Design started in the early 1950's on the Medium Gun tank No 2, renamed in 1962 to the FV4201. The two main requirements were for survivability and firepower. These requirements were due entirely to the expected threat of the Warsaw Pact forces.
In line with with NATO it was decided to fit multi-fuel engines to all new tanks. Everyone else quickly realised this was impractical, however, despite reservations the Chieftain was fielded with such an engine. It is safe to say that the engine was the thing that broke the tank.
The L60 multi-fuel engine was based on parts from a World War Two era Junkers Jumo engine, the same type as those fitted to the various German bombers! It was also built by a company that had a less than stellar reputation in the motoring industry. The engine performance was so poor that when in 1960 automotive trials were carried out, the tank actually failed to finish.
Conqueror, Centurion and Chieftain 컨커러, 센츄리온, 치프틴 |
The armour protection to the front of the tank was provided by cast armour inspired by an IS2 the British had found under a collapsed block of flats in Berlin in 1945. The casting of the turret was so thick that each one had to cool for one year.
In 1962 two tanks were given to the British army for testing in the German winter. At first the crews loved the ability for the tracks to grip the ground, and the handling was deemed to be excellent. Then the crews realised the tank lacked a heater.
The lack of a heater wasn't as much of an issue in Iran. By the time of the 1979 revolution the Iranian army had brought about 700 Chieftains. At the end of 1980 when the Iran-Iraq war broke out, those Chieftains were still crewed by experienced well trained soldiers. The High Command of the Iranian forces wasn't of such high quality. In the Chieftains first combat deployment it began to show its flaws, these were exacerbated by the poor Iranian command.
In January 1981, after the Iraqi offensive had run out of thrust the Iranians launched a counterattack at a place called Susangerd. The Iranians brought about 400 Chieftains to bear on a slightly smaller Iraqi force. The Iranians lacked reconnaissance and artillery support.
Before the battle could be joined Iranian engineers began to construct bridges over the Karkheh River. Without screening reconnaissance forces the Iraqi's could calmly watch and report. Realising that a major offensive was planned the Iraqi force fell back two kilometres and took up defensive positions, also digging in on the flanks to create a perfect kill zone.
The area itself was the flood plain for the river, and was extremely boggy and wet. Only two paved roads ran across the area. The lead Iranian Brigade attacked along these roads in column, with no scouts to screen them.
When the Iraqi's opened fire from their hull down positions they had perfect flank shots negating the huge advantage of the Chieftains frontal armour. Equally when the Chieftains tried to manoeuvre they bogged down and became immobilised with frightening ease due to the poor power output and unreliability of the engine. The entire lead brigade was wiped out.
Frontal penetrating hits on Iranian Chieftains 전면을 관통당한 이란군의 치프틴 |
It was all for nought as the Iranian Chieftains took too much of a beating and they had to fall back. After the battle one hundred Iranian tanks had been destroyed and a similar number were captured. The Iraqi's had lost about fifty tanks and fifty more smaller armoured vehicles.
This costly failure did combat test one part of the Chieftain that passed with flying colours, Crew survivability. All the bag charges in the Chieftain were contained in a special storage container filled with a Glycol and water mixture. This often managed to retard the rate at which the bag charges burned when a tank was penetrated. When a container was pierced there would be a white smoke and a loud hissing noise giving warning that a fire had started. Although eventually the fire would spread this would often take several minutes, more than long enough to evacuate wounded crew members. In comparison a Soviet tank on the Iraqi side would often be torn apart immediately by its ammunition exploding if it was penetrated.
Iraqi's bailing out of a BMP1 이라크군이 BMP1에서 탈출하고 있다 |
Part two will be next week.
Edit 10/2/14:
Made a mistake with the dates, and I, rightly, got called up on it. The error is fixed now.
Chief of Battle: Part two
전장의 지배자 치프틴: 2부
Part one can be found here
1부는 여기에서 보세욧
Late at night on August the first 1990, Kuwaiti Intelligence learned of the impending Iraqi invasion. They immediately flashed the warning up through the chain of command. The Kuwaiti 35th Brigade hurriedly started to mobilise its Chieftain tanks. They were hampered by having some squadrons detached to guard duties elsewhere, and numerous soldiers away on leave.
