We don’t typically endorse products, but we felt we would make an exception and declare Koppitz Victory Beer to be the official beer brand of Tank and AFVNews.com. It’s hard to say no to a beer with tanks on the label.
T-34 from Military Veterans Museum in Oshkosh used in “Ant-Man”
July 24, 2015 by 1 Comment
Thenothrwestern.com is reporting that a T-34 medium tank from the Military Veterans Museum in Oshkosh was used in the filming of the new Marvel movie “Ant-Man.” The vehicle, which is in running condition, was transported to Atlanta for filming. Dave Kersztyn and Shane VanLinn, employees or the museum operated the tank during film production. The Russian tank is one of the main displays at the museum, and Kersztyn said artifacts and original artwork as well as fake scenery from the scene and photos from “Ant-Man” will now accompany it. Because the museum is a nonprofit organization, Kersztyn said all of the money they made from the film will go right back into operating expenses of the museum.
US Army says Strykers need bigger gun to fight Russia
July 23, 2015 by 1 Comment
Defense News has posted an article in which they report that at a recent press conference, the commander of the the Stryker-equipped 2nd Cavalry Regiment says his vehicles are outgunned by their Russian counterparts. The Army staff in April approved a request from 2nd Cavalry Regiment commander, Col. John Meyer, to fit a 30mm cannon on 81 of the infantry carriers, needed for it to engage similar units or light-armored vehicles. The 2nd Cavalry earlier this year completed a high-profile show-of-force convoy operation that maneuvered 120 vehicles across Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and back to its home base in Vilseck, Germany. The mission, called a Dragoon Ride, was one of a series of multilateral operations and exercises meant to reassure US allies in Europe in the wake of Russian activities.
The article notes that earlier this month, the Army requested that $9.8 million in 2015 funds be reprogrammed to outfit Strykers with the 30mm cannon. According to that request, the program would ramp up over the next two years, at $97.5 million in 2016 and $55 million in 2017. The first unit would be equipped in 27 months. However, not everyone in Congress approves of the idea. Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., argued against the move, saying the program had not been vetted by the committee. It looked like an expensive multiyear commitment whose costs were unclear and availability “would not be instantaneous,” he said. He said the estimated cost to up-gun Strykers was $3.8 million each.
Tankfest 2015
July 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment
War History Online posted some pictures earlier this month from the TankFest 2015 event at the Tank Museum at Bovington England. The article is written by Mark Barnes, who provides some nice photos of the various vehicles presented. The article can be viewed here.
Also, those interested in this summer’s TankFest event may enjoy this video footage of the vehicles driven around the Bovington track.
M4A2 Sherman tank moved to Chillicothe OH
July 20, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The Chillicothe Gazette is reporting that WW2 era Sherman tank is being moved from it’s current location at Amvets Post 89 in Columbus OH to a new home at the Chillicothe Veterans Affairs Forrest E Everhart Memorial Golf Course. According to the article:
“It’s been eight months that we’ve been trying to get this tank and it’s been a lot of paperwork. We’ve been in competition with a lot of other agencies for the tank but it was appropriate we received it because of the history here,” said Dennis Simpson, Veterans in Transition, Inc., president.
“We had a lot going for us with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center being here, the golf course being here and Chillicothe being the site of Camp Sherman. We’re very proud to have it,” he added.
The article notes that:
While the bottom of the tank has reportedly rusted out and the parts needed to drive the tank were removed after it was taken for a joy ride in Columbus, the tank still maintains it’s main gun, several smaller caliber guns, a functioning drivers hatch and antenna.
The Veterans in Transition, Inc., group plans on placing the tank next to the Starter House on a concrete slab and hope to paint and rehab it before holding a dedication ceremony for it next spring.
A very nice photo gallery of this particular tank is available for viewing at this gallery belonging to Paul and Loren Hannah.
The WW1 German M3 Lee Moving Fortress Tank.
July 19, 2015 by 1 Comment
Honestly, how many facts can one internet article get wrong in just one entry? In our quest to bring you all the news related to tanks and AFVs, we are sometimes forced to wade through some awful stuff. This however may take the cake.
From the Vault: The Secret Testing of Israeli M111 “Hetz” Ammunition
July 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Today we present an article from the Sep-Oct 2006 issue of ARMOR by Jim Warford titled “The Secret Testing of Israeli M111 “Hetz” Ammunition: A Model of Failed Commander’s Responsibility.” This article looks at the capture of an Israeli Magach-4 (M48) along with its brand new M111 Hetz ammunition by the Syrians during the 1982 “Operation Peace for Galilee” incursion. This tank and its ammunition eventually made there way to the Soviet Union were the M111 ammunition was evaluated, an event which contributed to the development of the T-72M1 variant. This particular Magach-4 is now on display at the Kubinka tank museum outside of Moscow.
