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buried and abandoned tanks


eddy8men

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 5 weeks later...

it'll never happen, none of these small towns will ever spend the half million Euro's to get a blown-up German tank welded back together and sitting on it's own wheels/suspension, much less the other million or 2 you would need to get it running.

 

The Vimoutiers Tiger 1 is a prime example, they can't even find the money to preserve it, much less restore it. It's sitting there rusting and looks like it was painted by the local kindergarten.

 

They would be better off selling it and putting up a commemorative plaque, before the machine turns into a pile of Iron Oxide.

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I just google image searched this tank. Wow, its not looked after very well. What a shame.

 

 

it'll never happen, none of these small towns will ever spend the half million Euro's to get a blown-up German tank welded back together and sitting on it's own wheels/suspension, much less the other million or 2 you would need to get it running.

 

The Vimoutiers Tiger 1 is a prime example, they can't even find the money to preserve it, much less restore it. It's sitting there rusting and looks like it was painted by the local kindergarten.

 

They would be better off selling it and putting up a commemorative plaque, before the machine turns into a pile of Iron Oxide.

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I just google image searched this tank. Wow, its not looked after very well. What a shame.
yes it is, especially considering it's one of only 7 known complete Tiger 1's in the world. I'm sure many a collector has tried hard to get it, maybe even offering to build the town a new Gymnasium, swimming pool, arts center, etc. but it's been deemed a Monument historique by the national government which means it would take an act of God to do something with it.
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It's nowhere near complete.

The demolition charges trashed the inside, post-war scrapping removed the gear box & all removable external items, like the armoured exhaust guards, hatches & track guards.

You can see from back to front, peering through the exhaust apertures, you can see daylight through the bow mg Kugelblende. You can see the shattered remains of the engine. The engine deck's been replaced by a metal sheet.

Having been sat outside for 72 years, the majority of that time being uncared for, in a wood by the side of the road, it's in quite remarkable condition.

2cfb4eeb06d429187b38da099dd33472.jpg

 

It certainly needs some better degree of protection, treating the internals with anti-rust treatment, better sealing to keep rain out & a decent paint job, but where else can you actually climb all over, free of charge, an authentic, WW2 German tank, let alone a Tiger?

13686525_10154555095878984_6014891727138891085_n.jpg?oh=6a215efcceb7719cf331402caef74d73&oe=584974C3

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It certainly needs some better degree of protection, treating the internals with anti-rust treatment, better sealing to keep rain out & a decent paint job, but where else can you actually climb all over, free of charge, an authentic, WW2 German tank, let alone a Tiger?

13686525_10154555095878984_6014891727138891085_n.jpg?oh=6a215efcceb7719cf331402caef74d73&oe=584974C3

Good point, in that regard this glass is certainly half full. A little better preservation would be nice though, at least to seal it against rain and water getting in.

 

The spirit of the Nazi Gold train lives on , :cheesy:

lets hope they find some vehicles

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It certainly needs some better degree of protection, treating the internals with anti-rust treatment, better sealing to keep rain out & a decent paint job, but where else can you actually climb all over, free of charge, an authentic, WW2 German tank, let alone a Tiger?

 

Fully agree, preserve and conserve it properly in-situ. And I would love to see it placed back in its spot in the ditch where it stood most of it's life.

 

I think there is no more poignant memorial than a tank (/aircraft/etc.) preserved on the spot where it was put out of action, including it's battle damage. There are quite few of them, sadly some of them are "cleaned up" on moved onto a plinth - like the Sherman at Beffe, Belgium.

 

Beffe after image003.jpg

 

Source: http://www.shermantank.nl/M4A3(76)W.htm

Beffe before image019.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

they just pulled another SdKfz 251 armored cab out the chicken river in Poland, they need ot change the name of that river to something like " panzer river" or "Sonderkraftfahrzeug creek", although the latter is a mouthful if your not German

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I wonder where the rest is

 

I dunno, but a few months ago they pulled a complete Sdkfz 250 out and an almost complete SdKfz-7 , (missing the cab). Makes you wonder what else is down there. The 250 is from the 25th panzer division, which had a little bit of everything including Tigers at one time 1943. Hopefully there's more Treasures down there as this particular museum that's pulling them out appears to be very competent in their restorations.

 

from Wiki

 

In April 1944, the division was sent to Aalborg in Denmark to rebuild and where they absorbed the main forces of Panzer Division Norway as much needed reinforcements. By now, the hard-pressed Wehrmacht, which were now fighting on two fronts, was only able to raise a skeleton Panzer division. In September 1944, the situation was so bad on the Eastern front that although completely under strength, the Division was sent again to battle the Red Army at the Vistula crossings in Poland and in the defense of Warsaw, also parts of it were involved in the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising. On 6 November 1944, after months of bitter fighting, the division was finally reinforced once more. Remnants of other brigades and battalions were absorbed, along with 25 Panther tanks which were much needed.

 

In January 1945, after the defense of Warsaw, the division could only field a total of around 68 tanks, assault and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns: 5 Panzer IV, 15 Panzer IV/70, 21 Jagdpanzer IV/48, 23 Panther tanks and 4 Flakpanzer IV. The 25th and 19th Panzer Divisions counterattacked strongly, but were ultimately ineffective and were forced to retreat back the Oder River. By the end of January, the division had lost 622 men killed, 2,318 wounded, and 6,030 missing, a total of 8,970 casualties in only six weeks.

 

 

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This photo and some others were taken at Porton Down in November 1995. It shows the remains of a Machine Gun Carrier No1 Mk1. There is a photo of the VRN that could be CMM 985 or 986, if the latter then it was converted into a prototype Cavalry Carrier. I had quite a lot on in 1995 so did not pursue this project (which could have been the wise course..) but has anyone further information ?

MG Carrier.jpg

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bob had posted some covenanter pics in the valentine resto thread and i thought i would continue the discussion here. a covenanter was recovered from otterburn in the nineties which eventually ended up in NZ with andrew rowe. another forum member danny 152 had recovered several wrecked covenanters from a range in devon but owing to their poor condition nobody wanted them and they ended up getting scrapped. which is a real shame for such a rare tank.

anyway i had heard there is still a covenanter buried in an orchard where the tank museum example came from. apparently it was dug up with the other on but reburied. i don't doubt this but do any of the great and good have any pics of it

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bob had posted some covenanter pics in the valentine resto thread and i thought i would continue the discussion here. a covenanter was recovered from otterburn in the nineties which eventually ended up in NZ with andrew rowe. another forum member danny 152 had recovered several wrecked covenanters from a range in devon but owing to their poor condition nobody wanted them and they ended up getting scrapped. which is a real shame for such a rare tank.

anyway i had heard there is still a covenanter buried in an orchard where the tank museum example came from. apparently it was dug up with the other on but reburied. i don't doubt this but do any of the great and good have any pics of it

 

The Tank Museum vehicle came from Bradley Farm near Dorking in Surrey and it was said that there were two other tanks also buried but left there. I do not think that they will be recovered now as Bradley Farm became the Denbies Vinyard (one of the largest in the UK) and I would doubt that they would pull up rows of vines for a tank recovery.

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