Hello all,
I'm considering reproducing this scene of a knocked out Iraqi T-62 at Ali Al Salem airbase from Desert Storm.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Iraqi_T-62.JPEG

I've been able to find a photo of what looks to be the same vehicle from the back
https://fotki.yandex.ru/next/users/siba219/album/117546/view/319137?page=0

and am wondering if anyone can provide any insight as to what may have taken it out. The drivers hatch is bent up at the pivot which would point to a quite powerful
internal explosion and the engine deck looks to be pretty well mauled. Any ideas ?

Sean

Bump, 228 views and no one has anything at all to say about it ?

Sean

I would guess a hellfire missile but I am not seeing lots of impact damage.

Certainly by an air to ground weapon as these airfields were priority targets

Sean,
During Desert Storm, Saddam had many tanks dug in in his vaunted 'line of death'. They all looked just like this one except with less sand blown in over time. They were blackened with their main guns facing forward. They didn't have anything to aim at because they were taken out by US airpower.
In the days preceding our attack, we would listen to the bombs exploding to the north of us, and the continual sounds of jets and choppers flying overhead. When we crossed the border, the grim examples of the work of the fly-boys was everywhere. Blackened tanks and soft-skinned vehicles were everywhere. Occasionally you would see evidence of cluster bombs.

There's no doubt in my mind that this tank never had a chance to shoot at an oncoming target. It fell victim to an airstrike.

Best Wishes,

Gary

Thanks guys !

Sean

I crawled over several of these when I was there. The tank has little damage. A hellfire missile would have caused quiet a mess. If you look the damage is relegated to the back of the tank. The fan cover is the only thing damaged of note. The right rear storage box and fender also show damage. My guess, based on similar damage I saw on other tanks was the fan cover was hit by a cluster bomblet. If it were an A 10 there would be multiple 30 mm holes that you could see. A Tank would have left an entrance and an exit hole if hit with a DU round and a single entrance hole with a heat round. Tank rounds would hit on the sides not the top of the tank. These tanks were dug in as part of his static defense. there was little if any maintenance done on them. The air campaign ensured there units got little in the way of supplies. The crew probably had a small bunker near by that they lived in.