Ever see the movie Tank Girl?
Posted on 12/30/2015 9:35:29 AM PST by Snickering Hound
The M3 Stuart light tank and M4 Sherman main battle tank, both nearly 75 years old, appear to be going back into service with the Paraguayan Army as operational trainers.
Although the Paraguayan Army made a brief use of Italian Ansaldo CV33s, the M3 and M3A1s were its first real tanks. A total of 15 M3s were delivered in 1970 in three successive lots as donations from neighbouring Brazil. Paraguay's Stuart tanks first served with Cavalry Regiment N°3 (Regimiento de CaballerÃa N°3: RC3), part of 1st Cavalry Division (División de Caballeria 1: DC1), headquartered at Campo Grande near Paraguay's capital, Asuncion.
Since then - and aside from their part in the 1989 coup d'état that ousted General Alfredo Stroessner, then President of Paraguay - M3s have occasionally participated in the country's 15 May military parade in Asuncion. For the most part the tanks were mainly out of action, having been stored following a threatened army coup in 1996, until the last several years in which efforts have been made to get a portion of the fleet back in operational condition.
(Excerpt) Read more at janes.com ...
Landlocked Paraguay also has a navy. The bought a war ship of some description, but it was too big. It couldn’t get out on the Parana River and into the Atlantic for half the year. The water level was too low.
So finding they have Sherman tanks is not surprising.
For fear of breaking it, it had minimal movement, and a CGI-friendly peelable coating to fill in the paint scheme, and action details and "damage".
Ever see the movie Tank Girl?
I take it you've never been to the nudist beach at Cordillera.
The “Combat-happy Joes of Easy Company”. Fond childhood memories.
Looks like they could use a weed whip.
Ogod, THAT thing? It was almost - ALMOST - unwatchable sober...
True, but if you replace the M3 gun with the M256 120mm smoothbore gun and explosive reactive armor you would have an effective tank!
Sort of, and partly true. Also true of any tank using an aircraft radial engine as its powerplant, moreso if still running aviation fuel, less so- a bit less, maybe- if detuned for regular military grade MoGas.
Remember that the Finnish inventors of the Molotov Cocktail firebomb for use against tanks did so because the Russian light tanks, Amphibians and armored cars of the 1939-'40 *Winter War* were gasoline engined. So were most of the tanks the Brits used in North Africa, their own as well as the ones we sent them, as well as those run by the Germans, trying to save scarce Diesel fuel for their U-boat service.
In my day a *Ronson* or *Zippo* tank or track was one with a flamethrower on board. Real handy against light infantry attacks at night.
Wonder what,
1. Arizona license/registration would cost.
2. What USAA Insurance would cost.
3. How many Gas/Diesel Station Attendant Heart Attacks this would cause when I KLANITY/KLANKED in and said “Fill Er Up.”
4. How many local & Az Cops I'd cause to faint.
The Brits were just jealous when Patton kicked Rommel’s ass with them.
An M5 went for 300K two years back.
On the other hand, MV Specialists in Kent, England scored 18 M3A1s from Brazil and is working like Santa's elves to get them back in shape- it helps that he picked up 60 tons of spares. If you get one, get one with the Continental engine, not the Guiberson [goobersome!] Diesel engine.
As for License/registration: incorporate in Montana: $87.50 LIFETIME registration rate, $5 Montana Highway Patrol Salary and Retention Fee, county tax, $6 optional state parks support, certain special plate fees and $5 insurance verification fee if existing plates are kept on the vehicle
Insurance: register in Montana and self-insure.
How many Gas/Diesel Station Attendant Heart Attacks this would cause when I KLANITY/KLANKED in and said “Fill Er Up.â€
In my experience, they smile all the way to the bank. And after they leave, they chuckle a bit.
4. How many local & Az Cops I'd cause to faint.
Nah. They want to go for a ride. Almost always.
Years ago I was in what was then called Puerto Stroessner, now Puerto de Este, after the coup). Under both names, that river port city was the smuggling capitol of South America. I bought six Rolex watches from a guy who had about a dozen of them under his sleeve, just like in the movies. I gave him $100 for six of the Rolexes for gifts and the dude threw in a pair of “genuine” Oscar de la Renta shades. I LOVE Paraguay.
Aikona, don't say *whip* to a Zimbabweenie! Sis, they take it right personal, meneer!
“I believe it was Ben Franklin who said “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.†“
Maybe Ben Franklin said it first, but it’s funnier if you credit it to Bill Clinton.
“I believe it was Ben Franklin who said “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” “
Maybe Ben Franklin said it first, but it’s funnier if you credit it to Bill Clinton.
They would loved to have had them in early 1930s for the Chaco conflict
But considering the first Stuart or Sherman tanks didn’t hit the ground till 1941.....
It would have been hard in early or even late 30s
Paraguay for their size are badassed and heroic and understand full well victory and despair
Not to be underestimated
If they keep 'em a little longer, they'll be able to upgrade them with railgun turrets.
(This image is sci-fi, not prototype)
Didn’t some British collector buy a bunch of M3s from some South American country a couple of years ago?
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