The Tank Museum

WARGAMING.NET OFFICIAL GAMES SPONSOR OF TANKFEST 2012 Award-winning game publisher and developer Wargaming.net have announced their attendance at TANKFEST. At this year’s special 10th Anniversary show, Wargaming.net will be on hand with their world-famous free-to-play MMO World of Tanks, one of the largest virtual examples of WWII era steel armour – digitally complimenting the `real thing` on display in the Museum. Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi said: "This will be the second time World of Tanks has participated at this event. Last year's show was truly amazing - not just for the amount of people that came to our booth, but for the variety of community players from all around Europe who came to spend time with us" He added; “With over 10,000 people watching thrilling World War II tank-on-tank battles, TANKFEST is the best place to start your tank experience. It will be great to have a chat with our fans at this truly special event.” World of Tanks is the first and only team-based, massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armoured warfare with over 30 million players worldwide. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with other steel cowboys all over the world. Your arsenal includes more than 150 armoured vehicles from America, Germany, the Soviet Union, and France, carefully detailed with historical accuracy. A flexible system of authentic vehicle upgrades and development allows you to try any of the vehicles and weapons in the game. Whether you prefer to exhaust your foes with fast and manoeuvrable light tanks, make deep breaches in enemy lines with all-purpose medium tanks, use the force of giant tanks to eliminate opposing armoured forces, or become a heavy sniper with long-range howitzers, each unit type has its own advantages and can be extremely effective when operated by a true tank ace. But being a great tank commander alone isn’t enough to win! In World of Tanks, it’s all about teamwork. Victory is achieved by combining your combat skills with those of the other members of your team, each playing their own role on the battlefield. Just add your favourite strategy to build your own steel empire and manifest the indisputable authority of the tank power! Play World of Tanks and get more information here.

A new tank for the Korean war. With the same turret and basic hull shape as the M26 (with various detail changes), the new engine gave it more power and the cross-drive transmission made it easy to operate. The re-working of the M26 to the M46 was boosted by the outbreak of the Korean war in June 1950... M46

The Tank Museum has obtained a collection of vehicles which will be on public display for the first time at TANKFEST. A regular source of acquisitions has historically been through military and Ministry of Defence Channels. This group is no exception, having been released by the Defence Academy at Shrivenham where they formed part of the military teaching collection. “These vehicles have come to the end of their teaching use” explains Museum Curator David Willey. “Primarily the Defence Academy keeps vehicles as they are useful for explaining design theories and changing priorities between different nations at different times in history. Newer models might be used to show technological changes and assist in evaluating the ‘threat’ such vehicles might pose to one’s own forces.” “Over time the MOD have collected a number of captured, gifted and imported vehicles. These have often gone through a process of evaluation with tests and trials and then, often many years later, passing on to teaching establishments or museums.” The vehicles include: URUTU APC. Captured in Iraqi in the first Gulf war that was originally made by the Brazilian firm Engesa. This vehicle was a great sales success with nineteen countries purchasing the armoured personnel carrier. The Museum already holds the Armoured Car version of the vehicle called the Cascaval. Marder APC: A German Armoured Personnel carrier that entered service in the early 1970’s. The acquisition of the Marder helps the museum complete its line-up of the key Cold War armoured vehicles. FV432 APC: The 432 has seen lengthy service with the British Army. One lesser known variant (only 13 were converted) saw the turret of the Fox scout car with its 30mm cannon placed atop the centre of the vehicle. It is hoped the Museum will be able to return this vehicle to running order in the fullness of time. Panhard EBR 75: The arrival of an example of the Panhard EBR 75 Armoured car means the Museum has two examples of this innovative design, one with the 75mm gun and one with the 90mm gun. The vehicle was designed for the French Army before WW2 but with the German occupation the designs were hidden and manufacture only began post war. It’s not the first time The Tank Museum has gained from the collection at Shrivenham. In 2006, The Tank Museum acquired a King Tiger which had been captured and held since World War Two. This meant The Tank Museum could display two different variants of this substantial German design.

