Beasts of the Battlefield Operation Desert Storm February 1991 U S troops had been traveling in tanks for days through the Iraqi desert Outside the rain poured violently The passing sandstorms were blinding and the tank drivers had no roads to follow Instead they found their way using GPS Ground Positioning System No one had ever used this before Tanks have been used in warfare for about 100 years The first tank was used on September 15 1916 IRAQ 73 Easting KUWAIT E SAUDI ARABIA This map shows where the Battle of 73 Easting took place 4
BEASTS OF THE BATTLEFIELD The Battle of 73 Easting On February 26 U S tanks finally arrived at a place in the desert known as 73 Easting There they braced themselves for battle against the Iraqi army known as the Iraqi Republican Guard IRG The soldiers could hardly see because of a sandstorm Thermal sights devices that locate objects by the heat they give off helped them find the enemy tanks With the help of these new technologies the U S only lost one tank at the end of the fierce battle The Iraqi Republican Guard lost about 100 tanks during the Battle of 73 Easting GPS a system that uses signals from satellites to determine locations 5
With their strong armor and modern weapons tanks can be deadly on a battlefield Battle-Ready Tanks Tanks or Armored Combat Vehicles ACVs are fighting vehicles protected by heavy armor They can drive easily through the most difficult landscapes Even terrible weather cannot stop them Modern tanks have technology that helps soldiers find their way or locate their enemies in fog or sandstorms 6
BEASTS OF THE BATTLEFIELD Technology Race Designing and building tanks with the best technology is a never-ending race A country may make armor that will protect a tank from the deadliest artillery But it is never long before another country develops weapons and ammunition such as bullets and shells that can damage that armor The Italian artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci drew a plan for a battle tank in 1487 This was more than 400 years before the first tank was ever driven This is a model of the tank that Leonardo da Vinci designed It was made of wood covered in metal plates artillery large weapons that can shoot long distances 7
