A self-propelled anti-tank gun, or tank destroyer, is a type of armoured fighting vehicle. Tank destroyers are used primarily to provide antitank support for infantry or tank units, in defensive or withdrawal operations. They may mount a high-velocity anti-tank gun or sometimes an antitank guided missile launcher, or ATGM. An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a military vehicle, equipped with protection against hostile attacks and often mounted weapons. ... Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... In military science, defense (or defence) is the art of preventing an enemy from conquering territory; usually via fortifications. ... Definition Withdrawing is the act of removing all or part of a military force from combat and moving to a safe location. ... An Anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) or weapon (ATGW) is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles. ...

Tank destroyers cannot fulfil the many roles of tanks; they are much less flexible, and usually lack a strong anti-infantry capability. But they are much less expensive to manufacture, maintain, and resupply than tanks.

Gun-armed tank destroyers have been largely supplanted by the more general-purpose tanks since Second World War, but lightly-armoured ATGM carriers are used for supplementary long-range antitank capabilities.

World War II

Soviet ISU-122 tank destroyer with Polish Army markings

Dedicated antitank vehicles made their first major appearance in the Second World War, as combatants developed effective armoured vehicles and tactics. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1181x544, 103 KB) ISU-122, Poznań, Poland photo by Radomil, 26 March 2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Tank destroyer ISU-122 ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1181x544, 103 KB) ISU-122, Poznań, Poland photo by Radomil, 26 March 2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Tank destroyer ISU-122 ... The ISU-122 was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during World War II. Polish ISU-122 History The ISU-122 was identical to the ISU-152, but had a 122 mm A-19 gun instead of the ISU-152s 152 mm gun. ... German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ...

These tank destroyers fell broadly into two categories. Some were designed to be faster and cheaper than a medium tank while still able to destroy heavy armour at long range. Some of these designs were clearly expedients rushed into production. The second design strategy was to create a heavily-armoured vehicle that was more effective in armoured combat than enemy tanks.

German and Soviet designs mounted an antitank gun with limited traverse in a turretless hull. The result was smaller, lighter, and simpler to build than a tank, but could carry a larger gun. This was used by both forces to keep older designs competitive in the rapidly up-armoring of all AFV's that took place during the war. State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Anthems: The Internationale (1922-1944) / Hymn of the Soviet Union (1944-1991) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Socialist republics/ Communist state Last Premier Ivan Silayev Last President Mikhail Gorbachev Area...

For instance, the German Panzer I was obsolete before the war even started, with thin armor and only machine guns for armament. Yet they were forced into battle during the invasion of Poland, where they were found to be deathtraps. Before the invasion of France, 202 were rebuilt with a Czech 47 mm gun, becoming the Panzerjäger I. Soon the same sort of thing happened to the Panzer II during Operation Barbarossa: captured Soviet 76.2mm anti-tank guns were mounted on the Panzer II chassis, producing the Marder II. The most common mounting was a German 75 mm antitiank gun mounted on the ex-Czech 38T chassis to produce the Marder III. Whereas the Panzerjäger (German language: 'tank hunter') concept used the chassis of obsolescent tanks, dedicated Jagdpanzer (Ger. 'hunting tank') versions of tanks were developed later in the war. The Jagdpanther version of the Panther tank is considered the best of the Jagdpanzers. This vehicle mounted the L/71 version of the 88 mm gun on a reliable, highly mobile, well-armored chassis. The Soviets produced the 85 mm-armed SU-85 and 100 mm-armed SU-100 on the T-34 chassis, as well as the 122 mm-armed ISU-122 on the IS-2 heavy tank chassis. The Panzer I was a light tank produced by Germany in the 1930s, intended as a training tank, but also used extensively in the Spanish Civil War and early World War II. The Panzer I went by many names and designations, with the most common official designation as the Panzerkampfwagen... The first of many tank destroyers, the Panzerjäger I (tank hunter I) was based on the chassis of the Panzer I ausf B and was armed with the Skoda 47 mm Pak L/43 anti-tank gun. ... General characteristics Length 4. ... Original German plan Operation Barbarossa (Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the German codename for Nazi Germanys invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that commenced on June 22, 1941. ... General characteristics Length 4. ... The Marder II was a tank destroyer based on the panzer II chassis. ... Marder III Ausf. ... Panzerjäger (tank-hunters) are German tank destroyers of World War II. Panzerjäger (PzJg) typically refers to designs based around mounting anti-tank guns on convenient chassis with light armour protection. ... German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ... Jagdpanzer were German tank destroyers of World War II. Jagdpanzer (JgPz) typically refers to designs based around existing tank models with turrets removed and a heavily-armoured superstructure with a heavy gun put in its place. ... Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther The Jagdpanther (Hunting Panther) was a tank destroyer built by Germany during World War II based on the chassis of the Panther tank. ... General characteristics Length 6. ... German 8. ... The SU-85 was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during World War II. History The SU-85 was based on the earlier SU-122, which itself was based on the T-34. ... The SU-100 was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during World War II. // History The SU-100 was developed as an improvement to the SU-85, with a more powerful gun. ... The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank first produced in 1940. ... The ISU-122 was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during World War II. Polish ISU-122 History The ISU-122 was identical to the ISU-152, but had a 122 mm A-19 gun instead of the ISU-152s 152 mm gun. ...

