LetLetLet ~ Warplanes

Let Let Let - Warplanes => Ground Forces => Topic started by: No.1 on February 16, 2011, 10:31:50 AM

Title: Caro Armato
Post by: No.1 on February 16, 2011, 10:31:50 AM
Italian battle machine
Title: Re: Caro Armato
Post by: Sall on February 16, 2011, 10:46:26 AM
This is some light tank! Interesting machine mate.
Title: Re: Caro Armato
Post by: g-1reaper on February 16, 2011, 06:28:38 PM
I understood those Italian tanks and armoured vehicles were real coffins, because the armour was rivetted instead of welded steel plate.
Title: Re: Caro Armato
Post by: Second Air Force on February 16, 2011, 07:27:35 PM
I understood those Italian tanks and armoured vehicles were real coffins, because the armour was rivetted instead of welded steel plate.
My father was in a maintenance battalion of the U.S. 1st Armored Division in North Africa. He told me much the same about the Italian armor as your observation. He also talked about the same problem with the early M3 Grant/Lee tank in both British and U.S. use. The rivets acted as bullets when the hull was hit. Dad was in a battlefield repair unit that worked on knocked out equipment right after the end of a battle. His memory of the M3 was that it was often a very sad thing to have to remove remains of the crews before they could begin salvage/repair. Often the tank wasn't badly holed but the rivets had bounced around inside like shrapnel.