Soviet tank crew survival.

[PlasmaKrab]

Remember its only a 3 man crew but , the tank has a survival # of 4.

AFAIK no relation, survivability is more the amount of damage (*) the tank can take before blowing up at all, as Don and Andy explained. There is also some link to crew survival apparently, but not that direct.

Ammo explodes on impact and other bad design features of most Russian tanks leads me to the question, "Who would want to be in one of these things?"

Guys who have no choice!
Besides, Russian tanks of the post-T64 generation arent lined with powder bags and jerrycans forasmuch. If you look at pictures from ODS you will see many destroyed T-72s that actually didn't blow up on the first shot. That gives the crew a chance to escape, whatever your field evidence says (remember that ODS was one succesful operation, particularly the parts talked about, and that you may not be that lucky in the game). F.e. a shot through the turret will likely kill both commander and gunner, leave the autoloader intact (small chance that the loaded breech is hit and explodes though), and the driver's top priority will be to open his hatch and run like hell.

[Mobhack]

You need to recall, that in combat it is normal practice to shoot a target until it brews or blows, just "to be 100% sure". The first hit may have killed it, but the troops will put 3 or 4 more in till it is definately no longer a threat, because in real life they do not get a message saying "T-54 KO by 120mm".

Therefore, most of these combat photos taken after the action will be of targets that were deliberately "overkilled" or that a passing rifleman popped a grenade (thermite perhaps) in the lid to make sure that no enemy will re-occupy it and try for a shot in your bum after the main force has gone by. (In game terms - you left a unit in the same hex as an abandoned enemy vehicle for a full turn, it will now be burning and so the crew (if any) cannot come back and man the abandoned gun or tank later).


Cheers
Andy