1990년 8월 1일의 늦은 밤, 쿠웨이트의 정보부는 이라크의 침공이 임박했음을 알게 됩니다. 그들은 지휘 계통을 따라 경보를 울렸습니다. 쿠웨이트 제 35 여단은 보유하고 있던 치프틴 전차를 황급히 전투배치하기 시작했습니다. 다수의 병력이 외출 중이었고 일부 소대는 다른 곳에서 보초 근무를 서고 있었기 때문에 준비에 방해가 되었습니다.
As the unit began phoning around trying to find soldiers, one of the Brigade officers began combing through personnel files of soldiers on base. If they'd had any armour training, no matter how long ago, they were assigned to composite crews.부대원들이 병사들을 찾아나선 동안 연대의 한 장교가 기지의 병사들의 개인 기록 파일을 철저히 뒤져보기 시작했습니다. 만약 기갑 훈련을 받은 적이 있다면 그게 얼마나 오래되었던간에 상관 없이 마구 배치해버렸습니다.
Meanwhile other troops started to load ammunition into the tanks. Unfortunately this wasn't complete by the time the unit moved out at 0600. In the previous 8 hours the 35th Brigade had managed to find 36 full crews, and partially load their tanks with ammunition. There hadn't been time to boresight (zero) the guns, and the tanks were carrying insufficient supplies of water. The number of tanks was further reduced when one tank broke down on the very short march north.그 동안 다른 부대는 전차에 탄약을 보급하기 시작했습니다. 불행하게도 이는 0600시에 부대가 나가기 전까지 완료되지 못했습니다. 8시간 동안 제 35 여단은 36팀의 승무원과 탄약이 일부만 적재된 전차를 준비할 수 있었습니다. 포의 조준을 정렬할 시간도 없었고, 전차에 충분한 양의 물을 보급하지도 못했습니다. 전차 한 대가 북쪽으로 행군을 시작한지 얼마 안되어 고장나버리자 전차의 수는 더욱 줄어버렸습니다.
The 35th Brigade deployed two battalions that day. The 7th Battalion had 25 tanks, in three understrength companies while the 8th Battalion, was just a single company of ten tanks.
제 35 여단은 그 날 2개 대대를 배치했습니다. 제 7 대대는 약화된 3개의 중대에 25대의 전차를 보유하고 있었고 제 8 대대는 단 한 개의 중대가 10대의 전차를 보유하고 있을 뿐이었습니다.
The 7th Battalion who were in the lead deployed in hull down positions, in a line, near a graveyard between the town of Al Jahra and Mutlaa ridge. A six lane highway ran diagonally down from the ridge to Al Jahra, and then linked to a ring road. There was a police station next to the road on the ridge, and the 7th Brigade sent a reconnaissance vehicle there. It reported a column of Iraqi's advancing down the road, this turned out to be the Republican Guards Hammurabi Division. 제 7 대대는 Al Jahra 마을과 Mutlaa 산등성이 사이의 묘지에 일렬로 헐다운 위치를 잡도록 우선 배치되었습니다. 6번 고속도로가 산에서 Al Jahra까지 사선으로 지나가며 외곽 순환도로와 연결되도록 되어있었습니다. 능선 위 도로 옆에는 경찰서가 하나 있었고, 제 7 대대는 여기에 정찰 차량을 보냈습니다. 정찰차량은 이라크군이 길을 따라 줄지어 진군하고 있다고 보고했으며, 이는 공화국 수비대의 함무라비 사단으로 밝혀졌습니다.
As the Iraqi's reached the ring road at 0645, the 7th Battalion opened fire. For the Chieftains with their fearsome firepower the range the Kuwaitis were firing at was practically point blank (around 1500 metres). Here at last was the tank battle the Chieftain had been designed for, defending a line against a larger force of Soviet armour.이라크군이 순환도로에 0645시에 도달하자 제 7 대대는 사격을 개시했습니다. 치프틴의 무시무시한 화력은 쿠웨이트 부대원들의 교전 거리를 (대략 1500미터) 실질적으로 영거리 사격을 하는 것이나 마찬가지인 셈이 되도록 만들어주었습니다. 바로 이 전차전이 치프틴의 설계 목적이었던 보다 대규모인 소련 기갑부대에 맞서 전선을 지켜내는 역할을 수행하는 것이었죠.
