Military Machines International 2014-09

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Great War

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Wartime Scout Car

DAIMlER DINGO ROAD TO

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WW1 Vehicle Movements

VETERAN CLASSIC BIKE

DAMASCUS GREAT WAR

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SEPTEMBER 2014 VOLUME 14 NO.4

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Editorial

Welcome to this month’s issue of Military Machines International, and after my personal disappointment of not being able to attend the D-Day commemorations in Normandy last month due to my workload and the timing of the production schedule (as mentioned in last month’s editorial), I have at least been able to get out and about to some of my favourite shows around the UK now that the show season is underway, and so far at least the weather has been very kind to us. At the time of writing it is mid-July, and despite the fact that you will be reading this issue of the magazine in August, I have yet to attend some of the major shows in the UK such as the War & Peace Revival, but judging by the way 2014 is shaping up so far, there could well be some interesting vehicles waiting in the wings along with a few surprises. In other news, the eagle-eyed amongst you may well have spotted a new face on this page, and I would like to take this opportunity to

EDITOR Ian Young Editorial Office, Bunks Hall, Alcester Rd, Spetchley, Worcester, WR7 4QD, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1905 345898 [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR John Blackman

ADVERTISEMENT SALES Sarah Garrod Tel: +44 (0) 1780 755131 [email protected]

DESIGN Steve Donovan & Froggatt Designs PRODUCTION MANAGER Janet Watkins AD PRODUCTION MANAGER Debi McGowan GROUP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paul Hamblin COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Ann Saundry MANAGING DIRECTOR/ PUBLISHER Adrian Cox EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN Richard Cox

MARKETING MANAGER Martin Steele

welcome a new contributor onboard the Editorial team, namely John Blackman, who is already a familiar face to many thanks to his work within the world of military vehicles and publishing. John will be taking on the role of Contributing Editor at MMI, bringing with him a wealth of experience and some exciting new features for inclusion in the magazine, all of which will no doubt enable the magazine to go from strength to strength. Anyway, that’s enough from me, and we’ll be back next month with more features and another round of show reports from the 2014 season, but for now I’ll leave you now to enjoy this month’s feature-packed issue – Ed.

Ian Young Editor

SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER Roz Condé Subscriptions Department, Military Machines International, Key Publishing Ltd. PO Box 300, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1NA, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1780 480404 Fax: +44 (0) 1780 757812 [email protected] www.militarymachinesintl.com MILITARY MACHINES INTERNATIONAL (ISSN - 1473-7906), is published monthly by Key Publishing Ltd. PO Box 300, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1NA, UK and distributed in the USA by Mail Right International Inc. 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway NJ 08854 Periodicals Postage Paid at Piscataway, NJ and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Military Machines Int.,Key Publishing Ltd., C/o, Mail Right International Inc.1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway NJ 08854 DISTRIBUTED BY Seymour Distribution Ltd., 2 Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PP, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7429 4000

PRINTED BY Warner’s (Midlands) PLC, The Maltings, Manor Lane, Bourne, Lincs, PE10 9PH. ISSN - 1473-7906 www.militarymachinesintl.com The entire contents of Military Machines International is © copyright and no part of it may be reproduced in any form or stored on any form of retrieval system without the prior permission of the publisher. We are unable to guarantee the bona fides of any of our advertisers. Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any advertisements within this publication. All items submitted for publication are subject to our terms and conditions. These are regularly updated without prior notice and are freely available from Key Publishing Ltd or downloadable from: www.keypublishing.com PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY Key Publishing Ltd. PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1780 755131 Fax: +44 (0) 1780 757261

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contents

september 2014 Volume 14 Issue 4

Regulars 6 – Up Front

Our monthly round up of the latest news and views from around the world

45 – Tank Times

The latest news and information from the world famous Tank Museum, Bovington

76 – On The Shelf

We take a look at the latest books and publications to be released this month

78 – Mission Briefing The latest military show dates for the forthcoming show season

81 – QM Stores

Grab yourself a bargain from this month’s adverts and advertisers

12

Daimler Dingo Classic Armour

30

54

Road to Damascus Great War

Malta Veteran Wartime Rarities

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24

Wartime in the Vale SHOW TIME

FEATURES WARTIME 12 – DAIMLER DINGO

We look at the World War Two British Daimler Dingo scout car, a Daimler built for war

18 – WITTMANN - TIGER ACE

John Blackman looks at the legend behind the World War Two German Tiger Tank Ace Michael Wittmann

30 – ROAD TO DAMASCUS

Tim Gosling looks at the vehicles used to transport men and machines in the Middle East during WW1

50 – STANDARD BEAVERETTE

Phil Homer examines the curious wartime ‘Beaverette’ Light Armoured Car – a vehicle born out of desperation

54 - A MALTA VETERAN

John Blackman takes a look at Ross White’s eye-catching wartime BSA M20 motorcycle

MODERN 38 – HEER PT.2

Carl Schulze concludes his look at the restructuring of the modern German Ground Combat Forces

58 – FROM SCRAPYARD TO PLINTH

Dick Taylor traces the remarkable restoration of a British Army Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank

62 – FINNISH FLEET

50

Standard Beaverette DESPERATE TIMES

Shaun Connors takes a look at some of the Scania trucks supplied to the Finnish Army

74 – LATIN AMERICAN NEWS

Juan Carlos Cicalesi brings us the latest defence news from around the Latin American region

EVENTS 24 – WARTIME IN THE VALE

Military Machines attended this popular event and discovered one or two surprise guest

68 – DUXFORD 2014

Imperial War Museum Duxford hosted the annual military vehicle show and we bring you a report

68

Duxford 2014 VETERAN VEHICLES

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE MAKE GREAT SAVINGS WHEN YOU DECEMBER 2013 MILITARY MACHINES INTERNATIONAL 05 SUBSCRIBE TO MILITARY MACHINES INTERNATIONAL See pages 36-37 for details

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UP FRONT NEWS and REVIEWS...

Maudslay - The Final Big Push A

rare WW1 Maudslay subsidy lorry, the last surviving example of the type, needs £5000 to get it back on the road in time for ‘Great War’ anniversary commemorations, and the race is on to bring a rare piece of WW1 engineering history back to life in time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of The First World War. Coventry Transport Museum has set up a ‘Just Giving’ page on the Internet to raise £5,000 to put the finishing touches to the restoration of this unique 1916 Maudslay Subsidy Chassis. The Maudslay lorry was built in Coventry as part of the War effort and was discovered many years ago in a Dundee farmyard. This rare find was purchased by the Museum in 2000 for £10,000 and since 2007 volunteers and museum staff have worked tirelessly to restore and rebuild the vehicle, which will take part in a number of WW1 commemorations in the Midlands to mark the region’s engineering prowess and the sacrifices made by men and women during the First World War.

During the 20th Century, Coventry was at the centre of the automotive industry where many factories were converted to military purposes through both World Wars. This particular chassis was built by Maudslay at its Parkside factory and used by the War Department for airfield duties in Scotland. After the war, the threeton vehicle had been used as a showman’s caravan and, as late as the 1970’s, it was still being used as a holiday home! The £5,000 required is to pay for the final restoration work and the running costs of the vehicle that made its first outing in Leamington Spa on June 21st, for the town’s commemorative events for the Great War Centenary. Curator of Vehicles at Coventry Transport Museum, Christiaan van Schaardenburgh, said: “As the nation prepares to mark the commencement of the Great War that claimed the lives of some nine million servicemen, we are privileged to be able to bring back to life this important piece of engineering history. The Friends of Coventry Transport Museum and museum staff have worked tirelessly to restore where possible the original working parts of

this vehicle in order that we can share its legacy with the people of Coventry and the West Midlands. “We hope to raise the £5,000 from enthusiasts and the people of Coventry who take pride in the city’s automotive history. Their donations will help us to show off the work in progress in this important year.” At the end of the War the British Army had 66,532 trucks in service, of which nearly half were three-tonners built by companies such as AEC, Commer, Daimler, Dennis, Karrier, Leyland, Maudslay and Thornycroft. Of the 1,718 Maudslays in service at the end of the war, 1,547 were of the 3-ton type. They were built at the Maudslay factory at Parkside, Coventry and at the nearby Rover works. To donate to the restoration programme, visit: www.justgiving. com/Culture-Coventry or text MAUD98 £5 to 70070 to make a £5 donation. Cheques can be paid to Culture Coventry c/o the Maudslay Lorry Appeal, Coventry Transport Museum, Millennium Place, Coventry, CV1 1JD.

