Tank is an armored combat vehicle. Most tanks travel on continuous tracks. They carry such weapons as cannons, machine guns, and grenade launchers. In most tanks, these weapons are mounted in a revolving structure called a turret. Some tanks carry smoke generators to help conceal their positions from an enemy. A tank has a crew of three or four members. It may have metal or ceramic armor.
Tanks are used to attack other armored vehicles, infantry, and ground targets. They are also used to fire on aircraft. Armies throughout the world have many thousands of tanks available for active service. Tanks are classified as main battle tanks or as armored reconnaissance vehicles. Main battle tanks weigh from 35 to 70 tons (32 to 64 metric tons). Armored reconnaissance vehicles weigh from 10 to 25 tons (9 to 23 metric tons).
Performance.
Tanks travel as fast as 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour on level ground. They average 10 to 20 miles (16 to 32 kilometers) per hour on rough terrain. Tanks can climb and descend slopes as steep as 30 degrees. They can turn around within their own length.
Modern tanks have 120- or 125-millimeter guns and computer fire control systems. These guns can hit small targets 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) away, even while the tank is moving. Modern tanks also have heavy frontal armor. This armor can withstand attack by weapons usually capable of penetrating 20 to 40 inches (51 to 102 centimeters) of steel.
History.
Tanks got their name from the British, who developed them during World War I (1914-1918). While they were being built, the British called them water tanks to conceal their purpose. The British first used tanks against the Germans in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The early tanks were slow and clumsy. But they were successful in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917.
During World War II (1939-1945), all the warring nations used tanks. German tank units won important victories over Poland, France, and the Soviet Union. In 1943, the Soviets fought the Germans near Kursk, in the Soviet Union. This fight became one of the most famous tank battles in history. In 1944, Allied tanks swept into Germany. There, they helped to assure victory in Europe.
Tanks have taken part in many regional wars, especially in the Middle East. Over 6,000 tanks were used in the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. Nearly half were destroyed in only 18 days of combat. Precision-guided weapons were first used against tanks during this war. During the Persian Gulf War of 1991, the United States used over 2,000 tanks but suffered few losses. Iraq, however, lost more than 3,500 tanks in combat. The United States and its allies also used tanks in taking control of Iraq in the Iraq War (2003-2011).
See also Army, United States (Armor) ; Periscope ; Sherman tank .
