steveo578

It is a conversion of an AMX13 with the turret of an M24 Chaffe tank- the french built a batch in the late 1950s. Odd though the Antar is British and the background looks similar the RMCS Shrivenham

Would anything? It is significant that the soviets used emplaced tanks notably T18 and T46 tanks (some of which still exist -T46 in minsk museum) and they used emplaced tanks in Soviet Far East and Soviet chinese border during the 1950-80s. The 105mm M4 Sherman shown definately looks like and exhibit, sits far too high for a real waterline turret. Steve

All post war manufactured US medium tanks M46-47-48 M60 had air cooled motors, the French thing is probably a Hotchkiss H39, a batch of 6 or so was bought in 1948 and I think 2 survive, one certainly had its gun repaced by a larger gun and was photographed in the back lot shortly after the museum was opened to the public. Expensive time of year to go to Israel? lok forward to seeing the pics Steve

there are two T66 launchers at Fort Slill, ref. www.g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=133854

I would think as an emergency sight it would fitted in place of the RBlF32 on the direct sighting bar shown in the pic of an 8.8cm FlaK 18 shown, the survey position is only good if the weapon is at zero elevation as it is on the axis of the traverse of the mount and is positioned on the top of weapon to give a clear view of the datum point. when the datum was set then the survey instrument would be removed (if the gun is fired with the sight still on its bracket the sight would probably be broken) and placed in its transport box or returned to the Messtrup officer (panoramic sights were in short supply throughout WW2 and were often issued to battery or even company level, even SPG vehicles only received them on one for two basis.) There is no way anyone could aim a weapon from that position unless they had been let loose with the schnapps. As to use in emergency, it is perfectly feasable that the direct sight could be damaged by a bullet or fragment piecing or passing through the sighting aperture, probably didn't happen often, but viewing the Wakenshaw gun would prove my point. There are other senarios such as the loss of the prime mover and even accidental damage (the most unlikely) causing the loss of the sights. The most likely cause would be the guns were slated for A/A use and appropriate ground sights were not available. There are numerous instances of 88s and other guns firing battle ranging burst fire against tanks - which is indicative of guns using sights without appropriate reticules which a survey sight is an example. Steve

Hi Hanno nice site, the recovery of the ex British D6 tractor is of interest, note in photos 4-5 the Sherman road wheels on the dolly used in the recovery. Steve

Don't under estimate yourself, its trig- not string theory, I know a couple of D.Pils that can't change their headlamp bulbs, as far as I'm concerned without REME the army is back in the 19th C. Its still an important item in setting up a gun site- a rather more specialist piece of kit than a theodolite which would be the alternative, but I can see why it might have been used to set up mortars. When set up as a FlaK gun FlaK 18-36 and larger weapons would not mount sights they would be controlled from a central predictor and later radar aimed- and in some cases auto-setting of the fuses, the gun crews following transmited instructions, it would be impractical for a gun as large as a FlaK 18 to go into local control against aircraft, however against an indirect ground target a mechanism like Rblf32 could be used to aim the gun, assuming a bright officer:D , I don't think this was the sight that was used as a direct sight in the ground role with great effect against tanks. Steve

Is your Bofors of English/Sudanese orgin or is it a European model -Swedish -Danish or Polish? Are the wheels the same as shown in this pic of the parola exhibit Steve

Hi Eddy the only further infomation I have found is ZF20/Rblf32 is the designation for a flak 18-36 A/A gun -can't find a photo of one though. Other than that if your sight wasn't maked "FlaK" and had a fully marked reticule it would be the same as the auxillary sight used on virtually all small and medium calibre field weapons, especially those that were leftovers from WW1 such as 10cm K17, but even 15cm sIG33 mounted it as did extemporised types such as 7M85 which was a slash up using a Pak 40 barrel and 105mm carriage. Steve

Hi Eddy The only StuG sights I know of are SfZf1/Rbif36, for Stug3 4, Pz 4/L70 V & A Hetzer, Ferdinand Sdkfz 234/3 a/c this and variants Zf3x8/Rbif36 for 8.8cm Pak 43 in Hornisse. all have a armoured prism which sticks out through a hole in the roof which your sight apparently does not have. It possibly could be the simplified lineviser sight off several 2cm 3.7cm flak guns. Photo SfZf1a in a Stug 3 F/8 Steve

the photo on the other thread shows a SdKfz 9/1 which was the more common 6ton crane on a 18ton half track the 6ton crane was also fitted to a 5ton truck and probably many other types. The sdkfz 9/2 is very rare in photos although the type is quite well researched with several plastic kits available. One of the few photos of an assembled one is from the offical TM for the type and is very small because it has been copied and recopied from the old Bellona halftrack booklet -which had tiny photos. Possibly it may be apparent in photos of workshops particularly on the Eastfront. There are a number of photos of the 9/2 in travelling configuration. I think that one was found in a scrap yard in the 1980s.

