WW1 vehicles used in WW2

[Tony B]

Im guna jump on the band wagon too, the Germans used several french ww1 tanks in the channel islands, including RT-17s and a few others, would name them but am not in camp at the mo so havent got acess to my books.

 

More than 'several'. they also used a lot of french tank turrets mounted on bunkers. The latest CIOS reveiw has a long articale on it. Ihve a number of phiots about but to start have a look at this site. http://www.thisisjersey.co.uk/hmd/

[jchinuk]

I don't think there is any evidence to support this oft quoted rumour.

 

I think that obliquely this is true in parts (literally), the French gun fitted to IDF Shermans was developed from the Panther's gun.

 

The French briefly used Panthers post-war, basically using what was left around the country, sadly the Panther was no more reliable in French hands, than it was in German colours.

 

jch

[mash]

More than 'several'. they also used a lot of french tank turrets mounted on bunkers. The latest CIOS reveiw has a long articale on it. Ihve a number of phiots about but to start have a look at this site. http://www.thisisjersey.co.uk/hmd/

 

 

There are a few referances to tank turrets as fortifications on this site too http://www.festungguernsey.supanet.com/

[steveo578]

jchinuk

I think that obliquely this is true in parts (literally), the French gun fitted to IDF Shermans was developed from the Panther's gun.

That's a bit of a stretch, especially as it way out of context- that Panther were used in the Arab Israeli conflict

 

To use that argument one could say that France was liberated in 1944 by french guns as the M3 gun of the Sherman is a distant cousin of the Mle 1897:nut:

 

The CN 75 5 you mention as fitted to the M50 Sherman was developed from that fitted to the AMX 13 and while it was developed from KWK 42 fitted to the Panther the Israelis would have prefered the 17pdr gun to upgrade their Shermans had the British not been antipathic to them. The French weapon was vastly different in its production configuration being very much shorter (about 12cal) and a smaller chamber capacity. The only AFV that was armed with a KWK42 type weapon that saw service in the Arab Israeli wars were several Jagdpanzer 4 L/70 (vomag) used by the Syrians using the StuK 42, the SPG version of the Panther gun.

 

The Syrians used more ex Wehrmacht weapons than any other country in the mid-east having Panzer 4 Stug3 Vomag JP4 L/48 and L/70 and a few Hummels, the Eygptians managed to field a battery of 4 15cm SIG auf Panzer 2 which had been swept up after the 1942 battles in Eygpt. surprisingly the nearest the Israeli got to use Wehrmacht AFVs was a plan to buy 80 Hetzers from the czechs in 1948 which fell though.

 

Steve

[CVRTNick]

Hi,

 

I thought I read in Wheels & Tracks once,that a Panther hull was found in the U.K. in the 70’s (Epsom,Surrey I think) & it was a made under R.E.M.E. supervison!As the Panther factory was overrun by the British,restarted post-war & the French had a tank regiment of post-war Panthers,or is it just rumour?

[steveo578]

CVRTNick

I thought I read in Wheels & Tracks once,that a Panther hull was found in the U.K. in the 70’s (Epsom,Surrey I think)

Yes it was more than just a hull it was complete:shocked: the story is told in After the Battle Magazine not Wheels and Tracks (sorry I don't know which number). It was sold to a Dr Flick in Germany.

 

A batch of Panthers were finished by the British after the end of hostilities, and the Bovington, RCMS Shrivenham and that found in the Surrey scrapyard were examples -there are/were several examples of JagdPanther that were also built at the same time- I think the bovington example is one but IWM London and the JagdPanther recovered from Pirbright were not.

 

The British built Panthers have a simple track suport rail in place of the small return roller to the rear of the drive sprocket -probably a desparate attempt at cost saving in the late days of WW2.

 

Yes the French used a few Panthers, I think regt. 605 in late 1945-early 46 but found they were more trouble than they were worth- although many French tanks inherited the Maybach motor and engine deck configuration -Arl 44, AMX 25,40 and 50. A few ex French Army Panthers ended up as exhibits- gate guards -I can remember one in a Parisian square as late as 1963- after the OAS uprising although I think it had gone by the 1968 revolution- probably back to Saumur.

 

Steve

[CVRTNick]

Manys thanks for the info.