http://www.tv3.co.nz/Default.aspx?TabId=64&listingID=481626

How can a tank enthusiast like myself miss the TV program of the year? I have a strong feeling that the T-34, Challenger I/II and the M1 Abrams will all be featured! Best of all, Tom Clancy (novelist and military expert) shall be one of the judges!!!

But does it have the Ratte?

Tom Clancy is overrated. Self professed 'experts' are a fucking joke.

However, I am no military nut, but I do enjoy the greatest ever shows, though mainly because I am a bit of an aircraft man, and the past two have been about planes.

Unlikely. Judegement and evaluation is based on real life service and performance records. Many fantastic weapons have been created on the drawing boards, and their effectiveness and limitations is the main reason why they were never built or fielded.

The Ho 229 was not featured because it was only a prototype:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horten_Ho_229

Clancy knows a lot on the USSR and the U.S. militaries. He knows jack shit about anything else.

The geeky side of me thinks this will be excellent. And I have a rather large geeky side. The Sherman had better make the list!

The Sherman was a piece of shit. You see a tiger coming at you and you better turn around and run the other way, cuz that 75 mm gun won't be doing much.

That explains your homoerotic image!

I'm just kidding, I better not insult my lookalike Maverick.

Hopefully they have a good old CENTURION TANK!

EDIT: AND definitely a T-72 or T-82. I shall cry if they don't have those.

Also in terms of TV events, there is a Back Of the Y special on New Year's Eve at 10:30 pm. However, I will probably be doing other things rather than watching it. I just hope they replay it sometime.

Yeah! Talkin' about tanks and women usually make men gather.

You've made quite a transformation since Mr. Bland moved in.

Shermans were so numerous during the war that some divisions had one Sherman for every squad of men. If you're talking WWII tanks, it would be a shame if they don't mention the T-34s and Tigers also.

Centurions rule! It was a tank designed in 1944 but had the 1970s in mind! It may have been slower than a T-54 but its ammo capacity, armor and firepower proved that the T-54s were useless in the Arab-Israeli wars. The Centurion's main gun could depress 10 degree while a T-54's could only do 4. In the myriads of sand dunes, the Centurions could keep a low profile and pummel the T-54s.

T-72s might get a mention for the use of a 125mm gun (still unmatched in calibre), but everything else failed to please. T-80s redefined the tank's gun by having the ability to fire ATGMs (anti-tak guided missiles)! ATGMs pwn!

When it comes to British tanks, the Challenger is still king. Back in Gulf War I, 30 Challengers defeated 300 Iraqi tanks (Type 59s and T-72s) without a single casualty of their own. Goes to show that the Chobham composite armor is the best in existence.

The TV event of the year is my Uncle's documentary on Xmas of course...

Who watched the show? Here's the rankings they gave:

10. Sherman (US)
9. M551 Sheridan (US)
8. Panther (Germany)
7. T-72 (USSR)
6. S-Tank (Sweden)
5. Centurion (UK)
4. Merkava (Israeli)
3. T-34 (USSR)
2. M1 Abrams (US)

and drum roll please for...

1. Leopard II (Germany)


Damn Abrams lost out due to their poor fuel economy (8 gallon in their aircraft engine just to start it up) and the main gun is the same one used on the Leopard...

When was that shown?

xmas eve.



and wtf?!? no Tiger?

Your uncle is Pio?

Despite its ability to outgun the Sherman from a fair distance and annihilating it with a direct hit, the Tiger (being an old 'cube tank') met serious difficulties upon confronting the Soviet T-34s (which had invented sloping armor). The German Panthers tried to imitate the T-34s but it was the drive for innovation and a combination of a lack of OE&T (operational evaluation and trial) that led to its undoing. The Pather's service life was measured only in months and weeks.

I saw the segments about the Sheridan and the Panther. It was far better quality television than I was expecting...

noes, my uncle made the documentary, Pio fronted the documentary. Two diferent things unless you're one of these all in one wonders like David Attenborough(sp?) or something

Lemme guess, he was one of the folks Pio interviewed on Franklin Rd. in Ponsonby with the Christmas lights and all... The residents of that street did a marvellous job!

Yeah, that's because it wasn't narrated by me!

This week they're counting down the top 10 best weapons of all time! Ooh yeah!

I've also listed 'The Greatest Ever' as one of the best TV shows last year.

This week's rankings:

http://s6.invisionfree.com/Craccum/index.php?showtopic=1793