If ever you felt the word `hero` was over used these days, here is a reminder of the definition. To finish the week, here is an inspirational story about a Royal Tank Regiment Victoria Cross winner from World War Two. A Marvelously Brave Leader

Panzer 61; specially designed for mountain warfare. A Swiss design which entered production in March 1961, mounted the British Centurion's 105mm gun, and designed specifically to suit Switzerland's geography of steep, winding mountain roads, and railway tunnels... Panzer 61

A famous Russian field gun mounted on a redundant tank chassis. The SU-76, first built in 1942 used the chassis of a T-70 to mount the ZiS3, 76.2mm Divisional Gun. The SU-76M served with the Red Army through the latter stages of WWII as an infantry support weapon... SU-76M

First built in 1934 and based on a 6x4 Leyland Terrier Chassis and armour salvaged from Peerless cars. It saw service in the Irish Army, 1st Armoured Sqn, 5th Motor Sqn, 11th Cavalry Sqn and Republic of Ireland... Leyland Armoured Car

Continuing the Australian theme of two weeks ago, this week’s image shows an American built vehicle, the M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier, crewed by Australian infantry, on the outskirts of a Vietnamese village. Although practically nothing in the way of insignia is visible, the troops in shot are identifiable by the fact that they are armed with the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle rather than the American M16. The Australian contribution to the Vietnam War is relatively little known despite the fact that some 50,000 Australian servicemen fought in Vietnam and 512 were killed in action. They nevertheless made a distinct impression in the areas in which they were deployed; well trained in jungle warfare at a specialist facility at Canungra, Queensland, Australian forces developed a reputation for taking on the enemy face to face rather than standing off and calling in artillery and air strikes, a common American tactic. Australian troops particularly distinguished themselves at the battle of Long Tan and the action fought around Firebase Coral. Iconic and much imitated, the M113 is a vehicle perhaps uniquely associated with the Vietnam War. An aluminium armoured APC designed and built by the Food Machinery Corporation of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the M113 was introduced in 1960 and, uniquely perhaps, in terms of US military equipment, is still in service today. Weighing just over 12 tonnes, the M113 is light enough to be air portable and is amphibious, using its tracks for propulsion. The example shown mounts a .50 Calibre machine gun in an armoured mount; another Australian variant was fitted with the turret of a Saladin armoured car as a fire support weapon. Our photograph is a classic image of the war, showing Australian troops fraternising with Vietnamese civilians. The village in the middle of the shot has a timeless quality, the typical “stilt house” design changing little over the course of centuries. Rather as in America, Australia’s involvement in Vietnam became unpopular as the war went on. Such was the tide of opinion at home that Vietnam veterans were, for many years, refused membership of the Returned Serviceman’s League or allowed to take part in the annual Anzac Day parades. Of recent years, these situations have happily both been rectified.

OBJECT OF THE WEEK: A souvenir from the first tank action. 2nd Lieutenant Basil Henriques (third from left) took part in the first tank attack in history at Flers on 16th September 1916. Commanding his Mark I tank, Henriques was looking through the small vision slits that allowed him to direct the tank, when he was wounded in the face. In his post-war memoires, Henriques recalled: “A smash against my flap in front caused splinters to come in and the blood to pour down my face. Then our prism glass broke to pieces, then another smash, I think it must have been a bomb right in my face.’ Henriques had a large fragment of the glass extracted from his face and mounted onto a gold ring. His wife wore it for many years before donating it to The Tank Museum in the 1960s. It has recently gone on display at The Tank Museum, in a case which tells the story of the very first tank men.

These were driven by the use of three sprockets and a series of chains which were driven off the propeller shaft between the engine and transmission. The external chain drive has a light metal casing to protect the crew. We have an example of a flail chain which has been deformed by explosion. Flail chains could be replaced as any chains which were damaged, broken or missing would effect the crabs ability to flail properly endangering the crew and potentially any following tanks. The flail chains were set out on the drum in a particular set pattern so that the flail beat the ground evenly with no gaps.

