Here is some footage from an event put on by the Parola Tank Museum in Finland. This clip features a T-34 in Finnish markings and a BMP-1.
Matilda Diaries Part I
May 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment
From the Tank Museum at Bovington comes this video about the restoration of their Matilda tank.
Video:Tiger Day 2016 at The Bovington Tank Museum
May 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment
This video appeared on youtube today showcasing many of the vehicles stored at the Tank Museum at Bovington.
For more on Tankfest 2016, check out the website for the Tank Museum at Bovington. Tickets are going fast!
Inside the Chieftain’s Hatch: M47 Part II
April 30, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Part 2 of Nicholas Moran’s “Inside the Chieftain’s Hatch” video on the M47 Patton.
Tank Chats #19 Matilda II
April 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment
From the Bovington Tank Museum:
The name Matilda means Strength in Battle from the Germanic roots Maht, meaning strong and Hild meaning battle.
The Matilda was regarded as a superb tank in its day and carved a remarkable career for itself. A few served in France in 1940 but in the early stages of the North African campaign, under General Wavell, it virtually ruled the desert. Even when the Afrika Korps arrived it remained a formidable opponent, immune to everything but the notorious 88mm gun. Its main failings were its slow speed and small gun, which could not be improved.
Overlord’s Blog: Cuckoo the Panther Tank
April 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Overlord’s Blog has posted a new article about the 4th Coldstreams Guards armored battalion during the campaign in Western Europe in WW2. In particular, the article looks at “Cuckoo”, a captured German Panther tank used by the unit for a time.
Excerpt:
She was named Cuckoo. All the vehicles of the command group in the Coldstreams were named after birds, for example the battalion commander’s tank was called “Eagle”, a armoured command vehicle was “Vulture”, and they had scout cars named “Pigeon”, “Wren” and “Owlet”, to name but a few. Keeping with this ornithological theme “Cuckoo” seemed to fit a German tank in a British unit.
Cuckoo’s wartime exploits are difficult to find, she first gets a mention in the reduction of the Geijsteren, a castle in Holland which was surrounded by a moat, flood water and mud, with its bridge blown and the causeway leading to it covered by German guns. The British after seeing the results of a similar attack decided it would be easier to just reduce it with fire-power, and set about this on the 27th of November. Here Cuckoo’s long gun is singled out for praise as it was able to smash shells with unerring accuracy through windows and loopholes. Despite the Coldstreams shooting at it nothing much was achieved, so on the 28th the Allies prepared for a shooting party.
M114 chassis for sale
April 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
WCSH in Cornish, Maine is reporting about a local man that is looking to sell a running M114 chassis. The seller has the vehicle listed on Craigslist for $10,000 but also notes he will accept vintage Star Wars toys in partial trade. So for those who want to trade in your old Darth Vader figures for a tracked vehicle chassis, this might be the right deal for you. Click on the image below to view the WCSH news video.
Video: T-54 & T-55
April 26, 2016 by 1 Comment
Earlier this month these three videos featuring footage of Soviet era T-54 and T-55 tanks appeared on the youtube. Most of this footage appears to be shot in the period when the T-54 and T-55 were the main frontline tank of the USSR. The beginning of part 3 is particularly interesting as it shows some T-54-1 tanks with their distinctive turret design.
The Chieftain’s Hatch: Marines via Australia
April 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Over at the World of Tanks website, Nicholas “The Chieftain” Moran has posted an article written by historian Ken Estes about the career and experiences of WW2 era Marine tanker Lt. Col. Rowland Hall.
Excerpt:
Anzac Day is a day of solemn commemoration in Australia and New Zealand. The last time I touched upon this was two years ago, with a bit of background, and then an overview of one of the feats of arms of the Australian forces: The Defense of Tobruk.
Those of you who have seen the miniseries The Pacific might remember an episode set in Melbourne. Australia’s role wasn’t just to send manpower and equipment to fight for the Crown. The country had a similar role in the South Pacific as the UK did in Europe: A bulwark to hold on the edge of the theater, a staging and training area for future operations, and a place for some R&R.
Some time ago, Ken Estes sent me an article for the Hatch: the reminiscings of Marine officer Rollo Hall. Rollo’s writings do not focus on Australia per se — they are his view of the war as a whole and of the development of the Marine Corps tank force, but the amount of words he wrote about his time in Australia is indicative of just how important the country was to the prosecution of the war for the US, both in practical terms for combat training, as well as the morale effect of cameraderie with allies. This should give something of a holistic view of the general environment. So, I hand the keyboard over to the late Rowland Hall.
UK Armour & Embarkation event this June
April 23, 2016 by Leave a Comment
War History Online has an article about the upcoming “Armour & Embarkation” event in Dorset on June 18 and 19. This event features a large collection of functioning WWII era tanks and armored vehicles intended as a recreation of allied forces just prior to the D-Day landings.
A massive of tanks and armour and ‘big’ heavies will come together and form a convoy which will then drive through the lanes and towns of Dorset for an unmissable and unforgettable event. Re-enactors and vehicle owners from around Europe will don original uniforms, carry weapons and equipment that would have been taken on embarkation to give spectators a real taste of history and breathe new life into the story of D-Day and the Normandy invasion.
“With the help of military vehicle enthusiasts the Armour & Embarkation event aims to demonstrate the true scale of the operation behind one of this country’s most important events in modern history.” The group will also be participating in the Veteran’s Weekend on Sunday 19th June by continuing their journey to Weymouth and taking part in the activities.
The War History Online article has a large gallery of photos from the 2010 and 2012 versions of this event. View them here.
For the facebook page of Armour & Embarkation 2016 June, click here.
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