Landships II

Tim R · Hero

Another one man tank

Centurion · Legend

From memory this is very similar to one of the British paper tanks I mentioned in a much earlier post. However the soldier's uniform looks more like 1950's US than British and I think the British design was more angular. Possibly one was cribbing from the other (but who was copying whom who knows?)

Vilkata · Brigadier

Look at the control surfaces - the occupants feet are pressed against what seems to be the driving controlls - just like the Baldine One Man (See attached pic)

Furthermore, the drawing of it in action makes it look quite a lot like the two-man Prone-Position Russian "PPG Tankette", designed to fight the Finns in WWII. (See attached pic)

Thank you very much Tim! Very intriguing.

---Vil.

P.S. What an assault vehicle! Did you guy's notice that the thing has a half-circle missile magazine (seen in the front internal view), with a missle launcher at the top center (seen in both views) ??? So this thing could be used for anti-infantry work, aswell as anti-tank work presumably! I think this must be a Russian design, those missiles are about the same size as something like a Sagger (a typical, small, russian anti-tank missile that's been used since the 50's, or so, and has been mounted on just about anything you can imagine.). This has to be the most heavily armed One-Man Tank ever concieved! I'd love to see a much bigger copy of this image someday.

Centurion · Legend

The SAGGER was wire guided and not suitable for stacking in a magasine. The driver, gunner would also have to control the missile - not easy especially since his vision was probably restricted. SAGGER also had fins which would not fit. The missiles on this thing would presumably be unguided.

Vilkata · Brigadier

Aha, I stand very corrected. Thank you Centurion!

Still a very interesting vehicle. Just too bad that a soldier hiding in a tree with a couple molotov cocktails could put any of the prone-driven tanks out of comission. The drivers situational awareness would be horrible, and his range of fire would give the enemy around him ample chances to attack without worry.

The only possible time that prone-driven tanks would ever become useful would be in battles on the open plains or something of that sort, where there is no concealment and one must rely on the vehicle itself giving the enemy very little to shoot at. Prone one-man tanks like the Shchitonoski Tank might have proven themselves quite useful in WWI for instance.

In urban, forest, and jungle warfare, vehicles like this would fare horribly I think.

---Vil.

Centurion · Legend

I guess the best one man tank would be either a Heinlein Starship Trooper (from the book not the horribly parody of the film) or one of Keith Laurimer's Power Assisted Infantry. However what about the no man tank as in Keith Laurimer's Bolos. If we ever develop real AI perhaps (as a grizzled IT veteran I have doubts about us developing AI - too many It shops are lackindg even NI - Natural Intelligence).

Vilkata · Brigadier

You bring up a fascinating point Centurion. The concept of the one-man tank is to provide the lone infantryman with additional mobility, armor, and firepower. The concept is identical to science fiction "Powered Armor" (and medieval knights in full plate mail riding heavily armored horses for that matter!). Robert Heinleins book is definitely the best portrayal of powered armor I have seen. Another good example is John Steakleys "ARMOR".

I had an idea for a tracked one-man tactical police/rescue vehicle. It would be a vehicle slightly smaller than the carden-loyd one man. It would be designed specifically to fit in elevators, to drive through standard sized doors, to ascend emergency stairwells, etc. It would be armored, with a turret similar to the CL, and it would be modular. I could envision it in a number of roles.

*SWAT vehicle for recon of buildings, skyscrapers, etc. Could be fitted with folding side infantry shields to turn it into a small fortified position. Could be used to break down doors, haul additional armament, be used in riot control, etc.
*Fire Rescue vehicle, able to haul its own oxygen to power its engine even through oxygen depleted rooms in a building fire, able to haul a water pump and lots of firehose to quickly and effectively bring water to anywhere in a tall building fire might break out. This would also mount a water-cannon. Fire resistant.
*Miner Rescue Vehicle, similar to the Fire Rescue Vehicle, but designed to fit in even the smaller mineshafts and haul additional oxygen with additional oxygen masks, able to haul stretchers, etc. It would be equipped with advanced optical equipement to help the driver see through smoke/darkness/etc to aid rescuing.

Other than somewhat specialised roles like those, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of need for a one-man tracked vehicle, at least in modern times.

Now all I need to do is make a whole lot of very fancy images of my proposed vehicle, and then I can make the cover of Popular Mechanics :P

---Vil.