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A forum post so bad it broke the Official Secrets Act.

The Challenger 2 is a British tank that’s been in service since 1994, and has seen service in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Iraq. It’s also found in War Thunder, Gaijin Entertainment’s free online game.

There’s a commitment to accuracy in War Thunder: Realistic vehicle and weapon physics, which players partake in spirited discussions about in the forums. The Challenger 2’s debut, for instance, sparked a thread 319 pages long (and growing).

Things got out of hand in early July, however, when one player demonstrated slightly too much commitment to realism. The player, who claims to be a Challenger 2 commander and formerly of the British Army’s Armored Trials and Development Unit, complained the in-game model is inaccurate and more vulnerable than in reality—then, to prove it, posted classified images from the Challenger 2 Army Equipment Support Publicatio— basically the user manual.

TANKS A LOT

The images were redacted and carried “UK Restricted” labels, but a stamp of “Unclassified” was added. Gaijin was cautious, saying “proof of this document’s declassification will be required as well as where it was sourced from”, before any response.

Shortly afterwards, a moderator said Gaijin had been in contact with the UK MoD, which informed it, in writing, that the manual is classified.

“I can confirm that it does appear to be a genuine extract,” a Defence

IT’S UNKNOWN WHETHER THE PLAYER IS ACTUALLY A TANK COMMANDER

Equipment and Support spokesman at Abbey Wood wrote. “It certainly has not been released under FOI previously by DE&S or considered for redacting. We also do not recognize the ‘Unclassified’ stamp.”

A Gaijin moderator then told the original poster, “By continuing to disseminate it you are in violation of the Official Secrets Act as stated by the warning on the cover of the document, an offence which can carry up to a 14-year prison sentence if prosecuted.”

It’s unknown whether the player is actually a tank commander although, as the UK Defence Journal notes, their claimed location of Tidworth, Wiltshire is the home of the Royal Tank Regiment.

This all began with a dispute over the size of the gap between the main turret and hull. Unfortunately, their efforts for the Challenger 2 were for naught: Because the documents are classified, they’re not “valid source material” and so no changes will follow.

“We use only documents that are non-classified,” Gaijin says. “When a user publishes a classified document at the official forum, we delete it ASAP. We cannot possibly know the real identity of the user with the document, but many War Thunder players are serving in the armies of various countries, so everything is possible.” Andy Chalk

The WarThunder wiki describes the Challenger 2 as “a force to be reckoned [with] on the battlefield, thanks to competent grades in firepower and armor”, although a number of distinct shortcomings means that it really needs a skilled commander to make the most of it.

The final flourish is that, while sharing classified MoD documents in the War Thunder forums might be a violation of the Official Secrets Act, it is apparently not a bannable offence: the account that posted the images is still valid and, by all appearances, in good standing.