I have to face a sad truth: YouTube is running out of tank videos for me to watch.

[Aristus]

I've seen thousands of them, ranging from a 15-second clip of the auto-loader in action on a Russian-made T-72, to hours-long documentaries about famous tanks.

There are videos with museum curators offering dry lectures about the tanks they're standing in front of, to exciting tours of tanks offered by former US or British Army tank veterans, with exhaustive examinations of the most minute details of famous, and not-so-famous tanks.

And I'm coming to the end of the available content. There are only so many tank types and models in the world. Is it possible that I've seen all there is to see?



One interesting factor in online tank video production is the easy availability of information to share. When I was in the Gulf, a number of captured Iraqi armored vehicles were brought back from the front, and we US Army tank crewmen clambered all over them, getting a first-hand look at the tanks we had been studying from afar, in some cases for years. They were a mystery no longer, and everyone who had a camera (this was before camera phones, remember) took pictures of the interior and the points of interest.

Not long after, MP's circulated among us and confiscated every camera and every roll of film, citing military secrecy as their reason. I don't know why it was considered such a hush-hush thing that the photos not become public, especially since it was not our own technology that was being featured. But that was that.

Nowadays, there's not a tank in the world you can't get a good look at, interior or exterior, just by logging on to YouTube. Times sure have changed.

Anyway, I'm now having to re-watch old tank videos since I'm running out of new content...

[hlthe2b]

1. LOL... for the first time in my life, I actually sought info on a tank.. today

The movie "Kelly's Heroes" was on and I thought I had heard that German Tiger tanks were no longer available, having been mostly destroyed or at least non-functional after the war. So, I wondered what they used. It would have been obvious to you that they "created" a replica from a modern tank. I think they at least got the insignias right, though.

[Aristus]

3. Yeah. For 'Kelly's Heroes', they used specially-built Tiger tank replicas.

The usual method is to build a Tiger-style superstructure over an old Russian T-34, since the T-34 is small enough to have an appropriately-sized tank replica perched on its chassis, and the openings on the bow of the tank, for the driver and the bow gunner, are in the right places on both tanks.

The Tiger tank replica used in Saving Private Ryan was easy to spot once the tracks were blown off with the sticky bombs. The track links and road wheels of the T-34 are unmistakable to the trained eye.

Tiger 131, the only operable Tiger tank left in the world, was featured prominently in the tank movie, Fury. This is really the only reason to see it, since it was otherwise an ugly, unsatisfying film.

[malthaussen]

22. In Kelly's Heroes, they dolled up a T-34/85.

http://www.tankworld.co.uk/kelly%27s-heroes-tiger.html

https://www.imcdb.org/v031790.html

Apparently, they did the same thing for "Saving Private Ryan."

-- Mal

[Wounded Bear]

2. I guess it's all over...

[Aristus]

4. Yeah, I thought about that.

I watch videos when I'm taking a break from reading, actually...

[pangaia]

7. ;.))))))))))))))))

[mythology]

5. Clearly you need to be interested in something more popular

I hear there are a number of cat videos.

[Phentex]

8. Baby goats are fun...

and there's no shortage

[pangaia]

6. Aw shit. I must confess. I thought I was the only one who watched those.

Time to start in on submarine vids.

When you finish those, move on to sniper vids..

[LeftInTX]

9. I hate first world problems!!!

Thanks a lot YouTube!!!!

Because YouTube had all those tank videos, Aristus will go through some sort of withdrawal or something.

[Aristus]

10. I always have my job to make sure I maintain perspective.

It's always nice to mourn something inconsequential. It hurts less than actual mourning.

It's the true meaning behind my sig line...

[Ptah]

11. Have you compiled a top five list?

I suddenly am curious about tanks.

[Aristus]

13. Here:

and Part 2:

Part 2:

And Part 3:

&t=930s

That's enough to get started with. Enjoy!...

[TlalocW]

12. There are a couple cute cat videos out there

You might enjoy those if you can find them.

TlalocW

[Aristus]

14. Are the cats driving tanks?

[lame54]

15. What's your favorite movie featuring a tank?

[Aristus]

16. Kevin Reynold's 'The Beast'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beast_(1988_film)

It's about Soviet tankers in Afghanistan. (If only we'd known it was also a cautionary tale...)

It was filmed in Israel and featured American actors as the Russian tankers, and Israeli actors as the Pashtun tribesmen who oppose them. American actor Steven Bauer plays the leader of the Afghans. Stephen Baldwin appears in an early role, long before becoming a bonkers right-wing evangelical.

It was notable at the time for offering a close-up look at the Soviet-designed T-55 tank, which was still mostly a mystery to American eyes at that time. Israel captured hundreds of undamaged T-55's from their Egyptian and Syrian opponents in the Six-Day and Yom Kippur Wars. The IDF converted these tanks for their own use in training and for when their own tank stocks grew low because of war losses. The producers of the film bought two of the T-55's (known as the Tiran-67 in Israeli service and boasting upgrades in weapons and communications gear), and used them for filming.

Because this was one of the few opportunities at the time to see Soviet-made tanks close-up, I had my drill sergeant in tanker school screen the film for we trainees.

I watch the film four or five times a year. The film includes an excellent musical score by Mark Isham.

[lame54]

17. Thanks for the recommendation...

Definitely on my list

[Aristus]

18. The film took some criticism at the time for portraying the Russian soldiers with

prominent American accents. But I think it was a masterful touch, making us identify with them much more closely than if the American actors had been forced to sport hokey Bond-villain-style Russian accents.

A much later Russian film, Company 19, supports this view, showing the soldiers (portrayed by real Russian actors) as kids, like any other kids around the world, with the same emotions, hopes, dreams, attitudes, etc.

[becca da bakkah]

19. I'll Sing You A Song. That Should Make You Feel Better....

.....Ready? Hold the monitor up close to your ear. Tanks For The Memories! You're welcome.

[Aristus]

20. That was lovely.

I'm overwhelmed...

[malthaussen]

21. Tanks a lot.

The local American Legion has an M48 out front.

You should try wargames. Steel Panthers would be a place to start, especially as you can get it for free. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/Camo_Workshop/MBT/MBT_page.html (for the post WW2 version) or http://www.shrapnelgames.com/Camo_Workshop/WW2/WW2_page.html for the WW2 tanks).

Or maybe you could binge on FPSRussia's videos, which are often very funny. Doubtless you already saw him go to White Castle in a Stuart:

-- Mal