Once upon a time during World War II, tanks like the Soviet T34 or the German Panzer 4 could effectively shoot at a range of about one and a half kilometers at most. This means that shooting from one end of the village to the other was fine, but shooting further than that mostly resulted in misses. However, with monsters like the German Tiger, the 88 mm gun could penetrate targets at a distance of 2 to 3 kilometers. At that time, the Allies called the Tiger a steel nightmare because it could shoot before they had a chance to retaliate. Nowadays, it is even more terrifying. Modern tanks like the American Abrams, the German Leopard 2, or the Russian T90 have smoothbore guns of 120 to 125 mm. Armor-piercing rounds can effectively shoot from 3 to 4 kilometers, while rocket-propelled rounds can fly up to 8 kilometers.
To make it easier to visualize, it's like standing in My Dinh Stadium and hitting a target at Hoan Kiem Lake. Of course, this assumes a straight flight path with no obstacles. It sounds hard to believe, but there are a few tricks to help modern tanks hit their targets every time.
First is the smoothbore gun. In the past, guns had rifled barrels to make the projectile spin for stability, but when firing armor-piercing rounds like arrows, the rifling caused the projectile to lose speed and power. So, they removed the rifling for a smooth bore to allow the projectile to fly straight and fast. As a result, the muzzle velocity can reach up to 1700 m/s, which is five times the speed of sound. Second, there are now ballistic computers. Inside the tank, there is an electronic brain that calculates wind speed, distance, angle of the tank, and even temperature. The crew commander just needs to aim, and the computer will take care of the rest. Third, there is a very modern aiming system. Tanks have infrared sights, laser rangefinders, and can see clearly at night as if it were daytime. The gun barrel also has a stabilization system. This means that the tank can move and shoot while still hitting the target without needing to stand still.
So what happens when a tank hits a target?
This is what makes people fearful. If a tank shoots at another tank, the armor-piercing round will penetrate the very thick steel layer. When it penetrates, it creates an enormous heat wave that causes the inside to explode. Sometimes, the heavy turret weighing several tons can be thrown into the sky. You may have seen this scene many times in war videos or simply in video games. If it shoots at a fortification or a building, a single powerful explosion is enough to shatter concrete walls and blow away hidden soldiers.
During World War II, Sherman or T34 soldiers often shot directly at houses with snipers, and just one shot was enough to clear everything. If they shot at unarmored infantry, there was almost no chance of survival. The explosive power and shrapnel could sweep away an area of dozens of meters. Imagine a tank shell traveling at a speed of up to 1.7 km/s, which is many times faster than a rifle bullet. Its destructive power is no different from an entire car crashing into a target at supersonic speed.
As for accuracy, just imagine a player kicking a ball from My Dinh Stadium and scoring a goal at a goalpost located at Hang Day Stadium. It sounds like a fantasy, but modern tanks can do such things.
How have tanks developed?
The story began in World War I. This was an extremely special war at the beginning of the 20th century. For the first time, humans brought all kinds of industrial weapons to the battlefield. There were machine guns, heavy artillery, poison gas, and even airplanes. However, because machine guns and artillery were too powerful, both sides fell into a situation called trench warfare, meaning they dug trenches to hold their positions and shoot at each other for years, with the front line only moving a few kilometers. At this time, the British thought of something: there had to be something tough, armored against bullets, capable of crossing trenches and barbed wire, and carrying soldiers forward. Thus, the Mark I was born in 1916, the first tank in human history.
If viewed with modern eyes, the Mark I looks no different from a crawling metal box. It weighed about 30 tons, with a maximum speed of 6 km/h, which is slower than an elderly person riding a bicycle today. But its advantage was its wide metal tracks that could easily cross trenches and were equipped with machine guns and small cannons. Although it was cumbersome, it was still a terrifying sight for the enemy. From then on, tanks officially appeared on the war map. They proved that by combining heavy industry and the battlefield, humans could create a weapon that changed the game.
