Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!decwrl!shelby!rutgers!att!cbnews!military
From: malloy@nprdc.navy.mil (Sean Malloy)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Persian Gulf Combat Aircraft--The A-4 Skyhawk
Message-ID: <1990Oct11.051229.353@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 11 Oct 90 05:12:29 GMT
References: <1990Oct8.030359.11680@cbnews.att.com> <1990Oct10.000344.29709@cbnews.att.com>
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From: malloy@nprdc.navy.mil (Sean Malloy)

In article <1990Oct10.000344.29709@cbnews.att.com> ab3o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Allan Bourdius) writes:

>Besides, why get rid of the A-10 in the first place?  The A-10 is the
>only Western aircraft designed from the beginning specifically with the
>CAS mission as its sole purpose.  Even though the A-10's never seen
>actual combat, it has destroyed more tanks (M-47/M-48 Targets) than any
>other weapon system in history.  So what if it's ugly, so what if it's
>slow; it's the best aircraft for the mission.

>[mod.note:  Claiming to have destroyed more tanks than any other
>weapon system in history is a pretty tall claim.  I'm sure the Ju 87
>Stuka, 8.8cm FlAK 18/36/37, and PzKw IV could all make strong claims on
>that title, as well.  Can someone supply numbers to substantiate this ?
>- Bill ]

Since Hans Ulrich Rudel is recorded as having destroyed over 500
tanks (and one battleship, described by the Russians as "slightly
damaged and later raised" -- i.e., off the bottom where it sank)
_himself_ while flying a Stuka during WWII, I think that the Ju 87
would most likely take top honors as a tank destroyer among aircraft.
Not having hard data on how many tanks have been destroyed by A-10
training and exhibition flights, I'm not sure whether Rudel might not
be able to beat the A-10's record all by himself.


 Sean Malloy                                   | "The Crystal Wind is the
 Navy Personnel Research & Development Center  | Storm, and the Storm is Data,
 San Diego, CA 92152-6800                      | and the Data is Life."
 malloy@nprdc.navy.mil                         | -- _Emerald Eyes_, D.K. Moran