From Flikr.com
Baghdad turret bunker

Frenchy

Ha! Ha! Do you think that would actually rotate? Or is it more of an ornament?

Interesting pic Frenchy, thanks for posting it.

I'm not sure it can rotate, but at least it seems to have air-conditioning

Frenchy

Well, you can see that it's on a metal structure and it is airconditioned. I would bet that it rotates just fine. Now, I'd also say that it's more than a bit of overkill as well as not being terribly effective. The mounting appears to be on a bridge or causeway elevated above the surroundings. As the T-72 is not renowned for its ability to depress its barrel much, I can't see how that thing would actually engage anything not on the bridge. Also, with the lack of a co-ax, your only options are to do nothing or to blow any target to it's component atoms with the 125mm. Seems disproportionate, somehow. If you are firing on a suicide bomber in a vehicle, the 125 will definitely initiate whatever the bomber might be transporting. An MG or smaller calibre autocanon might not.

If I was a rational person, pointing the big honkin' gun at me would make me stop whatever I was doing at the time. Suicide bombers are, by definition, at least partially irrational and can't be expeted to react in a predictable manner.

Cool modern pantherturm, though!

Paul

Howdy Paul, how can you tell that the COAX is missing? Looking at the rest of the pictures it appears as if no vehicles would be able to to approach the positon. It looks like a nice comfortable sniper resistant OP to me. "Tanks" for posting the link Frenchy. Out here. Mike sends . . .

Impossible to tell if the coax is not mounted from the images....but there is no AA 12.7mm...is that what you meant Paul?

Here is another image....it looks like it is positioned on a roof top of a building not a roadway.

I would think that it can traverse as it looks like it is on a turret stand.

Really cool little vignette potential.

http://flickr.com/photos/75031815@N00/250765023/in/photostream/

According to another picture caption, it is put on the top of a Iraq Civil Defense Corp bunker...

Frenchy

Very interesting picture - could be a funny conversion.

I must agree with previous points. Not the most effective placement of bunker I have seen......

Thanks for sharing

so what happens if they fire that thing? I hope they secured it really well to the roof top it's on.

Those are Pictures of an ICDC (Iraqi Civil Defence Corp) bunker at what used to be Firebase Melody in Baghdad. It was fully functional but was really a kind of "show of force" and utilized as an armored OP which overlooked a highway on that side of the firebase. If I remember correctly we called the Highway "Canal road" Firebase Melody was an old college dormitory complex and was occupied by Task Force 1-36 Infantry. I spent nearly a year there. After Task Force 1-36 was rotated out the firebase was returned to the college. It is my understanding that after we left the ICDC and Iraqi police actually got into a gun fight looting the place. What a shame. I have no idea how former firebase melody is being used today.

Something I forgot.... The Turret would rotate 360. As far as the main gun it was never fired. I think it would have blown itself clean off the top of the bunker if it had. Unfortunatley I don't remember if the co-ax was still in it. Like I said more of a show of force and something for the ICDC to take some pride in than anything else.

Hm, Very good scarecrow, but we t scarecrow install on field to spook bird.
Miloslav

There would be no large rate of fire.

Without the auto-loader components the main gun can still be loaded manually but I wouldn't want two piece ammunition laying around only protected by sandbags.

It's good to see old ideas still have good uses. I like the added feature of the air conditioning unit stuffed into the sand bags!