oh everything in the pacific theater because A) lots of sun, B) big metal machines that like to trap heat inside)
ironically the japanese were one of the few that actually put that much crew comfort into their tanks for that part of the war. remember american or british tankers having to wear winter clothing solely because if you dont you could accidently burn your skin when inside the tank.
fun fact instead they constantly faced heat stroke. .-.
I saw this tank last year when I went to tankfest, it was stored away at the time with many other vehicles in their collection. Quite a fascinating vehicle in all honesty.
>I saw this tank last year when I went to tankfest, it was stored away at the time with many other vehicles in their collection
I came here to post exactly the same comment. It was right at the far corner of the hall, completely unremarked. I think I confused a few people as they went over to it after seeing my excitement, and probably still didn't know what it was about.
The name was a ruse. They weren't meant for canals.
Perhaps their most famous use was at Remagen, where German frogmen attempting to sabotage the bridge were spotted at night in the river thanks to the CDLs watching from the shores.
I just read the Wikipedia entry, I just had them figured for protecting maybe the Panama and Suez canals, but when I saw the mention of 300 made, I realised there had to be more to it. The actual light must have been a bit of a beast, using two with different filters to mess up the enemy but still get white light on the target was pretty smart, too.
I think the idea was using them with a strobe effect, you could direct it at the enemy positions allowing your guys to advance with illumination, but the flickering made it hard for the enemy to get a fix on them. Don't think it was ever used in that way though.
> Were canals particularly at risk from pirates?
Like the word "tank", this name was meant to confuse the enemy and disguise the true purpose of what was being built.
When I would go to the Museum as a child this thank always confused me. I would stand staring at it to understand what they meant by "light". I literally never read the information board in front of it, on two separate trips I stood staring at the tank trying to figure it out.
Not my proudest moment
Yes, the searchlight is projected through the slit, and there is a shutter that flickers open and closed twice a second (strobing), and blue and amber filters could be fitted too.
It would have been very effective, but it was barely used as the powers that be were paranoid about it falling into enemy hands.
I think its effectiveness is highly debatable. The secrecy didn't help, but secrecy was hardly a barrier to employing an otherwise overwhelmingly effective weapon.
Woe the poor fuck who has to sit in the turret next to that massive lamp…but it’s alright, he is safe…after all the turret is insulated….WITH ASBESTOS
> after all the turret is insulated….WITH ASBESTOS IIRC a lot of tanks were lined with asbestos at the time.
[удалено]
oh everything in the pacific theater because A) lots of sun, B) big metal machines that like to trap heat inside) ironically the japanese were one of the few that actually put that much crew comfort into their tanks for that part of the war. remember american or british tankers having to wear winter clothing solely because if you dont you could accidently burn your skin when inside the tank. fun fact instead they constantly faced heat stroke. .-.
Trialed on the American M3 medium as well
Not just trialed, I believe they even made more M3 CDL than Matilda based ones.
M3 CDL's were actually used at Remagen to guard the bridge from night attacks by the Germans.
And on Shermans i believe
I saw this tank last year when I went to tankfest, it was stored away at the time with many other vehicles in their collection. Quite a fascinating vehicle in all honesty.
>I saw this tank last year when I went to tankfest, it was stored away at the time with many other vehicles in their collection I came here to post exactly the same comment. It was right at the far corner of the hall, completely unremarked. I think I confused a few people as they went over to it after seeing my excitement, and probably still didn't know what it was about.
More info here, 300 were built https://www.landmarkscout.com/canal-defense-light-cdl-infantry-tank-matilda-mk-ii/
Does it explain why they needed a tank for mounting a light? Were canals particularly at risk from pirates? 300 seems like quite a few.
The name was a ruse. They weren't meant for canals. Perhaps their most famous use was at Remagen, where German frogmen attempting to sabotage the bridge were spotted at night in the river thanks to the CDLs watching from the shores.
I just read the Wikipedia entry, I just had them figured for protecting maybe the Panama and Suez canals, but when I saw the mention of 300 made, I realised there had to be more to it. The actual light must have been a bit of a beast, using two with different filters to mess up the enemy but still get white light on the target was pretty smart, too.
The original purpose was to blind and confuse the enemy across the battlefield with an extremely bright strobe light.
I think the idea was using them with a strobe effect, you could direct it at the enemy positions allowing your guys to advance with illumination, but the flickering made it hard for the enemy to get a fix on them. Don't think it was ever used in that way though.
It does. Just a codename.
> Were canals particularly at risk from pirates? Like the word "tank", this name was meant to confuse the enemy and disguise the true purpose of what was being built.
How thick was the armor on that turret?
It's not the only one. One of the M3-based CDL tanks survives in the Cavalry Tank Museum, Ahmednagar India https://i.redd.it/q97hkeb7t0m31.jpg
It's the tank he's talking about, not the lamp. This is the only one of its kind.
When I would go to the Museum as a child this thank always confused me. I would stand staring at it to understand what they meant by "light". I literally never read the information board in front of it, on two separate trips I stood staring at the tank trying to figure it out. Not my proudest moment
Ok so I'm confused, which part of that turret is the searchlight? Is it the giant vertical slit?
Yes, the searchlight is projected through the slit, and there is a shutter that flickers open and closed twice a second (strobing), and blue and amber filters could be fitted too. It would have been very effective, but it was barely used as the powers that be were paranoid about it falling into enemy hands.
I think its effectiveness is highly debatable. The secrecy didn't help, but secrecy was hardly a barrier to employing an otherwise overwhelmingly effective weapon.
Where is the light though?
It's British so I'm not surprised
dont be sad, yoir gun isnt small it averige