Brad Pitt -- Getting Tanked in England

Brad Pitt got behind the wheel of a giant death machine over in the U.K. ... and we've got the BAD ASS pics

Pitt was tooling around the English countryside Wednesday while preparing for his new film "Fury" ... a flick about a tank crew in the final weeks of World War II.

The 49-year old "World War Z" star listened intently to an instructor while cruising in the hatch of the machine ... which can't be any louder than a minivan filled with six kids. We think Brad can relate.