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Bonhams Sale a Huge Success

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ver 1,000 lots of Veteran, Edwardian and Vintage Motor Cars, Historic Commercial Vehicles and automobilia went under the hammer recently, with 99.7% of the items being sold. The Bonhams Michael Banfield sale saw this private collection, owned by one man and collected over the course of five decades, collectively sold for £3 million! A 1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was the top lot of the sale, achieving £418,140 A trio of classic busses sold for a combined half a million pounds, including one world record breaking 1922 AEC S Type, Open Top Double Deck Bus selling at £281,500 - three times its top estimate. The 1922 Tilling-Stevens TS3A open top double-decker, sold for £216,540 and the automobilia sale saw 100% sold, with over 1,000 collectable items taken home by avid enthusiasts. Of course it was the World War One era lorries and items that we were principally

interested in, and a full report will follow in a later issue, but all items sold, some for more than expected, however, a great many of the choice items will leave these shores bound for New Zealand. Michael Banfield, former owner of the collection dedicated himself for more than 50 years to the restoration and preservation of these vintage vehicles. He was a founder member of the Historic Commercial Vehicle Society, becoming Chairman in 1965 and remaining as such until 1993 when the Society became a charity. He then stayed on as CEO until his retirement in 2011 and he remained a full and active member of various clubs until the end of his life. Through the decades he added vehicles to his impressive collection, both cars and commercial, which he refurbished and rebuilt himself. Much of Michael’s work was undertaken on a voluntary basis as a true enthusiast and in 2007 he was made an

Honorary Life President of the VCC and was given a Lifetime achievement award by the Transport Trust in recognition of his work. Michael Banfield was also made a Freeman of the City of London in 1998 and became a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Carmen in 2001.

Harris’s Matadors

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ollowing the inclusion of an item called ‘Old Soldier’ in the July issue that featured a photo of an old ex-Army AEC Matador still working as a timber tractor on the Isle of Wight, we received a lovely letter from Douglas Harris in Ashington, West Sussex. It transpired that Douglas is one of the brothers involved with Harris’s Old Time Entertainment, and in the letter he enclosed two photos showing some of the ex-military AEC Matador trucks that have been used by West Sussex based firm

Harris Brothers to transport their fairground rides around Sussex and Kent for many years. By coincidence I have also photographed some of them at the War & Peace show many years ago, as well as a Scammell Explorer. Our thanks to Douglas for sending in the photos and if you ever seen Harris’s Old Time Entertainment at an event, make sure you take a look around and see if you can spot any of the ex-military vehicles – Ed.

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‘J’ Type Lorry A

100-year old ‘J’ Type military lorry is set to visit Hampshire and Dorset this summer. Visitors to exhibitions and events in Hampshire and Dorset will be transported back in time when a 100-year old ‘J’ Type military lorry makes a guest appearance. This is a rare opportunity to see such a historic vehicle as only a few are left in military livery. Two highly skilled volunteers - working with Nigel Spender, collections officer at Hampshire County Council Arts and Museums Service - have spent more than eight months carrying out an extensive restoration programme, and now the lorry is ready to take part in a series of exhibitions and events which are taking place to mark the anniversary of the start of the First World War.

The ‘J’ Type lorry is one of more than 5000 made in Basingstoke by John I Thornycroft & Co during the First World War and was delivered to the War Office in 1916 for use in France. On the front line, it was used to deliver supplies such as shells, ammunition and food to the soldiers in the trenches. Restoring the engine proved a real challenge and replacement parts had to be designed and machined as individual bespoke components. In addition, spares were obtained from specialist suppliers - new valves came from Surrey, the magneto was rebuilt in Sussex and new piston rings were obtained from New Zealand. Amongst others in the Hampshire and Dorset region, the ‘J’ type military lorry is due to appear at the Winchester Discovery Centre (14 August) and the Great Dorset Steam Fair (27-31 August), so why not pop along to one of the events and take a look at this rare Great War lorry.

Aussie Churchill

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lthough it sadly arrived too late for inclusion with our Aussie Churchill article in last month’s issue, we thought we would include it here given that it’s such a nice image. The Churchill is of course Ron Fry’s restored tank, but it was photographed and worked on by ‘Lightreaver’, a local production studio specialising in creative art and photography. The end result is a dramatic and moody image of the tank with re-enactors that could almost be taken for a period wartime colour image! Our thanks to Ron for passing it on, and if you want to find out more about Lightreaver’s work, check out their website at: www.lightreaver.com/index.html

Wargaming Supports Restorations at The Tank Museum

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argaming unveiled details of its presence at the annual Tankfest event where the company would be raising funds to support vehicle restorations at the museum and its brand new mobile gaming unit, an ex-military MGT-20 truck! Wargaming organized an in-game special ahead of the military festival, inviting World of Tanks players to purchase a series of premium shop packages from which the proceeds will go towards restoration projects at Bovington, including repairs of the British Comet tank, the Allied M4 Sherman tank, and the mighty German Jagd Kanonon tank destroyer. “Wargaming has a long history of collaboration with The Tank Museum in Bovington. We both believe that legendary military warfare has great historic value and should be preserved for future generations,” said Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi. “This year we’ve offered our players a chance to contribute to the restoration of the museum’s collections, and have been overwhelmingly impressed with their enthusiasm. Seeing our community so eager to participate in such projects allows us to plan for future efforts in supporting events like these.” Along with announcing its donation, Wargaming officially opened the Company’s MGT-20 event truck at Tankfest, which is equipped with gaming stations and Xbox 360 consoles ready and waiting for players to come and test out World of Tanks and World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition.

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White Bus

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hen Steve Davis first mentioned he had photographed a ‘white bus’ whilst in Normandy for the recent D-Day commemorations, I assumed he meant a ‘white bus’, as in the colour, so imagine my surprise when the photos arrived and it was in fact a grey bus, but built by American company White! Steve commented that it certainly stood out from the sea of Olive Drab vehicles attending the various events in Normandy, being decked out in US Navy markings. Other than the fact that it dates from the 1930s and is owned by a Belgian collector we know nothing else about the vehicle, so if you can help fill in the details please contact us via the usual editorial address – Ed.

Rare Rolba Goblin Surfaces

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rare six-wheeled version of the Rolba Goblin recently appeared for sale on the Internet, but it would seem that few people actually knew what it really was. The Goblin featured here is a 6-wheel version of the Rolba Goblin, used by British Army EOD units in Northern Ireland in the late 70’s early 80’s, and was produced from 1984. Just eight of the 4x4 version were built, with an unknown quantity of the 6x6 being built, but given the specialist role, it probably wouldn’t have been many. They were used as a carrier for heavy bomb disposal equipment across fields, and were also air

portable by a Wessex or Puma helicopter and they were powered by a 602cc Citroen AZ-KA air-cooled twin of the type fitted to the Citroen 2CV and Dyane cars, and it had permanent six-wheel drive with skid steer! The advert soon disappeared so presumably it has been snapped up by a collector who recognized it for what it was – a rare vehicle!

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Revell New Releases

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evell have released a raft of new kits and models this month, with four new additions to their expanding military figure range. The first two sets are to 1/76 scale, represents German Africa Corps soldiers (Ref. 02616) and contains 50 unpainted figures moulded in the usual polythene type plastic normally associated with this scale of figure. The second set (Ref. 02617) features British 8th Army figures, this time with 44 figures supplied. The choice of scale is slightly odd given that all of Revell’s military vehicles in this size are to 1/72 scale, but they won’t look too out of place alongside the vehicles. The third set of figures from Revell this month is to the larger 1/32 scale, and again is a slightly odd scale given that most vehicles these days, including those offered by Revell are produced to 1/35 scale. The set represents WW2 German Infantry (Ref. 02630) and contains a total of 15 figures, but unlike the smaller figures, these are moulded separately in a harder plastic, but still require some trimming before painting. The final set of figures is also from the 1/32 range and represents WW2 British Infantry (Ref. 02631) and also contains 15 figures. All four figure sets have a recommended retail price of £6.99 each in the UK.

