Slow Motion Tank Shot Shows How Its Destructive Power Works (Shotgun like Shell for Tanks)

Gizmodo.com ^ | 10/04/08 | Jesus Diaz

[Reaganesque]

Click here for video.

This terrifying slow motion video shows the destructive power of a tank canister shot, blazing across an entire battlefield. It's so spectacularly crystal-clear that you can easily understand why it is one of the most feared weapons by infantry soldiers. The canister shot is not new, however. This simple and incredibly effective technology has been wreaking havoc in ground fronts since the Napoleonic Wars.

Designed to create a destructive cloud to do major damage on a large group of soft bodies, the canister shot has played a central role in ground battles since the 18th century. The first time I read an account of its deadly power was in a book called A Day of Anger, describing how it literally made the streets of Madrid red with blood in the urban guerrilla battle that started the Spanish Independence War against the French.

In this video you can see how it works: A cylindrical metal canister is filled with lead or iron balls and sawdust, used to firmly pack the metal balls while avoiding them to crowding each other when the cannon fires. Basically, this type of shell turns the large tank cannon into a giant shotgun. And like a shotgun, its destructive power at close range is now mostly used in urban warfare.

[Reaganesque]

All I have to say is: "OW!" Its not exactly new tech but it is awesome in its destructive power. Yikes!

[SpaceBar]

...since the Napoleonic Wars

A whiff of grapeshot.

[TheZMan]

Wow! The final clip (last 5 seconds or so) is quite enlightening.

[Loud Mime]

That is quite impressive....from the sending end.

[BigBobber]

Interesting video, but I have no idea what the relevance is to modern warfare. Are we expecting mass infantry attacks from one of our enemies?

[The_Reader_David]

Iran, maybe.

[CrazyIvan]

The Japanese had shot cannisters for the 18” guns on the Yamato. They were supposed to be used for AA.

[mountainlion]

We called them a beehive round in Viet Nam. A tank main gun firing into the jungle turned everything in front gray.

[JimC214]

The bee hive round uses fletchettes, which are darts. This uses ball shot. Both will do some heavy damage.

[mountainlion]

The Bee Hive rounds that I saw used 3/8” drill rod cut 3/8 to 1/2 inch. The fletchettes we had were loaded in 12 gage shotgun rounds. When were you over there? They could have changed recipe?

[Covenantor]

The bee hive round uses fletchettes, which are darts. This uses ball shot. Both will do some heavy damage.

Yes, but the video clearly shows why this qualifies as a "bee-hive" round.

[JimC214]

I was U.S.M.C. early 70’ and they used a bee hive round in the 105’s and the 106 recoilless rifles. we would go down range after firings and see what damage they did to the target. I would really hate to be the enemy. Lots of damage.

[JimC214]

Recently, the use of the 105mm M494E3 APERS-T round[3] beehive round in Gaza and the West Bank by the IDF has been criticized. Recent developments of tank anti-personnel rounds have trended away from the use of flechettes and towards the use of high density metal balls (tungsten) combined with timed explosives in APAM (Anti-Personnel Anti-Materiel) rounds. Apparently the usual suspects were complaining. Blow yourself up with rat poisoned covered shrapnel and kill some kids OK. Defend yourself and kill them back and as usual get criticized by the MSN.

[Thumper1960]

Interesting video, but I have no idea what the relevance is to modern warfare. Are we expecting mass infantry attacks from one of our enemies?

Maybe the sickos in the DC inner sanctum are considering using them to placate a whole lot of torqued off citizens who may finally be fed up with the DC cabal.

One never knows.

Obamaites probably salivate at this video. Might be training their Obama Youth cult followers in their use.

[TXnMA]

Back when stereo sound was still "new", I bought a stereo test LP album that had a bunch of recordings of Civil war reenactments. One of the clips was recorded on microphones in a trench in a stand of small trees -- on the receiving end of a cannister load.

To this day, the sounds of the shattering trees, the flying dirt, and the howl of the richocheting, distorted shot screaming overhead remain some of the most hair-raising sounds I have ever heard. I simply can't comprehend human bodies facing that while advancing in formation across an open field...

[fso301]

Pretty cool

[PUGACHEV]

"The first time I read an account of its deadly power was in a book called A Day of Anger, describing how it literally made the streets of Madrid red with blood in the urban guerrilla battle that started the Spanish Independence War against the French."

Years ago -- although I cannot now recall where -- I read the L'Enfant designed the streets of Washington D.C. with the same thing in mind. Impressed with the power of a mob to threaten the government during the French Revolution, L'Enfant designed the new capital with broad avenues that cut diagonally across a grid North-South and East-West Streets. The avenues were (and are) connected with rectangular and circular parks placed about the same distance apart as effective cannister shot of the time. The idea was that if a mob advanced on the federal quarter of the city, cannon placed in the parks could sweep the approaches from all points of the compass and support each other at the same time.

[Mike Darancette]

This simple and incredibly effective technology has been wreaking havoc in ground fronts since the Napoleonic Wars.

canister helped the North hold the center at Gettysburg.

[moonhawk]

I hate when you click on the link and then you have to load some stupid software just to watch the damn video...

[fso301]

Interesting video, but I have no idea what the relevance is to modern warfare. Are we expecting mass infantry attacks from one of our enemies?

One reason is that if the hatch is buttoned up and the coaxial machinegun is knocked out, the cannister round provides anti-infantry capability