Interesting footage from 1963 showing an M60 tank with snorkel(for engine intake and exhaust) crossing the Rhine in Germany. Without the fording kit the tank is limited to crossing water 4ft or less. With Kit, it has capability of fording 8ft—reduces delay waiting on bridging.🫡

Engine air intakes are mounted in the turret area and are set to pull air from the crew area, no exhaust snorkel. The tower mounted to the loaders hatch is used to allow fresh air for the engine and crew. Outside of testing I have never heard of this system being used.

Thanks for pointing that out. After I posted it I realized it was wrong. I saw the guy standing in the stack and thought there is no way the exhaust goes out that port. I just misread.

I spend 4 years as an M-60 crewman until I reenlisted for aviation. Going aviation was the best decision I ever made!

Heck yeah, same here. I was a heavy equipment mechanic. Re-enlisted to go into avionics.

Good move!

What could possibly go wrong!😳

I'm not claustrophobic but I'm, also, for sure not going in a metal coffin under water with a stove pipe as the only exit. nope.

😂👍

Looks like the System also used on Leopard 1&2. It is a collapssible ridged turret for the commander to stand in. It also provides air for the crew and engine, via a hatch from the fighting compartment to the engine. Engine exhaust goes into the water.

Tiger could do it 20 years earlier

I saw a picture of similar system on T-72s, a bout 50% taller though, and I thought "No F'n way!". So the bottom of a river would tend to be deep mud, or sand, gravel, etc. Seems like a great way to get stuck, but I'm thinking that perhaps buoyancy helps?

Old AAV guy here. No F’ing way would I ride in that thing. At least our tracks floated, usually.

Always thought M60 the was a great looking tank. especially the IDF version with the reactive armour.

What could go wrong?

Its an amazing feat of engineering, but would I fuck ever agree to be in a tank doing that 🤣

Soviet tanks equipped with snorkels were not always lucky lets put it that way to mage it through the water obstacle.

I wonder if you could even get the hatch open down there if the snorkel collapsed

I have the same questions. I couldn't find the training docs but the fording kit document didn't really answer that.

I’m thinking that’s a no lol. Especially with a current in a river

that and are they just pushing through the river bed mud and junk down there. seems problematic.

Yeah I think there’s a reason it’s never used for real in the field haha

Snorkel concept also used by the U-Boat yards to allow the submarines to run their diesels whilst submerged - thus reducing their extreme vulnerability running on the surface. Porsche also trialled snorkels on their Porsche 917s to improve engine breathing - iirc never raced it.

The Germans had a snorkel set up for the early Tiger tanks which they abandoned due to costs, rubber shortage and the time it took to deploy.

Is there some footage of the Soviet flying tank prototype?

I saw this also at Ft. Knox, Army Tank training school as well as nearly submerged with the occupants in Diver equipment with oxygen tanks.

Dude standing on the snörkel: "It's warm, but I can't breathe!" BTW, was that dude called "Snörkelmeister"?

I can't see how that tank wouldn't fill with water. I know the snorkel allows the engine to breath but the turret ring alone would need a special seal.

Do you get a submariner uniform device for operating that?