I can't tell if this is a copypasta. China benefits from two of the three/four powers squabbling and prefers economic/social control rather than military. China benefits or is unscathed no matter the outcome. The only thing people are looking at in regards to china is if they will send computer chips over and if they will lend/lease equipment.
This right here.
No matter how Ukraine shakes out, China will come out winner.
The longer this goes on, the more bigly China wins.
Your post is nice and informative, but I was always under the impression that the Sino-Vietnamese war was embarrassing for China, considering the Western estimates of the death toll were fairly even between the two nations. Maybe my first mistake was considering the Western estimations; but still, I'm curious to learn more, albeit not here in this thread cause this is veering more into off-topic territory.
I'm going to act like you're here in good faith but expecting disappointment.
Short answer, Vietnam got another taste of getting beat down by a larger nation but that time got to enjoy being on the right end of technological superiority.
China's tactical performance was lacking, as they had abysmal logistics, embarrassing field medical, the ground troops had outdated equipment from the 50s, and their generals had somehow managed to not pay attention to the previous quarter decade and how Vietnam responded to more powerful invaders despite having an inside view. Additionally China used its airpower sparingly per assurances given to the Soviets and Americans that they were there to convince Vietnam to pull out of Cambodia not take Hanoi. These increased casualties, but its not like China is short of warm bodies.
But the real embarrassment for China was the lead up & and the Chinese inability to protect Cambodia/Pol Pot from Vietnam. Even given that, the action enhanced Chinese reputation in SEA by showing that they were willing to put boots where their mouths wore when trying to strengthen relations with other nations like Thailand by offering protection against Vietnam.
Addtional blah blah blah about China facing reduced Vietnamese forces due to redeploying to protect Hanoi and how bloody a fight for Hanoi would have been had China attempted it since Vietnam had time by then to consolidate forces and had things gone on longer Vietnam's showing would have been better. Its also hard to tell if China had intended to simply threaten Hanoi or actually roll throught the city and only changed their minds when Soviet airlift helped Vietnam bring their heavies back from Cambodia well ahead of schedule
tl;dr: It was embarrassing because it failed the strategic goal of actually changing the situation in Cambodia regardless of how it went tactically.
I referred it to not out of the tactical performance, more to pointing out Soviets willing to largely sit back providing only limited logistic support. And that China was souring on Vietnam thus probably could have been convinced to go along as long with a post-Tet reprisal as the US/ARVN didn't get too close to the border and withdrew after.
Anyway, I'd say Vietnam at geopolitical scale is relevant because there are significant parallels with Ukraine, just this time its NATO sending Advisors and Russia complaining about domino theory, and of course its fairly recent. Of course there are huge differences as well.
you can draw so many parallels to WW1 Where the front didn't move for like 3years until the new invention codename "Tank" (to confuse the enemy)
The shipping manifests on the first armor deliveries had them listed as "water tanks" to throw off German intelligence as those were the only metal items of sufficient size and weight being delivered in quantity to the front to make the cover story plausible.
I saw a snip of an interview from one of the British troops who got a gander at them being staged and remembered thinking 'Those are the new water tanks? The new water tanks are really weird looking. Weird they motorized them, I guess that's so they can keep up with the assault we've heard is coming'
Anyway, the Tank didn't really change WWI that much. The weapons to defeat them were already deployed: they were vulnerable to 'man-portable' field guns and sustained fire from armor-piercing ammo, and German tactics responded quickly. When moving they were a force, but once the Germans knew what to watch for, they could also have heavily artillery ready to respond.
The economic situation didn't even end German efforts once the two front war became a one-front war with fall of the Tsar. Even the arrival of the Americans didn't change German efforts - it just reduced the strain on French and Britain.
What ended the Central Powers was the collapse of Austria-Hungary. Germany didn't have the ability or means to open a new southern front, and was now cut off from the Ottomans.
What the hell was up with that dummy rasing an AK-74 at the tank? Did he think he was going to head shot the tank commander or whittle down the tank's HP bar like in a video game?
At the very least, keep the crew from unbuttoning and reduce their visibility.
Hell, I remember training troops on a SAT (virtual rifle range) and having another NCO jack the troopaloops up because they stopped shooting as soon as a BMP showed up, precisely because they all thought in video game terms and assumed armour was invulnerable.
Buddy that's just cope to try to keep infantry with nothing but small arms from running the moment they see armor
is shooting out mirrors and optics actually realistic and feasible?
it's probably gonna happen if you have some dude with a heavy belt fed machine gun saturating the tank with hundreds of bullets, eventually one will hit something that breaks, but if you're just a dude with a rifle it seems near impossible to identify, aim, and hit a tiny target like that on a vehicle.
I mean, in the particular situation in the video I don't see why he'd risk it. I can see the benefit of small arms fire at distracting the tank crew from antitank assets, especially when you're dug into a defensive position, and I've seen a
recommendation of machinegun fire to damage APS' as a last resort. I wouldn't bank on hitting its optics though, especially if it's firing back.
Maybe I'm off-base though. I am just a hobbyist.
tl;dr The guy is following (valid) training but probably shouldn't be.
You aren't going to do shit to a tank with just light arms, not even an APC. Hell, unless you're aiming/lucky you aren't even going to do much to even a late model HMMV. But
@MG-34 points out you train your infantry to shoot at armor anyway; because if you have a heavy machine gun - or at least
a machine gun - you
might be able to take out optics such the tank will leave but an AK isn't going to be able to do shit even with a lucky shot. But the small arms might distract the crew and if you have a heavy weapon that is capable of at least scratching the tank, the crew is going to have a harder time figuring out where it is if there are eight other muzzle flashes to pick from.
it'd be smarter to just hunker down in cover, play possum, and hope the tank leaves.
But you don't because:
You shooting tells your side you are still there, alive, and resisting, and if they send help there's someone to save. (Yeah, I know, Russia)
But they don't seem to have any heavy or AT weapons, so the best result you could get is the Tank Crew acting on their training "your visibility is shit, if one guy is shooting its to keep you from seeing the guy with the AT weapon; pull back to infantry support". That's unlikely since hitting that position seems to be why the tank was there. If there is any infantry supporting the tank, rounds pinging off armor might keep them down and keep you from being overrun.
It'd also serve a purpose if you were trying to distract the tank while your buddies scooted, but all he's doing is firing from their bunker and making it easier for the tank to know where to shoot. Of course its easy cast shade when you're at your desk and aren't getting HMG and HE rounds lobbed at you -that's when you fall back on training.
>Be Russian tank
>Drive into easily visible mines
>Get out, sit on porch squat in the road
>Eat fried chicken chew sunflower seeds,
>Have gigantic nostils display microcephalic cranium
>Wonder why yakub make de white man Ponder why the west is so russophobic and calls us suitless white niggers
>Smoke low quality cigarettes
I'm honestly suprised anyone survived that in soviet armor.
Well its offical they are refurbishing BTR-50 question remains for what role
View attachment 4774544
Rated :late: to reflect the age of the hardware.
I expect there will be an ultimatum made to Ukraine
That's a real interesting copium mix you're on my brother.
I don't think you're faking it.
and give these
bad boys
archive.is
