Photos of tanks from the Great War

[The Prussian]

Nice pictures. This is the tank 542 Elfriede

[army historian]

Here is a French light tank. Captain Albert

[Freiwillige]

Nice pictures. This is the tank 542 Elfriede

Thanks for the identification, Andreas!

Edited December 28, 2010 by Freiwillige

[The Prussian]

Hi Andrew!

What do you want to know? I have several books about the histories of the german tanks

[Freiwillige]

Andreas, I just came across an interesting link about "Elfriede" here:

http://pages14-18.mesdiscussions.net/pages1418/Pages-d-Histoire-Artillerie/Artillerie-Speciale-chars-d-assaut/elfriede-recupere-bretonneux-sujet_463_1.htm

A lot of useful and interesting info!!!

The only aspect that is not covered there is tank's fate after it was displayed at Place de la Concorde. There's an opinion expressed by one of the members that after being held at the courtyard of Palace d'Invalides "Elfriede" was destroyed according to the order of the Paris military governor. Is it true? If so when it happened?

[The Prussian]

Oh yes. That´s an brilliant article!!! I´d like to know, where I can finf the photo´s recourses...

Well. Elfriede was the first captured tank in very good condition. (1st tank-battle at Villers-Bretonneux)

After the battle, the germans wanted to destroy the tank, but they failed. After 12 days, the S.R.R.101 (section de Ravitaillement et de reparation) pulled her about 1km back to the allied lines. May,18 she arrived Saleux, where she was made "ready to drive". In the next months she was investigated by the british and french army. It stil exist a movie (16mm), about the captured tanks! This movie is in the archives of the french army in Fort d´Ivry. During this investigations, Elfriede served as a target for shooting-attempts. In this condition, she came to the Place de la Concorde (note the bullet-holes came from this investigations, not from the battle!). It´s not recorded, what happened to her. Probably she was scraped until 1920

[Freiwillige]

Thanks for your reply, Andreas! I'm glad I own a piece of this history, though not really exclusive one :rolleyes: