2 Abrams tanks vs. 10,000 Chinese cavalrymen: Who would win?

Page 4 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

Nerva

Platinum Member
Jul 26, 2005
2,784
0
0
hahha, you guys arent thinking civ3. you have had to have at least one of your tanks killed by a spearman...
 

Savarak

Platinum Member
Oct 27, 2001
2,718
1
81
Originally posted by: Safeway
Originally posted by: rivan
Originally posted by: Savarak
Heres something I whipped up...

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Savarak/tankvscalvary.jpg

Have you ever though about a career as an artist?

That's just wrong. :(

no love for my 2 minute drawing w/paint and laptop trackpad? and thats just one tank vs thousands!!

ok ok it took me 5+ hours to draw with state of the art equipment and 2 professional art degrees from france and italy...
 

imported_Imp

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2005
9,148
0
0
Tanks, just run and shoot everything. How much horse-power does an Abrams have again...

Oh, and why'd OP choose Chinese Cavalry? Are they super Ninjas? Or were European or whatever not good enough?
 

StartingLine

Banned
Jun 25, 2007
202
0
0
Totally depends on the morale of the troops. Are you saying the troops all have insanely high morale or standard morale? If standard the tanks would win because the cavalry would say screw this and run away. If it was a fight to the death I think it would be pretty safe to say the cavalry would win by swarming the tanks eventually and getting inside or by blocking the tanks cannon causing an implosion.
 

UpGrD

Golden Member
Oct 9, 1999
1,412
0
0
As someone that spent the better part of 5 yrs on a M1A1. I have some insight. As usual its all in the details.
- Will the tanks have the new Anti personnel canister rounds (M1028 canister round contains approximately 1,100 tungsten balls)
- Will all 40 rounds be the M1028 canister (42 for the M1A2)
- RANGE, the most important detail. The more the better. 1200m is about max for the M240 COAX, loaders M240 much less.
- How good is the loader at both M240 marksmanship (Not easy) , loading main gun, keeping 50cal loaded (only 100 rounds per box), and changing barrels.
- Speed of the Chinese, tactic's and how determined are they

Having said all this, if the attackers are determined, unless the tanks can make the attackers break and run, there is no way 2 tanks could fight them off.
A company of tanks (14) absolutely. For the most part the 50cal would have limited use, only 100 ready rounds and not easy to aim at moving personnel.
I was a gunner in the first gulf war and after the war in order to get the tank ready for shipment back, we had to fire off all unboxed ammo. It took all day to fire the ready load of COAX rounds (I want to say 10,000 ???). Most of that time was spent letting the barrels cool. It only took about 3 min of firing before the barrels were red hot. In about 5 min they would actually begin to melt. That would be a real problem in this situation.
You do have a spare barrel, maybe 2, but still.....
As for the issue of could infantry with only small arms take out a tank. With out a doubt. Give me access to an engine deck and in 15 seconds that tank would have no power and burning within minutes.
The crew can still engage targets pretty effectively manually but not well enough.
Not a situation I would want to be in.
 

Mrvile

Lifer
Oct 16, 2004
14,066
1
0
Isn't a tank effectively a mobile bunker? I mean, unless the Chinese have anti-tank weapons or explosives, couldn't you just drive around in the tanks and take your time as you mow them down? I don't see how the Chinese could do anything to the tanks. Maybe pile so many of themselves on the tanks until they can't move.
 

Mrvile

Lifer
Oct 16, 2004
14,066
1
0
Originally posted by: Imp
Tanks, just run and shoot everything. How much horse-power does an Abrams have again...

Oh, and why'd OP choose Chinese Cavalry? Are they super Ninjas? Or were European or whatever not good enough?

Because Chinese Cavalry come in bulk.
 

jman19

Lifer
Nov 3, 2000
11,225
664
126
Originally posted by: yllus
The battleground is, oh, the salt flats of the Mideast. Each side has unlimited ammo.

No poll. JUSTIFY YOUR DECISION.

Do you work for the Canadian government? :laugh:
 

nweaver

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2001
6,813
1
0
Originally posted by: Hacp
Calvarymen of course. Just make a circle around the tanks, and charge in. If your horse is stuck, go on foot and run to the tanks.

and do what? Throw yourself under the tracks to try and stop it?
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
- Speed of the Chinese, tactic's and how determined are they

Having said all this, if the attackers are determined, unless the tanks can make the attackers break and run, there is no way 2 tanks could fight them off.

