Atomic Tank: The Unique History of Centurion 169041 (nuked in a test and served another 23 years)

Armour: The Journal of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Association ^ | Mike Cecil

[Calvin Locke]

HMS Plym

Interesting about the Plym, but it was the bomb carrier, unlike the tank.

The tank was more akin to the USS Pennsylvania, sans the livestock.

Janet Incompetano and her ilk might want to take a look at the movie made about the HMS Plym.

It looks likes there are lessons there that should not be forgotten.

[Squantos]

Very good read....thank you.

Largest shot I was involved in was a simulated nuke back in late 80’s on white sands missile range. 2400 ton anfo shot to simulate a .6kt detonations explosive effects etc...without the nuclear components of course.

Can’t be trashin the sod poodles an such ....

[Nebr FAL owner]

tanks are tracked vehicles that makes them maintenance intensive . Driving your tank hundreds/thousand plus miles non stop wold leave it in condition for being nothing more than a gunnery target . You would literally have burned out the transmission the engine & the tracks before you got to your destination

[Train Collector]

BOLO Mk-I

[agooga]

At that distance from the tower, what would the effects of the blast have been on the crew?

[DCBryan1]

At that distance from the tower, what would the effects of the blast have been on the crew?

Methinks the gamma radiation at that distance would have penetrated the tank and instantly incapacitated them into a terminal coma. If they were exposed.....extra crispy.

[norton]

Although the article confuses the distances between test site and Woomera, it cites 160 miles plus, over half the distance, under its own power going to the site and either 170 or 270 returning - while towing one or more trailers.

Not so very bad.

Of course, it also reports that the engine let go short of the destination and that the truck next sent to pick it up fared about the same or worse then the original carrier.

[ansel12]

What a strange, interesting tale.

[FreedomPoster]

Free Republic Treadhead Ping

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[FreedomPoster]

Oops; it helps if you put the usernames in the To: field.

[Eaker]

without the nuclear components of course.

Which you still have??

;<)

[BIGLOOK]

Of interest......ping

Thanks Naturalman.

[archy]

tanks are tracked vehicles that makes them maintenance intensive

Four hours of maintenance for every hour of operation was our rule of thumb with the M48 and M60 series. The newer Abrams is better than double that, and much of the service it requires needs to come from battalion level maintenance technicians rather than just us ol' crewdawgs.

I've crewed in T55s as well. Also worse than an an M48A3 or M60A1, mostly requiring parts replacement, rather than adjustment, lubrication or component parts such as track pads or track center guides.

[archy]

I'm teaching some of my classes about this tank next week as a way of covering part of Australia's Cold-War military history - it's good for putting events like the development of nuclear weapons, Vietnam, etc, into context.

Centurions were usually referred to as *pennies* by the Oz tank crews, pennies=*Cents*- get it, mate?

God bless the Diggers. Hammer, 1969

There's a feature film, a fictionalised account about the 1966 Battle at Long Tan scheduled for release in 2012. The film is being produced by Martin Walsh and is expected to have a budget of up to $42 million dollars. Don't know if they'll have the Pennies and .50 caliber Browning guns or not, but we shall see. 169039

Oz Centurions Slap & Tickle and Lannister Kid, around '69-'70, down around Nui Dat in Phuc Tuoy Province.

[archy]

without the nuclear components of course.

Which you still have??

He's always welcome to borrow some of mine.

[Eaker]

Archy,

We are glad you are on our side!

[Squantos]

Wha huh who Ahhh..no.me ?

[Squantos]

Now that’s a true friend...thanks Archy !

[Robert A Cook PE]

How did the T55 compare to the venerable T34?

Have you been in the gas-lighter (er, Sherman)?

[patton]

WSMR? 80 miles tall, 40 miles wide, home of LP33 and the Trinty Site?

Used to bomb Mexico 3 times in the 50’s?

Home of the Elephant cage, and the only hilcopter in the world with a cieling of 45,000 feet?

Warnher Von Braun’s summer home?

Never heard of it.