How many gears in a french tank?

[bryanthompson]

Four for reverse, and one for forward--in case they attack from the rear!

French Tanks Give Teeth to U.N. Force
http://www.forbes.com/business/healthcare/feeds/ap/2006/09/12/ap3012333.html

Thirteen French tanks, the most powerful armor ever deployed by a U.N. peacekeeping force, rolled ashore Tuesday to beef up a mission aimed at helping cement an uneasy cease-fire in Lebanon.

But some European officials are concerned international peacekeepers will be at best ineffective and at worst humiliated if hostilities flare between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli troops.

Scores of blue-helmeted French troops transferred the Leclerc tanks, AUF-1 artillery cannons, two high-tech Cobra radar trucks, and dozens of armored vehicles and transport trucks from a cargo ship in Beirut's port. The port reopened Friday after a nearly two-month Israeli blockade.

The French deployment is part of efforts to give teeth to the U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL, which has been largely ineffective since it was created for south Lebanon in 1978.

Gosh, ya think??!! What do we pay these people for, honestly.

[legion]

Do French tanks fire white flags? You know, like the ones that said "Bang!" in Looney Tunes...

[Overpaid Slacker]

UNIFIL was largely ineffective (if not downright counterproductive) because of the lack of will on the part of the UN and most of its military leaders.

UNIFIL became complicit in Hezbollah activities (at one point lying repeatedly about the fact that they had a surveillance videotape showing Hezbollah kidnapping Israelis).

UNIFIL reports during the latest Lebanon War set forth exactly where the IDF was, and in what strengths -- while continuing their policy of years of not telling IDF where Hezbollah bunkers and weapons were because they didn't want to "take sides" in maintaining a border and disarming Hezbollah.

No matter how many divisions UNIFIL had, it would've been the same story. The UN is a craven organization, beholden to tyrants, despots and murderers and refusing to answer for the rapes and other crimes of its own agents.



This photo says most, if not all, that needs to be said about the UN facilitating anything other than the perpetuation of its existence. That's the Hezbollah flag flying on the UN compound in southern Lebanon.

Wow, a free chance for a slap at the French and I let it go... Why would I do that?

JP

[Craig 930 RS]

The French word for war: "Eyeqwit"

[kach22i]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leclerc

Combat experience

The first Leclerc were commissioned in 1992, too late for the 1991 Gulf war, and have not been used in all-out war.

As for "low-intensity conflicts", 15 Leclerc have been deployed in Kosovo in the context of UN peace-keeping operations, where their performances were judged satisfactory by the French parliament.

Currently 13 Leclerc will be deployed in the south Lebanon for a peacekeeping mission with the UNIFIL.

[Joeaksa]

At least today Amnesty International finally went after Hezbollah for firing rockets at Israeli civilians. Of course they denied it at first then said that it was justified...

[Moses]

[Craig 930 RS]

[widebody911]

Interesting story on tanks: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5339280.stm

[widebody911]

Did anyone see the Craigslist ad for a French assault rifle? "Never used, only dropped once."

[svandamme]

depends, if they sent the Legion or regular french Army... the former seems logic, they have a history of sand , and do not form any problem when it comes to casualties... just a grave, and post mortem "felitation, maintenans, vouz etes Francais"

[sammyg2]

Gots back-up lights and is always going beep.... beeep.....

Google french military victories, funny stuff

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/victories.html

[creaturecat]

Perhaps you could get into contact with the relatives of the French soldiers (who are dying in Afghanistan). Ask them.

Your childish little joke is beyond pathetic.

[dhoward]

[Jeff Higgins]

I want a tank someday. Not a French one, though.

[fastpat]

Yeah, I've wanted a PT-76 for years, particularly now since I have room to actually drive it around some. I understand that they purchasable (since they're obsolete), the main cost is shipping that much weight to America. The engine is crap, from all I've heard, but a Cummins turbodiesel from any late model Dodge one ton will motivate a '76.






That's a standard 76mm gun in the turret. Not all '76's had turrets, some were specialized for other tasks.

[dhoward]

That would be worth a drive to SC...

[Jeff Higgins]

I would probably have to get a new reloading press to make up some ammo for that thing. That, and none of my current set of manuals have any data for 76mm rounds. I'm seeing some obstacles to fully enjoying my tank...

[fastpat]

Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
I would probably have to get a new reloading press to make up some ammo for that thing. That, and none of my current set of manuals have any data for 76mm rounds. I'm seeing some obstacles to fully enjoying my tank...

I'd have to register the 76mm with the BATFAE as an "any other weapon", and pay a tax on it, and on each round as well I think.

It's be too expensive to shoot, even if I could find a private range for it. There are cannon enthusiasts that fire their weapons someplace, but I have no idea where those places are.

Then I'd have to have a lowboy trailer, and tractor to pull it, and well, you can see that it's gets out of hand rather quickly.

[Jeff Higgins]

Dang it Pat, another boyhood ambition crushed in the ugly jaws of practicality. My wife has dashed many such dreams by simply asking things like "and what the hell were you going to do with THAT?" The last one was a real '50's vintage Victory Siren.

http://www.victorysiren.com/x/index.htm

As an aside, I have helped crew an acquaintance's canon. It is a modern made replica of some kind of Civil War field piece. The new ones are commonly made with a bore size suitable for concrete filled soup cans. Pretty cheap ammo, and they work just like a .38 or .45 wadcutter when punching holes in targets. I don't remember all of the details (it's been a few years) but I seem to recall a foundery in Idaho was casting the barrels. My acquaintance made his own carriage. And yes, shooting canons is fun. Oh, and before anyone asks - yes, I was going to buy one. Que wife: "what the hell are you..." Wives just don't understand these things.