Loader (tank)
With loader (ger .: loader - Fri .: chargeur ) is a soldier of the tank crew called that primarily for loading the cannon is responsible.
The term loader did not arise automatically with the advent of armored vehicles, as these were sometimes so small that they only had space for a crew of two ( Renault FT ) and the tank commander in the tower had to load the cannon himself, or that no cannon was present as the Panzer I or the British medium Mark C . The loader was only used in the larger vehicles of the 1930s ( M3 Stuart - Panzer III - Char B1 ) with a crew of usually four or five soldiers.
As a rule, the position of the loader in turret-equipped battle tanks from the western area of influence is now on the left side of the turret, while it is on the right for tanks made in Russia (e.g. T-34 or T-54 ). In the case of the latter, starting with the T-64 model , there was no need for the loader and replaced with an automatic loader. There were no personal, but purely tactical reasons. A loader had to be given a certain headroom between the floor of the tower and the tower roof, which is between 1.70 and 1.80 meters. Since it was not possible to go deeper into the tank, this resulted in the minimum height of the tank turret and thus the overall height of the vehicle silhouette. By eliminating the loader, the turret and thus the overall height of the vehicle could be kept lower, thereby reducing early detection and the likelihood of hits. (The gunner and the commander only take seated positions, and the gunner does not sit under the commander, but next to him.) Nonetheless, in Germany ( Leopard 2 ), the USA ( M1 Abrams ) and Great Britain ( Challenger 2 ) one has as the most important western tank-building nations retained the loader (France makes an exception here, the Leclerc battle tank has an automatic loader instead of the loader). An exception are the so-called tank destroyers without turrets, the arrangement here is different. The space available for the loader is even more limited here (the Swedish Stridsvagn 103 does not fall into any of these categories, as it was a turretless battle tank with automatic loading). The view of the loader was limited to a minimum on the older main battle tanks. There were no or only a small number of corner mirrors, the loader was mostly in the dark about the situation outside the vehicle.
tasks
The primary task of the loader is to load the cannon. He selects the ammunition according to the instructions of the gunner or the commander (there are different types of ammunition depending on the type of target). He is also responsible for the ammunition of the coaxial and anti-aircraft machine guns. If available (e.g. leopard), he also operates the machine gun attached above the loader hatch for close-range defense.
He is responsible for maintaining the cannon and is involved in the maintenance work for the vehicle as far as possible. When loading the tank (rail loading or on a heavy-duty transporter) as well as in narrow spaces or when reversing, the loader acts as the first guide. If the vehicle is moved within a military property where walking pace is required, the loader goes ahead as a backup. In the case of combat-like driving, the loader has to prepare the vehicle accordingly. When adding ammunition, he stows the cartridges and ammunition boxes in the designated storage locations. In the Bundeswehr he was responsible for returning the empty shell casings, as they were intended for reloading. In the absence of one of these cases (which were in great demand as a souvenir), the crew and with them the loader were exposed to a number of unpleasant questions.
Stress factor
In contrast to his crewmates, the loader is exposed to much more stress. On the one hand, this is noticeable in the higher physical stress - he has to take the grenade cartridges out of the holders and insert them into the breech (the former have become heavier and more unwieldy over the decades due to the increased caliber - from 37 mm in the Renault FT to today usual 120 mm), on the other hand the loader is psychologically stressed; When driving off-road, he cannot react foresightedly because he cannot see what type of terrain is in front of the vehicle and he does not have a free hand to hold on to during the loading process (even with newer vehicles with sufficient angle mirrors, the loader does not have the loader when driving in combat the time or the opportunity to orientate yourself outside). In addition, the older vehicles such as the M47 and M48 did not have a sleeve catcher under the lock, so that the empty shell casings rolled around on the floor and the loader between the feet. (A high rate of fire did not leave the time to pick them up and slide them back into the empty holders.) The only advantage over the other crew members is that he has a little more freedom of movement during the rest periods within the tower. Furthermore, the loader has the advantage over the driver and the gunner that in the event of a critical hit he may still be able to escape from the tank through its always freely accessible hatch. The gunner has to wait until the commander has left the turret; the driver's position in the turret can make escape difficult or even impossible.
swell
- Tiger primer as original document (PDF; 4.6 MB), see also: Tiger primer
- Various training regulations of the Bundeswehr - as ZDv each valid for the vehicles M41 - M47 - M48 - Leopard1 - Leopard2 - Kanonenjagdpanzer 4/5
- Central service regulation (ZDv) 43/2 of the Bundeswehr
- " Der Reibert " The manual for German soldiers
- US Army Field Manual "FM 17-12-7 Tank Gunnery Training Devices And Usage Strategies" (English)
- US Army Field Manual "FM 17-12-8 Light Cavalry Gunnery" (English)