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Tank Hunting
Snarling, heavily-armoured, and bristling with devastating armament, the Main Battle Tank (MBT) can seem unstoppable to the infantryman - but there are occations when determined and properly armed footsoldiers can wreak havoc among even a sizeable detachment of enemy armour.
You'll usually carry out such opeerations at night, as part of a fighting patrol whose mission is to destroy enemy tanks at close range. Known as tank hunting, this is a task for the ordinary infantryman, as distinct from the expert and highly specialised techniques of anti-tank warefare. Here I'll describe the weapons and techniques of tank hunting and tell you the vulnerable parts of an armoured vehicle that you should aim to hit.
Know the weak spot:
The first thing you need to remember is that a tank is not by any means a
flexible weapon. Closed down for combat, a tank crew has very limited vision. Close to, a
tank is surrounded by blind spots.
The tank's armament is virtually useless against a moving, close-range target, for the simple reason that it can't lower its gun sufficiently to engage a nearby target. As a result, a tank is at its most vulnerable when crossing a ridge - doubtly so, in fact, because its tracks and lightly armoured belly, rear and sides are also exposed then.
Tanks have to refuel and rearm, usually at night. They'll do this either in a 'leaguer' (an aministrative compound) or with a 'running replenishment' in the field. In either case enemy tanks will be bunched together, with little room to manoeuvre, and probably surrounded by cover that may screen them by also offers a perfect hiding-place for infantry. If you can find the enemy's tanks at such a time, they make excellent targets.
Attack by patrol:
Imagine that you have been given the task of mounting a tank-hunting patrol. Your
mission is to destroy as many tanks as possible as they undergo running replenishment in a
village street just behind enemy lines. You know that the enemy has been using that
location for two nights and that his tanks will be there again tonight. Recce patrols have
already found a route for you between two forward enemy companies. You're to take a 12-man
patrol.
As with any patrol, your first job is to make sure you know as much as possible aboout the killing ground and your route to it. Use maps, aerial photographs, and if possible survey the ground itself from an observation post.
Next, learn everything you can about the type of tank you are going to attack: where its most vulnerable points are, its hatches, radio antennae, and sights. And make yourself familiar with enemy operating procedures. Finally, rehearseyour actin on the objective and make sure that you and everyone going with you knows exactly what they have to do.
The weapon to take:
Since your best chance of success lies in reaching your objective, making a quick
attack and then withdrawing behind your own lines as fast unobtrusively as possible, you
would would ideally use timed charges. However, they are likely to be reserved for Special
Forces.
A reasonable armoury of immediate-effect weapons for your 12-man patrol would include two 84mm MAWs, two 66mm LAWs, both firing specialised high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) missiles. The LAW is effective up to 200 metres, the MAW out to twice that distance. Both will penetrate the sides and rear of any sovjet main battle tank.
In addition you'll be carrying phosphorus grenades, anti-tank mines and personal weapons. You can attach image intensification (II) equipment or an individual weapon sight (IWS) to the MAW. This will give you an impressive picture of any nocturnal enemy activity at up to 150 metres range even on the darkest night. Without an IWS, you will need white light - flares - to score a kill at anything but point-blank range.
Into the Attack:
You should open fire with both MAWs and LAWs simultaneously. This create the
maximum immediate damage to the target and creates an invaluable psycological advantage.
Imagine the effect on the enemy: he thinks he is in a safe administrative area, behind his own lines, peaceably servicing his tanks. Then several HEAT projectiles slam into the vehicles.
Flames and panic break out everywhere. The tanks are waiting in column to be refuelled. Some reverse, other accellerate, some swerve to avoid other crippled and burning vehicles. At this point you should drop anti-tank mines at each end of the column, causing further damage and chaos. Meanwhile, rake any visible enemy personnel with automatic fire.
About now some enemy crews will decide to abandon their ruined vehicles. At this stage throw as many phosphorus grenades as you can into the midst of the tanks. This will disrupt any night vision equipment the enemy is trying to bring to bear on your position, and injure dismounting enemy troops. Having done your job, withdraw as discreetly as you can.
The Ambush Option:
You can bring of an attack as successful as that only against an extremely
inefficient enemy. But that is the ideal to aim for. In practice, most of your tank
hunting will more nearly resemble an ambush.
