Walk-around

Buffel & Kodiak – Leopard 2 Variants

July 29, 2021August 3, 2021
Walk-around

On the motorway, I was pleasantly surprised by a convoy of Boxer AFVs. I could not have imagined that an even bigger surprise was waiting for me at the next lay-by. By chance, two low loaders of the Dutch army carrying specialized Leopard 2 variants were parked here. In this short post, we take a quick look at these vehicles – which were on their way back from deployment in Lithuania as part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) mission.

Haustenbeck’s Heritage: Jagdtiger 305 004’s Journey

April 12, 2021April 12, 2021
Research, Second World War, Walk-around

This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series Haustenbeck's Heritage

A rare beast on any account, this particular Jagdtiger is unique in being the only surviving specimen featuring Porsche’s alternative suspension design. How did this vehicle make its way from a small town in Austria to Henschel’s proving ground in Senne to finally arrive at its final destination: the Bovington Tank Museum in the UK? In this part of the Haustenbeck’s Heritage series we follow Jagdtiger Fahrgestellnummer 305 004 on its journey to and from Haustenbeck, where it was initially found by the Allies.

King of the Bulge II – Engine Deck and Turret

October 9, 2020October 10, 2020
1 Comment
Second World War, Walk-around

In this next part in the ‘King of the Bulge’ series, we will take a closer look at the engine deck as well as the turret. There certainly are a few interesting details to find here for the more observant viewer. Read more about the history of this Tiger in the previous article.

The Very Unfortunate Sherman

June 5, 2020August 12, 2020
2 Comments
Second World War, Walk-around

During my trip through the Ardennes last February I visited a number of tank monuments among which the M4 ‘Ginsling’ located in Wibrin. The tank was lost during a fierce battle round the town on 14 January 1945 and now stands as a memorial to the soldiers, resistance fighters and civilian casualties of The Second World War.

King of the bulge

March 16, 2020October 10, 2020
5 Comments
Second World War, Walk-around

One of only a handful left, this King Tiger is perhaps the best known of the lot. Located in the picturesque town of La Gleize in the Ardennes, Belgium, this is the only Tiger II visible from the public road. Because of the incredible amount of photos I have taken, I decided to split this walk-around into multiple parts. In this first post I will dive into the events that would eventually lead to the loss of this Tiger. In upcoming parts, the Tiger and all of its components will be featured in more detail.

The Panther: a British walk-around

December 4, 2019October 19, 2020
Walk-around

This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series The Panther: a British view

As promised, here is the walk-around of Bovington’s Panther tank. According to the plaque welded to glacis, this was the 8th vehicle to be completed at the Laatzen factory under command of 823rd REME workshop.… Read More »The Panther: a British walk-around

Saumur’s “Bretagne” Panther: facts & fiction

October 30, 2019August 12, 2020
2 Comments
Research, Second World War, Walk-around

At this year’s Tank fest, Wargaming presented the newly restored Bretagne Panther. Starting in 2017, this Panther was restored at Musée des Blindés courtesy of the publisher of World of Tanks. The reveal of the… Read More »Saumur’s “Bretagne” Panther: facts & fiction

The last of its kind: Breda Panther

September 30, 2018February 26, 2020
1 Comment
Second World War, Walk-around

In the heart of the city of Breda, the Netherlands you will find the Wilhelminapark: a quiet and calm place. You can come to peace on one of the benches around the pond, or you… Read More »The last of its kind: Breda Panther

Tiger II – part 1

May 22, 2018October 7, 2020
2 Comments
Second World War, Walk-around

Musee de Blindes houses the only Tiger II still running today and they’re pretty proud of that. Even though by design this monster is hardly suitable to run for long marches the museum was able… Read More »Tiger II – part 1

Leopard 2A4 “FIN”

February 3, 2018February 8, 2018
Cold War, Walk-around

What we have here is what I first presumed to be a Leopard 2A4FIN: the Finnish variant of the Leopard 2. It is, however, some sort of hybrid as it seems to lack all features… Read More »Leopard 2A4 “FIN”

BT-42

December 23, 2017December 23, 2017
Second World War, Walk-around

The Parola tank museum has a large collection of Russian tanks, some of which happen to be extremely rare — or ones that could otherwise only be found in Russia itself. One of these rare… Read More »BT-42

Leopard 2 prototype 120 mm

December 4, 2017October 1, 2018
Cold War, Walk-around

In this post I’ll look at another Leopard 2 prototype (yes, again!). This one can be found in the Musée de Blindés in Saumur, France. In contrast to the prototype I discussed on this site… Read More »Leopard 2 prototype 120 mm

Paul Courtenay on King of the Bulge II – Engine Deck and TurretJanuary 16, 2022
These are great pics!! With regard to the commander's cupula I can't see the bolts?
Mark Jakob Mckenzie on King of the bulgeJanuary 13, 2022
He first was a guard at the Reich Chancellary in Berlin, then sent to Normandy, then the Bulge where he…
Melcher on What’s in a name? From Tiger II to KönigstigerJanuary 12, 2022
Hi Russel, comments like yours keep me going! Glad to hear you like the articles :)
Melcher on King of the bulgeJanuary 12, 2022
How very interesting, and thanks for sharing, Mark. Do you have any details regarding this action your uncle took part…
Russell M on What’s in a name? From Tiger II to KönigstigerJanuary 10, 2022
Well-researched and written article, as usual. Glad the Pantiger name didn’t stick around. Very interesting how the name spread back…