Talk:Fury (tank)/@comment-2601:200:101:C18:55DA:96D5:569F:D910-20190829192618

To: Wardaddy's Fury:  The Tiger's HL230 V12 engine used GASOLINE, not diesel. A common myth was that the German tanks didn't burn as readily as did the American models, in that they used diesel, but that was not true. Very few German vehicles actually used diesel engines, as though the diesel engine was obviously invented in Germany by Rudooph Diesel in 1895, the state of the art of their diesel engines for vehicles (they did have a great AIRCRAFT diesel in the Jumo 205, but it used magneisum, which was in short supply to be used for AFV production) was such that no engine was powerful and compact enough for AFV use. The Soviets DID use diesels for their T-34, KV, and JS tanks, but simply designed the engine compartment large enough to accomodate a rather innovative derivation of what had also been once an aircraft diesel (the all-aluminum V2 V-12 diesel, which ranged from 450 hp initially to almost 600 hp in post-war models) orginally of French design. The Soviet tanks did have impressive range, especially with external, jettionsable tanks, which were less of a hazard with diesel fuel than gasoline, but had terrible crew ergonomics and usually very poor side and rear armor protection, as it was necessary to keep the weight down on the resulting large (on the outside, at least) chassis which nevertheless were typically very cramped for the crews and afforded relatively low volume for ordnance for the main weapon.

Most AFVs, when hit, if they burned, did so due to either ignition of stored ordnance, or, where a hydraulic assist was used for the turret, the hydraulic fluid (akak "Cherry Juice"). This wa a huge problem that Israel experienced in the 1967 and especially the 1973 wars, as analysis of M48 Patton wrecks indicated that if the hydraulic lines were hit, the resulting high pressure lines sprayed flaming fuel all over the interior of the tank, fairly much dooming the crew to an agonizing, fiery death or horrible disfigurement. This experience contributed greatly to the design of their indigneous Merkava tank.