‘Something’ felled an M1A1 Abrams tank in Iraq – but what?

Army Times ^ | 11/3/04 | John Roos

[Fighting Irish]

Shortly before dawn on Aug. 28, an M1A1 Abrams tank on routine patrol in Baghdad “was hit by something” that crippled the 69-ton behemoth.

Army officials still are puzzling over what that “something” was.

According to an unclassified Army report, the mystery projectile punched through the vehicle’s skirt and drilled a pencil-sized hole through the hull. The hole was so small that “my little finger will not go into it,” the report’s author noted.

The “something” continued into the crew compartment, where it passed through the gunner’s seatback, grazed the kidney area of the gunner’s flak jacket and finally came to rest after boring a hole 1½ to 2 inches deep in the hull on the far side of the tank.

As it passed through the interior, it hit enough critical components to knock the tank out of action. That made the tank one of only two Abrams disabled by enemy fire during the Iraq war and one of only a handful of “mobility kills” since they first rumbled onto the scene 20 years ago. The other Abrams knocked out this year in Iraq was hit by an RPG-7, a rocket-propelled grenade.

Experts believe whatever it is that knocked out the tank in August was not an RPG-7 but most likely something new — and that worries tank drivers.

[KC_Conspirator]

bump

[dighton]

Some interesting comments here and here.

[Akira]

Very interesting, thanks for posting...

[Fighting Irish]

Woooooops! Thanks...didn't know this was a re-post.sorry

Moderator....do your thing!

[Yardstick]

Thank goodness the crew wasn't hurt by whatever it was. I can see why the tank crews would be worried. On the plus side, it sounds like whatever this thing is has been designed to disable the mechanicals of the tank rather than kill the crew.

[Joee]

I have viewed pictures of the incident and am totally snowed. I can think of two basic questions in regards to the situation. The first, what weapon has the velocity to do what happened to the tank? The second, is what alloy allowed such penetration without total self-destruction.

On a totally wild stab as to answers, I would guess the launcher would be of the electro magnetic type, capable of over 6000 FPS. I know the US is testing such. The projectile ??? I haven't a clue.

Regardless, I think crews or armored vehicles will not sleep as well, henceforth.

[Kay Soze]

ping for later review!

[cavtrooper21]

Seen this??

[Justice]

I wonder if our old adversaries in Russia are behind this new technology??

[Sabatier]

laser?

[archy]

Seen this??

Yep. See earlier FReeppost *here*.

[Joee]

"Laser!" No, I don't think so, as a projectile was involved.

[cavtrooper21]

ok.
sorry.

[MindBender26]

But think of the electrical energy that would be needed, if you're talking railgun or the like.

[swilhelm73]

So the only question here, is this one of the weapons Russia was selling Hussein under the table, or one of the weapons France was selling Hussein under the table?

[Husker24]

It was a shaped charge of some sort, not any type of rail gun.

[Ogmios]

Agreed, this was not a railgun, this was a sophisticated RPG, and it happened accidentally or on purposely hit one of the weakest parts of the tank.

I don't know if any of you have seen pictures, but the projectile went through near a hinge in the skirt and just above one of the wheel assemblies, there are weak spots, not many, but some.

This was nothing more then a sophisticated RPG that either got lucky, or the guy was a really good shot.

[MindBender26]

Agree. Was posting to #15 who thought it might be. Also, agree it was lucky shot. RPG very inaccurate.

[MindBender26]

Agree. Was posting to #15 who thought it might be ELECTRIC. Also, agree it was lucky shot. RPG very inaccurate.