– Daesh Terrorists Destroy Myth of Germany’s Indestructible Leopard 2 Tank:
Daesh has identified a weak spot in Germany’s legendary Leopard 2 battle tanks, and has destroyed ten of the machines used by the Turkish Army in northern Syria, the German newspaper Die Welt reported.
Battles in Afghanistan, Kosovo and elsewhere have earned Germany’s Leopard 2 battle tank a reputation for being indestructible. In one case, Canadian forces managed to drive a Leopard through a massive Taliban bomb blast and survive.
However, Turkish troops fighting the terrorist group Daesh in northern Syria have had a different experience. According to reports, Daesh fighters in the city of Al Bab have destroyed ten Leopard 2A4 battle tanks.
Searching for answers, some German bloggers have speculated that leadership failures or a lack of experience among Turkish troops may be to blame. However, the fundamental issue appears to be whether the 60 ton tanks are suitable for use in an urban environment, the German newspaper Die Welt reported on Thursday.
So far Turkey has lost 11 tanks (10 Leopard) + ( 1 M-60T) and other armored vehicles in the fight with ISIS in Al Bab N.Syria pic.twitter.com/S2kzr7Vrfj
— Bassem (@BBassem7) December 27, 2016
?”The Leopard 2 basic concept comes from a time when the enemy was expected to attack from the front. This basic design applies internationally to the big combat tanks, even to the most modern Russian T-14 Armata,” Die Welt wrote.
“The heavy-duty tracked vehicles are designed for a duel battle and have maximum protection in the frontal area as well as a small side angle. Since, for example, the Russian anti-tank missile Kornet can penetrate even 1.2-meter-thick armor, a tank’s less-protected areas are relatively vulnerable.”
“During the course of fighting in the Syrian town of al-Bath, the Turks’ approximately 30-year-old Leopards were often shot in the rear and sometimes from the side with anti-tank weapons. There, the massive tracked vehicles are less protected. Soldiers agree that a battle in a city can’t be compared with a duel on wide, undeveloped land, where tanks usually fight their targets from two or three kilometers away.”…
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