This month we also have two new additions to Revell’s 1/72 military vehicle range with the first kit (Ref. 03148) representing the Sd.Kfz. 164 ‘Nashorn’ self-propelled anti-tank gun, as used by the Germans in WW2. The kit contains a total of 184 parts and builds into a model 11.8cm in length, and as you can see from the photo, builds into a nicely detailed model of the Nashorn. The kit has a recommended retail price of £11.50 in the UK. The second new kit in the vehicle range this month represents something a lot more up to date, namely the GTK Boxer GTFz A1 armoured transport vehicle (Ref. 03198), as currently used by the modern German Bundeswehr. The kit contains 118 parts and has a finished size of 11.1cm, and once again has a superb level of detail for such a small model. The kit has a recommended retail price of £11.50 in the UK. And finally this month, Revell have released a number of their kits as model sets, and amongst them is this lovely kit of the German WW2 Type XXVIIB Seehund midget submarine, as previously reviewed in MMI. The set is supplied as a carded blister pack containing the model kit, glue, paintbrush and three pots of Revell Aqua color water-based paint. This would make an

ideal present for someone, or alternatively is a great way to get someone started in model making with pretty much everything you need to get started supplied in the set. The kit itself is superb and has a recommended retail price of £17.99 in the UK. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit: www.revell.de/en, @RevellGermany or facebook.com/Revell

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Military Odyssey F_P.indd 1

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DAIMLER DINGO

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he Daimler Dingo was a superbly engineered armoured Scout Car that was widely used in all theatres of war having entered service early in the Second World War and continuing serving well after the war had ended. In actual fact development work on the Dingo had started before the outbreak of war, which ensured that it was ready for service by the time that war was declared in 1939. The initial design and development process began with three companies providing prototypes for the War Office requirement issued early in 1938 for what was then a new classification of armoured scout car. The three firms who

eventually supplied prototypes were Morris Commercial Cars Ltd., Alvis Ltd. of Coventry, and BSA Cycles Ltd. of Birmingham. Each of the prototypes differed in their approach to the criteria laid down by the War Office, with different solutions to the mechanical layout and transmission systems, but it was the vehicle designed by BSA that was eventually chosen, which was somewhat unexpected given BSA’s lack of experience in the production of armoured vehicles, having previously specialized in motorcycles and the production of small arms. Work on the design began in June 1938 with the prototype being finished by September

THE BRITISH WORLD WAR TWO DAIMLER DINGO SCOUT CAR – A DAIMLER BUILT FOR WAR

the same year and by December 1938 the prototype had completed 10,000 miles worth of testing both on and off road! Despite the successful testing of the BSA vehicle, the War Office modified their requirement to include ‘complete armour protection’ so the hull was modified accordingly and an armoured roof was added to the previously open top design, and as a result of the additional weight required an increase in the power of the engine and strengthening of the suspension system. The remedial work was successfully carried out and in May 1939 the War Office issued an order for 172 vehicles, which would be subsequently be designated as ‘Car, Scout,

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LEFT... The Tank Museum has a restored, running example of the Dingo and it’s seen here during the annual Tankfest show performing for the crowds in the arena.

RIGHT... As with any small scout car, stowage space was at a premium and a number of additional external lockers were fitted as standard to the Dingo, including a full width locker across the front, as shown here.

BELOW... An escape hatch was provided in the left hand side of the hull, but getting out of it in a hurry must have been tricky given the lack of interior space!

Mark I’. The vehicle went into production with another midlands based company that was part of the BSA group, namely Daimler, who had more experience in the production of armoured vehicles and were located just a few miles away in Coventry.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

The hull was constructed of armour plate and sat on a heavy-duty, chassis that was plated over on the bottom to allow the vehicle

to ‘skid’ over some rough terrain. This had the added benefit of enclosing and protecting all of the mechanical components apart from the suspension units. The engine compartment was located at the rear of the hull with a lift off engine cover and louvered vents for cooling, while the central crew compartment was hexagonal in shape to provide optimum ballistic performance as well as making the most of the minimal space within the hull. The crew compartment was also fitted with an opening, two-part armoured roof that could be folded back over the rear of the roof aperture, though this was initially a forward sliding item on very early vehicles that quickly modified when it was found that in the event of a crash the roof

could slide forward and decapitate the crew! Armoured flaps were also provided to the front, side and rear of the crew compartment, which could be raised or lowered to provide additional protection in a combat situation. Due in part to the mechanical layout, the driver was seated to the right of the crew compartment, but sat at an angle with his feet pointing towards the centre of the vehicle and while this may sound like a curious driving position, it was actually easy to adapt to and was done to allow the driver clear views when driving both forward and rearward. The second crewmember sat beside the driver, operating the forward facing machine gun (usually a Bren Gun) or the radio positioned to the rear of the compartment. Motive power for the Dingo came from a 2.5-litre straight six, car derived engine and was coupled to a five-speed fluid flywheel transmission unit that used a Wilson preThe Daimler Dingo served in all operational theatres during the war, including the Western Desert and North West Europe, and as such it’s common to see restored examples in a variety of camouflage schemes.

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It is thought that around one hundred examples of the Dingo survive in museums and private hands, and they are regularly seen at shows and events. (Photo – Simon Thomson)

RIGHT... The tyres on the majority of Dingo’s built were solid, negating the need to carry a spare, but 70 years on getting hold of genuine replacement tyres is very difficult, hence the uncharacteristic tyres on this Dingo.

DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that the Daimler Dingo Scout Car was the subject of a two-part road test feature in the well known motoring magazine ‘The Autocar’ in the April 9th and April 16th 1943 issues, and involved members of the press taking the Daimler Dingo for a spin around an off-road course in the midlands in order that they could sample the superb off-road performance of the Scout Car before offering an in-depth report on the remarkable vehicle. One quote from the article stated: “With mud flying and suspension “bottoming” the cars were hurried over a muddy, bumpy surface more than sufficient to wreck any ordinary car at equivalent speeds.” (You can read more about this is the book ‘WW2 Allied Vehicles Military Portfolio 1939-1945’ published by Brooklands Books.)

selector type gearbox to give five forward and five gears via a transfer box. The Dingo was fully four-wheel drive using a ‘H’ layout with twin propeller shafts either side of the transfer box coupled to a separate spiral bevel final reduction gear for each wheel. The basic layout

of the transmission system was so good that it went on to be modernized and used in the post-war Daimler Ferret Scout Car. The suspension system was of the independent type with steering on all four wheels on the very early variants, and latterly on the front two wheels. The suspension utilized an upper and lower wishbone arrangement with drive to the wheels via tractra joints while the suspension itself was provided by vertical springs with enclosed hydraulic dampers fitted between the upper

wishbone and spring housing attached to the hull, again very similar to that later used on the Ferret Scout Car. Lockheed hydraulic drum brakes were fitted all round and were operated via a tandem master cylinder, with the rear wheels also activated via cables and a hand brake lever to act as the parking brake. Given the lack of internal space, consideration was made for the storage of tools, equipment and the crew’s personal kit on the outside of the vehicle, and to this end a series of stowage bins were fitted to the side

ABOVE... Museum volunteers replace the engine cover having kindly removed it to allow me to take photos of the engine.

RIGHT... The straight six petrol engine used in the Dingo was derived from one of Daimler’s car engines and enabled it to nip along at up to 50mph.

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and front of the hull. A pair of sand channels could also be fitted to the front of the vehicle, attached by two fixing points and ‘tommy bars’ in front of the full width stowage bin. A crew escape hatch was also provided on the left hand side of the hull forward of the stowage bin. The Daimler Dingo was built between 1939 and 1945, with some 6,630 vehicles being produced in a total in five different variants, though the vast majority of the production total was made up from the Mk II and Mk III variants. The Mk I featured the original fourwheel steer system and a sliding steel roof, which was later modified to a folding two-part roof to create the Mk IA, followed by a change to two-wheel, front only steering and the reversal of the airflow cooling to the engine

The small size and relatively low weight of the Dingo has made them a favourite with re-enactors. This example was taking part in the Military Odyssey show some years ago.