TANK OF THE WEEK: Daimler Dingo Scout Car; designed before WWII, entering service in 1939 and lasting well into the 60's. With a five-speed pre-selector gearbox and independent suspension all round, it ensured speed in either direction and the ability to skid across bumpy ground. The Dingo started as a reconnaissance vehicle but proved so popular that everybody wanted one!... Daimler Dingo Scout Car

The public perception of the spy, the field intelligence operative, is generally based on popular fiction, somewhere between James Bond and George Smiley. The truth, especially in terms of military intelligence, is somewhat more prosaic. Rather than feats of derring-do, it is the patient gathering of thousands of small pieces of material which together contribute to the bigger picture of what exactly the opposition is up to. This week’s photograph, marked as `secret`, was taken from within the cover of trees and shows part of a column of Soviet T62 Main Battle Tanks. Dated 1963, it was taken by a member of BRIXMIS, the British Commanders-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany. It was taken by a Royal Tank Regiment Officer, Lt. Col. Harrison, who donated his extensive collection of souvenirs acquired during his BRIXMIS service to The Tank Museum. They include a number of clandestinely taken tank pictures like this one. BRIXMIS, together with its French and American counterparts FLMLM and USMLM, was an organisation set up in 1946 as part of an agreement whereby, in the interests of defusing military tension, both NATO and the Warsaw Pact would allow a limited number of observers to monitor each other’s forces either side of the Inner German Border. Needless to say, both sides interpreted “monitoring” as an excuse to gather intelligence, or in other words to spy on, the activities of the people on the other side of the border. BRIXMIS, a team of some forty or so British military personnel, set about their covert task with some relish; notable coups including the spiriting away of parts of a Soviet Yak 28 aircraft which had crashed on the Stossensee, the recovery of fired munitions from tank and artillery ranges and the acquisition of sections of tank explosive reactive armour. One less salubrious source of intelligence material came from military rubbish dumps; owing to the fact that Warsaw Pact forces were not issued with lavatory paper, documents, many classified, were used instead. Once recovered, these yielded much useful information, though their interpretation must have been a less than enviable task! The task of an observer could be extremely hazardous. The intrepid Lt. Col. Stephen Harrison records being chased across country by Soviet tanks and APCs, shot at and arrested on numerous occasions. It is not really surprising that the BRIXMIS photographer chose to operate from well within cover; the T62 was then a recently introduced type and the crew’s reaction to being photographed would have been adverse to say the least. Members of both the French and American missions were killed in the exercise of their duties.

The Sherman Flail was used to clear the menaces of the battlefield; mines. Early flail tanks were used at El Alamein and on the advance into Tunisia but they had their limitations; they can only be used effectively against organised minefields, it has to be done at about 2mph and exploded mines made it impossible to return fire... Tank of the Week: Sherman Flail

Preparations to make a selection of vehicles never before seen at TANKFEST are well underway. A further selection of `old favourites` will be complimented by British Army vehicles and The Tank Museum is currently taking delivery of a compliment of rare vehicles that have been released from the teaching collection at Shrivenham’s School of Tank Technology. Details of these and the British Army vehicles will be posted soon. Alongside the ever-popular Tiger tank, at least four vehicles have or are currently undergoing considerable maintenance work in order to ensure their appearance at TANKFEST 2012. Tank Infantry A43, Black Prince… Running for the first time in over 60 years, Black Prince is the sole survivor of a run of prototypes that sought to increase the firepower of British tanks. Like the Tortoise that made its TANKFEST debut in 2001, this tank is a reminder of the often lamentable state of British tank design and production during World War II. Based on the design of a Churchill tank, although much wider to accommodate the 17pdr gun, Black Prince was considered by some to be outdated when it was designed in 1943 and obsolete by others when the prototypes were built in January 1945. This underpowered tank lacked the mobility required to be effective in contemporary warfare and unsurprisingly it was never accepted for service. It’s hard to believe that it was designed and built in a similar time frame to the hugely successful Centurion tank - but for that reason it remains an integral part of the British tank story. MK IV Replica, the War Horse Tank… This `tank` will be the centre piece of this year’s mock battle – a World War One battle re-enactment complete with infantry and dogfighting fighter aircraft. The Tank Museum’s original World War I tanks are now too fragile to be run under their own power for arena displays. With the centenary of World War I approaching, the Museum had been considering building a replica rhomboid tank. But when production on the recent Spielberg blockbuster `War Horse` concluded, the opportunity to obtain the detailed `Mk IV tank` used in the film proved to be irresistible. Built by OSCAR winning special effects company Neil Corbould Special Effects LTD, the vehicle has been constructed around the engine and transmission of a modern commercial excavator – but moves with all the presence and menace of the real thing. This will be the first opportunity to see this tank in action since its appearance on the Silver Screen. M60 A3 MBT… The Tank Museum took delivery of this vehicle in 2008. It was in very poor condition both cosmetically and mechanically; track guards were damaged or missing, weeds had taken root inside the vehicle, and there had been a catastrophic failure of the reduction gears rendering the tank un-drivable. Fortunately, the engine was in reasonable order and this has allowed Workshop staff and Volunteers to overhaul the tank and return it to running order. A particularly time consuming task involved the removal of layer upon layer of old paint so the vehicle could undergo a complete cosmetic restoration. The M60 was a US tank which effectively replaced the M48 during the 1960’s, although it didn’t see action in America’s hot war of the period; Vietnam. In basic terms, the M60 can be considered the US contemporary of the British Chieftain. What this shows is the differing philosophy of British and American tank design. In fact, one could argue that until the M1A1 Abrams appeared in the 1980’s (replacing the M60), the US was a little behind the curve in tank design. The differences between the M60 and the Chieftain are significant; the low profile of the Chieftain would make it a harder target to hit. The M60 mounted the 105mm gun rather than the Chieftain’s larger 120mm gun. The M60 pays greater attention to the potential threat on anti-tank mines, with a large boat shaped hull to direct blast away from the fighting compartment, but this only adds to the overall height of the tank. The M60 last saw action with the US during operation Desert Storm. It has also been exported and deployed by other nations and remains in service today, notably with Egypt, Turkey and Israel. Panhard AML 245 HE 60-7... Whilst smaller in stature, this armoured car has also never been seen in action at The Tank Museum. Panhard et Levassor is one of the oldest names in automobile history, and has been providing armoured cars for the French Army since World War I. Entering service in 1961 it might be seen as the French equivalent to the British Ferret scout car, although it carries a larger turret with much heavier firepower. There are a number of variants of this particular vehicle, but this model carries a pair of 7.62mm machine guns in the turret alongside a 60mm Hotchkiss-Brandt mortar. The AML has been exported to over 30 countries. The Tank Museum also owns a 90mm gun version captured from Argentinian Forces in the Falklands War. Please note that the appearance of these vehicles is subject to their mechanical reliability and operational considerations.

Centaur Dozer (a Cruiser converted to a Bulldozer!) Bulldozers were used since D-Day but were too slow and vulnerable; it was agreed that redundant Centaur Cruisers would be converted so they could keep up with tanks during an advance... Centaur Dozer

Mick Flynn, the British Army’s most highly decorated frontline solider, will be sharing stories from his long career here on Thursday 26th April at 7.30pm. He’s seen action in every major British war zone of the past thirty years and still serves with the Blues & Royals today. The title of his autobiography is `Bullet Magnet`: this is a man who knows how to find trouble and knows how to face it! Mick Flynn; "Bullet Magnet"

The sight of military vehicles on civilian streets generally means one of two things: either some dictator needs to boost his ego with a parade or there’s trouble in the offing. Our picture this week shows a Peerless armoured car escorting a food convoy through the streets of London during the 1926 General Strike. The strike was thought, in some quarters at least, to be the prelude to a Bolshevik revolution. The strike lasted from 4-13 May, beginning with a miner’s strike against a reduction in wages and spreading to other workers, such as the dockers and the railwaymen. Attempts were made by the Conservative government under Stanley Baldwin to portray the strikers as revolutionaries and the 1920 Emergency Powers Act was invoked against what was thought to be an attempt to destabilise the country. As part of the effort to safeguard supplies and to maintain public order, three companies of 3rd Bn. RTC, one with light tanks and two with Peerless armoured cars were based at Chelsea Barracks. On May 8th, a convoy escorted by the Peerless armoured cars broke the picket line at the London docks and transported food to a government depot at Hyde Park. Our photograph, taken in High Holborn, shows a convoy in progress (inset shows the location where the photograph was taken as it appears today). The Peerless, developed in 1919, was based around the chassis of an American made Peerless 3 ton lorry. The armoured superstructure was produced by Austin Motors Ltd, a development of a design for the Tsarist Russian government. The armoured car retained the chain drive and spoked wooden wheels of the lorry, with a rear drivers position added to enable it to retreat out of trouble backwards, if necessary. In service the Peerless was found to be reliable if somewhat slow and heavy. Its cross country performance is best described as non-existent, as was found by the Irish National Army, to which a number of the vehicles were supplied during the Civil War of 1922-3. The Peerless shown in our image is of the commonest type with twin turrets mounting Hotchkiss machine guns, an example of which is preserved in the Museum collection (see this week’s TANK OF THE WEEK). As regards the General Strike, far from being a precursor to revolution, it petered out. This gave rise to the expression “a Nine Day’s Wonder”. The miners persisted in their struggle but were eventually forced back to work, effectively by starvation.

