Yes, Virginia, steel will burn!
A captured Serbian T-55 awaits destruction by C-4 ‘plastic’ explosives, and thermite grenades, in the field artillery area of Camp Dobol, Bosnia & Herzegovina. U.S. Army (USA) photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 15MAR1997.
Planks of C-4 plastic explosive duct-taped to the turret ring, just wanted to see what would happen. USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 15MAR1997.
C-4 was placed inside the turret. The next day, Thermite was placed in the barrel, engine, and transmission. USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 15MAR1997.
Boom! USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 15MAR1997.
Apparently, the C-4 plastic in the turret was set-off first. USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 15MAR1997.
USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 15MAR1997.
USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 15MAR1997.
USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 15MAR1997.
USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 15MAR1997.
A U.S. Army First Lieutenant tries to extinguish flames caused by the C-4 explosions, so they can try-out the Thermite. USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 15MAR1997.
Is it safe to install the Thermite? USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 15MAR1997.
Thermite grenades placed on the ‘powerpack’ (motor/transmission), then mud was packed on top in the hopes it would direct the thermite plasma downward. USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 16MAR1997.
The Thermite was set-off next. In the foreground you can see the hands operating an electrical blasting/firing device. You can see the electrical cord leading into the main gun barrel, to set-off the Thermite. USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, photo is dated 16MAR1997.
A blurred knife in the foreground. Engineers used the knife to attach the electrical cord to the firing device. USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 16MAR1997.
Checking-out the damage. USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 16MAR1997.
2-thousand-200 degrees (F) of heat that oozed out of the thermite hand grenades onto the transmission. USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 16MAR1997.
End result. USA photo by Sergeant Angel Clemons, 16MAR1997.
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Written by: Hutchins AAron on November 29, 2022.