ABOVE...

ABOVE...

In this view inside the crew compartment we can see how cramped it was. The bulletproof glass panel for the driver’s visor can be seen, together with two spares stowed on the inside of the hull below.

ABOVE... On the left hand side there’s a small visor for the machine gunner and a small flap to the side of it that allowed the Bren gun to protrude forwards.

ABOVE...

Radio equipment was fitted to the rear of the crew compartment, enabling the crew to send tactical information back to the main force when on the frontline during a scouting mission.

ABOVE...

In this view of the interior we see the gunner’s seat and the machine gun magazine stowage below the front visors.

ABOVE...

Additional fuel or water cans could be stored in cans fixed to the rear wings via racking.

On later models of the Dingo, the two-part armoured steel roof panels were replaced by canvas cover and a seat for the gunner/commander was provided in its place.

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ABOVE... This Dingo retains the two-part, fold down roof panels seen here stowed flat to the rear of the driver. When the roof was replaced by a canvas cover later in production, the rest for the roof was retained and used to fix a small seat pad for use by the commander. Note also the original pattern ‘banana grip’ tyres.

bay that also saw the introduction of inverted ‘V’ cooling louvers to create the Mk IB. The Mk II Dingo retained most of the changes introduced on the Mk IB along with a few additional minor changes, while the Mk III saw the steel roof replaced by a simple canvas cover, the addition of smoke dischargers and

numerous other detail changes. Following the end of the war the Dingo continued to serve with the British Army and many of the Mk IIs were upgraded to Mk III specification in the mid fifties. The Daimler Dingo proved to be a highly successful and well-liked vehicle in service,

FOLKLORE In a curious piece of folklore associated with the Daimler Dingo and its wartime service, it is reputed that the ‘Desert Fox’, Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, only evaded capture by the advancing British forces following his defeat at El Alamein because he had the use of a British Daimler Dingo Scout Car that had been captured by the Germans in an earlier skirmish during the desert war. As such Rommel’s escape went down in folklore and is inextricably linked with the Daimler Dingo Scout Car!

lasting well into the 20th Century before being replaced by the Daimler Ferret, which drew on the experience of the Dingo, improving on some areas, but largely relying on the technology first developed on the battlefield during World War Two. Today around one hundred examples of the Dingo are thought to survive in museums and private hands, and many are a regular sight at military vehicle shows up and down the country, which is where most of the images used in this article were taken.

LEFT... Here we can see the Bren gun protruding through the central flap next to the gunner’s visor.

BELOW LEFT... The Dingo remains a firm favourite with re-enactors and this example was spotted at Tankfest 2014.

BELOW... This example has the two sand channels bolted across the front of the vehicle, it also has a windscreen arrangement to provide some protection for the commander.

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I

Wittmann Tiger Ace

n the aviation world the concept of the ‘ace’ – the hot-shot pilot credited with shooting down an impressive number of enemy aircraft – is well established, and most enthusiasts could probably reel off a list of candidates for the accolade, almost certainly starting with the so-called Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen. However, turn to the average military-vehicle enthusiast and ask for a list of tank aces and, unless well schooled on the subject, it is quite likely that only one name will spring to mind, Michael Wittmann. And he wasn’t even the top-scoring tank ace. That was Kurt Knispel, who was credited with destroying at least 168 enemy tanks during WW2, almost 30 more than Wittmann. But it is Michael Wittmann, despite sitting around the number five position in the tank-kills chart, who is, for reasons that might become clear, the tank equivalent of the legendary Red Baron. Wittmann was born into the farming community of

John Blackman explains that while Michael Wittmann wasn’t the highestscoring tank ace of WW2, he remains the most celebrated

Vogelthal in Bavaria on 22 April 1914. In February 1934 he joined the Freiwilliger Arbeitsdienst (Voluntary Labour Service), a state-sponsored employment organisation, prior to enlisting in the Germany Army in October of the same year. Following a two-year stint during which time Wittmann reached the rank of Gefreiter (Lance Corporal), he joined the Allgemeine-SS and was subsequently accepted as a recruit with 17 Kompanie of the élite Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH) in April 1937. Wittmann’s rank was that of SS-Mann, the equivalent of his former Wehrmacht rank of Gefreiter, and he undertook driver/ crew training on Sd.Kfz. 222 and Sd.Kfz. 232 armoured cars. Promotion to SSSturmmann followed in November 1937 and in March the following year Wittmann’s unit accompanied the LSSAH into Austria

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LEFT... Tiger 222, officially assigned to SS-Unterscharführer Sowa, but believed to have been commandeered by Michael Wittmann for his extraordinary action at Villers-Bocage.

BELOW... Wittmann meeting Adolf Hitler. (Photo - Bundesarchiv, 146-1989-099-15)

ABOVE RIGHT... A poor-quality photo showing Wittmann (left) after having been awarded the Iron Cross Second Class for the 12 July 1941 action during which he destroyed six Soviet T-34/76 tanks.

BELOW LEFT... Michael Wittmann, tank ace and national hero, strikes a pose for the German propaganda machine in 1944.

BELOW... Sturmgeschütz IIIs of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). The Ausf A to E models were all armed with the short-barrelled 7.5cm StuK37 L/24 gun.

following its incorporation into the Reich and then, less than eight months later, into the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. These operations resulted in Wittmann receiving the first two of his many decorations. Yet another promotion – to SSUnterscharführer – preceded Wittmann’s first taste of active combat during the campaign in Poland in September 1939. Clearly his superiors thought highly of his abilities because he was then assigned to a training role with the replacement battalion of the LSSAH. Wittmann’s

On 12 July 1941 they were ordered to move to a vantage point on a hill, designated Point 65.5. On reaching their objective, Wittmann’s gunner, Rottenführer Klinck, spotted 18 enemy tanks approaching in two groups; all or most of them were T-34/76s. One can only imagine the tension among Wittmann’s crew as they faced such odds. They had the element of surprise but were constricted by the StuG’s shortbarrelled 75mm StuK 37 L/24 main gun with its minimal 12 degrees of traverse either side of dead centre, which meant that under most

upwards trajectory continued with a spell at 5 Panzerspähkompanie, an assault gun academy before, in early 1940, being transferred to a newlyformed assault gun battery of the LSSAH equipped with the Sturmgeschütz III Ausf A.

circumstances, the entire vehicle had to move between targets. The StuG’s first shot destroyed the lead T-34/76 and then, after Wittmann’s driver, quickly repositioned the vehicle, a second shot similarly disposed of the next T-34 in line. With their presence revealed to the enemy in the most direct way possible, Wittmann directed the StuG to the edge of a wood, avoiding the badly aimed return fire, and then dismounted to do a quick recce on foot. He spotted three enemy tanks on the crest of a nearby hill and another, much closer, moving towards him along the wood line. Reports conflict as to how this immediate danger was dealt with. Either Wittmann ran back to the StuG and supervised operations or his gunner fired on the closing Soviet tank on his own initiative but, either way, it was soon four-nil to the German crew.

COMBAT EXPERIENCE

Wittmann’s first combat experience as the commander of a tracked armoured vehicle came during Operation Marita, the battle for Greece, a three-week campaign launched on 6 April 1941, after which Wittmann and his unit were withdrawn to refit in Czechoslovakia. His next campaign would be a lot longer and a lot more difficult as Wittmann’s unit was dispatched to the Eastern Front to take part in the invasion of the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa, launched on 22 June 1941. Wittmann and the crew of his StuG III were quick to make their mark.

