The War Tank Thread (a collection of articles and photos)

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Little-Known Military Machines: Britain’s WWII Heavy Assault Tank

Source: http://www.warhistoryonline.com/whot...lt-tank-x.html



The British designed a tank especially for use in World War 2: The Heavy Assault Tank aka Assault Gun aka the Tortoise. However, this tank was never mass produced. Let’s look at why this was.

The Tortoise was developed especially for the job of clearing areas that were too heavily fortified to do it any other way, because of this the designers opted for heavy armor protection over agility and mobility.

The Allied forces were expecting lots of resistance in early 1943, due to the enemy attacking from positions that were highly fortified (the Siegfried Line for example). To prepare for this resistance, new vehicles emerged, specifically in a new class – Assault tanks, which focused on armor more than maneuverability.

Eighteen designs were drafted by the Nuffield Organization between May 1943 and February 1944. Each design created was bigger and heavier than the one before.

Of these designs, AT16 was approved by the Tank Board, and they suggested 25 models should be produced, with no plans for a prototype to precede them. They planned to have the models ready for service by September 1945. Due to this suggestion, an order was put in place by the War Office for 25 tanks.


The A39 Tortoise being towed on a trailer during trials in BAOR, 1948

After the War had ended the order for these tanks was reduced to six and these vehicles were built. Germany received one of these on trial; they found it to be powerful, reliable and stated it had a gun platform that was accurate. The downfall was it was very slow and difficult to transport it as it weighed 80 tons and stood at 10 feet tall.

The Tortoise does not have a turret like a traditional tank and instead utilizes a fixed casemate superstructure; therefore it tends to be classed as an assault gun or a self-propelled gun instead of a tank. The crew required to man this monster was a driver, a gunner, two loaders, two machine-gunners and a commander.


The Tortoise at The Tank Museum (2008)

You can find one of the six surviving Tortoises at The Tank Museum in Bovington, England. This one is still in running condition.

It received an overhaul in 2011 which saw it run on its own, something it hadn’t done since the 1950s. This Tortoise, after its overhaul, was displayed to the public at Tankfest 2011.

[Kazimiera]

Exciting WWII Tales Of The Cromwell Tank (Watch)

Source: http://www.warhistoryonline.com/whot...k-watch-x.html



War memories are sometimes teeming with amazing anecdotes, and in this video, Lindybeige recounts two of them and also talks a little about the British WW2 battle tank units.

The Cromwell tank was one of a series of battle tanks put into service by Britain and the most successful in the Second World War. There were over 4,000 built. The tank was named for Oliver Cromwell, the English Civil War leader.

The Cromwell was the first tank deployed by the British to combine a number of battle features including a dual-purpose gun, high speed from the formidable and the dependable Meteor engine, and reasonable strength armor, in a balanced package.

The Cromwell tank’s first action was in June 1944 at the Battle of Normandy. The Cromwell was part of the equipment of the reconnaissance regiments of the Royal Armored Corps in the 7th Armored Division, 11th Armored Division, and the Guards Armored Division.

While the armored regiments of the 11th and the Guards Armored Divisions were equipped with the US M4 Sherman tanks, the armored regiments of the 7th Armored Division were equipped with the speedy Cromwell tanks.

The tank was acclaimed for its speed and dependability, while its low profile made it a very hard target to hit.

A significant disadvantage was the inability of the Cromwell tank to mount the latest 75mm High-Velocity cannon.

The standard 75mm gun was successful against the majority of the German armored vehicles but had much difficulty penetrating the front of the heavily armored German tanks like the Tiger tank.

After the war had ended, the Cromwell tanks continued service in the British forces and were called to service in the Korean War.

[Kazimiera]

M3 Lee and Grant, A Worthy Opponent In 1942, Was Out-Dated Just One Year Later

Source: http://www.warhistoryonline.com/mili...ear-later.html



The M3 was an American WWII-era medium tank that saw action on all fronts of the war, whether as part of the U.S. Army or the USSR, as it was one of the tanks that were part of the lend-and-lease program provided by the American government.

In 1940 the British were in dire need of a suitable medium tank, one that could respond to the growing threat of German superior Panzer design.

The M3 was designed during that year, and in 1941 it entered production and service. It was far from perfect ― its design was archaic, its main gun wasn’t able to fully rotate, and it showed bad performance in off-road conditions.

Nevertheless, in the early stages of the war, before the M4 Sherman was available in mass numbers, the M3 had to carry the burden of being the main opponent to the dreadful Panzer IV, the best German tank of the time.


Front view, M3.

The M3 earned two nicknames during its service, depending on the turret design.