In 1919 the British Army fell short of armoured cars and so the Austin Motor Company agreed to produce the bodies if the War Office could provide a suitable chassis; the Peerless was the most robust... TANK OF THE WEEK: Peerless Armoured Car

It first appeared in 1941 and was named after the Prime Minister. They served in Tunisia, Italy and North West Europe and soon earned an enviable reputation... Tank of the Week: Churchill Crocodile

An American design with British modifications resulting in different turrets; the original American turret named the Lee and the British style turret; the Grant. They were first used in the Western Desert in 1942, but superseded by the Sherman... M3 Lee Grant

A major Tiger tank conservation project has been completed just days before the iconic vehicle is set to star in The Tank Museum’s Tiger Day event on Saturday. The £80,000 project has been completed in the nick of time by Museum Workshop staff, who have spent the last two years returning the rare German World War Two tank back to its original wartime specification and in to full running order once more. Museum Director Richard Smith said; “The Tiger tank is a vehicle with an almost mythical status which far outweighed its actual impact on the battlefield. It represented a significant leap forward in tank design and outmatched anything that the Allies could field at the time. With its powerful 88mm gun and thick armour, Allied tank crews genuinely feared an encounter with a Tiger tank – and it is this mighty reputation that has given rise to such fascination in this particular vehicle.” The Tank Museum’s Tiger, which was captured by 48 Royal Tank Regiment in Tunisia in February 1943, is one of just six that are known to survive. It was the first Tiger tank to be captured intact by the Allies and was quickly shipped to the UK for detailed analysis - but not before it was inspected in Tunis by King George VI and Winston Churchill. The Tiger was handed to The Tank Museum in 1951. “It is the most complete and best preserved example, and the only one in running order,” Richard said. “It is the most iconic tank of the Second World War and continues to capture the imagination of audiences in to the 21st Century – as shown by the fact that our Tiger has been viewed over 5,000,000 times across several YouTube Videos. The work was funded with grants from The Heritage Lottery and PRISM Funds with a further £30,000 donated by Museum supporters. “This has been a fascinating project.” said Richard. “We have learned a huge amount about the Tiger tank, its engineering and operation and we have published our findings in a Haynes Owners Workshop Manual. So much has already been written about the Tiger tank - much of it hyperbole - but this is the first publication written by people with operational experience of the Tiger Tank since World War Two.” “The Tiger was a complicated and over engineered machine and it has thrown up some significant challenges that have required detailed solutions”, he added. “For example, we were unable to locate an original set of fan drives for the engine and so we have to manufacture new ones from a set of wartime German blueprints.” With the work now complete, The Tank Museum is looking forward to demonstrating the fruits of its labour at Tiger Day (Saturday 31st March 2012). As well as a special Tiger Tank in action display (starting at 13:30), there will be a range of activities, talks and tours inside the museum - including screenings of the film Saving The Tiger - The Story of Tiger 131.