The pounding the Iraqi's were taking suddenly let up. Lieutenant-Colonel Al Wazan, the commander of 7th Brigade had received orders to cease fire and return to base! For a few moments the Iraqi's could collect their battered wits, then LTC Al Wazan used his initiative and ordered his battalion to open fire again.이라크군을 향한 사격이 갑자기 약해졌습니다. 7대대의 지휘관이었던 Al Wazan 중령이 교전을 멈추고 기지로 복귀하라는 명령을 받은겁니다! 이라크군은 잠시동안 정신을 차릴 시간이 있었습니다만 Al Wazan 중령은 결단력을 발휘해 대대에 다시 사격 명령을 내렸습니다.
By now the 8th Battalion had arrived on the battlefield. There was an Infantry unit inside Al Jahra that would be surrounded so the 8th Battalion was ordered to advance and link up with the Infantry. 이제 전장에 제 8 대대가 도착했습니다. Al Jahra에는 포위될 위기에 처한 보병 부대가 있었고, 8대대는 보병과 접촉하기 위해 진격하도록 명령받았습니다.
Captain Ali, the commander of the the Battalion moved up to the first obstacle, the six lane ring road around Al Jahra. He quickly realised that any attempt to cross the road, especially the central barrier would result in a massacre of his unit. With that in mind he fell back and emplaced his company to the east of the 7th Battalion on the other side of a road that led to the west from the Ring road. 대대 지휘관이었던 Ali 대위는 첫 번째 장애물인 Al Jahra의 순환 도로로 대대를 이동시켰습니다. 그는 길을 건너려는 행위, 특히 중앙 방어선을 건너려는 시도는 그의 부대가 일방적으로 당하게 만들 것이라는 점을 빠르게 깨달았습니다. 이를 명심하고 후퇴한 후 그의 대대를 순환도로에서 서쪽으로 이어지는 제 7 대대의 동쪽 길 건너편으로 배치시켰습니다.
Almost immediately after taking up positions a car came screeching up behind Cpt Ali's tank. He was happy to see the gunner from his normal crew leap out of the drivers seat. The gunner was the battalions best shot, and had been at home on leave when the news of the Iraqi attack had come in.자리를 잡자마자 한 대의 차량이 Ali 대위의 전차 뒤에 나타났습니다. 기쁘게도 운전석에서 그의 정규 승무원인 포수가 뛰쳐나오는 것을 볼 수 있었습니다. 그 포수는 대대에서 가장 뛰어난 사수였고 이라크군이 쳐들어온다는 뉴스가 나올 때는 휴가로 집에 있었거든요.
No sooner than the gunner had taken his seat, he spotted and killed an Iraqi command/observation vehicle that was mostly obscured by a bridge. Then an Iraqi platoon of three T-72's wormed its way through Al Jahra and tried to launch a flank attack on the 8th Battalion. The Kuwaiti tanks easily spotted them and destroyed all three.포수가 자리를 잡자마자 다리에 거의 엄폐하고 있었던 이라크군의 지휘/관측 차량을 발견하고 파괴했습니다. 그러자 세 대의 T-72로 이루어진 이라크군 소대가 Al Jahra를 뚫고 나와 제 8 대대의 측면을 노리려고 했습니다. 쿠웨이트 전차대는 그 세 대를 쉽게 발견했고 모두 격파했습니다.
As the morning wore on the tanks had been engaged for a long time, and now the lack of water began to tell, on both sides. At some of the lulls in the battle soldiers from both sides queued up next to each other to buy water from a local roadside water vendor.한참을 교전하던 전차들 위에 아침햇살이 내리었고 양측 모두 이제 물이 부족하다는 것을 깨달았습니다. 전투가 소강상태에 이르게되자 양측의 군인들이 노변 생수 판매대에서 물을 사기 위해 나란히 줄을 섰습니다.