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TOP... Wittmann’s Tiger 206 pictured here near Morgny en route to Normandy. (Photo - Bundesarchiv, 101I-299-1804-07)

ABOVE... Destroyed halftracks litter the N175 following Wittmann’s extraordinary action. (Photo - Bundersarchiv, 1011-494-3376-23)

BELOW... Nothing but twisted metal left on the N175 in the wake of Wittmann’s charge. (Photo - Bundersarchiv, 1011-738- 0267-21A, Arthur Grimm)

With enemy fire impacting all around it, Wittmann directed his StuG along the edge of the wood and into open terrain with the intention of positioning to attack the three T-34s he had spotted earlier sitting on the top of a small rise, presumably awaiting their companions. Cannily outflanking the trio of enemy tanks, Wittmann got to within 400 yards before putting a shot into the engine compartment of one, which immediately burst into flames. The two remaining T-34s immediately turned to face the threat. The StuG’s second shot hit the lead tank but bounced off the T-34’s thick, sloping frontal armour, but gunner Klink kept a cool head and kept firing until the tank was disabled. In the meantime the third T-34 made good its escape by scooting down the hill and into woods. But

the action wasn’t yet quite over. As Wittmann prepared to head off, the gun on the apparently disabled T-34 slowly cranked around and then let fly with a shot that, fortunately for Wittmann and his crew, hit the StuG’s sloping front armour and ricocheted off. Before the T-34 could fire again, Klinck slammed a well-aimed shot into, setting it on fire and once and for all ending the encounter. As a result of this action, Wittmann was awarded with the Iron Cross, Second Class. As more kills increased his reputation Wittmann went on to receive the Iron Cross, First Class in September 1941 and was promoted to SS-Oberscharführer in October.

TAMING THE TIGER

There isn’t space here to detail the many actions in which Wittmann was involved, however, due to his exceptional achievements, he was accepted into the SS-Junkerschule, Bad Tölz, the officers’ training school for the Waffen-SS, in June 1942. After six months of intensive training, Wittmann was posted to PanzerErsatz und Ausbildungs-Abteilung 500 (Heavy Panzer Replacement and Training Battalion 500) in Paderborn with the rank of SS-Untersturmführer. From there he was transferred to Ploërmel in Northern France, where he commenced training with Germany’s most formidable tank, the Panzerkampfwagen VI, Sd.Kfz. 181, Tiger 1.

Despite having successfully completed his Tiger training, when Wittmann – now assigned to the 4 Schwere (heavy) Kompanie of the 1st SS Regiment LSSAH – returned to the Eastern Front in January 1942, he was put in command of the light platoon which was equipped with five Panzer III Ausf Js and tasked with protecting the company’s Tigers against closerange threats. It wasn’t until April 1943 that Wittmann received his own Tiger, turret number 411, and took command of the company’s third platoon. Wittmann went on to take part in Operation Zitadelle, launched on 5 July 1943, and the Battle of Kursk, increasing his tally of kills enormously. A break in Italy followed, but in the autumn of 1943 Wittmann’s unit, now 13 Schwere Kompanie, became the basis of a new panzer battalion, Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101, and was deployed to Ukraine. The bitter fighting on the Eastern Front continued through the rest of 1943 with Wittmann’s tally of kills moving ever upwards. He was finally recommended for the Knight’s Cross on 10 January 1943 and, astonishingly, in the four days between the recommendation being made and Wittmann actually receiving it, he is credited with destroying another 22 tanks, bringing his total up to 88. By the end of January he hit his century and, on 2 February 1944, personally received from Hitler Oakleaves to his Knight’s Cross. In addition to being

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awarded the coveted Oakleaves, Wittmann was also promoted to the rank of SS-Obersturmführer and appointed commander of 2 Kompanie, Schwere SS-PanzerAbteilung 101. Wittmann had become the most successful and celebrated tank commander of the war thus far and on returning home early in 1944 found himself the darling of the Nazi propaganda machine and fêted by his comrades and countrymen as a national hero. It has been said that he was a modest man, uncomfortable with all the attention and adulation, but the Wittmann legend had yet to reach its peak. Following the Allied landings on Normandy on 6 June 1944, Wittmann’s unit moved from its base near Gournay-en-Bray, between Rouen and Beauvais, towards Normandy. It was a perilous journey, and by the time they arrived in the Bayeux/Villers-Bocage area over the night of 12/13 June the unit had been reduced to five or six serviceable Tigers by marauding Allied aircraft and maintenance issues. On the morning of 13 June 1944, Wittmann and the few serviceable Tigers at his disposal were positioned just north-east of Villers-Bocage close to the N175, the main road to Caen. Wittmann’s command post was a mere 150 yards from the strategically important Hill 213 and while there he was informed that unfamiliar vehicles were moving on the road. On investigating, Wittmann spotted what turned out to be the lead element of

the 4th County of London Yeomanry (4CLY), part of the 22nd Armoured Brigade of the 7th Armoured Division. Having taken Villers-Bocage, 4CLY’s commanding officer, Lt Colonel Arthur, the Viscount Cranleigh, would have preferred to have conducted a proper reconnaissance before continuing his advance towards Hill 213 and Caen. However, he was ordered to push forward without delay and did so, unaware of the handful of Tigers in his path. Although an enticing target, the Allied column presented Wittmann with a dilemma. If he radioed for assistance, the transmission would have been immediately intercepted and the enemy alerted. On the other hand, despite his forces being depleted, he had to do something otherwise the Allies would roll through to Caen virtually unopposed. ‘The decision was a very, very difficult one,’ Wittmann was later to say. ‘Never before had I been so impressed by the strength of the enemy as I was by those tanks rolling by. But I knew it absolutely had to be, and I decided to strike out into the enemy.’ As his own Tiger was out of commission, Wittmann first ran to the nearest machine to him, SS-Unterscharführer Stief’s 234, but the engine malfunctioned so he quickly abandoned it and climbed aboard the next available Tiger, SS-Unterscharführer Sowa’s 222… at least that is the presumption we will make. Historians and enthusiasts have debated the true

identity of the Tiger Wittmann commandeered at Villers-Bocage at length. While we know it was ‘Sowa’s tank’ from firsthand accounts, and we know that 222 was officially Sowa’s assigned mount, we also know that breakdowns and reliability issues led to a certain amount of ‘tank hopping’ by commanders. Therefore Sowa may or may not have been in 222 on that particular day. But, rather than let the issue deflect us from the heart of the story, let us for the sake of argument accept that 222 became Wittmann’s mount. He later described what happened next: ‘I had no time to assemble my company. Instead I had to act quickly as I had to assume that the enemy had already spotted me and would destroy me where I stood. I set off with one tank and passed the order to the others not to retreat a single step but to hold their ground. “Driving up to the column I surprised the English as much as they had me. I first knocked out two tanks

ABOVE... Untersturmführer Michael Wittmann (second left) and his Tiger I Ausf E crew after being presented with the Knight’s Cross by SSObersturmbannführer Joachim Peiper (far left) on 14 January 1944. The rings marked on the barrel of the tank’s 88mm gun indicate the total number of kills, which at the time of this photograph stood at 88.

BELOW... A camouflaged SS Schwere Pz Abt 101 Tiger in Normandy where operational conditions were entirely different to those encountered on the Eastern Front.

