• ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

      Given the era of tank depicted: a lot of damage.

      Many early tanks were designed to deflect small arms fire and shrapnel from artillery.
      Even so: Aas anti tank weaponry and armor to match developed: tanks notoriously had weak armor when not being hit directly from the front. A swinging I-beam from an upwards sideways angle could definitely compromise a 1930s era tank in a critical fashion.

    • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

      Eh, I think you can definitely break a track or drivewheel with this. If your tank looks like the one in the image, you might even do a little more damage.

      It’s also a great way to scatter yourself over a wide area by means of high explosive.

      • Etterra@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Probably this. If a tank is in a narrow space and a tread is busted, it effectively becomes a stationary target with seriously limited usefulness.

        • emptyother@programming.dev
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          4 months ago

          Humans become dangerously inventive and resourceful in guerilla warfare. Its fun (and sometimes horrifying) reading old booby trap recipes that was shared around by Milorg here in Norway during WW2.

    • RobertoOberto@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

      Depending on the beam’s weight, where it impacts, and what kind of tank it is, here are some possible effects:

      1. Absolutely nothing
      2. Cause the crew to button up, reducing their visibility
      3. Draw the crew out to assess or repair damage, expsoing them to small arms fire
      4. Remind the crew that their enemy is active in the area and slow the advance
      5. Distract the crew long enough for infantry to employ a more effective weapon, possibly including approach the tank on foot without being seen
      6. Main gun barrel impact - deform the barrel enough to disable it
      7. Turret impact - disable turret rotation, reducing aiming capability
      8. Track impact - mobility kill by damaging roadwheels and/or track, or just getting stuck there
      9. Direct side impact - probably nothing
      10. Random gear impact - even old tanks have external mounted machine guns, optics, radio antennae, and shit that could be disabled
      11. Exposed crew impact - squishy squishy

      Of all these possibilities, I think just trying to get the damn thing stuck in the wheels/tracks is the most likely to actually work, even on relatively modern tanks.