If World War I was a testing ground, then in World War II, tanks truly exploded in significance. This was the period when superpowers like Germany, the Soviet Union, the United States, and Britain raced to produce tanks, making them the soul of military campaigns. The Germans were particularly innovative; they devised a strategy called Blitzkrieg. Instead of prolonging trench warfare like in World War I, Germany used Panzer tanks as the spearhead, coordinating with the air force for bombing and mechanized infantry. As a result, within a few weeks, they could sweep through an entire nation from Poland to France. The Panzer 3 and Panzer 4 were the backbone of the German army.
Later, Germany also deployed the Tiger 1 and Tiger 2, weighing up to 70 tons, with armor as thick as fortress walls. Their guns could shoot over two to three kilometers, making the Allies sweat. A shell from a Tiger could blow away enemy tanks from a distance where the enemy couldn't even shoot back. But the real hero of World War II was the Soviet T34 tank. Introduced in 1940, the T34 was a star because it combined many factors: cheap, durable, easy to produce, and powerful enough. While German tanks were complex and difficult to manufacture, the T34 could be produced in just a few factories in Ukraine. In total, the Soviet Union manufactured over 80,000 T34s, a colossal number that left the Germans unable to respond in time.
Moreover, the T34 had an extremely intelligent design, with sloped armor that made it difficult for rounds to penetrate, wide tracks that performed well on snow and mud, and a 76.2 mm gun later upgraded to 85 mm, capable of taking down many German tanks. It can be said that the T34 is the most important tank in human history. Across the ocean, the U.S. rolled out the M4, which, although not as powerful as the Tiger or the German Panzer and not as clever as the T34, had the advantage of mass production. The U.S. produced over 50,000 M4s, sending them to various fronts. If we consider war as a numbers game, the M4 filled the gap, perhaps only second to the T34. After World War II ended, the world entered the Cold War period.
The U.S. and the Soviet Union did not confront each other directly on large battlefields but raced in arms. And of course, tanks were a very important part of ground forces. The Soviet Union launched a series of T54, T55, T62, and T72 tanks. These were exported everywhere, to the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa, and even Vietnam. During our war against the Americans, the T54 and T55 appeared, supporting our army in major campaigns. The strength of Soviet tanks was their simplicity, ease of use, low cost, and extreme durability.
Many T55s produced since the 1950s are still rolling somewhere in the world today. Meanwhile, the U.S. developed the M48, M60, and later the M1 Abrams, which came out in the late 1970s. NATO also had the German Leopard and the British Challenger. The M1s are true monsters, weighing over 60 tons, with extremely thick composite armor, smoothbore guns over 120 mm, and especially a gas turbine engine similar to an aircraft engine that runs smoothly. However, the operating costs are extremely high. It is estimated that just to run one of these tanks for one kilometer costs more fuel than a car running 200 kilometers.
Modern tanks
Entering the 21st century, many people believe that tanks are outdated because modern warfare leans towards missiles and drones. But in reality, tanks are still the backbone of ground forces. Along with that, the costs are extremely high. For example, the M1A2 Abrams costs about 8 to 10 million dollars each, not including operating costs, while the Leopard 2A7 costs around 9 million dollars each. The K2 Black Panther can reach up to 10 million dollars each, making it one of the most expensive tanks in the world. The T90M costs about 4 to 5 million dollars each, which is much cheaper, allowing Russia to sell to many countries.
Today, many people question whether tanks are still useful in the age of drones and precision missiles. In fact, the conflict in Ukraine has shown that tanks can easily become prey for drones and anti-tank missiles. Thousands of tanks have been destroyed, leading many experts to predict that the era of tanks is over. But it should also be remembered that tanks are still the only force that can be mobile, have strong firepower, and provide good defense on the ground. Aircraft fly in the sky, drones can be easily shot down, but to occupy a city or a hill, the tracks of tanks are still needed.
The future of tanks may be smaller, integrating artificial intelligence, laser defense systems, and even remote control. But it is certain that they will still exist because since 1916, no weapon has completely replaced them. The king on the ground is still the tank.