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Don't Drink A Tank And Drive


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That actually happened some years ago. The crew compartment weren't pressurized (or closed for that matter) and all crew were poisoned by CO2 which was not properly venting. No serious injuries though. That happened a few times at our battalion exercises as well. Not as severe as on the picture here though. 

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How many latrines did the crew have to dig?

On BIG hole  ;)

is CO2 poisoning that common?

Don't know how common CO2 poisoning is in a military environment. CO2 poisoning is the 'silent killer' that many (even folks who know better) discard as not going to happen to me ... and it can and does. 

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CO2 in high concentrations produces an urgent need to breathe. It has a physiological choking sensation. CO is, as mentioned, the silent killer.

 

(Insert monograph about evolutionary response to CO2 and normal aspiration vs. CO as a combustion by-product, here. )

 

:)

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Is it CO2 (carbon dioxide) or CO (carbon monoxide)? The first can be tolerated in moderate concentrations but the latter is definitely toxic.

 

Michael

My mistake. Sorry.  CO carbon monoxide is what I was thinking... the silent killer. It is one of those yeah we know we should not have the generator running under the carport with the windows open kinda things... people wake up dead  :(

 

CO2 in high concentrations produces an urgent need to breathe. It has a physiological choking sensation. CO is, as mentioned, the silent killer.

 

(Insert monograph about evolutionary response to CO2 and normal aspiration vs. CO as a combustion by-product, here. )

 

:)

 

:D This has got to be worked into a new AAR Ken.

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Looking at that picture once again it looks from the way the ground has been dug up by the tank's treads that the driver might have accelerated just at the moment of contact. Are we witnessing the aftermath of some kind of road rage?

 

;)

 

Michael

 

I once drove a CM tank.. actually several ... backwards into battle after returning from a night out of frivolity and toasting. My opponent was laughing so hard when he returned his move he had pity on my mistake .... only KO'd a couple of my tanks  :)

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Looking at that picture once again it looks from the way the ground has been dug up by the tank's treads that the driver might have accelerated just at the moment of contact. Are we witnessing the aftermath of some kind of road rage?

 

;)

 

Michael

I would guess that an initial "gentle" (can a tank collide gently with anything) impact shunted the incapacitated driver forward so his foot (or hand?) hit the throttle...
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I have a cow, a poor silly dog, an old Volkswagen (hey, the don't park here sign was there for a reason) and countless trees on my record as a driver.   I should add all these mishaps (save a few of the trees) happened at night, in the time before thermal vision for the driver.   Cleaning up the cow was...yuk.   I was moving pretty fast around a curve and the farmer needed to fix his fence.  

 

Like panzersauerkrautwerfer says....   Its both easier and harder than you think.   It is always wise to be kind to the driver.   He can rapidly ruin the turret crews day.   A M1 has GOOD breaks.   If you put the peddle to floor, the tank will stop RIGHT THERE.   If you are moving at any speed and do not warn them, they will be angry with you.   Especially the TC if he is unbuttoned.  

 

This random off track post brought to you by late afternoon boredom.

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My brother was stationed in Germany in the mid-'50s and witnessed an incident that he found mildly amusing. Some USA tanks were using a highway through a village and a Volkswagen ahead of the lead tank stopped without warning. The tank started up the back of the VW before the driver could bring it to a stop. My brother said that he never saw anyone bail out of a car faster than that VW driver!

 

Michael

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My brother was stationed in Germany in the mid-'50s and witnessed an incident that he found mildly amusing. Some USA tanks were using a highway through a village and a Volkswagen ahead of the lead tank stopped without warning. The tank started up the back of the VW before the driver could bring it to a stop. My brother said that he never saw anyone bail out of a car faster than that VW driver!

 

Michael

I hope that VW driver had some sort of mechanical failure to justify such a suicidal failure to use his mirrors... or ears...
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My brother was stationed in Germany in the mid-'50s and witnessed an incident that he found mildly amusing. Some USA tanks were using a highway through a village and a Volkswagen ahead of the lead tank stopped without warning. The tank started up the back of the VW before the driver could bring it to a stop. My brother said that he never saw anyone bail out of a car faster than that VW driver!

 

Michael

 

That happened quite often in West Germany. Every year tank vs. car accidents that happened on the german roads and highways during the REFORGER war games cost the lives of several civillians. Here is a german newspaper article from 1977:

 

Am letzten Tag des Nato-Herbstmanövers Reforger 77 erhielt das Pressezentrum in Leipheim in der Nähe von Ulm die Anweisung, Unfallzahlen nur auf direkte Anfragen von Journalisten bekanntzugeben. Die Bilanz der zwischen dem 12. und 21. September entlang der bayrisch-württembergischen Landesgrenze abgelaufenen Militärübung ist wahrlich nicht geeignet, an die große Glocke gehängt zu werden. Es gab zwölf Tote, darunter neun Zivilisten, sowie 94 ernsthaft Verletzte.

 

http://www.zeit.de/1977/41/sicherheit-zuletzt

 

9 dead civillians and 94 with severe injuries. Happened during REFORGER 77.

Edited by agusto
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