About 1100 hours a new threat began to develop. Along the road leading to the west came a second Iraqi division. This was the Republican Guards Medina Division. A small battery of SPG's had set up there to support the tanks. 1100시 경이 되자 새로운 위협이 떠오르기 시작했습니다. 서쪽으로 이어진 도로에서 이라크의 두 번째 사단이 나타난겁니다. 이들은 공화국 수비대 메디나 사단이었습니다. 소규모 자주포 포대가 전차들을 지원하기 위해 그 쪽에 설치되어 있었습니다.
The battery commander upon seeing the tanks approach at first thought they were Saudi re-enforcements so he closed with them. As he got closer he saw the tanks were T-72's. If he ran now after being spotted, the Iraqis would realise they were Kuwaitis and obliterate them.포병 지휘관이 접근하는 전차를 봤을 때 처음에는 사우디 지원군이라 생각해서 그 쪽으로 접근했습니다. 가까이 다가가면서 그 전차들이 T-72라는 것을 깨달았습니다. 만약 그가 발견된 후에 도망쳐버린다면 이라크군은 그가 쿠웨이트의 부대라는 것을 깨닫고 싸그리 밀어버릴겁니다.
So he decided to bluff, he walked up to the lead T-72 and spoke to the commander and gathered some intelligence on the Iraqis. When the tanks drove past they were none the wiser.
그래서 그는 속임수를 써보기로 했습니다. 선두의 T-72에 접근하여 전차장과 대화를 나누고 이라크군에 대한 정보를 조금 얻어냈습니다. 전차대는 그대로 지나갔고 아무도 무슨 일이 있었던 것인지 깨닫지 못했죠.
With enough warning from the artillery position the 8th Battalion shifted so that it refused its left flank, and could keep the Hammurabi Division to its front and also cover the back of the 7th Battalion. The Medina T-72's stormed down the road towards Al Jahra unaware of exactly what was happening.포병대로부터 충분한 경고를 받은 제 8 대대는 좌측이 노출되지 않도록 하고 함무라비 사단을 계속 전면에 두면서 제 7 대대의 후방도 보호하기 위해 기동했습니다. 메디나 사단의 T-72들은 무슨 일이 일어나고 있는지 정확히 알지 못한채 도로를 따라 Al Jahra로 맹렬하게 진격하였습니다.
The Medina Division drove between both Kuwaiti battalions and as it entered the frontal arcs of the 7th Battalion all the defenders opened fire wreaking havoc. As the Medina Division fell back after a very short exchange of fire the artillery battery took them under bombardment.메디나 사단은 두 쿠웨이트 대대 사이로 지나가고 있었고 제 7 대대의 전면에 들어서자 모든 방어군이 발포하여 적을 박살내기 시작했습니다. 메디나 사단이 아주 짧은 교전 후에 후퇴하기 시작하자 포병이 그 위로 포격을 쏟아부었습니다.
By early afternoon however, the 35th Brigade was running out of ammunition, the tanks had three rounds left at most and many had less. Equally the lack of water was becoming a concern. The biggest issue was that the Medina Division was forming up for another attack from the rear. With no other choice LTC Al Wazan ordered his brigade to retreat. The brigade crossed the border into Saudi Arabia at 1630. 그러나 이른 오후에 제 35 여단은 탄약이 떨어져가고 있었습니다. 전차들은 기껏해야 최대 3발의 탄을 보유하고 있었으며 대부분은 그것보다도 적었습니다. 물의 부족 또한 문제가 되었습니다. 가장 큰 문제는 메디나 사단이 후방에서 다시 공격하기 위해 정렬 중이었다는 점입니다. 어쩔 수 없이 Al Wazan 중령은 그의 여단에 후퇴 명령을 내렸습니다. 여단은 1630시에 사우디아라비아로 국경을 넘어갔습니다.
The Chieftain had proved it was able to do exactly what it was designed to do, hold larger forces of Soviet armour at bay. The 35 Chieftains had held up the lead elements of two divisions for nearly ten hours. As well as the one breakdown the brigade had only lost two tanks in the battle.치프틴은 더 큰 규모의 소련 기갑부대의 진격을 막는다는 설계 목적을 달성할 수 있다는 점을 증명해냈습니다. 35대의 치프틴은 선두 부대였던 2개 사단을 거의 10시간 동안 묶어두었습니다. 여단의 손실은 고장난 한 대와 전투 중 손실한 2대 뿐이었습니다.
