Tank (vehicle)


 * For the character from Nazi Zombies, see Tank Dempsey.

Tanks are heavily armored tracked combat vehicles, usually heavily armed. They were first employed by British forces in 1916 during World War I. Designed to serve as highly mobile, all-terrain, heavily armored weapons platforms, they revolutionized the face of warfare, forcing militaries to rethink the doctrine of ground combat, and continue to serve in modern militaries.

Tanks are used primarily for offensive operations, such as leading mechanized assaults on enemy defensive lines, or providing close-in heavy fire support during infantry assaults. Tanks rarely operate alone, and are usually organized into groups of two or more, and are typically supported by mechanized infantry in conventional warfare. During close-in urban operations, they are usually escorted by dismounted infantry formations, with the tanks and infantry providing mutual support and protection; tanks are notoriously disadvantaged in cramped quarters against foot mobile combatants. This limitation has had military planners call into question the effectiveness of heavy armored vehicles in current conflicts, and has led to a heavier reliance on more mobile, lightly armored vehicles such as HMMWVs and APC/IFVs as infantry support platforms.

Armament is almost always composed of a large-caliber main gun with a co-axial machine gun (very rarely 2) on a rotating turret (controlled by the main gunner) and 1-2 pintle mounted machine guns over hatches in the top of the turret (controlled by the commander and/or loader). many tanks prior to the cold war also had a hull-mounted machine gun (controlled by the commander or radio man), the end result being that every member of the crew except the driver has a machine gun at their disposal.

Only Tanks featured in the Call of Duty series are addressed in this article.

In-Game
Tanks are seen in every Call of Duty game. During World War II, Nazi Germany used tanks alongside infantry with simultaneous air support to create the strategy of "blitzkrieg" ("lighting war" in German). German tanks during World War II included the Panzer III, Panzer V Panther, and Panzer VI E Tiger I. The Allies also recognized the importance of tanks in warfare. They manufactured and used tanks such as the (American) M4 Medium Tank (also known as the "Sherman"), the (British) Cruiser Tank Mk VI "Crusader" (A15), and the (Russian) T-34 Medium Tank.

Call of Duty: United Offensive features operable tanks in multiplayer: The Americans and British command the Sherman Tank, the Russians have the T34, and the Germans have the Panzer IV. These medium tanks are equipped with a main cannon and a coaxial machine gun operated by the driver, and an open MG turret operated by a second player. Medium tanks take 33% damage from the front, 50% damage from the side, 100% damage from the back, and 140% damage from underneath. In addition to these tanks, the Germans and Russians command special Tank destroyers, who have a powerful but immobile main cannon and a frontal machine gun. They are the Elefant and the SU-152, respectively. Tank destroyers take 20% damage from the front, 40% damage from the side, 60% damage from the back, and 140% damage from underneath. Both tanks and tank destroyers have 900 health.

In Call of Duty 2, enemy tanks are encountered during the single player campaign and they must be destroyed with explosives.

Call of Duty 3 sees a return in the use of tanks in Multiplayer. The player can also control a tank in the mission: The Black Baron

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare depicts the use of modern tanks such as the (Russian) T-72 MBT (Main Battle Tank) and the (American) M1 Abrams MBT in the campaign. However, they cannot be used in multiplayer.

In Call of Duty: World at War, one can man a tank in multiplayer with up to two people in it. One person drives the tank and uses the cannon, and the other uses the MMG on the top. The latter can also crouch for greater cover if desired.

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, M1 Abrams tanks are seen in multiple places throughout the game, most prevalent being the mission Of Their Own Accord, during the Battle of Washington, D.C..

Below is a list of tanks used in the Call of Duty series.

M3 Stuart
The M3 Stuart was an American light tank used by Allied forces in many battles throughout World War II. It was named after an American Civil War Confederate Calvary General, J.E.B. Stuart

M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman was a medium tank used by Allied forces during the Second World War. It was christened "Sherman" after the American Civil War General, Tecumseh Sherman.

M1 Abrams
The M1 Abrams is an American main battle tank. It was named after Gen. Creighton Abrams, the commander of 37th Armored Division in Vietnam. It was used by the United States Marine Corps in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and used by the United States Army in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Crusader
The Crusader tank was the primary tank of British forces in the North Africa campaign during World War II. It was replaced by American tanks in the invasion of Italy.

Sherman Firefly
The Sherman Firefly is a British version of the Sherman Tank that was used during World War II. The Sherman Firefly is used in the video game Call of Duty 3 by the Polish in the mission, The Black Baron.

T-34
The T-34 medium tank was the main tank used by the Soviet Union during World War II. T-34-85s were used in many Soviet-client and formerly-Soviet client states after the war's ending.

T-55
The T-55 is a Soviet main battle tank. It was used by the North Vietnamese Army in Call of Duty: Black Ops.

T-72
The T-72 is a Soviet main battle tank. It was used by Ultranationalists and OpFor forces in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Panzer series
The Panzer (Panzerkampfwagen, German, translated: armored fighting vehicle) was a series of tanks including the standard German tank of World War II. The Panzer IV medium tank (featured in Call of Duty 3 and Call of Duty: World at War) at first only mounted a low-velocity 75mm gun with thin armor, intended to support infantry. It was later heavily modified with a longer-barreled 75 mm gun and much thicker armor, becoming roughly equal to the T-34 and superior to the American M4 Sherman, but far fewer than either. Some incorporated spaced armor in the form of armored side skirts and turret skirts known as Schurzen, as see in WaW multiplayer.