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This Cromwell commanded by Lt John Cloudsley-Thompson was knocked out on the Rue Georges Clémenceau in Villers-Bocage. All of the crew escaped. (Photo -Bundersarchiv)

from the right of the column, then one from the left, then turned about to the left and attacked the armoured troopcarrier battalion in the middle of the armoured regiment. I drove towards the rear half of the column, knocking ABOVE... out every tank that Two Cromwells knocked out during the battle at Villers-Bocage, one of came towards me as many famous actions in which Michael Wittmann took part. (Photo -Bundersarchiv) I went. The enemy was thrown into BELOW... total confusion.” The grave of Wittmann and his crew in the German war cemetery at La “I then drove Cambe, near Bayeux. straight into the town of Villers, getting to approximately the centre before I was hit by an anti-tank gun and my tank disabled. Without further ado I fired at and destroyed everything around me that I could reach. I had lost radio contact and was unable to summon my company, which was out of sight. I then decided to abandon the tank. We took all the weapons we could carry but didn’t destroy the tank as I believed we could regain possession of it.” The events of that morning in and around the town of Villers-Bocage when Michael Wittmann seized the initiative and almost single-handedly halted the British advance, himself disposing of around two-dozen British armoured vehicles (sources differ), elevated his stature to that of a national hero. According to the application for the award of the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords made

on Wittmann’s behalf by LSSAH commander, Sepp Dietrich, the action brought the ace’s score to 138 enemy tanks destroyed. But Wittmann’s good fortune would not last much longer. On 8 August 1944, Anglo-Canadian forces launched Operation Totalize with the aim of securing the high ground that dominated the town of Falaise, and Kurt Meyer of the 12th SS Panzer Division, ordered elements of his command to counterattack. Among this scratch force were a handful of Tigers from Wittmann’s 2 Kompanie, SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101. Although Wittmann had faced seemingly impossible odds before and prevailed, on this day his luck was to run out. However, the exact circumstances of his death are clouded in controversy. The most readily acceptable version of events has Wittmann and the entire crew of Tiger 007 killed by a round fired by Trooper Joe Ekins from a Sherman Firefly of 3 Troop, A Squadron, 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry. Other theories abound but what is not in doubt is that an internal explosion blew Tiger 007 asunder, instantly killing Wittmann and his crew. They were initially buried in an unmarked grave, but in 1983, the German war graves commission located the burial site and Wittmann and his crew were reinterred together at the German war cemetery at La Cambe in France. We’ll be taking a look at that controversial action and Trooper Joe Ekins in a future issue. For now it only remains to point out that despite his being a member of an elite SS unit and having reportedly joined the Nazi Party, Michael Wittmann’s biographers do not suggest that he was what one might call steeped in Nazi doctrine. He was undoubtedly a patriot with remarkable ability in the field of tank warfare, but it was SS-Obergruppenführer Josef ‘Sepp’ Dietriche who probably summed up Wittmann best when he said: ‘He was a fighter in every way; he lived and breathed action.’

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SHO W R E P O RT 20 14

WARTIME

IN THE VALE

The normally quiet Worcestershire countryside was rocked by several explosions in late June – the culprit, the region’s largest military vehicle show! ABOVE... The appearance of this LVT4 Water Buffalo was much anticipated, but a protracted customs import process meant that the owners and organizers of the show weren’t actually sure it would make it to the show!

S

ince its inception, Wartime in the Vale has grown in stature as a military vehicle show despite an increasingly crowded show calendar and has matured into what is now arguably the largest military vehicle show in the South Midlands area, attracting a large and fascinating collection of vehicles each year. Each year the organizers strive to include

something new to tempt in the crowds and this year was no different with hopes that a particularly rare newcomer to our shores would appear, but more of that later. Ashdown Camp, owned by Bob James and home to the South Midlands Area MVT once again played host to the show, with the replica wartime military camp the

focus of attention on the large green field site. Over the years the camp has grown in size dramatically, and now boasts numerous original Nissen huts, air raid shelters and buildings, not to mention the iconic watchtower and all manner of exhibits dotted around the site. For 2014 a new 1940’s Post Office/ shop and wartime Privy (yes you read that right) were added, all of

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which has seen Ashdown Camp more than double in size since first being created, and makes for a fantastic setting for the many re-enactors attending this popular show, not to mention the setting for various films and TV programmes and a historical site of education for local schools. As with many shows this year, the event commemorated the 100th Anniversary of the start of the First World War and the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings, with vehicles representing both eras present at the show. The WW1 Albion first seen at last year’s show was back again,

ABOVE LEFT... Ashdown Camp’s watchtower has now become an iconic symbol of the wartime military camp and is seen here with the Albion and Model T Ford ambulance in the foreground.

ABOVE... This 1943 ex-military FWD SU COE truck was one of the rare wartime era vehicles at the show, and like so many ex-military trucks, had been converted for civilian use.

BELOW LEFT... The 1916 Albion A10 belonging to Mark Farrall made a return visit to the Wartime in the Vale show, taking the 18-pounder gun crew to the arena. The mud on the truck was a left over from film work, and for a change the show enjoyed superb weather.

While the Jeep wasn’t period to the LVT4, it did give visitors an opportunity to see how the rear loading ramp worked on this surprisingly large amphibian dating from WW2.

The 100th Anniversary of the start of the First World War was commemorated with a number of WW1 era vehicles at the show along with this superb example of the 18-pounder, which was fired at noon.

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The variety of vehicles at the show was impressive, with everything from classic cars and tanks to softskins and armoured vehicles, including this superb example of the M3A1 White Scout Car.

albeit looking less pristine and covered in mud thanks to the set designers on a film in which it recently took part! A Model T Ford Ambulance was another WW1 newcomer, while the 18-pounder was back once again and joined forces with the 25-pounders of

The Garrison to perform the Noon day gun ceremony in the arena. The star of the show was undoubtedly the extremely rare LVT4 Water Buffalo belonging to Charles Brittain-Jones, which made its first appearance at the show since being brought

into the country following a lengthy import process. It was that import process that led to the uncertainty as to whether it would make the show, but thankfully the paperwork was duly sorted and it arrived for the show with hours to spare! The vehicle is now only the

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The presence of the waltzing CVR(T)s of the Alvis Fighting Vehicle Society at the show ensured that the show would go with a bang!

TOP RIGHT... Sadly due to family commitments, the LVT4 only ran in the arena on the Sunday, but it was well worth the wait. (Photo courtesy – Tim Gosling)

ABOVE RIGHT... There were several examples of the Morris-Commercial CS8 at the show, this 1941 example belonged to Nick Sawyer and is seen here touring the arena for the crowds in the uncharacteristic sunshine!

RIGHT... Another of the superb wartime era vehicles that took to the arena was the Humber FWD 8cwt dating from 1942 and belonging to Julian Mitchell.

second of its type in the UK, the only other being in the Tank Museum, Bovington, and that one doesn’t run! Sadly due to family commitments the LVT4 only ran on the Sunday, but it still attracted many an admiring glance from onlookers whilst on static display with the rear ramp lowered and a Jeep positioned on it, and when it took to the arena on the Sunday the cameras were certainly clicking. For a change the weather was actually summery, with blazing

sunshine all weekend, a vast improvement over the rain the show has suffered with over the past couple of years, and the relief on the organizers faces was clear to see! The fine weather also ensured a good turn out of stall holders, selling everything from uniforms and militaria to vintage clothing and toys, not to mention the MVT club stand, numerous charities and Cherished Vehicle Insurance, one of the key sponsors of the show this year.

BELOW LEFT... The Norton Big 4 combination is a rare beast, and this beautifully restored example was spotted in the arena at the show, along with a whole host of other wartime motorcycles.

BELOW... Of the many Land Rovers in attendance, this pair of genuine ex-SAS Pink Panther Series IIa’s was definitely the most colourful.

BELOW RIGHT... The Hummer is still comparatively rare in private hands, mainly due to their high cost, but there were two at the show.

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Steve Curtis’s M9 half-track had recently undergone some further restoration work, but those eyes were a work of genius and certainly kept the kids both big and little amused!

ABOVE... As one might expect there was a good selection of wartime Dodges to be found, including this fine example of the Command Car.

LEFT... Keith Brigstock’s ‘The Garrison’ was in attendance with three of their 25-pounders, and one of them joined the 18-pounder in the arena to sound the Noon day gun.

ABOVE/RIGHT... The Spitfire and Hurricane of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight paid a visit, as did a Gloster Meteor from nearby Coventry.

While Saturday is traditionally the quieter of the two days for any show, due in part to families doing their shopping and the like, Saturday (when I attended) was far from quiet, but I was told by those who were there on the Sunday that the organizers ended up having to open overflow car parks to cope with the numbers of visitors coming to the show, which is great news for the event. I’ve been attending this show since it first

started as a germ of an idea and have seen it mature into an excellent event that has enough diversity to attract large numbers of visitors, but like any outdoor event (with the possible exception of Glastonbury?) it depends on good weather to ensure it’s a success and while the organizers haven’t always been that lucky in that department, thankfully this year was blessed with plenty of sunshine and was no doubt a huge success. As for next year, my fingers are already crossed for good weather!

