Of the 1,100 American M-1 tanks that have served in Iraq, about seven percent
have been badly damaged, at least badly enough to get them shipped back to the
factory for rebuilding. Some 70 percent of the Iraqi based M-1s have been in
combat. As infantry have known since World War I, tanks draw fire. But they are
well protected, and fewer than twenty of the 4,400 tank crewmen involved have
been killed, two thirds of those while standing up in a turret hatch, with at
least head and shoulders exposed. The main cause of lost tanks is, as it has
been since World War II, is mines and bombs. A few tanks have rolled over
particularly large bombs, which in some cases flipped the tank. But other times,
mines blow off one of the tracks, immobilizing the tank and making it the center
of a fierce fight. But the terrorists and anti-government forces have come to
avoid American tanks. Yes, these 69 ton behemoths can be hurt, but only at great
risk and cost to the attacker. In addition to the M-1s three machine-guns, the
120mm gun has special shells for urban warfare, shells that are particularly
deadly against gunmen trying to hide in buildings.
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