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War Plans Division Military History from past to present!

As the most produced medium tank in the Japanese arsenal, the Type 97 Chi-Ha had several variants built. The Se-Ri was o...
09/30/2026

As the most produced medium tank in the Japanese arsenal, the Type 97 Chi-Ha had several variants built.

The Se-Ri was one of the rarest. A dedicated Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV), the Se-Ri was equipped with a more powerful engine as well as well as a crane. Armament was light, limited to a machine gun within the turret. Despite the potential of the design, only three Se-Ri vehicles would be built.

The crew of an American M3 Lee tank abandon their vehicle during training at Camp Polk, Louisiana on 12 February 1943.Th...
09/28/2026

The crew of an American M3 Lee tank abandon their vehicle during training at Camp Polk, Louisiana on 12 February 1943.

The M3 Lee had a crew of seven. With this many people, it was imperative that they knew how to abandon the tank in an emergency.

The M57A1 ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) is fired fired from a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launch...
09/28/2026

The M57A1 ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) is fired fired from a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launcher.

The ATACMS is a tactical ballistic missile used by the United States for precision strikes. The ATACMS is deployed from the M270 or M142 launchers. The missile is deployed from the standard am******on pods used to fire the shorter-ranged rockets. Each ATACMS missile takes the place of six of the rockets, giving the M270 the capability to fire two ATACMS or one for the M142.

The ATACMS has a maximum range of 190 miles (300km) and, depending on the variant, is armed with a high-explosive warhead or multiple bomblets.

Churchill tanks conducting maneuvers on the Salisbury Plain on 31 January 1942. The Churchill was rushed into service be...
09/26/2026

Churchill tanks conducting maneuvers on the Salisbury Plain on 31 January 1942.

The Churchill was rushed into service before the development was fully completed. This resulted in several issues that led to reliability issues. However, these bugs were ironed out relatively quickly. The Churchill would quickly evolve into one of the most reliable tanks in the British inventory.

It was not uncommon for Churchill tanks to travel several hundred miles before needing maintenance, even in poor environments such as the deserts of North Africa or the Jungles of Southeast Asia.

Photo from the Imperial War Museum Archives. Photo: IWM H 16962

A M728 combat engineer vehicle belonging to the United States Army demolishes a Bosnian Serb bunker protecting the road ...
09/26/2026

A M728 combat engineer vehicle belonging to the United States Army demolishes a Bosnian Serb bunker protecting the road into Dubrave, Bosnia and Herzegovina on 10 January 1996.

The M728 was derived from the M60 main battle tank. It was armed with a 165mm M135 gun firing HESH demolition charges. The gun was used for combat engineering purposes rather than direct combat, being used to clear obstacles and demolish buildings. The M728 could also be equipped with a dozer blade, mine plough, or even a crane to assist it in its role.

Sd.Kfz. 9 halftracks towing a Tiger I heavy tank. Weighing 40,000lbs (18 metric tons), the Sd.Kfz. 9 was the largest and...
09/25/2026

Sd.Kfz. 9 halftracks towing a Tiger I heavy tank.

Weighing 40,000lbs (18 metric tons), the Sd.Kfz. 9 was the largest and most powerful of Germay's halftracks to see service during World War 2. Despite being built to tow vehicles and heavy artillery, the Sd.Kfz. 9 still struggled with later heavy tanks. To recover a Tiger I, two to three Sd.Kfz. 9 halftracks were needed.

09/24/2026

A 240mm Howitzer M1 in action on 10 June 1953 during the Korean War. The video highlights several stages of the loading process including setting the fuze, loading the shell, loading propellant, and firing.

A M8 Greyhound armored car of the United States Army passes the Arc de Triomphe during the celebratory parade on August ...
09/10/2026

A M8 Greyhound armored car of the United States Army passes the Arc de Triomphe during the celebratory parade on August 29 1944 following the liberation of Paris.

This M8 is said to have been attached to the 102nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron which was operating as a part of the French 2nd Armored Division.

Tigers on the Prowl!An armoured column of Tiger I heavy tanks belonging to the 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion advancing he...
09/09/2026

Tigers on the Prowl!

An armoured column of Tiger I heavy tanks belonging to the 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion advancing heading over a hillside near Belgorod in 1943.

Due to equipment losses, Russia has fielded several Ad Hoc weapon systems in Ukraine. However, one of the more unusual s...
08/05/2026

Due to equipment losses, Russia has fielded several Ad Hoc weapon systems in Ukraine. However, one of the more unusual systems to see recent use is the RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launcher as a land-based MLRS (multiple launch rocket system).

The RBU-6000 is a 213mm rocket launcher designed to fire salvos of depth-charges against submarines. The rockets have a high-explosive warhead of 23kg (50.7lbs) and have a maximum range of 5,500m (3.5 miles) at sea though the land-based launchers might be using different rockets for longer ranges. Each mount has a total of twelve launchers, allowing for extensive salvos to be launch.

The RBU-6000 first entered service in 1960 and was the most widespread anti-submarine weapon systems used in the Soviet Navy. Though newer weapons have been introduced, the RBU-6000 continues to see use in the modern Russian Navy.

The RBU-6000s being used in Ukraine have been mounted on a variety of vehicles. Lighter Ural trucks have been seen with cutdown RBU-6000 launchers, having half the rockets removed to save weight. Larger vehicles, such as the MT-LB tractor even the chassis from the T-80 main battle tank, have been fitted with the full RBU-6000 mounts.

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