Editing Tank (section)

===Crew===
{{redirect|Tank commander}}
[[File:Leclerc-IMG 1717.jpg|thumb|The tank commander's position in an [[AMX Leclerc]]]]
[[File:T72B3-Crew.svg|thumb|Positions of crew members in a Russian [[T-72]]B3 tank. The driver (3) is seated in the front, commander (1) and gunner (2) are in the turret, directly above the carousel (4), which contains the ammunition for the autoloading mechanism.]]
{{Army units}}
Most modern tanks most often have four crew members, or three if an [[auto-loader]] is installed. These are the:
* [[Commanding officer|Commander]] – The commander is responsible for commanding the tank, with all-round vision devices rather than the limited vision of the driver and gunner. He guides the gunner roughly onto target and guides the driver around turns and obstacles.
* [[Gunner (artillery)|Gunner]] – The gunner is responsible for [[Gun laying|laying (aiming) the gun]]. It may be laying for direct fire, where the gun is aimed similarly to a rifle, or indirect fire, where firing data is calculated and applied to the sights. The term includes automated aiming using, for example, radar-derived target data and computer-controlled guns. Gun laying involves moving the axis of the bore of the barrel in two planes, horizontal and vertical. A gun is "traversed" (rotated in a horizontal plane) to align it with the target, and "elevated" (moved in the vertical plane) to range it to the target.
* Loader – The loader loads the gun, with a round appropriate to the target (HEAT, smoke, etc.) as ordered by either the commander or the gunner. The loader is usually the lowest-ranked member of the crew. In tanks with auto-loaders this position is omitted.
* [[Driver (person)|Driver]] – The driver drives the tank, and also performs routine maintenance on the automotive features.
[[File:3rd ID M1A1 Abrams TC and Gunner 2008.jpg|thumb|A view in a M1A1 Abrams tank of the gunner's station (bottom left) and commander's station (top right)]]

Operating a tank is a team effort. For example, the loader is assisted by the rest of the crew in stowing ammunition. The driver is assisted in maintaining the automotive features.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theshermantank.com/sherman/the-crew-and-their-stations-the-human-part-of-the-tank/| title = The Crew And Their Stations: The Human Part Of The Tank, How They Lived, Worked, And Fought| date = 22 November 2015}}</ref>

Historically, crews have varied from two to twelve members. First World War tanks carried the crew needed to man the multiple guns and machine guns, and up to four crewmen  to drive the tank: the commander drove the tank and manned the brakes, steering via orders to his gears-men; a co-driver operated the gearbox and throttle; and two gears-men, one for each track, steered by setting their side to idle, allowing the track on the other side to slew the tank to one side. Pre-World War II French tanks were noted for having a two-man crew, in which the overworked commander had to load and fire the gun in addition to commanding the tank.

With World War II the multi-turreted tanks proved impracticable, and as the single turret on a low hull design became standard, crews became standardized around a crew of four or five. In those tanks with a fifth crew member, usually three were located in the turret (as described above) while the fifth was most often seated in the hull next to the driver, and operated the hull machine gun in addition to acting as a co-driver or radio operator. Well-designed crew stations, giving proper consideration to comfort and ergonomics, are important to the combat-effectiveness of a tank, as they limit fatigue and speed up individual actions.