I think that's the key right there. I'm guessing that if they were determined enough it wouldn't take more than a fraction of the 10k to actually immobilize the tank. The turbine engines in there are protected, but pretty easy to disable if you could get to them. With that number of people it's only a matter of time and will.

Question for you - is the turrent motor driven off of accessory power from the engine? If the engine is nuked, can you still operate the turrent?
 

nweaver

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2001
6,813
1
0
Originally posted by: DLeRium
You are quite stupid if you think the tank will win. 10,000 is a huge number. Remember when USC lost to Cal and we stormed the field? Yeah. There you go. Even if the tank keeps firing I can guarantee you there will be enough horses that if they were all armed with rope they could tie up the tank and flip it over. I'm pretty sure you only need like 200 horses and you could start dragging the tank. I know a tank is insanely heavy but it's not too hard when you have those numbers.

A gun is nice to have but do you realize it's kinda hard to take down a crowd when you're in the middle.

You guys made some references to Starcraft. You know when people play those UMS maps like HELMS DEEP? You get those stupid LOTR heroes like Legolas. Even if all the Uruk Hai armies can't kill you, when you're surrounded it's a little hard to get out even if you can fight your way out.

10,000 people would be a different story.

20 horses could not even budge a tank unless it happened to be in neutral. Trust me, I own and ride horses. There is no way in hell that men+horse would be able to flip a tank. No way in hell.
 

lanielf

Member
Feb 14, 2006
155
0
0
Originally posted by: Safeway
Tanks. Constant machine gun action will mow down the first few waves and make it impossible for the rest to continue to charge forward. As the horses stumble over mutilated other horses, they trip and fall.

That was a spectacular scene in my head ! wow thanks man really it was like a 2d animation movie with lots of gibs !
 

nweaver

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2001
6,813
1
0
Originally posted by: swtethan
Originally posted by: LS20
theyre chinese..they cheaply mass produce a knockoff anti-tank device that breaks the first time you use it before the gunner gets the first reload in...

Fixed ;)

Fixed your fix
 

nweaver

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2001
6,813
1
0
Originally posted by: DangerAardvark
Both horses (unladen) and the M1 top out at about 45 mph. So even assuming infinite gas/stamina the tank could simply drive away and fire backwards.

that's a hell of a fast horse, and that horse won't last 1 mile. For any sort of range, you need specific horses bred for speed/distance riding, and they are going to get MAYBE 16-18MPH for a long duration.
 

Mrvile

Lifer
Oct 16, 2004
14,066
1
0
Originally posted by: nweaver
Originally posted by: DLeRium
You are quite stupid if you think the tank will win. 10,000 is a huge number. Remember when USC lost to Cal and we stormed the field? Yeah. There you go. Even if the tank keeps firing I can guarantee you there will be enough horses that if they were all armed with rope they could tie up the tank and flip it over. I'm pretty sure you only need like 200 horses and you could start dragging the tank. I know a tank is insanely heavy but it's not too hard when you have those numbers.

A gun is nice to have but do you realize it's kinda hard to take down a crowd when you're in the middle.

You guys made some references to Starcraft. You know when people play those UMS maps like HELMS DEEP? You get those stupid LOTR heroes like Legolas. Even if all the Uruk Hai armies can't kill you, when you're surrounded it's a little hard to get out even if you can fight your way out.

10,000 people would be a different story.

20 horses could not even budge a tank unless it happened to be in neutral. Trust me, I own and ride horses. There is no way in hell that men+horse would be able to flip a tank. No way in hell.

He said 200 horses.
 

Mrvile

Lifer
Oct 16, 2004
14,066
1
0
Originally posted by: UpGrD
As someone that spent the better part of 5 yrs on a M1A1. I have some insight. As usual its all in the details.
- Will the tanks have the new Anti personnel canister rounds (M1028 canister round contains approximately 1,100 tungsten balls)
- Will all 40 rounds be the M1028 canister (42 for the M1A2)
- RANGE, the most important detail. The more the better. 1200m is about max for the M240 COAX, loaders M240 much less.
- How good is the loader at both M240 marksmanship (Not easy) , loading main gun, keeping 50cal loaded (only 100 rounds per box), and changing barrels.
- Speed of the Chinese, tactic's and how determined are they

