Old Tankie Wisdom Sought.

[harry7134]

Hi,
I`m looking for some really Old and Bold to help me out in a discussion.

In the Sixties, when I was working on Centurions, there was a rumour, (?), that all the tracks fitted to Cents were actually fitted backwards to stop damage to road surfaces, and, according to some tankies, in the event of war the tracks would be changed around to provide more grip. All the manuals say that the tracks should be fitted as they were, but these manuals were peacetime issue, and made no mention of wartime conditions.
The old tankies could sometimes be heard to say that their tanks would not slip and slide so much if they were allowed to fit the tracks the "right" way round.
i have heard this saying, but with no written proof I cannot say which way round is correct, so I was wondering if there are any Cent dozer tank crews on site, or indeed any crews, who can help me out.
After all I might have been that FRG team that got you going again at Soltau!!

Regards,
Harry.

 

[tropper66]

Got told the same crap at Bovy, but thats what it was, crap

 

[brownhat]

See above.

 

[tropper66]

I always felt a bit sorry for the Kraut road workers who had to make good all the damage we did with our " wont damage the road tracks"

 

[Litotes]

I crewed a Cent for a couple of years but as I weighed SFA and couldn't fight my way out of a wet paper bag, I wasn't allowed to play with the track: I manned the radios, cooked the egg banjos and made the wets.

I have heard the story but do not recall seeing anything in writing. My driver never appeared to have any trouble with grip even when pulling Chieftains from the deepest Hohne and Soltau bogs!

Litotes

 

[tropper66]

AH the swinderbeck the end of many a oanzerfarhers dreams

 

[putteesinmyhands]

It wouldn't be something to do with the treads on tractor tyres looking as though they should be the other way round? They look as though they would grab the ground better, but in reality would be more inclined to dig themselves in?

Or maybe it's just this mentality: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFGFCt-oHC0 ?

 

[llech]

Must admit I heard this about tank tracks eons ago, however I wonder if there is any truth in that American tanks used rubber in their track pads? If so is that where the confusion came from?

 

[BenghaziBandit]

Bloody Hell, never heard that one, live and learn!
But, when you saw the mess our comets made of the roads in Egypt I dread to think what the Cents did when they got there!

 

[harry7134]

Ah Swinderbeck!!!!!!! Bin there--- Sunk there!!

 

[beardyProf]

I served on CVR(T) and the tracks were fitted back to front. The spade shaped part was clearly the wrong way round and when I commented on this to a senior NCO I was given the road damage explanation. Since we had rubber blocks that kept the metal completely clear of the road surface it didn't seem to have any point, but on a fully metal track tank it would presumably help. Can't say what was done on Centurions, nor by other units.

 

[tankie88]

I've only ever seen 2 types of track for cents.....the metal link ones and the metal link with (3 track pads a link) jobs.The turning of track thing is a load of tosh.The same story did the rounds about Chieftain as well.

 

[old_rat]

If you drove a Centurion into a bog it sank, whichever way the tracks were fitted.

 

[DB216LOKDVR]

It did not matter which way the tracks were on, or if rubber pads were fitted on the Chieftian/432's etc, they still managed to rip the decks up on the Army warflats railway wagons in Germany. (lots of man hours and toil sorting them out afterwards).

They also had no problems going up the Army railway ramp wagons.

 

[RoyalTankR]

Ummm! The Cents track was plain old metal links. Can't see how they could be put back to front - but I couldn't even lift one link these days! I saw one or two shed a track at Tilshead. Those were good days.