The ones employing the U.S. pattern turret were called Lee, and the ones employing the British pattern were called Grant.

Both nicknames were derived from figures from the American history, the first one being the Confederate general, Robert E. Lee, and the other one being Ulysses Grant, the 18th President of the United States.

The M3 was a double turret tank with a 75 mm main gun, joined with a 37 mm gun as secondary armament.

It appeared as a robust tank, but sturdy and well armored. Its six-man crew was protected by a 51 mm frontal armor, together with 38 mm hull sides and rear.

Out of 6,258 M3s produced by the U.S., 2,855 were supplied to the British Army, and about 1,386 to the Soviet Union.

The M3 Lee embarked the shores of North Africa in 1942 as part of the standard U.S. Army armored arsenal.


British M3 Grant (left) and Lee (right) at El Alamein (Egypt), in the Sahara Desert, 1942, showing differences between the British turret and the original design.

The tank’s 75 mm gun showed superior firepower against all Italian tanks, as both Fiat M13 and M14 were practically helpless against it.

Even the Germans were unpleasantly surprised when it began apparent that Panzer IV often fell victim to the M3 Lee in open combat.


A pair of Soviet M3 Lees at the Battle of Kursk.

Nevertheless, in the Soviet Union, it earned a nickname “a grave for six” (referring to the crew), as most of them saw action in 1943, in the time when the Germans already effectively employed the Tiger and the Panther tank.


A British M3 Grant in Mandalay Burma, (Myanmar), during the Burma Campaign 1944–45, March 1945

In the Pacific, the M3 Lee was part of British, American, and Australian armored divisions and it showed great performance against Japanese light tanks such as the Type 95 Ha-Go.

The Japanese were heavily outgunned during their first contact with the British M3 Lee tanks during the Battle of Imphal in 1944.

Overall, the M3 Lee and Grant tanks were considered to be reliable tanks during their first years of service, in 1942 and 1943.

After that the U.S. Army decided to decommission them during that time because of the emergence of far superior armor within the Wehrmacht ― the Tiger I, the Panzer IV with an upgraded 75 mm gun, and the Panther.

During the Invasion of Normandy, the M3 was almost completely replaced by its successor, the M4 Sherman.

The British used the tank until the end of the war, and so did the Soviets, during their 1944 Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive. Australia continued to employ the M3 Lee after WWII, finally retiring in the 1950s.

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Tank Profile: Ferdinand Tank Destroyer And Its Successor The Elefant

Source: http://www.warhistoryonline.com/mili...r-elefant.html



When Ferdinand Porsche offered his designs for the Tiger II tank in 1939, it was deemed too unconventional. It was also considered too demanding to be mass produced. One hundred chassis were built for prototype uses, but the contract was instead given to Henschel & Son Company, which was the manufacturer of the Tiger I model. It was not until 1943 that the Porsche design found its use in a soon-to-be lost war.

A new tank destroyer was needed and Hitler once again turned to the Porsche company. The first units produced were made of the remnants of Porsche’s Tiger II prototypes and were named Ferdinand, in honor of their manufacturer. Ferdinand was fitted with an 8.8 cm Pak 43 made by Krupp, with an effective range of 4,000 m (4,400 yds). The plan was to replace the Marder II and Marder III tank destroyers with a new kind of machine which was able to annihilate approaching tanks well before they reached their own effective range of fire.

The suspension developed by Porsche was based on a longitudinal torsion bar, which provided durability, and made it easy for the vehicle to adjust its ride height. Its chassis was further developed as the casemate became fully enclosed, to provide more safety for the crew. The opposite of such design were the earlier light tank destroyers, among which are the Marder II and III, which had a partially open casemate. This trait left the tank crew vulnerable to small arms fire, hand grenades, and Molotov cocktails.


The Kubinka Tank Museum’s Ferdinand.

But the Ferdinand offered an integrated casemate and added 100 mm of armor to the existing 100 mm, thus making the tank almost impregnable on key points. This also gave the tank destroyer five more tons, adding up to 65 tons, making it one of the heaviest German tanks of WWII. It was designated as the Jagdpanzer ― the tank hunter.

Its engine was a double Maybach HL 120 petrol, which could run this beast at 30 km per hour (19 mph).


The United States Army Ordnance Museum’s restored Elefant.

After the Battle of Kursk, the largest tank battle of the war, some changes were made in order to improve Ferdinand’s performance. For example ― addition of a ball-mounted MG 34 in the hull front for anti-infantry ability, a commander’s cupola (modified from the standard StuG III cupola) for improved vision, and the application of Zimmerit paste, a paste-like camouflage used in the late stages of the war.