Having said all this, if the attackers are determined, unless the tanks can make the attackers break and run, there is no way 2 tanks could fight them off.
A company of tanks (14) absolutely. For the most part the 50cal would have limited use, only 100 ready rounds and not easy to aim at moving personnel.
I was a gunner in the first gulf war and after the war in order to get the tank ready for shipment back, we had to fire off all unboxed ammo. It took all day to fire the ready load of COAX rounds (I want to say 10,000 ???). Most of that time was spent letting the barrels cool. It only took about 3 min of firing before the barrels were red hot. In about 5 min they would actually begin to melt. That would be a real problem in this situation.
You do have a spare barrel, maybe 2, but still.....
As for the issue of could infantry with only small arms take out a tank. With out a doubt. Give me access to an engine deck and in 15 seconds that tank would have no power and burning within minutes.
The crew can still engage targets pretty effectively manually but not well enough.
Not a situation I would want to be in.

Wow thanks for the info. I think this clears up a lot of confusion in this thread :)
 

nweaver

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2001
6,813
1
0
Originally posted by: Mrvile
Originally posted by: nweaver
Originally posted by: DLeRium
You are quite stupid if you think the tank will win. 10,000 is a huge number. Remember when USC lost to Cal and we stormed the field? Yeah. There you go. Even if the tank keeps firing I can guarantee you there will be enough horses that if they were all armed with rope they could tie up the tank and flip it over. I'm pretty sure you only need like 200 horses and you could start dragging the tank. I know a tank is insanely heavy but it's not too hard when you have those numbers.

A gun is nice to have but do you realize it's kinda hard to take down a crowd when you're in the middle.

You guys made some references to Starcraft. You know when people play those UMS maps like HELMS DEEP? You get those stupid LOTR heroes like Legolas. Even if all the Uruk Hai armies can't kill you, when you're surrounded it's a little hard to get out even if you can fight your way out.

10,000 people would be a different story.

20 horses could not even budge a tank unless it happened to be in neutral. Trust me, I own and ride horses. There is no way in hell that men+horse would be able to flip a tank. No way in hell.

He said 200 horses.

Mistype, 20, 200, it doesn't matter, they don't have the traction to even move the tank, let alone the leverage to pull it up and over. It's a ridiculous idea. I'm sure they would do this while the tankers are taking a pee brake and let them hook up 200 ropes, and the logistics of 200 horses....meh, have you ever tried to get 20 horses to work together? I'm not talking out my ass here, I own and ride horses. It's just not feasible for any amount of horses to flip a tank over, even if the tank is sitting there and not trying to stop them. Put someone in the tank who doesn't want them to, and it's impossible.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
The other thing here is, you don't have to destroy the tank, simply disable it's power (fuel, turbine, ect).

Once the tank is sitting powerless, it's just a waiting game for the men inside of it to die of heat exhaustion/dehydration.
 

sourceninja

Diamond Member
Mar 8, 2005
8,805
65
91
The soldiers win easy. The tank is just a metal machine. The original question did not specify it had drivers.
 

Pacfanweb

Lifer
Jan 2, 2000
13,158
59
91
Only thing that would stop the tank is if it runs out of fuel before it runs all the cavalry dudes over.

And then the tanks would just call in air support. Game. Set. Match.
 

nweaver

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2001
6,813
1
0
Originally posted by: vi_edit
The other thing here is, you don't have to destroy the tank, simply disable it's power (fuel, turbine, ect).

Once the tank is sitting powerless, it's just a waiting game for the men inside of it to die of heat exhaustion/dehydration.

easier said then done...the tank can outrun the horses, the tank can just swing it's turret to knock off people on it (trying to disable it)

The only viable option I have seen is to use the manpower to dig anti tank trenches and lure the tanks into one. ONLY way I can see this as being possible.


Besides, we don't send our tanks in without a pair of Apaches and a Kiowa. You do realize the can slave pretty much anything to Kiowa targeting systems and just sit back several miles and rain death down. The Chinese would be wondering what that black ball sitting on the mountain is.
 

Mrvile

Lifer
Oct 16, 2004
14,066
1
0
Originally posted by: sourceninja
The soldiers win easy. The tank is just a metal machine. The original question did not specify it had drivers.

Haha
 

nweaver

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2001
6,813
1
0
Originally posted by: sourceninja
The soldiers win easy. The tank is just a metal machine. The original question did not specify it had drivers.

good point.