A7V "Mephisto" news

[browningautorifle]

Mephisto

I only wish that way back in '77 when I was right there looking at it, I'd known what I've since found out about it. I had no idea EXACTLY what it was then.

[Sentryduty]

From my reading this is the same A7V that was in the first tank on tank battle in history, which was featured in an episode of History Channel's greatest tank battles.

I remember from the television account the battle had almost a clumsy swing to it, each side with tanks breaking down en-route, and for the two enemy tanks forces the encounter entirely accidental. It seemed from their telling that fire was exchanged for sometime until Mephisto was finally struck.

From a personal standpoint it must have been terrifying warfare for both sides, but from a tactical account it almost sound like a couple of children wildly throwing stones at each other until one gets it in the eye.

Truly the infancy of this sort of sort of fighting.

[CINDERS]

Compared to the British WWI tank production the Germans only made a very very few number of the A7V's in fact so few its a wonder they were even recorded and as far as a tank goes they were next to useless I think they had about a 14 man crew, fell over sideways quite well and were pretty much outclassed.
Fast forward 24 years and the Panzer VI completely smoked all allied tanks and Russian ones until every one got on the band wagon up gunning and up armouring their tanks so they had some measure of survivability when confronted with the Tiger, in the end it was just as easy to call up the Tiffies with their 8 60lb rockets to dispose of the Tiger

In reply to Sentry I have yet to get to grips with what those on both sides went through in WWI in all the books I have on that conflict whether sea or land its horrid.
At Jutland the British from memory lost a few battleships and @5,000 saliors, the 1st phase of the Somme Day 1 60,000 British casualties.
Fromelles for Aus was 5,000+ in 24hour and when you consider Aus population was only about 5 million back then everybody knew some one who had been touched by WWI.
Imagine the German soldiers when the Messine Ridge mines started going up and the mammoth explosions kept getting closer.
There was never an official estimate on just how many perished in those blasts as some would have just been vaporized or buried forever.

Heres the link to the Mephisto news the music is crud but you can see some small arms fire damage to the tank the name Mephisto I think refers to "The Devil"
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&r...FIUAVXXsUR_qUQ

[Peter Laidler]

When this tank is restored, will it be a working runner or just good looking original for the museum?

[CINDERS]

Peter one would imagine it as a static display given it is the only one left of the type spares would be nil and reverse engineering to costly and time consuming I would like to see it, however my ultimate aim is to travel to the UK to see 3 things A) Where my father was born apparently the shop they had where he lived as a child still stands today B) Hopefully have a few grand to hop a ride in a Spitfire as my father worked on them in WWII as a RAAF LAC Engine fitter C) Get to Bovington to see the Tiger 131 trundling around.

[Peter Laidler]

All reasonably achieveable I'd say........ with a few £££££'s!

[bigduke6]

Bruce,

Think this is the same, but set up as AA gun.

[CINDERS]

A Maxim on steroids BD.

[bigduke6]

Its quite impressive Cinders, its the one at the IWM Duxford, I,d never seen one before, must of cost a fortune in Brasso regarding polishing.

For something else which is not as big but if you have plenty of .577/450 click on the link below.

G488 .577/450 BIRA Gun

[CINDERS]

Thanks BD for the 24,000 pound price tag I think I will leave the 577/450 BIRA in the basket......