Israel Tal - Inventor of the Merkeva Tank - Dead at 85

Israel Tal - former Israeli assistant chief of staff of the army, inventor of the Merkeva Tank and named as one of the 5 greatest armored commanders of all time - is dead at age 85

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/world/middleeast/09tal.html

In case your interested, the other 4 on the list of greatest armoured commanders (compiled by the Patton Museum) are Patton (US), Abrams (US), Rommel (German) and Moshe Peled (Israel). I'm not quite sure I would agree with the ranking.

 

RIP

As an aside, how can Heinz Guderian not be on that list?

 

That's what I was thinking. Erich Von Manstein should be listed as well. Maybe they are planning on extending the list at some point? 5 seems to be a low number for the "greatest commanders". Maybe not in the top 5, but John S Wood (4th AD Commander) belongs high up on the list too - he spearheaded most of Patton's advances but was recalled to Fort Knox in late 1944 after butting heads with him too many times.

 

It's a sad loss to the world.

 

Sorry Historian,I beg to differ.I, for one will not mourn his passing.The merkava was used in Lebanon since the 80's as a terror weapon against local innocent villagers in the south where many under-equipped U.N soldiers,including myself,tried to prevent the advance of I.D.F. armoured unit's through negotiation and peaceful means.The merkava was usually at,or near the front of the column,just to press home the Israeli message of total power.Many times I stood with a few other riflemen trying to persuade the merkava commander from threatening to blow up house's with women and children hiding in them, as his 120mm gun pointed in their general direction,if he wasn't allowed pass.Of course,they always were,as we could do nothing to stop them as they wreaked their havoc and terror amongst the population.For me he died 85 years too late.

 

You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but blaming him for the way the state used his invention is like blaming Kalashnikov for the Soviet Union arming every tinpot dictator in the Third World with assault rifles.

 

I figured this would turn into a argument about Israeli military policy sooner or later - which I why I was reluctant to post it. You're certainly entitled to your own opinion (I for one don't agree with everything Israel has done from a military standpoint over the past half-decade), but let's [please] try to keep this rhetoric separate from this thread.

Thanks, and all the best.

 

And I'll just remind everyone to keep it civil. Or else.

 

A chapter of Patrick Wright's 'Tank', is basically an interview with Tal in the late 90s.
An interesting read if I recall... so I might just read it again.

~A

 

Historian,of course you're right about making similarities about the AK 47.I've had a few of those pointed in my face over the years,and yes if it wasn't the merkava or the AK,it would be some other tank or assault rifle we'd be talking about.On a lighter note,I've tasted Comrade Kalashnikov's branded vodka and it ain't half bad.I'm sure if merkava went into the vodka business,I'd give it a taste as well.