A disabled Elefant in Italy, 1944.

The upgrade came as a reaction to Ferdinand’s first combat mission ― the Kursk ― where 89 Jagdpanzers participated in the battle. During the famous tank battle, Ferdinand achieved incredible kills per loss result ― an average ratio of approximately 10:1.

Even though the tank destroyer did well against Soviet tanks, it was practically unprotected against infantry, who would ambush the Jagdpanzer and disable it with clever use of grenades and Molotovs.


Another knocked out Elefant, Italy, 1944.

Out of 50 vehicles that survived, 48 were given this upgrade. It received more armor, thus the new version weighed 70 tons. This improved version of the Ferdinand tank was nicknamed Elefant, due to its weight and the long 8.8 cm Pak 43 gun which resembled a trunk. But its weight continued to be its biggest flaw. The Elefant was not able to use most of the roads and bridges. With such limitations to its mobility, the tank destroyer’s superior armor, and firepower proved to be useless in the final stages of WWII.

Only two Elefant Jagdpanzers survived the war. One is exhibited in the Kubinka Tank Museum outside Moscow, and the other is now part of the United States Army Ordnance Museum’s collection at Fort Lee, VA.

[Kazimiera]

Fantastic! Starting & Driving The Only Operational King Tiger In The World

Source: http://www.warhistoryonline.com/whot...driving-x.html



The common name of Nazi Germany’s heavy tank is “Tiger II” but it is also known under the informal name Königstiger.

This often is translated as Royal Tiger, or was somewhat incorrectly translated as King Tiger by the Allied soldiers.

The Tiger II was built to succeed the Tiger I and it combined the latter’s thick armor with the sloping armor that was used on the Panzer Mk. V Panther.

The tank weighed almost 70 tons and was protected by 100 to 180 mm of armor at the front of the tank. It was armed with the long barreled 8.8 cm (88mm) KwK 43 L/71 gun.

The chassis was also the basis for the Jagdtiger turretless tank destroyer.

Only 492 Tiger II tanks were ever completed, the development started very late in the war and the Henchel factory was severely bombed by the Allies causing the loss of 657 tanks which were still in production.

The Heavy Tank battalions of the Waffen-SS and the Army used the Tiger II, the Allies were the first to encounter these tanks in Normandy one month after invading on D-Day, June 6th 1944.

In the East, they made their debut in September of 1944.

The Saumur Tank museum currently has the only running King Tiger tanks in the world.

[Kazimiera]

Mark V** – A Longer Tank For Wider Trenches – WW1 Innovations

Source: http://www.warhistoryonline.com/whot...wo_star-x.html



When the Germans realized what a threat tanks could be, they made their trenches wider to trap them; one answer to this was to build longer tanks, and the Mark V was stretched by six feet to create the Mark V*. As an interim solution this was adequate but a further improved version, the Mark V** was designed for 1919.

The Mark V

The Allies were the first to built tanks, and so the Germans had to come up with methods to stop them. At first, they widened their trenches, so that the tanks that rolled into them would become trapped. The Allied answer to this was to build a longer tank, one that could drive through a wide trench. Thus, the Mark V was born.

The Mark V tank was designed in the United Kingdom by Major Walter Gordon Wilson and was produced by the British manufacturer Metropolitan Carriage and Wagon. It was intended to be an entirely new kind of tank.

The first arrived in France in May 1918.

They were ‘male’ and ‘female’. Males had 6-pounder (57 mm) guns and machine guns, and the females only had machine guns. Some were both male and female, having both male and female weapons.

The tank was 26 ft 5 in (8.5 m) long and weighed about 29 tons. It had a crew of 8 – a commander, driver, and six gunners. 400 were built, of which 11 survive.

A more advanced version of the Mark V was intended for 1919, but by November 1918 the war was over.

The Mark V first saw action at the Battle of Hamel in northern France on July 1918. 60 Mark Vs supported an attack of Australian troops on the Germans. The attack was successful.

Following this victory, American troops began to use the Mark V. The 301st American Heavy Tank Battalion fought in the Western Front in late 1918.

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Light Tank Mark II A – Two-Man Light Tank of the Early Thirties

Source: http://www.warhistoryonline.com/mili...mark-ii-a.html



The first British light tank, the Mark I, evolved from the Carden-Loyd Carrier. The Mark II was produced in larger numbers and issued for service.

Light tanks were regarded as an alternative to armoured cars with a better cross-country performance.

New, malleable cast iron tracks, which were far better wearing than earlier types, gave these tanks greater range and modern suspension systems, by Horstman, made them, faster and more comfortable.


