# Gun vs tank turret? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 15, 2009, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511 "2009-03-15T08:52:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/1 "2009-03-15T08:52:19Z")
There’s a new show coming out called Kings and the trailer features a lone soldier facing down a tank. Is there a way he could conceivably defeat the tank? Given that the scene has David vs Goliath implications I was wondering if a well place bullet or maybe a flare shot directly into the turret at the right angle could do any damage? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/2 "2009-03-15T09:30:45Z")
Not unless he can get into the tank, wait for the crew to get out of the tank or has explosives. I’ll have a look at the trailer myself… ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/3 "2009-03-15T09:38:39Z")
Has he got an anti-tank mine? Or a suitcase nuke? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/4 "2009-03-15T09:50:55Z")
If his rifle is strong enough, and his aim good enough, it could be possible to shoot the glass over the optics/peepholes and blind the crew. Really though, without explosives, he’s SOL. ---
**Author:** ![John\_H\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@John\_H\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_H_1)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/5 "2009-03-15T10:19:49Z")
Outside of weapons maybe a giant pit trap of some kind. That is if you can get the tank to drive into it, or predict its path well in advance. Another thought would be to MacGuyver up enough thermite to burn a hole through the armor and into the engine. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/6 "2009-03-15T10:29:46Z")
I always figured that if I were in that situation (always helps to plan ahead I guess), I’d toss my gun-or whatever would fit- down the barrel of the tank and wait for him to fire and hopefully blow up the barrel. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/7 "2009-03-15T10:59:24Z")
There is a reason why tankers call infantrymen “crunchies”. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/8 "2009-03-15T11:06:03Z")
> [@John\_H\_1](#): > > Outside of weapons maybe a giant pit trap of some kind. That is if you can get the tank to drive into it, or predict its path well in advance. That sounds extremely implausible, especially for a single soldier. > [@](#): > > Another thought would be to MacGuyver up enough thermite to burn a hole through the armor and into the engine. You’d be better off just assuming he had some thermatite grenades with him, rather than having the ingredients to MacGuyver some from scratch. > [@Fubaya](#): > > I always figured that if I were in that situation (always helps to plan ahead I guess), I’d toss my gun-or whatever would fit- down the barrel of the tank and wait for him to fire and hopefully blow up the barrel. If you’re close enough to throw something down a 5 inch pipe, you’re close enough to not be worried about the main gun. I don’t even know that it would destroy, rather than just fouling, the weapon. ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/9 "2009-03-15T12:16:39Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > I always figured that if I were in that situation (always helps to plan ahead I guess), I’d toss my gun-or whatever would fit- down the barrel of the tank and wait for him to fire and hopefully blow up the barrel. Tank turrets have coaxial machine guns to keep hostile infantry away, so I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. In fact, I’d think the main gun would be the least of your worries, as they’ll have a limited number of shells and those are better saved for hard targets. ---
**Author:** ![CWN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@CWN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CWN)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/10 "2009-03-15T14:24:32Z")
Sure he can (as long as he has a bazooka) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/46AXq0er-Og/hqdefault.jpg "Kings - 1x01 - Pilot (Promo 1.)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46AXq0er-Og) about 1:10 into the promo ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/11 "2009-03-15T15:18:38Z")
If you believe Civilization IV, all you need is a lucky spearman to destroy a tank. A buttoned up tank is probably virtually impregnable to a lone, conventionally armed soldier, though. Weapons powerful enough to stop a tank are going to be obvious in the TV shot (i.e., if the soldier didn’t appear to be carrying a big anti-tank weapon, he probably doesn’t have anything capable of seriously harming the tank hidden about his person). A flare is relatively harmless for a tank, unless you were envisioning it going into an open hatch or something. Other than that, a small arms bullet or flare is likely useless. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/12 "2009-03-15T15:27:12Z")
Well if you could get to the tank with a can of spray paint, you could paint over all the optic devices and effectively blind the tank. Then as a hatch opens, so they can see where they are going you could pick them off with a hand gun. Living long enough on the approach to spray paint the optics will be left as an exercise for the student. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/13 "2009-03-15T15:48:49Z")
You could just shove a banana in the tailpipe. I think I saw that in _Beverly Hills Soldier_. I could be mistaken, though. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/14 "2009-03-15T16:02:53Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > You could just shove a banana in the tailpipe. I think I saw that in _Beverly Hills Soldier_. > I could be mistaken, though. That was _4.8 Seconds_. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/15 "2009-03-15T16:06:53Z")