The Tiger II, also known as King Tiger, Bengal Tiger or Royal Tiger, was a heavy tank designed as the successor to the already formidable Tiger I. It combined the heavy armor and weaponry of the Tiger I with the sloped armor design of the Panther and a slightly stronger engine.

In the end, Germany had the best tanks so far but they were too few in numbers to counter the storms of Allied forces after D-Day, and adequate responses had been developed, such as the super bazooka and up-gunned Shermans or enhanced T-34's and other Soviet tanks.

Fiat M13/40
The Fiat-Ansaldo M13/40 was an Italian medium tank used during World War II.

Type 97
The Type 97 Chi-Ha was a medium tank widely used by Japanese forces in the Pacific theater of World War II. It is usually adorned with camouflaging leaves that are also used by Japanese ambush soldiers.

Call of Duty: World at War
Tanks in World at War are seen in multiplayer in the maps Roundhouse (2 tanks), Seelow (4 tanks), Downfall (4 tanks) and Outskirts (3 tanks). They are equipped with a cannon which is operated by the driver and a turret that can be operated by another person. While tanks are powerful they are slow and can be destroyed by bazookas and sticky grenades. Two satchel charges can obliterate a tank even at full health. A common strategy is to acquire all tanks in a level and then use them on the opposition. In this way, tanks can be almost unstoppable but can still be put down by experienced players and those who use teamwork. Operating the turret is risky as it will leave the player exposed as "sniper bait" to all other enemy players but if operated correctly can be a quick way to nab a kill streak. Using the perk greased bearing will increase rotation speed and allow for faster targeting, water cooler reduces the overheating of the turret, leadfoot allows the tank to move faster, and Coaxial Machine Gun gives the driver a machine gun.

The quickest way to destroy enemy tanks lies with Satchel Charges and sticky grenades. If a satchel charge is detonated under the front half of a tank (upon the tank driving over the charge), the tank will be damaged to such an extent that one sticky grenade will finish it off (note that this is without the Fireworks perk). A satchel charge detonated under the back half of the tank will destroy the tank there and then without exceptions. If, however, one is not likely to lure a tank into driving over a charge, there is another method: two satchel charges placed at the back (as in real life, tanks in multiplayer are weakest at their underbellies as well as at their exhaust pipes at the back) followed by a sticky grenade to the back of the tank will destroy it regardless of its health. The satchels are suggested to be placed on the ground right behind the tank, instead of the back itself, as this seems to be more effective. However, the sticky grenade does not always set off the charges and so it is advised for the player to detonate the charges manually.

Tanks in World at War Multiplayer have 1350 health, and take 0.5 base damage from gunfire, unless from the PTRS-41, which does 10-30 damage per bullet depending on where the player shoots (This damage difference can be explained by the fact that the PTRS was originally designed as an Anti-Tank rifle). Fragmentation grenades do 60 base damage, Sticky grenades do 336 base damage, Bazookas do 240 base damage, Rifle Grenades do 150 base damage, shells from other tanks do 300 base damage, and satchel charges also do 300 base damage unless they hit the underside, in which they will always destroy the tank instantly. Damage is multiplied by 1.2 if it hits the side of the tank and by 2 if it hits the back of the tank. A 6.75 multiplier is awarded to Satchels under the back half. Non-sticky explosives have to destroy the armor plating of the tank before damaging it. Sticky explosives (Satchels and N74) do not take armor plating into account.

Call of Duty: Black Ops
Tanks are only seen during the Vietnam missions and in the bonus game mode Dead Ops Arcade. It is a power up that gives the player a controllable tank and unlimited ammunition for the cannon.

Trivia

 * If the treads manage to get totally destroyed (indicated by black tread/treads on the damage indicator), the tank will look severely damaged and will no longer be able to be driven. However, the cannon and turret can still be used. This can be quite useful, as when the treads are broken the tank looks like when it is destroyed (almost) combined with being immobile, so people will not really suspect anyone to be in the tank, meaning it can be used to ambush. Though it is not fool proof, as they may hear the engine still running or decide to finish it off so a fresh one can spawn.


 * If a tank runs the player over, but then gets destroyed just after he is run over, in the kill cam the tank will be driving and will look as it is when it is broken. The same thing happens when the player is shot by the cannon.


 * In the Wii version, there are no tanks in multiplayer.


 * The player can gib (dismember) players by running them over with a tank. This was either done on purpose, or it could just be a simple design error.


 * Tanks can be used in Call of Duty: World at War (Nintendo DS) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized.
 * If a player gets a kill with the Coaxial Machine Gun perk, the killfeed icon shows an MG42.
 * Sometimes (especially in the War game mode, at the beginning on an untie), all tanks in the map will spawn looking as if they were already destroyed, but are still drivable. This can be both useful and problematic, as the player will be able to fool enemy players into not considering the tank a threat, but the player will not know the enemy tanks' health due to the appearance of the destroyed tank not changing after taking damage.