Light Tank Mk II.

Early light tanks were first fitted with Meadows six-cylinder engines but these were later replaced by Rolls-Royce power units.

The turret, which is turned bodily by the gunner, contains a water-cooled Vickers machine-gun. The driver, who sits below and in front of the gunner is also located alongside the engine, so conditions inside are warm and noisy.

These light tanks served with the Royal Tank Corps in Britain, the Middle East and India. Many were still in service when the Second World War began.

For a while, they were used for driver training while in Egypt they were issued to newly arrived Australian troops.
Contracts book records the original engine serial as 7619, later replaced by WOG 50. It is now missing. This tank has the No. 1 Mark II turret, with air louvres along the sides, but no anti-splash baffles.

It has the long, ‘fish-tailed’ silencer characteristic of the Rolls-Royce engined vehicles. 29 tanks on contract.

[Kazimiera]

The Awesome WW2 Churchill – The British Heavy Infantry Tank

Source: http://www.warhistoryonline.com/mili...ntry-tank.html


Infantry tank Mk IV Churchill VI.

The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV (A22) Churchill was the primary heavy infantry tank of the British Army during the first years of the Second World War.

Before WWII the British developed tactics against trench warfare and tanks were considered to be the key component in breaking the frontline.

The First World War proved to be a static conflict ― both sides would dig in and wait for an attack, which would usually end in a terrible bloodshed and loss of life.

The British Army was keen on making the fight more dynamic, so they developed two tank categories ― cavalry (or cruiser) and infantry tanks.

The first version of Churchill named Mk I was intended for close support during infantry attacks, as it was heavily armored, deliberately slow, so the soldiers could keep up, and armed with a frontal hull howitzer, apart from its 40 mm gun placed on a turret.

The tank was never intended to face other tanks in battle, but rather to destroy pillboxes and machine-gun nests so that the advancing infantry would have a better chance of actually surviving the charge on enemy positions.


Churchill Mark I; Notice the frontal hull howitzer.

This strategy included cavalry tanks whose role was to implement speed and agility.

They were to disrupt enemy supply lines and communications after the defenses had been breached by infantry tanks such as the Churchill.


Churchill Mark VI with a 75 mm gun and two BESA machine guns

But after the fall of France, it became evident that times had indeed changed.

Trench warfare was a thing of the past, and well-coordinated attacks using combined land and air forces provided Hitler the necessary advantage against old-fashioned generals who believed that defense lines made of bunkers and trenches were the future of war.

The Churchill underwent several significant changes after the fall of France, most important being the replacement of the howitzer located in the frontal hull with two BESA machine guns and the upgrade of the 40 mm gun to 57 mm.

Nevertheless, 303 tanks that were produced before this change came into effect continued to serve until the end of the war.


Churchill Mark VIII with 95mm howitzer.

It’s further variants continued to upgrade the main gun to 75 mm (Churchill Mark VI and VII) and 95 mm (Mark V and VIII).

Its hull armor ranged from 102 mm to 152 mm, again depending on the variant.

This trait made it one of the heaviest Allied tanks and one of the best armored. Its initial weight was 39.1 t (Mark I) and it went to 40.7 t in its last upgrade (Mark VII).

At first, the tank suffered from many technical issues concerning the engine, for it was made in haste in 1941, out of fear of a possible German invasion of the British Isles and wasn’t tested enough.

On the good side, it was capable of handling rough terrain and climbing steep ground, for it was initially intended to come across craters and obstacles of a WWI-era battlefield.


Different variants of the Churchill tank used during the landings in Normandy

The tank served alongside the Allies in North Africa and Italy. Several hundred Churchill tanks served in USSR, most notably in the Battle of Kursk.

When the invasion of Normandy commenced, Churchill’s chassis was used for a number of specialist vehicles, including the Beach Armored Recovery Vehicle, and as part of the Armored Vehicle Royal Engineers corps.

It was also fitted with a flamethrower or a 290mm Petard Mortar for the Normandy campaign, with an intention of clearing and bombarding concrete bunkers.

[Kazimiera]

Top 10 Tank Scenes – Not Only in War Movies!

Source: http://www.warhistoryonline.com/whot...-scenes-x.html



This video shows the top ten tank scenes in movies – and they’re not all War movies as you may expect. The only criteria needed to be eligible for a spot on this list is that the scene shown must feature a tank prominently.

There may well be a few in this list that you would never expect to see.

Obviously, we will be discussing some of these in the notes ahead so be warned – SPOILER ALERT!!! If you prefer to watch without us giving anything away then come back and read after you’ve viewed.

