Why Do Some Tanks Have This Plate?

Today we look at the splash guard/splash shield which some tanks feature and the purpose it serves.

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[michaelplaysworldoftanks]

I honestly thought it was for catching shrapnel from non-penetrating AP rounds on the front plate.

[leopardone]

It's actually a break water guys. It's there to prevent the shifting of water from rolling up the tank's decks in heavy seas while under way.

[semedianindustries]

That last tank really said "I go kill submarine for the motherland"

[lexif.]

Good to see more COA content instead of weird ai generated shorts

[Anderson]

No, that’s to mount your bushes, signs and probably anime body pillows, which acts as concrete/spaced armor.
That’s what WT has taught me 😂😂😂😂😂
Ps: those pillows will add 2+ tons of solid concrete bonus armor too, depends how….stiff and heavy they are 🤣 lol

[exoticdachoo]

Bro that Soviet tank is doing anti-submarine duties

[AlexOnTheSide]

Not only water, but also mud.
Dad was a Tanker, they called it "Catch a dolphin". It when you are crossing a muddy road, the mud splashes over the front and floods the drivers compartment makes you look like a mud monster.

[Miftahul_]

I personally thought it was a guard against ricocheting shells that could possibly strike the main gun or turret but splash guard also defo makes sense. Possibly a two in one design? Even if it was accidental.

[chrisperrien]

Works for a little water, but if you plow into a pond or big water filled mud hole at any speed, you will have a 10 foot (3 meter) tidal wave of mud, crud, and water, coming into your driver's hold if unbuttoned(hatch open). BTDT, once 😎

Also, they do block the driver's view of some the ground immediately in front of the tank, which could be a problem, as to seeing mines or running over other in front of your tank.

Actually, that splash guard is more for stopping sheets of ice from hurting or decapitating the driver when a tank goes into a frozen pond or big frozen puddle, as the entire ice sheet can ride up the front glacis right at the driver's head. That is scary when you have a 6" thick 1/2 ton slab of ice coming at your face at the speed your tank is moving the other way. I have ducked down a few times 😎.
You don't want to have your driver's seat adjusted where you can't duck down quickly

[SitioLumbia]

It's obviously there to fit more human reactive armor.

[Boni-il]

Ex T55-commnander (East-German army 1983-86) speaking:

The commentor is correct. This plate serves no other purpose.

- to use it as a step this plate has a too awkward hight and even worse angle. You rather break your knuckles trying to use it as a step in order to climb into the tank. We all usually climbed in via the tracks at the side of the tank.
- You might place tools for maintenance there. But as soon as you drive along a bumpy road your things will fly off. A sand bag might be sitting there a bit longer but if the tank really gets through rough terrain, very quickly nothing will be left behind this board.
- Diverting bullets or incoming grenades -- this idea is ABSOLUTELY (!!!) ridiculous. The board is not very thick, very wobbly and in the wrong angle anyway. it does not pose any resistance against any incoming rounds of any calibre.

The plate serves only one and only purpose: When the tanks march longer distances the driver's seat is up and his hatch open.
If the tank goes through larger water-filled puddles the water will swash heavily over the front into the drivers open hatch. The board prevents it by holding it back. The board is fixed and not foldable.
This panel also has no use for underwater crossing of rivers since the tank is then completely water-tight and closed. All T-series main battle tanks of Soviet design were never amphibious (with other words could not swim), although they (starting with the T54) could be used in amphibious roles by rolling off large hoover crafts or ships close to the shallow shorelines. Therefore its underwater kit could be fitted. Preparation time ca. 30 minutes. The moment the tank crawls out of the water it needs a few seconds to tilt the snorkel forward, release the main seal for the turret to spin again and is combat-ready immediately without the crew getting out.
This kind of amphibious task was bound to my unit, the PB1 (tank battalion 1) in the MSR28 (infantry regiment 28) barracked in Rostock at the Baltic coast.

I personally served three years, crossing the large Elbe river many times at its bottom and participating in many military exercises during this period.

Peace! from Dresden / Germany

[kwkfortythree]

The background music is perfect for this topic 😂

[thecosmickid]

I suppose I like many others thought it was for deflecting rounds that bounced from the front plate. Very cool.

[Gaming_Badger]

The Swedish STRV 103 has similar Small Steel plates on the main frontal plate to reduce Spal ( Shattered debris )

[zendell]

The driver shouldn't be upset. He's the one doing it. He would be watching it happen.

[parker_r_smith]

wanna know a fun fact, LAV 6 drivers hatches don’t seal sometimes in the front right corner, letting anything go into the crew compartment that can fit in the small gap

[flynndemunck]

Yep it prevents water from entering through the drivers hatch, if it was deeper they would fit the snorkel to the tank and close all hatches, search it up pretty cool seeing a tank turn into a submarine

[WalnerzSpiele]

Oh that's an interesting piece on Soviet tanks.





Also, that music used in this video is quite nostalgic. Donkey Kong underwater music is something i wasn't expecting to hear on 17th December of 2024...

[your-local-P-lightning]

Oh damn, I know that place in the first picture, I've been there before! It's the American Heritage museum in Hudson Mass. Really fun place, they have the only is2 on display in America there!

[Cobiebetchayda]

You can also put some sandbags on top of the plate, and yes it does help for the water.