If, for instance, you where withdrawing under the pressure of an enemy attack, one way of blunting his advance would be to set up tank ambushes and hit the enemy as he advance. You'll be able to mount these attacks most easily in close country or in built-up areas. If you can mount a series of ambushes, so much the better.
Choose your ambush site carefully. From it you should be able to get as close as between 100 and 200 metres to the enemy. Spring your ambush, withdraw along a pre-planned route, reorganise and repeat the process.
Any decently-trained tank crew will, if they can, avoid areas where they're vulnerable to ambush. And if they're forced to advance through close or built-up areas, they'll call on infantry to clear the woods or buildings first. However, in reality, tanks often outrun their infantry support - if they can get it at all. You will usually find rich pickings in a tank hunting party working from a well-chosen ambush site.
Where to aim:
The largest 'soft' area of a tank you're likely to see is its side. So wait until
your target tank turns away from you before you open fire.
Tank tracks are particularly vulnerable. If you can blow of a track, the tank is as good as dead. It's immediately exposed as an easy kill for longer-range anti-tank missiles, and is costly for the enemy to recover.
The turret or the glacis plate at the front of the tank is where a tank's armour is hardest. Don't fire at the front of the tank, therefore, even if it's coming straight at you, Just take cover.
An infantryman hidden behind a building, an earth bank or in his trench is surprisingly safe from a tank. If one motors over your trench, just keep your head down. Then pop-up behind it and send a LAW or MAW up it' rear end.
Revenge is sweet:
Tank hunting is a useful way for the infantryman to get back at the tank.
It's not a practical way to destroy enemy armuor in large numbers: this is a job for other
tanks, long-range anti-tank missiles and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGW) on the open
battle-field.
But tank-hunting saps the enemy's morale and raises that of the footsoldier no end - as well as reducing the threat to you from enemy armour. Tank hunting is the infantry's special contribution to the anti-tank battle.
When it's successful, tank hunting is truely an example of David slaying Goliath.
Tank Vulnerability:
Tank hunting:
Tank hunting is carried out by a fighting patrol which can vary in size from a section to
several companies. The fighting patrol must have sufficient strength to carry out the
mission and defend itself on route out and route back. The basic aim is to attack enemy
tanks when they are harboured up, in a defencive position or in a tank leaguer.
Control, concealment and protection:
As soon as you start firing your anti-tank weapons your position will be revealed
to the enemy, so make sure you deploy these weapons at reasonable intervals, not all
together.
Co-ordinate your fire:
Make sure you can cover targets with both small-arms and anti-tank fire. A good
coordinated fireplan will isolate individual tanks from their infantry support, restrict
tank crews vision by forcing them to close down, and cut off the unit you are attacking
from enemy reinforcements.
Surprise:
Your chances of success depend on catching the enemy unawares: your presence
should be announced by a sudden hail of anti-tank and small arms fire. Your patrolling
skills and fieldcraft will have to be excellent.
Withdrawal route:
Make sure you have a secure withdrawal route, and leave a protection party back
at the final RV. Everyone must know the signal for 'break contact' and what he must do.
Withdrawal must be staggered, so that the enemy will not be keen to follow you up.
Leapfrog back by half seconds so the enemy is always under fire while you withdraw.
Information:
Tank hunting relies on good intelligence information recieved in time to allow
for careful planning and detailed preparation. Every eventuality must be covered.
Mines:
Don't just use the 66mm and 84mm anti-tank weapons, plant anti-tank mines on
likely enemy routes and approaches. Always mix some anti-peronnel mines with the anti-tank
mines to discourage the enemy engineers from digging them up.
Other weapons:
Don't forget white phosphorus grenades; these are particularly effective against
dismounted tank crews and add to the confusion. These grenades are also useful to cover
your withdrawal, since they produce instant smoke and discourage the enemy from putting
his head up.
ZSU 23-4:
Remember, these selfpropelled anti-aircraft guns can be used against ground
targets with devastating effect. Get rid of them first! Even small arms fire will wreck
their optics and radar control system.
Timed charges and Molotov cocktails:
Make sure these have been properly prepared before the patrol. Satchel charges
should be double-fused to ensure that they detonate.
Know your enemy:
You must be completely familiar with the enemy AFVs and their tactics. You have
to know what you are firing at.
Using dead space:
