Tanks vs Zombies: The Reality
A tank is something that every little boy wants. They are big, heavy, they can soak up punishment, and they have a big bad willy extension on top of it all. It is for these reasons that some desire these vehicles to combat the zombie threat, however, are they the end all answer to zombies or just a willy extension and nothing more.
When people think of tanks there are a number of myths that they have about these vehicles and these beliefs are what mislead many who want these massive vehicles to use in combating the undead. These myths must be resolved before any tank, especially the latest and greatest, can even be considered as possible weapons against zombies.
- Tanks are invincible: Put bluntly, tanks are not invincible, and that is not only saying that there are weapons that can disable and destroy these behemoths of the battlefield. Tanks require a great deal of maintenance and that’s before the rough and brutal combat conditions that they see. The latest and greatest M1 Abrams is perhaps the most delicate flower that there is in regards to main battle tanks, primarily because the turbine engine that runs the vehicle needs essentially a one to one or better ratio of use to maintenance. Now, also, before someone starts saying that you can just run the zombies over, you do have to maintain these tanks and it does not take much for someone to become infected even washing the tank off do not mean that there will not be some material from the zombies left over for someone to infect themselves with. And since those who will be required to maintain these vehicles they are invaluable and their loss will result in the tanks being useless. Not to mention that the trends on the tanks are the most vulnerable portion of the tank and if they go down without replacement you will not be able to move the tank with any degree of success.
- They are a good form of transportation: Again put bluntly they are not. Tanks are not the most agile form of transportation and while they are big and bad do not think that you can simply roll over a city when every street is blocked by totaled cars and burned our collapsed buildings. Also, tanks burn full on a horrendous scale, some requiring as much as a dozen gallons or more to just start the engine, others have an effect range measured in dozens not hundreds of miles. The militaries of countries around the world require miles upon miles of logistical backbone to keep these gas guzzlers moving and without fuel they become little more than giant stationary pill boxes with a big canon that once the batteries go dead is useless since it can not longer be aimed.
- Their firepower can stop a zombie horde cold: While there is no argument that a tank has a great deal of firepower that does not mean that they are the end all answer to zombie combat. Yes, a main battle tank does carry a big gun that can do tremendous amounts of damage, however, even with canister shot it will only do some much against zombies. The fact that the average canister load out for a tank ranges between two and four rounds mean that you have somewhere between little to no chance in stopping a major horde, especially since canister is simple a massive shotgun and to kill a zombie you have to destroy the brain. Also, of note, in the case of the M1 Abrams the depleted uranium rounds that it is famous for are completely useless. The coaxial and top mounted machine guns, however, do offer a real possibility at force multiplication, especially the coaxial since these machine guns are known to be some of the most accurate since they are mounted into a structure that can be made to be very stable and the only variables being the wind and bullet drop.
Just because the myths that many believe about tanks are false this does not mean that tanks could never be used. They would make very good strong points in a large base against not just zombies but also the human enemy. Their coaxial guns could also be used to thin out the undead at a greater distance than most of the survivors could reliably accomplish. However, they are simply not up to the task of hard fighting with limited maintenance and few if any replacement parts. However, if you must use an armored vehicle look to a wheeled APC or a light armored vehicle, less firepower but more mobility and easier to maintain. Let’s face facts here, how often do zombies drive tanks, and how many people are going to be carrying anti-tank rockets or missiles.
Stay safe. Stay informed. Stay alive.
Comments (63)
McLuvin on 25 Mar 2010 at 1:47 am #
Yup, tanks have many drawbacks. Fuel is going to get scarce fast
when the zombies come. You need to find a good balance between
fuel economy and safety. I think a standard suburban would be a
good choice. It has plenty of space while getting fuel economy that
military vehicles can only dream of. It’s no Prius but it can get 15-19mpg.
It has no real armor, but armor isn’t really necessary against zombies.
Angryvikingman on 25 Mar 2010 at 5:24 am #
Never forget, the undead are not the only threat. Thats going to be the main focus of Z.A.C. T.A.C.T. Dealing with the living menace. Yay! I’m so awesome at drailing topics.
Ronin666 on 25 Mar 2010 at 5:34 am #
ah, sense at last! So many zombie sites are full of teenage GI Joe wet dreams, the last thing I’d want is a tank. The perfect vehicle for you depends on what sort of situation you find your self in. Urban or rural.
If in Urban you need a vehicle to get you to rural. I seriously don’t recommend bunkering down and taking on the masses. Sooner or later the ammo and food will run out. Forget military vehicles, where will you ever find a part for one? The military aren’t overly interested in fuel economy and comfort either, you will be when your on the road and have to sleep in the thing.
Benjo on 25 Mar 2010 at 8:25 am #
if i was in the big city during an outbreak and had a choice between a tank and my favorite, the exact opposite, i would pick the smaller of them. Yes its a motor cycle\dirtbike. Its got the fastest acceleration with relation to other vehicles, because of its small size. This of course would make it the best for escape and evasion, being in the city and needing to escape means weaving through people, buildings, traffic collisions, and of course Zeds.
Splint Chesthair on 25 Mar 2010 at 9:40 am #
A tank is a luxury item, pure and simple. If you have one, and someone to drive, shoot and maintain it, then it certainly could be put to some use. However, its best use would probably be out front of a main encampment as a psychological deterrent for thieves and looters.
Adam on 25 Mar 2010 at 12:37 pm #
Screw you guys :L I’d still get a tank. I’d have a main vehicle which was much more fuel efficient, but the thing about a tank is that it’s gonna take an undead horde a bloody long time to claw their way through armoured steel, and as far as I know, tanks don’t have weak points like most over vehicles. Like doors and windows.
Since my safe place does have a “compound”, I would definitely park it right in the middle facing the main gate if I found one. You can still hide in it and shoot from it without using any petrol. As for maintaining it, well. I wouldn’t be driving it round often, and I’d probably build some sort of makeshift shelter to keep the rain off, because god knows what chemicals are gonna be in the post-apocalypse sky.
That way, if the worst comes to the worst and my safe place got overrun, I could jump into the tank and escape unscathed (hopefully, anyway).
Plus, I could use it for some impromtu demolition of the surrounded buildings to clear a killing/vision field.
I guess I’d have to find an engineer/mechanic and have them teach me to maintain it though. But hey, a man needs a hobby to keep him occupied when the world is coming to an end.
specially equipped Guardsman on 25 Mar 2010 at 1:17 pm #
I think id rather have a Srtyker or a LAV. But when I think Zombies and tanks, two words come to mind: Mine Flail! Tell me that wouldn’t clear a path. I asked a tanker about that once and sadly it seems their are no mine flails for the M1. But I can dream. but some of the engineering rigs do.
Ronin666 on 25 Mar 2010 at 5:15 pm #
I agree with Benjo, large single cylinder dual purpose bikes would be the best transport . Long range tank, ground clearance, simple to maintain , speed and agaility and you would be surprised how much you can carry on one
Angryvikingman on 26 Mar 2010 at 11:12 am #
IF you could score a tank, it holds 500 gallons of gas. It uses 3 gallons per mile, not 3 miles per gallon. It has a range of 166 miles on one tank of gas. Not to mention it spews 1000 degree exhaust, so dont try running up behind it. In a zombie situation, the main gun won’t be your main weapon, the treads will. Just drive it from your base after filling the gas tank, probably for the first and last time, drive it to the middle of your town, turn it off, use an air horn or other noise making system to draw as many undead as possible, then procede to chew them up with the tank treads, and incinerate them with the exhaust. After a few hours of cutting doughnuts on zombie corpses, radio your clean up team to shoot any zombies off the top of your tank, then, IF you have gas left, drive back to base and park it until you can glean enough gas to drive it again. IF you’re lucky, then you have just killed most of the zombies in your town. Assuming zombies don’t migrate after they consume the resources in the location in which they turned, then you may actually be safe enough to travel in normal vehicles with light weaponry. Raid your local lowes, build fences around every gas station in town, post guards, ration all gas and food, and try to survive as long as possible. Perhaps clearing out smaller neighboring towns consuming their resources and using available farmland to keep your town alive in a pre-electric agricultural society.
Kain - ZAC Weapon Consultant on 26 Mar 2010 at 11:38 am #
You’re also forgetting one thing, If you want to go with the almighty M1 Abrams you can’t use just any fuel, the sucker runs on JP-8 so raiding a gas station will net you absolutely nothing. Like Benjo said a small dirt bike would likely be a better choice. If you really want economy a simple bicycle would achieve that, plus I some how doubt people are going to be looting those from your local mega store.
“They won’t get me they won’t get me thought they never cease to try
they won’t get me they won’t get me I would rather fight and die
they won’t get me they won’t get me well my friend will they get you?
when they get you when they get you tell me what are you gonna do?”
Dropkick Murphys – The Gauntlet
Angryvikingman on 26 Mar 2010 at 3:32 pm #
Well, the local airport has an ample supply of JET-A, which is almost the same chemically, so I doubt the tank will complain. LOL!
Angryvikingman on 26 Mar 2010 at 3:50 pm #
BTW I knew about the different gas, thats why I said you may be able to drive normal vehicles after the initial use of the tank. I find myself in somewhat of a peculiar position, as there is an Air Guard base that also houses tanks just 15 minutes from my house. Assuming I could make it there and it wasnt over run with zombies, I would have lots of military vehicles at my disposal. The gun range where I took my handgun permit class is also located on this base, so I got a great tour of the place on my way in and out of the place. I know where all the tracked vehicles are, where all the large transport trucks are, the repair bays, and I even saw a few Cobra and Apache attack helicopters. It is guarded, but I doubt those 2 old guys in the security booth will be there after TSHTF. There is only a small troop contingent on the base, looked like maybe 20 apartments. My buddy Fatman was an armorer there for 2 years. I’d ask him about everything, but hes doing his 3rd tour in Iraq right now.
KillerB on 26 Mar 2010 at 4:40 pm #
Tanks, APC’s, Armored Trucks all have their place. IF you could get ahold of a tank then just park it on your base. The deterant effect of having a 60 ton main battle tank parked there would keep the hostile humans away. Well at least it would make them think twice about attacking you. Who cares if the main gun works cause you could just drive over their cars and trucks. I used to live on the Marine Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport CA and they sold JP-8 at the fuel station and it worked great in my F350 that I had at the time. I am sure that you could at least run the M1 on regular diesel for a little while. But the fuel requirements would be insane. I have heard that it takes like 20 to 30 gallons just to start the thing. (I have heard that but have not had it proven so I am sure that someone here can find out for sure)
All armored trucks are going to limit your moblity. Armor is heavy so it will stress components more and off road they will sink in mud and sand quicker. It is a trade off of moblity vs. survivablity. I say make a metal fram that is 12 to 18 inches away from the window on your car and then cover that with chain link fence or something similar. The windows are after all the weakest point on your car, truck or van. Anyone with even limited welding skills can build this. The advantage here is that you are adding very litttle weight so your ride will still scoot when needed. Add wedge shaped snow plow to the front of the truck and you are in business. This might not be the best way to kill the zeds but it would be a great truck to go out looking for equipment, food and water, fuel, other survivors, etc. We are afterall not going to have to fight tanks so why have one. The 400+ gallons of fuel in a tank can be put to better use in smaller more fuel effecient trucks. CHEERS
Semper Cogitant on 26 Mar 2010 at 5:46 pm #
A tank is definitely a bad idea. To cramped, to heavy, and has the wrong kind of weapons. Fuel would be a big problem of course, though diesel fuel is easy to improvise. It’d be fun to drive a tank, but not really worth it as a Zombie Apocalypse survival vehicle.
Tanks are very maintenance intensive, they are not driven like a regular car or truck, they are cramped and uncomfortable, they get about half a mile to the gallon.
Tanks are not easy to control and certainly not unstoppable. I’m sure everyone has seen the video of that thank in San Diego high centered on a Jersey Barrier, that’s a bad place to be when you’re surrounded by Zombies
If I was going to take some sort of military vehicle, it’s probably be a Stryker, the ambulance variant if possible, stripped of as much wight as I could manage. I would be a secure way for a small group to travel, but not ideal.
Other military vehicles that would be good are the HEMTT and FMTV trucks, and of course the good old HMMWV/Humvee. All easier to find and probably easier to get than a tank.
Realistically though, civilian vehicles will be much easier for most of us to get hold of quickly. There are a lot of better possibilities than tanks or military vehicles: fire apparatus, buses, RVs, truck, or smaller vehicles depending on the situation. For a person alone there’s a lot to be said for a motorcycle in many situations.
Angryvikingman on 26 Mar 2010 at 9:02 pm #
Yeah, I really dont like the whole motorcycle thing either. You ever see what happens to anyone who wrecks a motorcycle? My friend had to have his shoulder rebuilt all because he just laid his bike over. Now, that being said, I used to be prety badass on my KX 125, but I still wouldnt like to use that as a travel alone vehicle.
1. Too damn loud. Street bikes are pretty loud, and dirt bikes are too.
2. Not safe in ANY kind of collision. Ever think of what would happen if you were hauling ass and a zombie (or deer) jumped onto the road faster than you could avoid it? Yeah, its a freaking mess.
3. Load limit. They can only carry 1 or 2 people, and thats if no one wants comfort. (yeah, a goldwing or other similar cruiser is an exception) Realistically you cant score much loot and expect to haul it on a motorcycle.
Yes, the acceleration is great, and they’re really easy to maintain, but its not really a trade off for me.
If you want to armor the windows of a car/truck/ect, forget chainlink fence. What you want to do is build a frame, and use some 3/16” thick x 2” wide(or 3/8” x 2”) steel bar. weld it horizontal onto the frame and you can see out just fine, but it is hard for anything to get past 2 inches of steel. Also, snipers cant take a shot on you from an elevated position due to the angle of the steel bars.
Idk if the formatting will be right, but heres an illustration:
\ _____
\ _____
\ _____
___\__
_____
Yeah, thats kinda ghetto looking, but it kinda conveys my meaning.
If you’re the crafty sort, you can build the frame from hollow square tubing and interconnect the “blinds” so that you can shut them forming an overlapping window covering. Yes, I know that 3/8 inch steel will not stop API or other steel core ammo, but it will stop most conventional ammo given that it will be hitting on an angle and more likely to deflect than penetrate completely. And side windows you can just plate armor those and and put in sliding gun ports.
Angryvikingman on 26 Mar 2010 at 9:03 pm #
Crap, that didnt come out right at all…
Ronin666 on 27 Mar 2010 at 1:24 am #
Angry, I’m still thinking bike.
1 My XTZ was quiet as a mouse and it was a 650 single
2 30 years of daily riding in peak hour traffic and not one come off, you just gotta be alert 100%
3 .I can carry more on a bike than in the trunk of a small car. It’s all about the loadout. Tank bag, panniers, top box and stuff tied to the forks.
Comfort? what are ya ? you want air con? Unzip your jacket! LOL
The only draw back is doesn’t give you a place to sleep but hopefully due to its agility and go anywhere ability it will get you to somewhere safe while the cars are still gridlocked, you can always use the bike as a step up into a tree and sling your hammock.
My ex and I toured for a month living off the bike, sure we didn’t carry much food but we did carry a lot of stuff we didn’t “need”
McLuvin on 27 Mar 2010 at 2:17 am #
Ronin, that must be one tiny car. Viking has a very valid point about cargo space.
Just carrying your weapon loadout would be tricky on a bike. I would much rather
have some solid protection if some grabby zombie hands start reaching.
Like I said before I think a nice Suburban would be the ticket. Room for a crew,
plenty of storage for weapons and gear, room to sleep if needed.
If you armored it up a little it could be a beast.
Maybe even carry a dirtbike on the back as a scout/recon vehicle. But not as a primary.
Angryvikingman on 27 Mar 2010 at 3:19 am #
Personally I also think that a suburban or tahoe would be great for a primary vehicle. I’d armor it up really well with some extra plating on the doors, do the windows like I said in the previous post, put a cow catcher bumper on it, put on some heavy duty shocks, leaf springs, a winch, and some nice mudding tires. I think that I’d also put a good thick bumper on the rear too so I can store gas cans and can push stuff in reverse. Throw a roof rack on there, cover it in lights, because lets face it, they’d make it look cooler while serving a purpose. Hunting deer at night for food would be hella easier and fun since theres no more game wardens. Speaking of hunting, I saw about 30 turkeys today, if my hunting license would have been current, it would have been a massacre. Oh how I long to kill a defenseless woodland creature. Those of you going to Z.A.C. T.A.C.T. may be lucky enough to have some rabbit stew. Mua ha ha ha!
jay on 27 Mar 2010 at 3:36 am #
i wouldnt go for a tank to much to even thing about.. ive got a ktm 450 dirt bike that ive converted into a road legal bike had to put a diffrent exhaust on it to quite it down dosent make a lot of noise but your much more nimbal on a bike you get better range out of it ie fuel so id have that over a tank. plus you have got to know how to drive/operate it its not just a simple jump in and drive away. yeah they would make the perfect zombie killing vehicle though… or id go for a 250 quad bike them things are fun to drive on and off road.
jay on 27 Mar 2010 at 3:39 am #
vikingman them t-shirts are a good mate does any of the money from a sale goto this site? if so im gonna have to get me one got to keep this site up and running……………..
jay on 27 Mar 2010 at 3:45 am #
one last ting cars/bikes cars cant go thru buildings where as bikes can for a quick escape up and down stairs etc..
specially equipped Guardsman on 27 Mar 2010 at 4:22 am #
For civilian vehicles I’d go with something like a 4×4 ranger king-cab. Its a trade off but I think a full size truck or SUV might be tough to get around all the stalled traffic.
Also I’m thinking I’d go with the chain link instead of trying to up armor it. I’m more worried about zack reaching in then turning it into a a mad max IFV.
Angryvikingman on 27 Mar 2010 at 5:53 am #
The only people making any money off of those shirts is cafepress. I set the markup to $0 so that you guys could get them as cheap as humanly possible, and even at that, they still run like $20 for the larger sizes plus shipping. I would encourage everyone who is going to attend Z.A.C. T.A.C.T. to buy one just for pure coolness factor when we post the pictures and videos of the event. If the ADMIN of this site wants to turn those shirts into a site support stream of revenue, then I will turn over all the pictures, and the password to log into the account. As I already have a lower tier admin position for this site, I created the designs specifically for it. I do everything I can to drive traffic here. The more exposure this site gets, the better.
Ronin666 on 27 Mar 2010 at 5:35 pm #
I do have plans to build my Tac-Bike, un-employment has put them back on the shelf atm. The bike is an escape,evade,survive vehicle, not an attack vehicle.Back in the glorious days when we could do such things in this country, we carried a rifle and a shotgun in leather scabbards, one on each fork leg.It was not an un common sight in the bush. Trust me, alone I could carry everything I need to live for 2 months including food but not water and fuel on a 650 dual purpose bike.
ThatScoutKid on 27 Mar 2010 at 6:21 pm #
to bad the closest thing to a military base is like 4 hours from where i live. and specially equipped Guardsman you totally nabbed my idea! i think i wrote that down in survival rules from hollywood a few days back. come to think of it that post may be the reason they wrote this article.
Adam on 27 Mar 2010 at 8:26 pm #
I see two big problems with bikes. The main deterrant for me is that you are completely exposed to everything. Zombies, hostile survivors, even the weather. I’d much rather be surrounded by armour and have less speed/manouverability. The other one is, i think someone mentioned before, accidents. If you’re going over 60mph when you crash, you will die. 99% of the time, anyway. I have a friend who is a paramedic, and 80% of his shock stories from work involve motorcyclists. To give you an example, one time he was called to a major accident, motorbike vs van on a motorway, and when he was there, he picked up what he thought was just a helmet. Turned out, the bikers head was still in it.
The only use i can think of for bikes is pushbikes, when the fuel runs out.
Mystery Machine on 28 Mar 2010 at 10:28 am #
JP-8 is the recommended and preferred fuel for the M1. Its turbine engine will actually run on anything that burns (with reduced performance). No joke- alcohol, diesel, unleaded, hell even ethanol.
Also if you have access to a military base with tanks, there will be spare parts there, and thousands of gallons of fuel in underground blivots.
I don’t think it would be the most efficient means of travel, but it could very well come in handy. Even if you use it as a pillbox. I mean, the thing weights 70 tons and has armor up to 24″ thick. No one is getting inside that thing unless you want them to.
3-15 INF on 28 Mar 2010 at 10:02 pm #
not that it matters much, but the abrahms has a multifuel turbine- the thing could run off of vodka if you had enough of it
Kain - ZAC Weapon Consultant on 28 Mar 2010 at 11:49 pm #
But, why waste perfectly good vodka? I’m sure angryvikingman would be shocked at the such waste. Lol. Funny story, when they were doing tests for the jeep, this is WWII era, or was it the Duce and half, can’t remember, they tested the engine and ran it by pouring a bottle of scotch into the gas tank and running it around the test area. The lead mechanic was extremely upset when he found out they had wasted a bottle of good scotch. Way the hell off topic but you bringing up vodka made me think of that.
Anyway….
On another note, while motorcycle crashes can be very horrific, know of a few very ugly ones myself, one of which resulted in a cop buddy of mine chasing another guy down the street with a severed leg. No shit, I am not kidding. Anyway, I don’t personally think anyone is going to be running 90 or even 60 miles per hour across country during a zombie outbreak. The roads are likely to be jammed to all hell, and you would also be looking at fuel economy as well as noise discipline, not just for zombies, but those less moral survivors. And hitting a human sized object at 60 mph isn’t a guaranteed death, buddy of mine, currently in country, hit a deer on a motorcycle. The deer didn’t walk away but other then a bunch of bumps and scraps and a good knock on his head and being covered in deer blood he was alright. When the EMTs ect. got to the crash scene he was kicking around the ditch along side of the road trying to find his Chief Special that he had been carrying when he hit the deer.
“They won’t get me they won’t get me thought they never cease to try
they won’t get me they won’t get me I would rather fight and die
they won’t get me they won’t get me well my friend will they get you?
when they get you when they get you tell me what are you gonna do?”
Dropkick Murphys – The Gauntlet
Angryvikingman on 29 Mar 2010 at 12:31 am #
Yes, absolutely shocked! If it came down to powering my tank, or getting drunk for a month, well… Hmmm…. Well…. Uh… Screw it, I’d rather drink the vodka. I can always make a bunch of corn liqour to run my tank.
jay on 29 Mar 2010 at 12:51 pm #
lol @ vikingman…. well on the day i wouldnt be doning 60 on a motobike more like 20/30mph max unless i was being chased cos you never know whats around the next corner untill you hit it.
3-15 INF on 03 Apr 2010 at 9:12 pm #
I’d prefer to ride a 4-wheeler like SF did in Afghanistan. They have equipment racks for lots of gear and extra fuell cans, a gun rack over the bars, is a stable shooting platform, has decent speed and fuel economy, and you won’t fall over if you stop. Plus, you can push through minor barricades and weave through junk on the road.
3-15 INF on 03 Apr 2010 at 9:14 pm #
I’d prefer to ride a 4-wheeler like SF did in Afghanistan. They have equipment racks for lots of gear and extra fuel cans, a gun rack over the bars, is a stable shooting platform, has decent speed and fuel economy, and you won’t fall over if you stop. Plus, you can push through minor barricades and weave through junk on the road.
Michael on 05 Apr 2010 at 1:35 am #
Tanks are awesome but there are so many negative aspects to it, it’s not even worth using. For example: You would need a crew of a few people to operate it, and if you do find a few people not all of them could operate a tank; another is fuel, which is the worse part of it, it would eat up your fuel worse than a semi or a hummer; and it’s also hard to maneuver around in streets full of trash, fallen lamp post, and cars all over and flipped. So why make it so difficult? Sorry but I’ll pass.
For me, it would most diffidently be either a pick-up truck or an SUV with off-road or all terrain tires, and lifted. The truck would have to be modified with caged window covers.
Dreamornaut on 13 Apr 2010 at 12:25 pm #
An FAV would be nice, though being in a large city as I am I think my escape might best be conducted on foot or bicycle. I’m just assuming that all major streets and arteries would quickly become impassible by traffic and the largest concentrations of undead. I would almost imagine that there’s no real safe route, but one that does not provide for easy vehicle traffic out of the city may be the best option. This would mean taking alleyways, parkways, cutting through properties and jumping fences and so on.
Though even once out of the immediate metropolitan area I imagine that off-road capability would be crucial since major highways would be packed with the walking dead, or at least soon to be walking dead. An FAV, ATV or even a snowmobile depending on the season would be a useful find. Even without considering maintenance issues and fuel availability and consumption I wonder how effective a tank or IFV would be at navigating through rural areas that often are crowned by steep ditches or the thick tree lines that are meant to serve as windbreaks for the adjoining fields.
3-15 INF on 14 Apr 2010 at 9:59 am #
yeah, ATV is the way for me
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Cav Warrior on 09 May 2010 at 9:29 pm #
How many of you wanting a tank can actually operate one? It isn’t like jumping in daddys SUV and turning the key. I think most of the negative aspects of using such a heavy armored vehicle have been covered. I’d like to add just a few more thoughts. Assuming you got one started and were able to operate it, who’d run the turret? The driver doesn’t have access to the weapons systems. Next thought; while you’re out running and gunning and generally crushing zombies, cars, and trucks, what will you do if and when you throw a track?
mcbwaa on 12 May 2010 at 10:55 am #
I cant believe noone has referenced Ace Ventura: When Nature calls. HELLLOOOO people. What happens when ur using the tank as a pillbox then the zombies get close……
Close the hatch and lock it right?
What happens if its a hot summer day and ur little 2 watt fan turns off……you will be looking for that tanks ass like there is no tomorow (literally) and then all the weight of the zombies on top of the hatch is gonna make it impossible to get out. So its just you or maybe 1 other with you crammed in a tank until either the heat bakes you or you turn into psuedo-zombies and eat eachother.
Zombies blow……or atleast getting eaten by them :)
BTW…..this site…..is my mecca. /bow /pray
Angryvikingman on 13 May 2010 at 4:38 am #
JIC people are wondering, tanks have 3 escape hatches. So if the main hatch is unable to be opened, then you have 2 other ways out.
Raptor on 28 May 2010 at 1:32 am #
Actually, the M1 Abrams tank can be fueled with diesel fuel, kerosene, any grade of motor gasoline, JP-4 jet fuel, or JP-8 jet fuel; the US Army uses JP-8 jet fuel in order to simplify logistics. The Royal Australian Armoured Corps’ M1A1 AIM SA uses diesel fuel; it is cheaper and makes practical sense for Australian military logistics.
big bear29 on 09 Oct 2010 at 7:32 am #
I have looked into buying a tank and other military vehicles on several occasions and the one thing that they all had in common was low speed and a limited operational range . Personally I think that if someone could get their hands on a tank or apc or whatever they would be best off stripping it down and getting rid of unnecessary weight , against zombies you won’t need the inch thick steel armor . But on another note having an armored vehicle that can smash through barricades and crush zombies would prove invaluable at times and it would be a serious advantage if you had to deal with some maruaders that were giving you some trouble , after all nothing says f you like having a big tank lobbing rounds at you .
Crush on 25 Oct 2010 at 5:39 am #
Come on, you are all underestimating the value of a 70 ton tank as a crushing machine. It’s far more useful than the ammo. How much more fuel and food/water can a tank carry when all of its ammo stores are instead to carry those two things?
Fine, tanks have horrible fuel efficiencies. Then turn the things off until you attract a very massive horde. Button down the hatch and wait as they foolishly pile up. Turn the baby on and crush hundreds, no thousands of zombies. Flesh and bone is mere paper to a 70 ton metal monstrosity. The treads will be fine for a good while.
Now that one tank can effortlessly crush thousands of zombies, think what a line of tanks can do when coordinated. It’s like a crushing factory. A million zombies vs a dozen or so tanks in the desert or plains, and you get hundreds of thousands of crushed zombies with minimal losses (if any).
Angryvikingman on 25 Oct 2010 at 9:28 am #
Crush, refer to comment #9.
Also, you dont need a whole crew for a tank. You can move from the Drivers seat to the other positions in the tank. (its cramped, and hard as hell, but CAN be done) The commander’s position has turret and weapons fire control. As for throwing a track, under normal road conditions, you’ll wear them out before you throw one, but if you do happen to throw one, all you need is a good pair of “Come alongs”(southern name) and a track tool which is generally on the vehicle, and you can reattach the track. If a section is damaged, then generally in the field, tank ops will carry sections of track on the vehicle as well. Where ever you manage to snag one from will have parts and tracks for repair. Tanks are also made to be repaired in the field, so don’t sit there and say it can’t be done. You can even find the tank repair manuals online.
check out http://www.globalsecurity.org for more military manuals than you can shake a stick at.
~FIN~
(LOL)
big bear29 on 26 Oct 2010 at 12:52 pm #
M42 Duster
PZA Loara
M163 VADS
ZSU-23-4
Gepard 1A2
ZSU-57-2
BOV-3 SPAAA
M16 MGMC
Mitsubishi Type 87
These are some vehicles that I think would be perfect for fighting the undead . With their weight they could crush swarms of undead like Angryvikingman suggested or you could just lead them into a
bottle-neck and blast them apart with the high caliber guns
Crush on 31 Oct 2010 at 1:17 pm #
Good point, angryvikingman. Don’t also forget that some tanks can carry a logistics trailer that carry extra fuel and ammo. These would be vulnerable against human enemies with anti-tank and mine weapons, but not against zombies who are basically infectious walking mindless humans who’s only option of attack is through close combat.
Any good military force can easily mass and manipulate the flow of any zombie mob and set up the battlefield for chokepoints, killzones, crush points. It would be a turkey shooting gallery of the kind never seen in history.
Semper gumbii on 02 Dec 2010 at 11:28 pm #
Not to mention all tanks have manual sight and turrent mobilty. So whoever said when you run out of gad its useless, is dead wrong. As an unbreachable weapon station, a tank is perfect. I’d prefer an infantry stryker. Its a cat inline 6 that’ll run on anything that burns. It has 52 gallon tanks and can go 300 miles on a tank of fuel. Plus the infantry variant holds 12 plus crew and has a remote weapons station, so you ain’t gotta get out to kill zeds. Put that .50 on single shot and you got a sniper rifle. It uses tires, not treads, and weighs 20 tons, so you can use most civilian bridges and dirt roads. Not to mention no windows ( periscopes) and combat locks, which civilian vehicles and non uparmored hmmwv’s don’t have. Furthermore anything the army has that doesn’t fly any retard can drive. It doesn’t take super intensive training to get a tank moving ( a stryker is just like driving a car, as long as you can turn it on). Gear shifter, steering wheel, gas and brake just like your mamma’s mini-van.
Semper gumbii on 02 Dec 2010 at 11:41 pm #
Oh yeah, anything besides a javelin will only pierce the engine compartment. 3ft of d/u will stop a sabot tank round, let alone any rpg. A tank as a pilliar of your defense is always a good idea.
supertankerm60a3 on 16 Jan 2011 at 5:35 pm #
I have been an armored crewman (tanker) for ten years and a tank mechanic for four.
A few points to cover in tanks vs (not ever going to be real) zombies.
Cars do clog streets regarding tanks, and they only slow them down slightly. Watch the drug addled nut crush cars and motorhomes in the San Diego rampage on utube. Think what would have happened if he had simply stopped turned 180 degrees and started again, the police would not have had a chance. Providing, that he FIRST locked the loaders hatch closed.
the armor is not 1 inch thick. it is average 10 inches thick. With the thickest being more than 24.
There is no way to lighten a tank. Unless you are able to cut metal 10 to 20 inches thick.
Tanks, both M60′s and M1′s burn any fuel from gasoline to heating oil.
There are no tires to go flat or burn off and no windows for the zombies to get through.
Crushing works, though you may need to wear full MOPP (biological protection) when cleaning the thing for maintenance or afterwards, depending on how infectious zombie effluent is.
Your aversion to uncomfortable temperatures shows how sheltered your life has been. I have been in a tank, buttoned up, in the desert, for over a day In full MOPP (chemical) gear. It is not comfortable but it is survivable
DU sabots could (would) be pulled and a home made projectile made from nuts/bolts or ball bearings with a candle wax binder would be improvised for long range (relatively) engagements.
Only high end components require high end maintenance, your Laser range finder (LRF) and Thermal Imaging System (TIS) would not be repairable when they went down but your enemy is not high tech anyway. the crude things that break are repaired with crude brute strength. The turbine engine may not stay in tune (Power Turbine Stator (PTS) blade actuators need periodic adjustments as do the Inlet Guide Vanes (IGV)) but that would not prevent the engine from running.
a tank is basically a short fast bulldozer without a blade and a great suspension system that has an impermeable cab
In short the debate boils down to steel vs flesh. Sorry, steel wins.
supertankerm60a3 on 16 Jan 2011 at 5:36 pm #
OOPS I meant cars do NOT clog streets.
zombiehater on 10 Mar 2011 at 4:14 pm #
the M1 abrams, probably the worst thing for a zombie outbreak. loud, big, and depending if the they are overruned in cities, a waste of time. i would probably try to pick up a humvee, good solid truck. 2 and a half ton truck would also be good.
suppose you can get to the armies armored reserve, i know they have M60′s and M4 shermans. I would feel better in the M60 minesweeper with the blades infront. Whats a 120mm Heat round going to do against a zombie? .50 caliber would be just fine, and more silent compare to a tank.
big bear29 on 18 Mar 2011 at 12:30 pm #
@zombiehater
There is a massive difference between shooting a zombie with a 50. cal and shooting it with a 120 mm cannon . If you shoot soft necrotic flesh with a 50 cal. it will leave a massive hole in the body , but if you shoot it with an abrams cannon the entire body will be torn apart by the round passing through the body . Also you could just run over the zombies with a tank indeffinetly , but if you plowed into the zombies over and over again with a humvee eventually your truck would be trashed .
QAZZY on 15 May 2011 at 6:38 pm #
Anyone in the military would know tank crews spend more time performing maintenance than using them (not completely sure, I wasn’t using the big guns). The only advantages the M1 Abrams provides are burning any fuel (so does an older Mercedes diesel (almost anything)) and running over zombies (well, so can SUVs).