It will come as no surprise that War movie scenes feature a lot in this top ten list, after all, this is what tanks were primarily designed and utilized for – War!

The War movies that are included in this list include scenes from Saving Private Ryan and Kelly’s Heroes – these are both War movies that almost everyone knows and loves.

Look out for scenes from lesser-known War movies also, for example, Stalingrad – a 2013 Russian war movie that follows the Battle of Stalingrad. Stalingrad is not as well-known as more popular War movies, but it is a great movie nonetheless.

Fury makes it onto this list, with the Tiger Tank scene; this is considered the best scene in the entire movie by some.

Other movies that are featured, that do not come under the War category, include Goldeneye – a classic James Bond movie (1995) where you see 007 steal a tank and then daringly drive it through the streets of St. Petersburg.

Of all the movies you’ve ever seen that feature a tank which do you think will make the list?

Regardless of your personal favorites, you’re sure to agree with this list as we count down to the ultimate tank scene at number one out of these top ten scenes.

[Kazimiera]

Remains Of Destroyed Panther Tank Discovered in Poland

Source: http://www.warhistoryonline.com/mili...in-poland.html



Hundreds of parts of a unique tank called “The Panther” were found in Chrostkowo, Poland. The fascinating story began several kilometers further where the first puzzle piece – a part of some other tank’s track – was found.

Later the owner of the part showed some seekers the place where one of the symbols of the German armor had been buried.


Members of Stowarzyszenie Historyczno-Eksploracyjne Przedmoście with visible parts of the Panther V.


First pieces of destroyed Panther V recovered.


And more!


A draft plan of searching along with notes. Pieces of the destroyed tank were literally flying around!

“The Panther” from Chrostkowo, a village in the Kujawsko –Pomorskie Province, was abandoned by its crew on 23rd January 1945 when the grounds had been liberated by the 70th Army of 2nd Belorussian Front.

According to what the locals say, what made it stop was a Polish shell. Later the tank was blown up by some Russian soldiers.

– Konstanty Kiżyński, who lives in the village and remembers the times, told us that there was a tank gun, with lots of circles painted on in, laying in a ditch for a long time. – says Tomasz Stefański, President of the “Przedmoście” Society for Historical Explorations .

Such markings were used in case of destroyed enemy vehicles. Perhaps it was some kind of a small Russian revenge.” Kiżyński also mentioned that the vehicle was covered as if in some kind of putty. This must have been “Zimmerit”, a special means of protection against magnetic mines.







The tank’s explosive force was really strong since its parts were found over the area of 1 kilometer. Radars detected their most dense concentration in an embankment of an asphalt road.

The 70’s embankment was reinforced using bathtubs called “the Panther” – says Stefański – Over the surface of the ground you could only see the wheels, which were later dismantled and sold by a local. Unfortunately, many more parts have been scrapped. Under the asphalt, whole surfaces of floor appeared.

The seekers also found some parts on the ground, and the crown jewel is the Commander’s, whose tactical number was “141”, cupola. Some other part of the tower was used by a local as an anvil. The negotiations were clear and straight.

The 39-kg heavy anvil for 100-kg of history. This was a great deal for the seekers. They also came across 10 well preserved 7,5 cm KwK 42 L/70 Panther projectiles which were later secured by minesweepers.







Members of the Society found a report of the 1st Battalion of the 562nd Regiment from the 96th Corps of the 70th Army describing their fights near Chrostkowo. – A certain captain Ivan Malko says that the squad came across the deserted Panther. It must have been the number “141”. – adds Piotr Orfin, one of the discoverers of the tank –

We also addressed the Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster to help us establish the tank’s war route and names of its crew members.

The tank, most probably, belonged to the 25th German Panzer Division which was fighting within the area.







Yet new puzzle pieces are being looked for. – We want to reconstruct the tank’s frame and fit in the remaining parts –Tomasz Stefański explains.

These are not all of the Society’s plans as they are waiting to be granted permission to open a private museum.

On the area of six ares there will be a bigger exhibition because over the five years of our operation we have found quite a lot of military equipment.







We are not going to stop our searches, we have information about other objects – concludes Tomasz Stefański mysteriously.

The costs connected with the tank’s restoration are enormous therefore the Society is looking for new sources of financing and kindly requests your financial support (e-mail: przedmosciegd@gmail.com)







“Later the Panther was blown up by some Russian soldiers” – Konstanty Kiżyński, who lives in the village and remembers the times, told us that there was a tank gun, with lots of circles painted on in, laying in a ditch for a long time.

Such markings were used in case of destroyed enemy vehicles. Perhaps it was some kind of a small Russian revenge.”