Hi It is said in other books that this type of job took best part of a day as seen in the Utube video at Littlefields collection almost everything in the drivers station has to come out to do this. The roof panel is seen lying at the side with control linkages behind. Obviously the designers of the Panther did not consider in service repair as a priority. I'm impressed by the positioning of the vehicle with high pine trees around to give camoflague protection from air observation. Steve

Couple of pics from an old Armor in Action book showing how it was done for real. real as in an Il2, P51 or Typhoon might intervene. The recovery/repair vehicle is a SdKfz9/2 10ton capacity crane unit on the 18ton h/track. Steve

most British light AFVs designed in the late 1940s and 50s were built to be proof against .303inch A.P (not a great AP round) at all ranges and near miss from 25pdr fragments. Personaly I think this is optimistic, although the 16mm max of a ferret is a better quality plate than similar thickness plate of WW2 manufacture, it must be noted that 30.06 AP would pierce 16mm at 100m 50% of the time. however the armour would defeat standard ball (.303,.30,7.62mm and 8mm) at point blank and 50call ball at nominal battle ranges. A contemporary 50cal AP would piece even the thickest surface on a Ferret 16mm -the M2 round could pierce 19mm at 500m- modern 50cal AP can do better. Steve

Looks like a Bedford OYC or OYD -does not like a GS wooden body, possibly a steel body.

Stone I pretty sure that's a Chieftain -with still brew. Steve

The U.S. Army used several different types of the star insignia, initally in U.S. and possibly in the Philipines a few vehicles had a national insignia similar to U.S. pre war aircraft -some in reversed colour with blue disc in the centre of a white star and red outer ring. it was soon found that a red disc was too vivid and was abandoned. At the time of the Torch operation U.S tanks were marked with yellow stars and numerical markings, this was abandoned by direct order shortly after, M5s were seen in a victory parade for FDR with large newly painted stars on the glacis, probably for publicity. Shortly after policy dicated that all US armour and others supplied to lend lease were to have markings in olive drab or light blue, and some U.S tanks had a drab or blue star- this was overruled by higher authorities prior to the landings in Europe requiring a white star- some with broken disc, but some tanks had both white and drab stars on the side panels-. Possibly a case of higher command "knowing" better than combat troops or a possible mis-interperation of the order to place a large (white) star on the turret roof or engine deck to aid air recognition. Steve

Hi, Alan The Photos marked 37mm gun Mk2 are US M3/A1. the 37mm Bofors -Mk1 in British service was used in the Western Desert and were a batch of guns being supplied to Sudan and were taken over by the British in 1940, probably others were obtained by various commercial routes, they were primarily a Portee weapon as the lightness made them vulnerable to damage during towing- probably meant for towing by horse/mule and man handled rather than truck towing. Built in Sweden and used by Sweden Denmark Poland and the UK some captured weapons used by Germans as Pak 157(d) and possibly pak 36(p) Weight 855lb firing a 1.6lb shell, muzzle velocity 850m/s from a L/45 calibre barrel The wheels on the first photo don't look correct for British service-although they could be original style used for horse/mule use -possibly in Sweden. Steve

It is a fairly standardised extermorised armoured truck used by the Israelis prior to and during the war of independance 1946-49. Often called sandwich truck due to the nature of the "armour" which was a thin sheet metal outer face with a inner face often of plywood with a stone(pebble -flint) filling in the cavity- hence the rather thick appearance. The one at this museum probably broke down and was abandoned during the UN sponsored cease fire in 1949- it is significant that the supossed first Israeli M4 sherman was also abandoned (demolished by crew) near Al Arish Airfield at the same time and was aledgedly still there in the late 1970s when the Israelis withdrew after the Israeli-Eygptian peace treaty. Many of the these sandwich trucks were based on Ford F60s. Steve

oops thanks for putting me right:red: As to the photos the photos shown on the other thread "loads of B/W photos" all seem to be U.S. Official, or other public ownership -NG, State, Highways, some have be used in many publications, but there are surprises - A photo of a marmon herrington T13 showing the crew compartment and others showing M1 scout car interior. Steve

M1 Scout Car, the paricular photo is also used in Hunnicutts Armoured Car page 35, I assume Adrian you mis typed 4X4, there were 76 built and the photo shown has Ist cav. insignia on the door. Steve

The item sold for £3000 is a different piece of kit, there are probably a good number of the stand shown lying around in disused corners of cadet force huts and training depots around the country although the need for them in the ACF and CCF sea cadets was greatly reduced after the withdrawal of sighting discs in the mid 1960s and then DP (deacivation) of the bolt action rifle stock during the 1970s. Steve

looks like the old training stand for No1 Mk3 and No4 rifles. Not for firng the weapon but just to bore sight the barrel to the sights.

There are a number of collectors who have Wehrmacht cycles and I think one or two Dutch bikes from the inter war period are owned privately. Steve

The two M3 reported in the siding area near Falingbostel are possibly these two M7B2 which were photographed by an armour enthusiast in the Falingbostel REME at or about the time in question (early 1990s) after removal from a range they were parked on a side road and were to be sent to a well known private yard in UK about 1995-6. I am certain my contacts in the Falingbostel REME would have mentioned an M3 or derivative such as an M31 in their camp or surounding area, most enthusiasts get very excited if they find an M3 in Europe. As I said before if anyone has photos or knows where the M3s went I will be happy to be wrong.:-) The final 2 photos of M7B2 are from an earlier example of an ex German range M7B2 which was returned to the UK in the 1980s I believe it eventually went to USA and are included as it gives some details of the extended gun mount. Steve