Angryvikingman on 16 May 2011 at 3:35 pm #
@zombiehater
First, a tank has .50 cal machine gun. .50 BMG makes a 1 foot diameter cavitation. That means a one foot hole in zombies. A car engine block won’t stop a .50 BMG, I’m sure a mass of zombies would only be turned into so much goo when hit with a 50rnd burst from the .50 BMG atop the tank. I can only imagine what would happen when 1 shell form a 120mm cannon plowed through a crowd of undead. Especially in a bottle neck or narrow city street which would contain much of the blast wave. And yes, you can squish zombies for a few hours until you run out of gas.
Refer to what supertankerm60a3 said in comment #52.
Yo on 24 Jun 2011 at 1:41 am #
An armored vehicle would be best
Moe Biscuits on 27 Jun 2011 at 6:45 pm #
Alright, been lurking around for the last few days and finally had to sound off on this one.
Simply put: tank=bad idea. Especially the Abrams. Too low profile to run over the zombie hordes. Meaning that those who aren’t crushed will likely end up on top of the hull…and stay there for who knows how long. Getting in and out is not the easiest task either. Never drove one so I can’t say for sure, but the few times I looked in one, it looked pretty cramped.
My vehicle of choice (with one major caveat) would be an M-88 Hercules tracked recovery vehicle. The tracks ride much higher up the front than on a tank, and as a bonus, there’s a spade (think bulldozer blade) on the front for moving what you can’t run over. Easily driven by one person – manual shift-on-the-fly, steering wheel (also allows for neutral steer like a zero-turn radius mower), gas, brake, top speed of 35 mph, and a damn comfortable seat I might add. Four hatches on top, two on the side, all lockable from the inside. It’s got a .50 cal turret (likely to be armed if abandoned in the presence of the zeds), firing ports, plenty of space for cargo and your crack team of highly capable, motivated, locked cocked and ready to rock zombie killers, and a high profile that’s gonna make it difficult for the hordes to climb on top, especially while in motion. Added bonus: a fully stocked 88 comes with everything you need to fix it in case you throw track. Which leads me to the caveat:
ANY tracked vehicle in a zombie apocalypse is simply a wet dream. High fuel consumption is the biggest problem. And while you don’t have to worry about getting a flat, throwing track (track coming off the road wheels/sprocket) is easier than you might think, especially when it gets clogged with parts & pieces of the undead. The best use for a tracked vehicle is to get you somewhere safe so you can get yourself into a more practical civilian vehicle. In other words, if you find one, get in, bring your friends, and get the f**k outta Dodge!
At the risk of making this a TLDR post, I’ll close for now.
Someone on 01 Aug 2011 at 1:51 pm #
Guys we are not talking about ‘single tank against the whole zombie horde.’ It could only happen in fictitious situation. The reality is that we have got an armour division with thousand of tanks and well logistical support on our side. With the maintaince from the skillful military worker and the full combat supplies, tanks can be the most effective weapon against the zombie horde. Tanks can also be modified into even more suitable against zombie. For example, to install a WW2-class Mine flail in the front of a tanks so that it can cut the zombie into pieces.
P.S. It’s not necessary to destroy a zombie brain to ‘disable’ it. We just need to blow a zombie into pieces by using weapons like cannon and galting-gun. It’s not necessary to really ‘kill’ a zombie. We just need to disable it, making it unable to move or can move extreme slow. After all the zombie are cut off and crawling on the ground. Just send some tanks with flamethrower to ‘clean up’ the battlefield.
ZombieHater on 20 Sep 2011 at 1:41 pm #
Why would i waste a good humvee fighting zombies, im trying to survive not get killed, after rescuing my friends and family, if they arent infected, im loading fuel and other much needed supplies and getting out my city. I live right outside of Atlanta in Acworth and thats too close for comfort. Theres a small military place near a small airport not to far from my house where i saw a couple of 2 and a half tons and some F-350′s which should be great to carry out some people or we could fly out if my friend’s friend survives. When im safe in Canada or somewhere rural, ill think about finding some nice military vechicles like a bradly ifv or a LAV-25, if theres one easy enough to reach.
The thing you dont want to do is blow the crap out of zombies. Messy kills can get you infect by the bits of flesh and blood flying in the air. clean headshot or decapitation is all you need, no need to overkill. When humanity is ready to wage war against the zombies, the tank i would use would be a M60, which might not be as fast or advance as a M1, but probably easier to understand.
ZombieHater13 on 20 Sep 2011 at 10:11 pm #
depends on the size and rate of infection, Even tanks can get overwhelm and men easily become frighten or fatigue. Got to remember if this is a major scale infection, Zombies will range in the 1000′s to millions if it happened in a large city. Doesnt matter how many tanks you have then, they arent going to do much against those numbers, even with a 120mm gun, which wasnt design for anti personnal, though i believe it carries a few canister shells in the ammo supply.
The Army would have to quickly move men and eqiupment if it happens while we are still in the conflict with the taliban. Probably leaving a bulk of the tanks and other vechicles behind.