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[Old Horse Soldier]

Let’s start with a Clinton construct: It depends on what your definition of “Tank” is.

No current Main Battle Tank is capable of swimming. During World War Two, both the Germans and the allies performed experiments with either swimming tanks or deep water fording kits. The motivation was less about amphibious warfare and more tactical mobility, dependence on bridges reduces maneuver and channels an armored forces lanes of attack.

Typically, a tank will be equipped with an inflatable ring to seal the turret-hull interface, a snorkel for its intake (exhaust pressure generally means you don’t put one the exhaust, just keep your foot on the gas!) a bilge pump, and some times a conning tower type of tube for the tank commander to stand in and direct the vehicle.

The only successful swimming main battle tank was the Duplex Drive Sherman. Successful in that it could work if the seas were not to rough. It had a skirt that provided a barrier to keep water out of the intakes and improve buoyancy. The vehicle was equipped with a propeller system, hence the name Duplex Drive. Most of the DD Tanks employed at Omaha Beach sank in the heavy surf with unacceptable loss of life.

Marine amtracks, such as the AAV7, the army’s M113, M2/M3 series A.P.C’s and Soviet era BMPs and PT76s are not tanks by definition, but they are swimmers.

The last tank like vehicle to consider is the M551 Sheridan. Some were used in Vietnam and while this vehicle resembles and is sometimes referred to as a tank, it’s official designation was Airborne Armored Recon Vehicle. Air Transportable and swim capable, it is aluminum armor disqualifies as a tank. We used to call them the Shanks, tank wannabes.

What brought this up, anyway?
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