> [@Cerowyn](#): > > If you believe Civilization IV, all you need is a lucky spearman to destroy a tank. … Possibly drawn from a statement I always used to hear about the Italian invasion of Ethiopia - the claim was that the Ethiopians figured out that they could jump onto the tank and ram a spear down the intake manifold to disable it. Probably took both luck and balls if there was any truth to it. The wiki account does say that during an engagement with Eritrean forces, Ethiopian troops approached Italian tanks halted by the terrain from the rear, and disabled the machine guns and tracks: > **[Christmas Offensive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Christmas_Offensive)** > >  Italy > The Christmas Offensive took place during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. The Ethiopian offensive was more of a counteroffensive to an ever-slowing Italian offensive which started the war. Ethiopian victory at the Battle at Dembeguina Pass successfully pushed the Italians back and contributed to a "Black Period" of the war in Italy. However, the Ethiopian offensive was eventually stopped by the Italian use of superior weaponry, such was machine guns, heavy artillery, and chemical warfare... > [@](#): > > … The Ethiopians now counterattacked and the Eritreans rallied around the stranded light tanks. The pursuing Ethiopians joined the battle at this time and Criniti’s command came under fire from all directions. The Ethiopians surged forward, slaughtered the infantry, and engulfed the Italian tanks. Some Ethiopians were able to approach the tanks from the rear and were then able to disable the tracks and machine guns. Their tanks rendered useless, the two-man crews were killed. > > A relief column including another ten tanks was ambushed before it could get to Criniti’s command. The Ethiopians immobilized several of the Italian tanks by rolling boulders onto the road in front of them and behind them. Once again, the infantry was picked off followed by the stranded tanks. Other tanks attempted to bypass the roadblock only to slip down steep roadside embankments and overturn. The Ethiopians set two tanks afire. The Ethiopians were not very well armed, but they were determined. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/16 "2009-03-15T16:12:34Z")
Also, the tanks the Italians had could be taken out by a stiff breeze. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/17 "2009-03-15T16:14:40Z")
As a former tanker, to the situation (vague as it was) described in the OP, I must say…no way in hell. Between two 7.62mm machineguns and a .50 Cal, the main gun is the least of your worries. Most man-portable anti-tank weapons have a minimum safe distance in which they must travel/fly before arming. So a crunchy face-to-muzzle with a tank is already wayyy too close to have any discernable effect with an RPG or AT weapon. And if they did decide to pop off the main gun, the muzzle blast alone has more explosive power (sans shrapnel) than several hand grenades. Tanks rarely operate alone. If dismounted crunchies did, somehow, manage to mount the tank, we had a little maneuver called “scratch your buddy’s back,” wherin one tank fires on another with the coax (7.62mm machinegun mounted coaxially with the main gun) with the express intent of removing pesky crunchies. Here’s some food for though: [Tank Gunnery.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Za-aDVgMc) [Don’t Bring A Rifle…](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLQEc40gwXY) Infantry can take out tanks, but it takes some thought, and nerve. Best bet is a downward trajectory shot with a light anit-tank weapon like a LAW or RPG through the upper turret armor, or a rear shot into the engine compartment to disable the engine or transmission. Both have associated problems, such as getting up high enough to shoot downwards; the tank unit is not made up of idiots, and will recognize this as “dangerous ground,” and be on the lookout accordingly for “rooftop shooters.” And getting a rear or rear-oblique shot at a tank without being spotted and engaged by another following tank is not exactly a walk in the park, either. If you know the tank unit’s route of advance, an IED can break the track, causing a “mobility kill,” and then lob some Molotovs onto the tank to smother/suffocate the crew. Good luck with that. Best bet is to wait for the tanks crews to dismount and shoot them the same way you shoot any other person. In my time in the Army, during training, no infantry unit ever successfully attacked our armor unit. We typically detected their movement in the treeline with our thermals, called it out on the company radio net, and “fired them up.” ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/18 "2009-03-15T16:53:14Z")
I found [this](http://www.nbc.com/Kings/video/clips/goliath-part-1-and-2-preview/1057042/) clip on the NBC website, which is about as close as I could find to the OP’s description. This is infantry, dug in in prepared positions. The tanks are about 100m away. This is not good for the crunchies, but not hopeless, either. With enough AT weaponry (not evident in the video clip), the tanks could be in serious trouble. One quibble: when the tank shoots, the incoming round sounds more like artillery. The velocity of tanks rounds is such that the round would’ve hit before they heard anything. At that range, they’d would’ve barely begun to even register that the tank had even fired before the round hit, most likely killing them. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/19 "2009-03-15T18:45:39Z")
> [@](#): > > If you believe Civilization IV, all you need is a lucky spearman to destroy a tank. Remember, the sort of thing that happens about once per game is supposed to reflect the sort of event that would happen once in all of human history, and the infamous “spearman defeats tank” (or “spearman defeats modern armor”) situation is the sort of thing that only happens once in many games. I can maybe buy that, if you let human history run five times or so, you just might get the right combination of ingenious and determined spearman, incompetent tank crew, terrain advantage, etc. for a very lucky bronze-age warrior to defeat a tank once. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511/20 "2009-03-15T19:13:58Z")
> [@CutterJohn](#): > > If his rifle is strong enough, and his aim good enough, it could be possible to shoot the glass over the optics/peepholes and blind the crew. > > Really though, without explosives, he’s SOL. The peepholes are parascopes. So you’re not going to harm a crewmember by shooting one. And there are multiple facing the same direction, so you’re only likely (by “likely” I mean it’s virtually impossible in the first place) to shoot out one of them before you’re located, identified, and blown away. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-vs-tank-turret/489511.md?page=2)