The Germans became side-tracked into production of large numbers of tank-destroyers because they could be produced more cheaply than full tanks.

US Army tank destroyer doctrine

United States designs and British designs based on them were very different in conception. US doctrine was based on the need to defeat German blitzkreig tactics. US units expected to be faced with large numbers of German tanks attacking on relatively narrow fronts. In actual practice, such attacks rarely happened. In pre-Second World War planning, US tanks were not intended to fight enemy tanks directly. Instead they were dedicated to the roles of infantry support and exploitation in a fast moving battle. In order to deal with the enemy tanks they would instead rely on tank destroyers, organized into separate units, dealing with armor at long range. Blitzkrieg relied on close cooperation between infantry and panzers (tanks). ...

The resulting U.S. designs were intended to be very mobile and well armed, but with heavy firepower. Most retained the turret, but left it open on top both to save weight and to provide more working room for the larger gun. The earliest expedient design was an M-3 halftrack mounting an M1897 75 mm gun in a limited-traverse mount. The larger guns required a counterweight at rear of the turret, which can be seen on designs like the 3-inch gun M10 Wolverine and the 90 mm gun M36 Jackson. The M-18came closer to the US ideal; the vehicle was very fast, small, and mounted a 76 mm gun in a turret. The open top made them particularly vulnerable to artillery, air, and infantry assault, and the very idea of independent anti-tank groups was found unworkable. The M10 Gun Motor Carriage known as Wolverine in British service was a US tank destroyer of World War II. // Usage American doctrine planned for tank destroyers to engage enemy tanks while tanks were used principally to support infantry. ... M36 during the Battle of the Bulge in January, 1945 The Gun Motor Carriage M36 was an American tank destroyer in World War II. It was often referred to as the Jackson or Slugger. ...

By 1944, a number of the "basic" Shermans in British use were being converted to a Sherman Firefly by adding a 17 pounder gun - gaving each unit of Shermans a dedicated anti-tank tank. The 17 pounder was also mounted in the M-10 ("Achilles") and Archer tank destroyers in British service and two of their tanks; the Comet and the Challenger. 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... General characteristics Length: 5. ... The Sherman Firefly (M4A4 VC Firefly) was a British variation of the M4 Sherman tank, fitted with the more powerful 17 pounder main gun. ... (Redirected from 17 pounder) The 17-pounder (17-pdr) was a 77 mm anti-tank gun developed by the United Kingdom during World War II. It was the best Allied anti-tank gun of the war, able to defeat all German armor and the equal of all their guns up... Michigan State Highway 10, also known as the John C. Lodge Freeway, M-10, and Northwestern Highway, is a short and busy expressway in Detroit Michigan running north from downtown Detroit to Oakland County. ... The Archer was a British tank destroyer used during World War II based on the Valentine chassis. ... The A34 Cruiser Comet was a British tank that first saw use near the end of World War II. It is often considered the best overall British tank of the war. ... General characteristics Length 26 ft 4, m Width 9 ft 6, m Height ft 9, m Weight t Suspension Chrste Speed 32 mph, 52 km/h road 15 mph, 24 km/h off-road Range 120 m, 260 km Primary armament QF17 pdr Secondary armament 0. ...

