Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!dino!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!iuvax!att!cbnews!military
From: jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Dimensions of Tanks
Keywords: Tanks, heights, advantages, disadvantages
Message-ID: <1990Oct24.151639.16463@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 24 Oct 90 15:16:39 GMT
Sender: military-request@att.att.com
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Indian Hill -  Naperville, Illinois
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From: jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher)

A poster recently asked about the dimensions (particularly the height) of
certain Soviet and American main battle tanks.  Here's what I dug up:
    
	T-54/55
		length of hull:  21.16 feet
		width: 10.7 feet
		height to turret roof: 7.87 feet

	T-62
		length of hull:  21.75 feet
		width: 10.8 feet
		height to turret roof: 7.85 feet

	T-64
		length of hull:  21 feet
		width (without skirts): 11.09 feet
		height to turret roof: 7.54 feet

	T-72
		length of hull:  22.8 feet
		width (without skirts): 11.8 feet
		height to turret roof: 7.7 feet

	M1A1
		length of hull:  25.97 feet
		width: 12.0 feet
		height to turret roof: 9.46 feet

	M60A3
		length of hull:  22.78 feet
		width: 11.9 feet
		height to turret roof: 10.73 feet

The American tanks are significantly higher than their Soviet counterparts. 
There are advantages and disadvantages in having a tank with a low profile.
A tank built low to the ground has a lower profile and is hence more difficult
to see and hit.  However, this low profile often comes at the cost of having
a main armament with a significantly lower elevation and/or depression.  In
addition, a tank that is built too low to the ground cannot see or fire over
even relatively low elevations when fighting in hilly country.
So, just as in everyday life, there are pluses and minuses in being tall.

Source: Jane's Main Battle Tanks, Christopher Foss, 1986


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