They must work together to maintain and service their tank and equipment, and they must function as one in combat. Crews must cross-train so each member can function at any of the other crew positions.
Platoon Leader The platoon leader is responsible to the commander for the discipline and training of his platoon, the maintenance of its equipment, and its success in combat. He must be proficient in the tactical employment of his section and of the platoon in concert with a company team or troop. He must have a solid understanding of troop-leading procedures and develop his ability to apply them quickly and efficiently on the battlefield.
The platoon leader must know the capabilities and limitations of the platoon's personnel and equipment; at the same time, he must be well versed in enemy organizations, doctrine, and equipment. He must serve as an effective tank commander TC. Most important of all, the platoon leader must be flexible, using sound judgment to make correct decisions quickly and at the right times based on his commander's intent and the tactical situation.
Platoon leaders must know and understand the task force mission and the task force commander's intent. They must be prepared to assume the duties of the company commander in accordance with the succession of command. Platoon Sergeant The PSG is second in command of the platoon and is accountable to the platoon leader for the training, discipline, and welfare of the soldiers in the platoon.
He coordinates the platoon's maintenance and logistics requirements and handles the personal needs of individual soldiers. His tactical and technical knowledge allow him to serve as mentor to crewmen, other NCOs, and the platoon leader. His actions on the battlefield must complement those of the platoon leader.
He must fight his section in concert with the platoon leader's section. Tank Commander The TC is responsible to the tank platoon leader for the reporting of logistical needs and the tactical employment of his tank. He briefs his crew, directs the movement of the tank, submits all reports, and supervises initial first-aid treatment and evacuation of wounded crewmen.
He is an expert in using the tank's weapon systems, requesting indirect fires, and executing land navigation. The TC must know and understand the company mission and company commander's intent. He must be prepared to assume the duties and responsibilities of the platoon leader or platoon sergeant in accordance with the succession of command.
These requirements demand that the TC maintain situational awareness by using all available optics for observation, by eavesdropping on radio transmissions, and by monitoring the intervehicular information system IVIS or applique digital screen if available. Gunner The gunner searches for targets and aims and fires both the main gun and the coaxial machine gun.
He is responsible to the TC for the maintenance of the tank's armament and fire control equipment. The gunner serves as the assistant TC and assumes the responsibilities of the TC as required. He also assists other crewmembers as needed. Several of his duties involve the tank's communications and internal control systems: logging onto and monitoring communications nets; maintaining digital links if the tank is equipped with the IVIS or applique digital system; inputting graphic control measures on digital overlays; and monitoring digital displays during the planning and preparation phases of an operation.
Driver The driver moves, positions, and stops the tank. While driving, he constantly searches for covered routes and for covered positions to which he can move if the tank is engaged. He maintains his tank's position in formation and watches for visual signals.
If the tank is equipped with a steer-to indicator, the driver monitors the device and selects the best tactical route. During engagements, he assists the gunner and TC by scanning for targets and sensing fired rounds. The driver is responsible to the TC for the automotive maintenance and refueling of the tank.
He assists other crewmen as needed. Loader The loader loads the main gun and the coaxial machine gun ready box; he aims and fires the loader's machine gun if the vehicle is equipped with one.
He stows and cares for ammunition and is responsible to the TC for the maintenance of communications equipment. Though frequently outgunned by their German counterparts, Shermans proved easier to maintain—often fixed on the battlefield. No unit markings were discovered when previous coats of paint were removed from the tank.
Because the tank was manufactured in , it is almost certain that it was deployed overseas during the war, although no battle damage was discovered. When the Sherman tank arrived at the Museum in December , its engine was completely rusted and it was painted in a color appropriate to the Korean War era rather than World War II.
Restoration work began in late October , when the tank received a running Ford GAA engine and a new paint job. During the interbellum British tank experiments generally followed these basic classifications, which were made part of the overall doctrine with the work of Percy Hobart and Captain B. Liddell Hart. Using later terminology, the infantry tank has been compared to a heavy tank , while the cruisers were compared to mediums , lights , or even armoured cars.
This comparison can be misleading though: particularly as the infantry tank was never intended to have the same anti-tank capabilities as a heavy tank. The infantry tank was distinctly different from either the "heavy tank" or "breakthrough tank" concepts, although some pre-war multi-turreted heavy tanks such as the Soviet T and German Neubaufahrzeug both taking some of their inspiration from the Vickers A1E1 Independent tank prototype - an idea which was abandoned by the War office in the late s for lack of funding were similar, and with similar doctrines for their use.
The Neubaufahrzeug was considered too slow for Blitzkrieg tactics and fell from favour. German and to some extent Soviet wartime doctrine shifted towards faster medium and heavy tanks fighting large multi-tank battles, with the role of the infantry tank in assaults taken by simpler self-propelled artillery.
An important difference, however, was that heavy tanks were generally very well armed, while infantry tanks were not necessarily better-armed than other tanks. For example, the Soviet KV-1 heavy tank and British Matilda infantry tank were deployed at about the same time in These two tanks had similar levels of armour protection and mobility, but the KV was far more heavily armed than the Matilda.
In British practice, the main armament of the infantry tank went in three phases. The pre-Dunkirk British Army Matilda I had only a single machine gun , a compromise forced by the lightness of its chassis. The Matilda II gained a capable anti-tank capacity for its time, with the 40mm 2 pounder , but these were only issued with solid-shot i.
The ultimate evolution of the British infantry tank concept began with the Churchill MkI , where a hull-mounted 3 inch howitzer could support infantry assaults with HE shells. Since the infantry tanks were to work at the pace of the infantry units, which would be attacking on foot, high speed was not a requirement and they were able to carry heavier armour.
The first two purpose-designed infantry tanks, the Mark I "Matilda" and Mark II "Matilda" were armed with a heavy machine gun and QF 2 pounder anti-tank gun respectively. These two saw action in the Battle of France.
0コメント