Tanks With Termites

[Guest Rick Research]

German tanks in the First World War seem to have suffered, like dinosaurs, from gigantism.

This A7V snapped by a female nurse from Trier makes an excellent target, doesn't it? I especially like the driver's OUTSIDE position up very top.

Heavy... slow... lumbering, really ...

[Guest Rick Research]

Lumber... yeah!!!!

Taken by one of its constructors, Hamburg native Unteroffizier Ces?r Oetzmann of Pio Bn 9--

closer...

trundling down the narrow streets. Notice the innovative traction mechanism...

double parked:

Unfortunately for the Second Reich, Britain's "Wooden Walls" beat out this variety. :catjava:

[Guest IMHF]

Rick

The A7V Sturmpanzerwagen Wotan Tank was a cool Tank, one of my favorites of WWI.

It had a large crew I belive it had 16 men that operated it and it had 2 drivers. A messenger would get out and run to the next tank to pass information of movement. Very nice photo of one in operation, do you know where it was taken? The motor was in the middle of the tank wich made it uncomfortable for the crew.

Thank you for sharing:

Lorenzo

Edited July 25, 2008 by IMHF

[Guest Rick Research]

No idea-- it is a TINY snapshot taken by the nurse who apparently ran out of her hospital as it clanked by. I wish she hadn't jiggled the focus so its name was legible-- but she was right in front of it in the road and I doubt the brakes were very effective!

The Wooden Colossus was made and photographed (in St. Quentin, if I remember correctly--will have to go find the album) in 1918.

[Guest IMHF]

Lumber... yeah!!!!

Taken by one of its constructors, Hamburg native Unteroffizier Ces?r Oetzmann of Pio Bn 9--

closer...

trundling down the narrow streets. Notice the innovative traction mechanism...

double parked:

Unfortunately for the Second Reich, Britain's "Wooden Walls" beat out this variety.

Wow I never new they were designed buy using wood: These are some great photos

Lorenzo

[Taz]

Rick

The A7V Sturmpanzerwagen Wotan Tank was a cool Tank, one of my favorites of WWI.

It had a large crew I belive it had 16 men that operated it and it had 2 drivers. A messenger would get out and run to the next tank to pass information of movement. Very nice photo of one in operation, do you know where it was taken? The motor was in the middle of the tank wich made it uncomfortable for the crew.

Thank you for sharing:

Lorenzo

"Wotan" was actually the name of the tank. In the M?nster Tank Musem there is a replica of Wagen 563 "Wotan" Below is a list of the Numbers, names and what happened to the tanks.

http://www.derkampfpanzer.de/a7vverbleib.htm

Regards Eddie.

Edited July 25, 2008 by Taz

[Paul R]

This is the only period image I have ever seen of an A7V.

I think that the wooden tank was built as a deversion piece?

[Guest Rick Research]

Yup. Hard to remember when nobody knew what REAL tanks looked like, isn't it? :rolleyes:

[Bear]

Some articles from the Times of London. The pics are a little hard on the eyes.

30 Sept 1916

[Bear]

29 Mar 1918

[Bear]

St. Quentin

It goes on to say that the German tanks were put out of action on the Esnes-Cambrai road.

9 Oct 1918

Edited July 25, 2008 by Bear

[Bear]

25 Oct 1918

[Bear]

Forewarned, Fore-Armed. :cheers:

[Guest IMHF]

"Wotan" was actually the name of the tank. In the M?nster Tank Musem there is a replica of Wagen 563 "Wotan" Below is a list of the Numbers, names and what happened to the tanks.

http://www.derkampfpanzer.de/a7vverbleib.htm

Regards Eddie.

Thank you so much for the great information:

Lorenzo

[Taz]

Wooden A7V's :o

[Guest Rick Research]

Porta-tankies? :cheeky:

[Guest IMHF]

I think the same as paul, They could have been made up for decoys to fool the pilots on recon missions.

Lorenzo

[Guest Rick Research]

Sure wouldn't fool anybody on the ground!!!! :cheeky:

[Eric Stahlhut]

i imagine that if you saw one of those 'lumbering' towards you, you would wish for a flamethrower real quick

Edited July 27, 2008 by Eric Stahlhut

[Taz]

I was looking around for an explaination as to what the wooden A7V's might have been.

One theory is also what Lorenzo said, as mock-ups/decoys. The second is that they are real size prototypes to demonstrate the size and dimensions of the actual vehicles to the troops.

Regards Eddie

Edited July 27, 2008 by Taz

[rast]

Wooden tanks were used as training objects. After Amiens (August 8th, 1918), not only the few existing German tank detachments were dispatched for tank familiarisation but also the Quartermaster General was charged with the creation of wooden dummies in huge numbers.

Some were good replicas, others - like the ?tzmann - more phantastic. Some were used as targets for the gunners, others for infantry anti-tank training. In some cases, captured non-running Mk.IVs and Whippets were used as well.

The A7V in the first entry is 507, named "Cyklop" at that time (April 1918).

The A7V replica in Munster is only named "Wotan", in reality it's "Mephisto" (exact copy) fitted with a gun like "Wotan" had one. The real "Wotan" looked different.

[Taz]

Wooden tanks were used as training objects. After Amiens (August 8th, 1918), not only the few existing German tank detachments were dispatched for tank familiarisation but also the Quartermaster General was charged with the creation of wooden dummies in huge numbers.

Some were good replicas, others - like the ?tzmann - more phantastic. Some were used as targets for the gunners, others for infantry anti-tank training. In some cases, captured non-running Mk.IVs and Whippets were used as well.

The A7V in the first entry is 507, named "Cyklop" at that time (April 1918).

The A7V replica in Munster is only named "Wotan", in reality it's "Mephisto" (exact copy) fitted with a gun like "Wotan" had one. The real "Wotan" looked different.

Hi Rast,

Thanks for the info on the wooden tanks,

So "Wotan" is "Mephisto? Now that is interesting, any idea why it was chosen for the replica?

Surely it can't be because of the fact it's the only one still remaining, there must be detailed plans etc to build from.

Regards Eddie.

[Guest Rick Research]

:Cat-Scratch: You mean the tank the nurse photographed can be identified as a SPECIFIC tank, #507, "Cyclop?" I know it has a name painted on the upper front, but it is too blurry for me to read.

(She did much better taking photos of wounded officers in their pajamas. )

[Guest IMHF]

You mean the tank the nurse photographed can be identified as a SPECIFIC tank, #507, "Cyclop?" I know it has a name painted on the upper front, but it is too blurry for me to read.

(She did much better taking photos of wounded officers in their pajamas. )

I can see why they would name it "Cyclop" with that huge cannon in front of it, rolling down the road.

Lorenzo

Edited July 29, 2008 by IMHF

[rast]

Yep, the Munster "Wotan" is a faithful copy of the Brisbane "Mephisto", only the gun is different. 506 "Mephisto" is a first lot vehicle while 563 "Wotan" was a late second lot tank. There are quite a number of differences between the two lots, e.g. less rivets with wider spacing in 2nd lot, changed type of louvres, different configuration of rivets at the machine gun apertures, only two hinges at the service flaps with second lot, while early first lot had three, etc.

Yep again, the above tank can be identified as 507 "Cyklop" of Abteilung 3.

The A7V wasn't lumbering, is was rather fast, in fact as fast as the fastest tank in the Entente repertoire, the Whippet. Both could make 14 km/h. On good ground the A7V was quite a respectable tank, its weakness was the inability to overcome badly churned up ground and trenches wider than 2,5 m.