Virtually all US Infantry Divisions had a battalion of tank destroyers attached, and frequently a tank battalion also. In practice the two types of units were used interchangeably. In effect, the US Army had a mix of vehicles that were either under-armed (the tanks) or under-armored (the tank destroyers). Towards the end of the war, the arrival of the M-26 Pershing medium tank showed that the lesson had been learnt.

Post–World War II development

With the development of flexible ATGMs which can be installed on almost any vehicle in the 1960s, the concept of the tank destroyer has waned. Many forces' IFVs carry ATGMs in every infantry platoon, and attack helicopters have also added antitank capability to the modern battlefield. But there are still dedicated antitank vehicles with very heavy long-range missiles, and ones intended for airborne use. The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... A Warrior vehicle with UN markings, on the making of the eponymous film. ...

With the weight of main battle tanks growing to the forty to seventy-tonne range, airborne forces were unable to deploy reasonable antitank forces. The result was a number of attempts to make a light vehicle, including the conventional ASU-85, the recoilless rifle–armed Ontos, and missile-armed Hornet Malkara and Sheridan. Airborne means carried by air, (e. ... Ontos M50A1 The 50-cal spotting rifles can be seen on the upper guns The Ontos, officially the 106mm Self-propelled Rifle M50, was a light anti-tank vehicle developed in the US in the 1950s. ... Malkara Type anti-tank guided missile Nationality UK/Australia Era Cold War Launch platform Vehicle Target AFV History Builder Date of design 1954 Production period Service duration 1958 to 1960s Operators UK Variants none Number built 1000 Specifications Type surface to surface Diameter 0. ... The M551 Sheridan is a light tank and armoured reconnaissance vehicle developed by the United States. ...

A Norwegian antitank platoon equipped with NM142 TOW missile launchers

There have also been dedicated antitank vehicles built on ordinary armoured personnel carrier or armoured car chassis. Examples include the U.S. M901 "Improved TOW Vehicle" and the Norwegian NM142, both on an M113 chassis, several Soviet ATGM launchers based on the BRDM reconnaissance car, and the German Raketenjagdpanzer series built on the chassis of the HS30 and Marder IFV. Download high resolution version (882x380, 97 KB)Picture of 3 NM142s, taken in Blåtind Skytefelt in Northern Norway during Joint Winter 2000 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (882x380, 97 KB)Picture of 3 NM142s, taken in Blåtind Skytefelt in Northern Norway during Joint Winter 2000 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 3 NM-142s in Northern Norway The NM-142 is an anti-tank variant of the American M-113 APC, the difference being that it is equipped with a TOW2 turret, developed in Norway by Kvaerner Eureka. ... The M113, one of the most common APCs, on duty during the Vietnam War Armoured personnel carriers (APCs) are light armoured fighting vehicles for the transport of infantry. ... Military armored cars A French VBL reconnaissance vehicle. ... 3 NM-142s in Northern Norway The NM-142 is an anti-tank variant of the American M-113 APC, the difference being that it is equipped with a TOW2 turret, developed in Norway by Kvaerner Eureka. ... The M113 is an armored personnel carrier family of vehicles in use with the US military and many other nations. ... Soviet redirects here. ... The BRDM-2 (Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dosornaya Maschina, БОЕВАЯ РАЗВЕДЫВАТЕЛЬНАЯ ДОЗОРНАЯ МАШИНА, litterally Combat Reconnaissance/Patrol Vehicle †) is an armored scout car used by Russia and the former Soviet Union. ... Raketenjagdpanzer - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Marder is a German infantry fighting vehicle operated by many countries from the 1960s through the present day. ...

A US Army mechanized infantry battalion has four infantry companies with TOW missile–armed Bradley IFVs and a company of anti-tank vehicles, and can bring a large concentration of accurate and lethal fire to bear on an attacking enemy unit that uses AFVs. US Army Seal The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... General Characteristics (M2 Bradley) Length: 21 ft 2 in (6. ...