Thanks to Rabiesdog for this one.
Hello everyone,
the world was never a peaceful place and never will be, not for long anyway. Some of the conflicts are widely known and reported, but others pass unnoticed and forgotten while the eyes of the world are set elsewhere. Currently, the fight with ISIS and the conflict in Ukraine occupies the media, while in other parts of the world, fighting is still going on.
One of such conflicts is the Houthi rebellion in Yemen, which was going on with various intensity for nearly a decade, growing from a small, essentially tribal/sect riots to full-blown uprising. The latest development is the Battle of Sana’a (capital of Yemen) between the insurgents and government forces, resulting in the resignation of the prime minister of Yemen – as I write this, the battle is still ongoing with hundreds of dead on both sides, despite the Sunday peace agreement.
But why I am writing this…
This photograph was taken yesterday and published on BBC. It shows the Shia rebels with captured Yemen army equipment in one of the army camps. Notice the vehicle. It is a Czechoslovak-made SD-100 (a license copy of SU-100), manufactured between 1953 and 1957 (771 were made in total). Of the 771, 460 were kept for Czechoslovakia and the rest went for export to many countries, including Yemen – 50 vehicles were sold at an unknown point (presumably in the early 60′s). To be honest, it’s amazing to see a vehicle survive like that for so long – it’s literally a museum piece (the grass on the tracks suggests it wasn’t used for quite a while, but it looks better than some of the vehicles left to rot in western/eastern countries).
SD-100 was not very different from the SU-100, there were a couple of tweaks and the production quality was better than on the Russian originals (peacetime production after all). The last documented use of the SD-100 if I recall correctly is the Yom Kippur war in 1973 (by Syria and Egypt) in artillery role.
Hey if you’re not fighting front line troops, you don’t need front line equipment i guess. Makes you wonder what other so called “museum pieces” they have in active service
Its a cool pic for sure, but I wonder how good it actually runs. Sights, Main Gun? Nice story though.
How the hell is that thing so tiny?!?!?!?!
Based on a T-34-85 hull. ( which isn’t a very big tank by modern standards to begin with ) and lowered greatly to be hard to spot and hit.
But still! That looks like it’s lower than an average person’s waist!
I always thought those things were at least 1.5m tall!
These people are standing on the vehicle not beside it as it may look at the first glance.
which explains the cammo values I guess.
Well…the damn thing IS tiny. Been to the military museum?
Check this pic out!
http://imgur.com/c86JefB
^—random person on the left instead of banana for size comparison :D
I found the original image now (the one i sent was from bbc) with the backdrop story. It is from a captured military tank compound. Looking at the images it seems that it is on high ground and that SU could have been used as a fixed position artillery. Then again it could have just been standing there doing nothing just because they did not want to scrap it.
Here is the reuters batch with several more images and short comments by reuters.
Some of them are pretty graphic.
http://tinyurl.com/ohf8wo2
Why does the homepage says if I move my cursor over the images “Add to lightbox “swine flu””??
Ask Reuters. :-)
In Afghanistan some of the “rebels” still use WWI equipment like britisch carbines.
To keep a rifle operational is not such big deal, unless you leave it to rust. A tank is something else though.
still, i believe tanks are very well made to last very long, take a look at this picture for example, showing a tank in the water on a beach. the constant water movement combined with the salt is a good way to kill many equipement very fast, yet it still hsnt rotten away.
http://www.helmo.gr/gallery2/d/85711-1/sherman-tank-off-garapan-beach-saipan-9005.jpg?g2_GALLERYSID=TMP_SESSION_ID_DI_NOISSES_PMT
I dont know if its the quality of the steel or because of the sheer thickness of it, but the ww2 tanks i work on never have any serious rust, while todays car’s can rot away after just a few years.
Thickness m8. That saipan image .Once the outer layer is covered with rust the saltwater has a hard time making it to the layers below. I see some marine deposits too on it which will act as a barrier.
SU100 was sold to Angola (MPLA) as late as 1976, Somalia and Ethiopia received theirs in the late 70′s as well.
FYI
The Yemen was shipped over 300 T34/85′s, 60 IS3′s and about 150 SU/SD 100′s
answerign to Fedaykin89:
Its not small
look at the perspective, people are standing on top of the tank, not next to it, it fools your perspective thinking they are looking down the tank as if it was a toy
I must say it looks in a pretty good shape
Actually the thing is quite small – judging by tank sizes in general.
While up close a T34-85 is a towering imposing beast, the SU-100 isn’t – mostly because it’s lowered in the suspension a bit and it’s missing the turret.
The caption should be “Czech us out!”
SU 100 with 122mm gun is my first Love in WOT , and i like very much how brutal this tank can be, also SU 100 can resolve battles for example 1 vs 5 ;) . Decent speed , its manouverable, nice gun but tricky one . Su 100 rules tier 6
Basically all Russian TDs in 152 line are like that. Brutal alpha/DPM, good speed, insane camo, and sometimes armor.
Stop stroking that Czech ego… You don’t have to mention that everything is from Czechoslovakia with such detail…
I found the info interesting…. Many others will too.
Don’t like it? Don’t read it.
You now have a quota!
In Soviet FTR, each nation has to be presented equally!
Now go find articles about tanks in Swaziland >: |
Let me help you out Silent. http://tinyurl.com/lkn9ymq This is the closest thin and anly armoured vehicules thay have.
Unless exocet means this kind of tanks. http://tinyurl.com/m3jrx2h
:’D
I actually lol’d
I hereby decree SS can resume posting about Czech vehicles!
Amen. I do wonder, however, how do you tell’em apart :).
the origin is an important detail! i don’t see a problem there!
no one went ZOMG we make Ruski tank, Czechoslovakia stronk!
Same ammunition as the M1944 BS3 AT/Field gun, many many of these are widely used in African and the Arab states, one of the most common weapons.
Not at all surprised to see them in prepared/static coastal plain fire positions.
As for the Yemen, we Brits know it very well (and my Father knew it even better when visited it from a base in Aden)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357826/How-rag-tag-team-SAS-veterans-changed-history-secret-war-Britain-STILL-wont-admit.html
It looks good in shape bcoz of the dry weather and very low humidity. It very well might be standing there for dozens of years with minimum rust apearance.
Deserts are known to preserve stuff better than, let’s say, swamp. after all, it inspired Egyptians to make mummies without dumping them into the Sahara =v