As we approach Tiger Day, it is only fitting that this week’s images relate to our star exhibit: Tiger 131. With the capture of the Tiger, following an action fought against Churchill tanks of 48 RTR near Medjez el Bab, Tunisia in 1943, the great beast was exhibited briefly in Tunis for inspection by senior officers and passing VIPs, prior to being shipped back to the UK for evaluation. Amongst the non-military visitors were the King and, as will be seen from our photographs, the Prime Minister, Mr Churchill. Churchill was, at this point, en route for Teheran and a conference with Roosevelt and Stalin which, together with the 1945 Yalta Conference, would go a long way to deciding the shape of the post-war world. The capture of an intact Tiger by 1st Army was an event of such importance that a viewing was added to the PM’s itinerary. In the photographs Churchill, clad in solar topi and with trademark cigar, can be seen taking a keen interest in the vehicle, climbing onto the turret and handling an 8.8cm round. The officer shown standing on top of the turret with his back to the camera is Brig. Cook, an officer from 1st Army HQ, who reportedly had a tense conversation with James Grigg, Minister of War, regarding the ability of German tank guns to “pee through” British tank armour. As Prime Minister, Churchill had a wide range of military experience, enabling him to appreciate the significance of the Tiger; as a young Subaltern attached to the 21st Lancers, he participated in the Battle of Omdurman and the Malakand conflict. Other wars he experienced at first hand as a war correspondent. Re-joining the Army during World War 1, he served, albeit briefly, as a Battalion Commander on the Western Front. Furthermore, as First Lord of the Admiralty in World War One, he played an important role in championing the development of the tank itself. This wealth of experience tended to lead him to interfere with the way his generals conducted the war, but it is fair to say that many of Churchill’s suggestions were beneficial and none had the sort of catastrophic consequences wrought by another veteran of the trenches, Adolf Hitler. The future Fuhrer’s military service as an Austrian volunteer in the German Army terminated with the in the not exactly exalted rank of Corporal.

World War Two service medals can at first appear rather anonymous, commonly seen and arguably a rather bland indication of an individual’s military career. Yet behind every medal group is a story that can tell us something important about the nature of warfare, of citizenship and of sacrifice. In The Tank Museum collection, there is a set of campaign medals awarded to L/Cpl William Francis Aspinall. There were many similar medal groups in the collection already, but in 2007, The Tank Museum bought this set from eBay for £200. Little is known of Aspinall, but we do know he joined the 48th Royal Tank Regiment and in consequence was at Djebel Djaffa in Tunisia on the afternoon of 21 April 1943. As the Gunner of a Churchill tank commanded by Captain Alan Lott, he was part of the A Squadron attack on a hill held by German forces. It was on that hill that Tiger 131 would later be captured. But this prize came at a cost. Aspinall’s Churchill hit a Panzer III, then was in turn hit by a round that penetrated just below the gun mantlet, causing it to explode. Eye-witness Lt. Peter Gudgin believed that this shot can only have come from the 88mm gun of a Tiger Tank. Aspinall, the driver Tpr Bernard Marriot and the co-driver Tpr Richard Smith were all killed. Alan Lott was badly burned and died two weeks later. Peter Gudgin’s Churchill tank was knocked out by Tiger 131 minutes later, but his crew all survived. Museum Curator David Willey said; “Aspinall and his colleagues who died that day fought for an ultimate cause that even in today’s non-judgemental era shines out as a truly worthy fight. He was on the right side; the others - however brave - were not.” “While we can become fascinated with the design, the ingenuity and sheer presence of a vehicle like the Tiger, we cannot let ourselves forget what the machine was made for and the regime that used it. To do so would be of great disservice not just to the memory of the likes of William Aspinall, but it also diminishes our own intelligence.” We would be interested to hear from anyone with more information on William Aspinall.

Tiger Fever Grips the Nation! The excitement is building ahead of our Tiger Day this weekend – with people showing their enthusiasm in a variety of ways… One of our visitors sent us this image, saying; “I am looking forward to [Tiger Day] very much, so much in fact that I got a tattoo of a Tiger Tank on my back a few weeks ago in celebration of the day!” We’re not suggesting that you all rush out to do the same… but is anyone else doing anything to mark the return of Tiger 131 to running order?

The story was that Herman the German was the ghost of a dead German officer who haunted the Tiger I. There were supposed to be a number of people who had seen him looking down at them from the turret or from beside the vehicle. The most likely explanation is that it was all a story put around by George Forty, our Director before last, to discourage the Junior Leaders from coming into the Museum at night and causing mischief.