1부는 여기에서 보세욧
Late at night on August the first 1990, Kuwaiti Intelligence learned of the impending Iraqi invasion. They immediately flashed the warning up through the chain of command. The Kuwaiti 35th Brigade hurriedly started to mobilise its Chieftain tanks. They were hampered by having some squadrons detached to guard duties elsewhere, and numerous soldiers away on leave.
1990년 8월 1일의 늦은 밤, 쿠웨이트의 정보부는 이라크의 침공이 임박했음을 알게 됩니다. 그들은 지휘 계통을 따라 경보를 울렸습니다. 쿠웨이트 제 35 여단은 보유하고 있던 치프틴 전차를 황급히 전투배치하기 시작했습니다. 다수의 병력이 외출 중이었고 일부 소대는 다른 곳에서 보초 근무를 서고 있었기 때문에 준비에 방해가 되었습니다.
Meanwhile other troops started to load ammunition into the tanks. Unfortunately this wasn't complete by the time the unit moved out at 0600. In the previous 8 hours the 35th Brigade had managed to find 36 full crews, and partially load their tanks with ammunition. There hadn't been time to boresight (zero) the guns, and the tanks were carrying insufficient supplies of water. The number of tanks was further reduced when one tank broke down on the very short march north.
The 35th Brigade deployed two battalions that day. The 7th Battalion had 25 tanks, in three understrength companies while the 8th Battalion, was just a single company of ten tanks.
제 35 여단은 그 날 2개 대대를 배치했습니다. 제 7 대대는 약화된 3개의 중대에 25대의 전차를 보유하고 있었고 제 8 대대는 단 한 개의 중대가 10대의 전차를 보유하고 있을 뿐이었습니다.
The pounding the Iraqi's were taking suddenly let up. Lieutenant-Colonel Al Wazan, the commander of 7th Brigade had received orders to cease fire and return to base! For a few moments the Iraqi's could collect their battered wits, then LTC Al Wazan used his initiative and ordered his battalion to open fire again.
By now the 8th Battalion had arrived on the battlefield. There was an Infantry unit inside Al Jahra that would be surrounded so the 8th Battalion was ordered to advance and link up with the Infantry.
Almost immediately after taking up positions a car came screeching up behind Cpt Ali's tank. He was happy to see the gunner from his normal crew leap out of the drivers seat. The gunner was the battalions best shot, and had been at home on leave when the news of the Iraqi attack had come in.
No sooner than the gunner had taken his seat, he spotted and killed an Iraqi command/observation vehicle that was mostly obscured by a bridge. Then an Iraqi platoon of three T-72's wormed its way through Al Jahra and tried to launch a flank attack on the 8th Battalion. The Kuwaiti tanks easily spotted them and destroyed all three.
The battery commander upon seeing the tanks approach at first thought they were Saudi re-enforcements so he closed with them. As he got closer he saw the tanks were T-72's. If he ran now after being spotted, the Iraqis would realise they were Kuwaitis and obliterate them.
So he decided to bluff, he walked up to the lead T-72 and spoke to the commander and gathered some intelligence on the Iraqis. When the tanks drove past they were none the wiser.
그래서 그는 속임수를 써보기로 했습니다. 선두의 T-72에 접근하여 전차장과 대화를 나누고 이라크군에 대한 정보를 조금 얻어냈습니다. 전차대는 그대로 지나갔고 아무도 무슨 일이 있었던 것인지 깨닫지 못했죠.
With enough warning from the artillery position the 8th Battalion shifted so that it refused its left flank, and could keep the Hammurabi Division to its front and also cover the back of the 7th Battalion. The Medina T-72's stormed down the road towards Al Jahra unaware of exactly what was happening.
By early afternoon however, the 35th Brigade was running out of ammunition, the tanks had three rounds left at most and many had less. Equally the lack of water was becoming a concern. The biggest issue was that the Medina Division was forming up for another attack from the rear. With no other choice LTC Al Wazan ordered his brigade to retreat. The brigade crossed the border into Saudi Arabia at 1630.