After this article was published, ARMOR published a letter in response to the piece which was also followed by a letter in answer by Jim Warford. They may be read below.
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- Letter from Terry M. Staub Jan-Feb 2007 issue
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- Jim Warford response Mar-Apr 2007 Issue
Jim Warford was kind enough to provide us with some additional information and images relating to this article:
When I was visiting Kubinka in 2012, I had a tour guide arranged by my Russian travel agent who met me upon my arrival at the collection. He vaguely said that he worked for various governmental agencies and that he was happy to guide me through the collection. After awhile, I started to sense that he was there as much to keep an eye on me, as he was there to be my guide. Everything was going along very well (I was literally thrilled to be there), when we got to the captured Israeli Magach tank (that provided the M111 Hetz APFSDS ammunition to the Russians). I was looking forward to asking some questions about this tank, but before I could say a word, he quickly went into a speech about how they got the tank and that any reports that the tank arrived from Syria with the personal belongings and even the remains of the Israeli crew members on board, were completely untrue. While I suppose it’s possible that he gave that same speech to all his tours, I think it’s equally possible that he knew who I was and was aware of my 2001 ARMOR Magazine article “The Secret Museum at Kubinka,” where I reported the following:“…a “victory parade” was held in Damascus, Syria, that included a captured Israeli Magach 4 flying Syrian and Palestinian flags. Several sources reported that the tank’s Israeli crew was also on display during the parade. Three of these crewmen are now listed as MIA by the Israeli government. According to the International Coalition for Missing Israeli Soldiers (ICMIS), there is reason to believe that this captured tank and the Magach 4 at Kubinka are one in the same. In January 2001, the ICMIS asked Israeli officials to request that an upcoming trip by the Israeli President to Russia include an examination of the Magach 4 at the museum. Reportedly, the Israeli tank (with turret serial number 94866 and hull serial number 817581) arrived at Kubinka still containing human remains, personal belongings, and documents belonging to the tank’s crew.”
Captured Magach 4 driving in Russia
Magach 4 on display at Kubinka
Tank factories gallery
July 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Mashable has posted an article titled “Tank factories 1910-1946.” The piece has some interesting pictures, although we are slightly confused by the “1910” in the article title. Astute readers may be confused by the picture of British WWI era tanks labeled “c.1916 A factory for the repair of German tanks.” This picture is indeed of a German facility, although the date should be 1917. The photo is of a German repair facility for captured British tanks in Charleroi, Belgium.
War is Boring blog on Soviet Laser Tanks
July 15, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The blog War is Boring has posted an article title “The Kremlin Hints at Reviving Cold War Laser Tanks” by Joseph Trevithick. We admit this particular topic is one we know little about so we present this article without comment as to it’s accuracy or quality.
Excerpt:
Laser tanks are a staple of Hollywood blockbusters, video games and children’s cartoons. During the closing years of the Cold War, the Soviet Union tried to make that science fiction a reality.
It worked … but not well.
Now Moscow is reportedly dusting off those old Soviet plans. But these scifi designs probably won’t make a return. The weapons were too expensive, too fragile and served a limited purpose on the battlefield.
Before the Iron Curtain fell, the Kremlin’s weaponeers cooked up at least three different beam-toting armored vehicles. Since 1991, the survivors — such as they are — have either languished in museums or scrapyards.
“There are a handful of areas … where, theoretically, Soviet-era engineering remains competitive on today’s battlefield,” retired U.S. Army Maj. Ray Finch — an analyst at the Army’s Foreign Military Studies Office — wrote in the June 2015 edition of OE Watch.
Zaloga on the Culin hedgerow cutter
July 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Over at the website missing-lynx.com, there is an article by Steven Zaloga titled “Normandy legends: the Culin hedgerow cutter.” For those that are familiar with the history of tank combat in Normandy, the Culin hedgerow cutter is a well known story. Zaloga casts a critical eye on the familiar story of the hedgerow cutter, concluding that the importance of the hedgerow cutter equipped “Rhino” tanks in the Normandy campaign is most likely exaggerated.
Excerpt:
Popular histories of modern wars inevitably simplify events and create myths and legends. The campaign in Normandy has created more than most, especially in view of the numerous television documentaries on this theme. For example, it is difficult to find an account of the breakout from Normandy that does not include reference to the Culin hedgerow cutter. My own recent account Campaign 88: Operation Cobra 1944 mentions it, of course. Another recent study calls it a myth. So it is worth taking a more detailed look to see how big a role it actually played in the battle.
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