An image has resurfaced on social media showing holes in a US-made M1 Abrams tank and illustrating where to hit the tank and what weapon was used.
U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine on Jan. 25, in an apparent attempt to court or pressure German Chancellor Olaf Schulz to supply the war-torn country with Leopard 2 tank.
“Today, I’m announcing that the United States will send 31 Abrams tanks, the equivalent of a Ukrainian battalion, to Ukraine,” Biden said in the presence of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Biden said, “This is to help Ukraine defend and protect Ukrainian land. This is not an offensive threat to Russia.”
As of now, it has not been specified which variant of the M1 Abrams will be sent to Ukraine, the M1A1 or the M1A2.
As Eurasia Info recently reported, Russia’s response to the US decision to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine was harsh but calm. The Russian leadership seems confident that Abrams will not pose a major strategic threat.
“If it is decided to transfer the M1 Abrams tanks to Kyiv, there is no doubt that the American tanks will be destroyed like all other samples of NATO military equipment,” said Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States. His warning came a day before President Joe Biden pledged to supply Ukraine with heavily armored tanks.
Given the recent appointment of tank specialist Russian Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov as Ukrainian war commander, Moscow seems to have been looking forward to supplying Western tanks to Ukraine for some time ”in Ukraine.
In another sign of Russia’s readiness to confront Western tanks, especially the American-made Abrams tank, Russian netizens are circulating an image depicting a vulnerable part of the Abrams tank, including a Set of tanks with instructions on how to use these tanks.
The picture seen above is very old and famous in the Russian blogosphere with a detailed article on how to destroy or damage the Abrams tank.
Guide to Destroying an M1 Abrams Tank
In the picture, there are many instructions, the first suggests striking the guidance system or the tank’s main gun with light weapons or / and a machine gun.
The second command is to hit the large gap between the hull and the turret, and the third command is to hit the compartments on the sides of the hull, even with grenades like PG-7, PG-7V, PG-7 VM.
The above statement is based on the claim that the M1 Abrams tank (M1A1 and M1A2 models) is highly protected in the front, but poorly armored in the sides and rear.
In addition, the Russian-language report suggested hitting the fuel tanks located in the front on both sides of the driver. This burned fuel is expected to fall into the engine compartment, causing the engine to catch fire and explode.
For this case, however, the engine compartment of the M1 Abrams tank was equipped with a fire extinguisher system, reportedly consisting of two bottles and several portable fire extinguishers.
In addition to this, Russian commentators have suggested that using landmines to blow up the M1 Abrams would be a very cost-effective solution.
For example, in October 2003, an Abrams tank was blown up in Iraq by an anti-tank mine, which was combined with other explosives and several 155mm shells to enhance its effect.
An explosion below the tank knocked out the turret, killing two U.S. soldiers, the first fatality from a hostile attack on an M1 tank.
To counter mines, the M1 is equipped with a mine sweeper that pushes mines out of the tank’s path, clearing the way for other armored vehicles.
In addition, Russian commentators have offered some suggestions for ambush tank columns, such as the formation of special “armor-piercing” teams including a machine gunner and a sniper, to prevent infantry from covering enemy tanks.
It is worth noting that the Russian army does not use infantry in its main battle tanks in Ukraine, which is why Russian tanks suffered heavy losses, Panzer Corps officer Colonel Rajendra Baduri (Ret.) previously told another reporter pointed out EurAsia Info.
“It’s puzzling, amateurish and surprising. Infantry and tanks complement each other, and the logic behind Russia’s use of tanks in this way is mysterious,” Badouri said.
So Russia would do well to incorporate infantry into Ukrainian tank attacks, given that Ukraine has learned from Russia’s mistakes.
In addition, the Russian military is advised to carefully choose the location of the ambush in order to cut off the escape route of the armored column.
In urban areas, netizens suggest using multiple teams on different floors, including the basement and the first or third floor of the building, using the bazooka to fire about five to six rounds simultaneously from different directions, targeting the top, sides and bottom . The rear of the tank.