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THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS Tim Gosling looks at some of the vehicles used to transport men and machines in the Middle East during WW1 ABOVE... Ready to begin an epic journey from Egypt, through the Sinai desert, Palestine and into Syria is this line up of newly arrived Peerless trucks and Model T ambulances.

LEFT... Describing themselves as the “Alexandria Sporting Club” these “stout fellows” (as described by Massey) were photographed with this Peerless TC4 which has been fitted with a radiator guard.

I

n April 1915 the British War Office banned all officers and enlisted men from taking photographs or even possessing cameras whilst serving in the field. As a result private photographs of the war are very rare. The exception to this appears to have been during the campaign in the Middle East. It maybe because the rules were less strictly enforced there than on the Western Front, or as the campaign took place over such a great distance those with cameras just got away with it. Whatever the reason, I have over the years acquired a large number of private photographs, which were taken on the road from Alexandria to Damascus. These range from the occasional photograph or postcard, series of photographs taken

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ABOVE... In Alexandria a column of 43 Peerless trucks has been prepared and looks ready to leave for Palestine.

ABOVE RIGHT... About to begin the journey across the Sinai desert the easy way are these Model T ambulances which have been loaded on to Egyptian State Railway (ESR) railway wagons.

ABOVE... Crossing the Suez Canal on a ferry are two Holt 75 gun tractors on railway wagons. The same ferry was still in service during WW2.

BELOW... Working at Alexandria docks this Peerless is transporting rubber tyres. It is interesting to see that this Peerless has the later pattern cast aluminium radiator as opposed to the brass ones which had a habit of cracking.

ABOVE... Eight of these Mk I tanks were landed in Egypt and were used in the 2nd battle for Gaza. Being towed by a Holt 75 tractor the sponsons on the tank have been removed for ease of transportation.

RIGHT... This photograph shows an Army Service Corps “Heavy Repair Unit” rebuilding trucks which had recently arrived in Alexandria. The ship that these trucks were on had been torpedoed by the Germans, causing much of the cargo to be submerged in seawater.

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LEFT... By the time of the Armistice the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (excluding the RAF) had 617 touring cars in service. They were mostly Vauxhall D Types and Sunbeam T12/16hp like this one.

throughout the campaign, to a complete photograph album with the (rather appropriate) words “sunny memories” written on the front. The images comprise pictures of British soldiers, desolate landscapes, the “locals”, the occasional “pin-up” but most common are pictures of the cars, tractors and trucks used in this epic journey. The quality of these photographs is not always good, in fact, in many cases they are very poor, however, those that are left offer an interesting insight into what is now a largely forgotten campaign.

SINAI CAMPAIGN

In August 1914 Turkey (or as it was then known the “Ottoman Empire”) allied itself

with Germany. The Ottoman Empire had been established since the 14th century and controlled much of the Middle East including Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Britain who had troops in Egypt was only too aware of the importance of the Suez Canal and promptly declared Egypt to be a protectorate. Between Palestine and Egypt is the very inhospitable Sinai desert. Just in from the coast is the only road across the desert along which there are several small towns and oasis. In January 1915 Ottoman troops supported by Germans launched an unsuccessful attack across the Sinai on the Suez. Not having enough resources available to chase the Ottomans

back across the desert the British set up defences along the canal and awaited developments. Further skirmishes would follow and despite Allied cavalry destroying wells to deny drinking water to the enemy the Germans and Ottomans attacked the town of Romani just east of the Suez in August 1916. However, the evacuation of large numbers of Allied troops from Gallipoli to Egypt had now given the Allies a numerical advantage. The newly formed Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) defeated the Ottomans at Romani, and over the next seven Months drove them back across the Sinai desert into Palestine. But in doing so the EEF now had a very long supply line to maintain.

CATERPILLARS IN THE DESERT

As the Allies advanced across the Sinai they were supplied primarily by Camel transport. There was comparatively little motor transport in Egypt at the time and most of that was working in the ports. With only the one road crossing the Sinai motor trucks would have found it difficult to provide all of the supplies necessary to maintain the campaign. The Royal Engineers had started constructing a water pipeline and a railway across the desert with camels transporting supplies from the everadvancing railhead to the front line. To help

A Holt 75 is hauling a captured German gun up the Jericho road. Blocks of stone have been placed along the road as markers to keep vehicles away from the edge, which might collapse under the weight.

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carry the heavier equipment or tow artillery American built Holt caterpillars were used. These large 75hp machines had the appearance of a half-track with the solitary wheel at the front used for steering. They were used to tow two large tracked trailers at a ponderous speed across the desert. With no great inclines to slow them down and no hard surfaces to cause vibration these machines were unstoppable. One observer commented “one was never surprised to hear the low clatter of a Holt convoy coming for miles across the level sand and then perhaps more than an hour later to see the head of the column slowly making its way forward into the vacant country ahead”. At the start of the campaign there were just six of these Holts at work, but by the time the armistice was declared two years later this number had risen to 281.

PALESTINE CAMPAIGN

In January 1917 the Allies under General Murray crossed into Palestine. The roads here were much better than those in the Sinai and were suitable for lorries. Vehicles (including eight Mk I tanks) were now being landed from ships in Alexandria and Port Said, loaded onto railway wagons, taken across the Suez Canal on an improvised ferry and unloaded near

The road from Jerusalem to Jericho had a deadly reputation. With the edge of the road prone to collapse these two columns of Albion A10 trucks will have difficulty passing each other.

the Palestine border. The new trucks arriving were predominantly Model T Fords (used as vans, ambulances and cars) Albion A10’s and the American built Peerless TC4. Other vehicles which arrived in lesser number were the 3-ton and the 30cwt Daimler lorries as well as many hundreds of “touring cars” and motorcycles. In March 1917 the allies attacked the city of Gaza but withdrew just before achieving victory. A second attack occurred in April and despite using tanks the allies were driven back suffering heavy casualties. Following this was a period of entrenchment until October 1917 when the Ottomans were defeated at Beersheba. The Ottomans started a general withdrawal and on 9 December 1917 Jerusalem was captured. The EEF now under the control of General Allenby continued the advance into Palestine and into Jordan capturing the city of Jericho in February 1918. At the time of the Romans the road from Jerusalem to Jericho had the rather discouraging name of “The way of blood”. Nearly 2,000 years later the reason why it had this name became apparent to the British Army truck drivers. The road dropped about 4,000 feet in 15 miles. It comprised almost constant hairpin bends and in some places it was built into the cliff edge with a 200 feet vertical drop to help concentrate the drivers mind. In some places the road was supported by stone walls and buttresses but under the weight of a fully laden truck or a Holt, these occasionally collapsed casting the vehicle down into the

valley. This happened more than a few times and drivers were ordered not to get closer than three feet of the edge (not that they needed ordering). The road was so dangerous that in places the Royal Engineers (using local labour) either dismantled and rebuilt the walls and buttresses supporting the old road or built new roads to run alongside. With the railheads falling further behind and Northern Palestine and the city of Damascus being the next objectives the motor transport was being worked harder than ever before. At the end of the campaign there would be 1,579 lorries and 670 vans in service. The lorries were predominantly the three ton chain drive Albion and Peerless both of which had exposed drive chains which would have picked up sand and dust at a prodigious rate causing the drive sprockets to wear. There was great difficulty in obtaining replacement parts. So much so that the Army Service Corps had to repair or make what they required in their own workshops with Egyptian engineering firms being contracted to make some crucial parts which could not be obtained quickly enough from Britain. The life expectancy of a solid lorry tire is normally 10,000 miles, but this was reduced to 2,000 in this harsh environment and on one particularly rough route they were found to be

BELOW... Two Holt 75’s towing artillery pieces as they approach Jerusalem. The 23-litre engine in the Holt had a prodigious thirst for fuel especially when towing heavy loads such as these. (Photo - US library of Congress)

ABOVE... The driver of this Holt must have nerves of steel as he takes two 6-inch howitzers down the Jericho road. There are plenty of hands ready to apply the brakes to the guns however.

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Stuck in the mud by the Sea of Galilee this mired Peerless unusually has metal spoke rear wheels. Peerless trucks were supplied with wooden wheels but these suffered from shrinkage in the hot climate.

