming committee for middle eastern visiting troops?
 
Re: 'The Mighty Antar' ....

When our Brigade was attached to the 2nd Div BAOR, we saw a LOT of Antars. Their tanks had steel tracks and could not travel on German civilian roads, particularly the autobahn. In a Brit JR. Ranks Club during a major exercise, there were any number of female drivers of these rigs - and their 'girlfriends'. The Brits warned us to avoid approaching the girlfriends as it would get very ugly in a hurry. We were happy to comply.
 
AP said:
I see they have provided tie down points in case of a strong wind......are the sheep the welcoming committee for middle eastern visiting troops?
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Unless it’s designed for little house next to it to cover the turret for a little “#### in the box” moment for the invading Russians. I believe the soviets this extensively in WWII when preparing defensive lines.
 
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