[Bug-tar] tar --delete -f corrupts the contents

[s g]

Hi,

We've just discovered something interesting about tar.

We use 
tar --delete -f arc.tar file1 file2 file3 
to prune unnecessary stuff from archive. The list is formed automatically. 
accidentally we've run into a condition when the list is empty.

so the command looks like:

tar --delete -f 1.tar

in this case it does not complain about anything. It just silently corrupts the 
archive. Always in different ways (for one archive it destroys a half of the 
contents of certain file, for another - destroy some files completely).

Well.. just wanted to infom,

Please confirm if it's really bug and if there are ways to walk it around.

Thanks.