The great, "almost was" Sentinel tank

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Anorak country for WW2 armour buffs.

http://www.mheaust.com.au/Aust/Resea...sentinelmk.htm

Triple Cadillac V8s? Yep!

2 Pounder? Ha, a "girl's" gun! 25 pounder ? No problem. 17 pounder, (a REAL anti-tank gun)? Yep, no worries!.

Sadly, and in keeping with Australian "tradition", virtually all were either shot to shreds (along with Staghounds etc.) on the Puckapunyal ranges or cut up for scrap.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

The hull looks like the proper thing, but I've got to agree with you that a 2 pounder just won't do it...wonder what they had in mind there? We too kept nothing. Our ranges were littered with stuff that could have gleaned actual money for a strangling military economy. Always been the way...

[PScott]

Took these on one of my trips to Pucka..







---------- Post added at 07:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:45 PM ----------

Still think the armour "shroud" around the central hull MG is " Questionable"..

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Interesting stuff!!

As far as I know, the turrets of these beasties were cast in one piece; quite a neat trick for such a shape. The entire upper hull was apparently made the same way.

Yep, the bow machine-gun shroud is very dodgy. Not only that, but its shape would indicate that they planned to use something "lumpy', like a bog-standard, water-cooled Vickers, in that role. What were they thinking? At that time, the RAAF was awash with air-cooled, .303 Brownings.

I really LOVE working with gear designed by committees.

Even more interesting is another vehicle in the first photo.

Just behind the little bloke in the blue shirt would appear to be an example of the Oz built "tracked truck" that was briefly discussed the other day.

[Peter Laidler]

The bow machine gun housing looks like, well...., giant pen15 to me! Are you Australians just showing off? I think that they modelled it on my old pal Lauri Taggart from Castlemaine!

[KIMBO65]

When that bow gun fires watch out.....

[WarPig1976]

Wonder what the nickname would've been if that appendage was a flamethrower.....

[gsimmons]

Is that an MG in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

[browningautorifle]

You guys are brutal...anyway, there were other hulls cast in one piece too weren't there? My brother-in-law used to work in Chrysler Canada in Winsor Ontario, apparently at least into the '70's, the forms for making tanks(Sherman's?) were still there on the side of the line...weren't parts of them investment cast?

[Peter Laidler]

What was the reason why Aust didn't pursue this wonder tank?

Incidentally, Lauri's wife was called Marlene and she was from Tassie. Lovely looking lady and always had a big beaming smile and spoiled us singlies (that's the single blokes like I was then) rotten. After having been 'up-country' with Lauri and on our First Class Course together at Bandiana, I know why she always had a big smile. That tank reminded me!