[keanzu]

A M1A2 main battle tank can travel at 40mph or 30mph offroad. If you know where one is and then lose track it can be 600 miles away from where you thought it was within 24 hours. If you saw the tank in Paris it could show up as far away as Prague or Madrid the next day.

They aren't that slow.

[gherkinnn]

1000km (600m) is a long way to go in a metal box. And you’d need to carry fuel, spare parts, and ammo. Tanks are vulnerable without infantry, so better have them there too. Tracks are very inefficient (and can tear up roads), so it’s better to load them on to trains or lorries.

It’s not just a tank. It’s all the logistics that go in to supporting one.

[arethuza]

One of SOE's achievements around D-Day was introducing abrasive materials into the axle bearings of the trank transporters for the SS Das Reich division - they were stationed in the south of France and had to try to make their own way there rather than using transporters - which fortunately didn't go well.

An entire division of experienced and well equipped troops pretty much neutralised with some gritty powder in the right places....

[C1sc0cat]

A tank is not just the individual tank like it was in ww1 - its the complete weapon system plus its supporting arms

[C1sc0cat]

Um I suspect that's the official speed the actual speed would be classified I know people who where passed by chieftains on Salisbury plain going >50mph in the 70's

[keanzu]

With the M1A2 engine governor removed, speeds of around 60 mph (97 km/h) are possible on an improved surface; however, damage to the drivetrain (especially to the tracks) and an increased risk of injuries to the crew can occur at speeds above 45 mph (72 km/h).

[dbcurtis]

But what is the MTBF? What is the chance that a unit can keep all of its tanks running without stopping for 600 miles?