BELOW... The Peerless was the most numerous of the British three-ton trucks in this campaign. This one looks to be in very good condition and is probably a recent arrival in Egypt.

ABOVE... A rather dusty Peerless in Palestine. The driver recorded that he was quite put out by the Arabs demand to be paid to appear in the photograph.

worn out after just 570 miles! Replacing them required the use of a hydraulic press. This was a particularly large piece of equipment to set up and dismantle so two of these presses were set up on captured German trucks and moved around as needed.

END OF THE ROAD

The German Spring offensive on the Western Front overshadowed the Palestinian campaign

and diverted men and resources away from General Allenby. General Allenby reorganised his forces and then launched an attack against the Ottomans at Megiddio, which resulted in their defeat and ultimately driving them out of Palestine and headlong into Syria. The EEF advanced with the trucks of the Army Service Corps following behind. The Ottomans had lost the enthusiasm for fighting and on the 1st October 1918 12,000 troops surrendered in Damascus to the Australian Light Horse. The renowned war correspondent WT Massey commented that the day after Damascus surrendered British

Army lorries were in the city dropping off supplies and collecting prisoners for the return journey. The city of Aleppo fell on the 25th October, and the Ottoman Empire surrendered on the 1st November. The surrender did not bring an end to the work of the truck drivers. The ports of Beirut, Haifa, and Alexandretta were opened and until the captured railways could be put back into service the burden of transporting supplies to the men of the EEF remained with the drivers of the Army Service Corps. Massey described the drivers as “Stout fellows” and that “the pride and care they take in their vehicles has materially helped in the smooth and efficient running of the convoys”.

LEFT... The British driver of this captured German Benz was rather pleased with his find and wrote home to his family describing the car in glowing terms.

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HEER 2011 Pt.2 In the second part of his feature on the modern German Army, Carl Schulze looks at the types of Forces involved

The Bergepanzer 3 Büffel armoured recovery vehicle is based on the Leopard 2 MBT chassis. For operations in Afghanistan the Bundeswehr upgraded four of the vehicles to Bergepanzer 3A1 Büffel standard, one of which is shown here. Major modifications included fitting a mine protection kit and an add-on armour package. A Kleinfluggerät Zielortung (KZO) unmanned aerial vehicle is launched for a night reconnaissance mission in Afghanistan. The all-weather UAV in service with the battalions of the Aufklärungstruppe has an operational range of 65km and a possible operational duration of 3.5 hours.

U

nder the reorientation of the Bundeswehr and the subsequently established Heer 2011 structure, some major capabilities were transferred from the Heer to other branches of the Bundeswehr. The ABC Abwehrtruppe NBC defence force was transferred to the Streitkräftebasis (SKB) joint support services command. In addition the Heeresflugabwehrtruppe army air defence force has been disbanded, its tasks now performed by Luftwaffe assets. Major changes were also conducted within the Heeresflieger army air corps. They handed over their CH-53G and CH-53G CS medium transport helicopter fleet to the Luftwaffe in order to allow the air force to establish an end-to-end strategic and tactic air transport support chain and also allow the service to conduct Forward Air Medical and Search and Rescue missions. As a result of this under the new structure the Heer will only comprise the following types of forces, each one described separately in the following sections. The inactive or partly inactive units mentioned above are manned by reservists which guarantees that deployments can be sustained for a longer period of time, especially if the German territory or that of an ally has to be defended.

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The armoured engineer companies use the Minenräumpanzer Keiler flail mine clearing vehicle to breach minefields. The flail system of the vehicle clears a 4.7m wide path. During the clearing process mines buried up to 250mm deep under the surface are either thrown out of the way, destroyed or detonated.

TOP RIGHT... The LUNA (Luftgestützte Unbemannte Nahaufklärungs-Ausstattung) UAV is launched with a rubber band catapult. The UAV has an operational range of 50km and can be fitted with sensor packages that contain different day color or thermal imaging cameras.

ABOVE RIGHT... The ALADIN (Abbildende Luftgestützte Aufklärungsdrohne im Nächstbereich) UAV has a take-off weight of 3.2kg, a wingspan of 1,460mm and is 1,530mm long. It has an operational range of 5km and a flight duration of up to 30 minutes.

RIGHT... Among other UAVs the Aufklärungstruppe fields the MikroAufklärungsdrohne im Ortsbereich (MIKADO) mini UAV. The UAV has a take-off weight of 1.3kg, is 240mm high and measures 1,000mm in diameter. The UAV has an operational range of 1,000m and can stay in the air for up to 20 minutes.

Since 2000 the Heer has fielded the Allschutz-Transportfahrzeug (ATF) Dingo 1 protected patrol vehicle that is based on the chassis of the U1550L Unimog truck. The ATF Dingo 1 was followed by the ATF Dingo 2, which entered service in 2005 and is based on the chassis of the U5000 Unimog. Our picture shows an ATF Dingo 2 GE A3.2. The vehicle is fitted with a FLW 100 remote controlled weapon station.

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JÄGERTRUPPE

The Jägertruppe is the light infantry force of the Heer. Its units are earmarked for operations in built-up areas, fighting in woods and forests and other difficult terrain. They are also trained to conduct heliborne operations. The Transportpanzer FUCHS wheeled APC and the Gepanzertes Transportkraftfahrzeug GTK Boxer multi role combat vehicle, are both used in several different variants in addition to small arms and light anti-tank weapons the major weapon systems. The Jägertruppe comprises the following battalions: Jägerbataillon 1 (Schwarzenborn), Jägerbataillon 91 (Rotenburg), Jägerbataillon 413 (Torgelow), Jägerbataillon 291 (Illkirch, France), the Jägerbataillon 292 (Donaueschingen) and Jägerbataillon 921 (Schwarzenborn, inactive). The battalions of the Jägertruppe are structured into an HQ and Support Company, three light infantry companies and a fire support company. An exception to this rule is Jägerbataillon 291 of the Franco-German Brigade, which has a reconnaissance company assigned instead of a fire support company.

PANZERTRUPPE

The Panzertruppe provides the armoured fist of the Bundeswehr. In operations of low or medium intensity the Panzertruppe can be used as a means of controlled force escalation or de-escalation. Equipped with variants of the Leopard 2 the Panzertruppe combines armour protection, high mobility and firepower. The Panzertruppe consists of the following tank battalions: Panzerlehrbataillon 93 (Munster), Panzerbataillon 414

BELOW... With the Schwimmschnellbrücke Amphibie M3 amphibious bridging rigs a 100m long MLC 70 bridge can be built in 20 minutes. The vehicles can also be used to build ferries. The rigs themselves each have a combat weight of 26,000kg and have a crew of three.

The Spähwagen Fennek light armoured reconnaissance vehicle is employed by the Aufklärungsbataillone. The vehicle is powered by a 6-cylinder Deutz BF 6M2013C diesel engine that develops 177 kW and allows it to reach a top speed of 115km/h. The Beobachtungs- und Aufklärungsausstattung (BAA) sensor package features a rotatable sensor head and can be elevated to a height of 3,380mm. It includes an OPHELIOS thermal imaging system, a MOLEM eye-safe laser range finder and a black and white daylight CCD camera.

(Munster, inactive), Panzerbataillon 203 (Augustdorf), Panzerbataillon 104 (Pfreimd), Panzerbataillon 393 (Bad Salzungen) and Gebirgspanzerbataillon 8 (Pfreimd, inactive). The battalions are structured into an HQ and Support Company and four tank companies. In total the Heer will operate a fleet of 225 MBTs, namely this will be 155 Leopard 2A6 MBTs, 50 Leopard 2A6M MBTs with improved mine protection and 20 Leopard 2A7 MBTs optimized for operations in urban areas.

PANZERGRENADIERTRUPPE

The Panzergrenadiertruppe is the mechanized infantry force of the Heer, Panzergrenadiere with their armoured infantry fighting vehicles fight in close cooperation with the MBTs of the armoured battalions. When deployed the Panzergrenadiere operate in quick succession mounted and dismounted, and support the armoured forces with infantry capabilities. The troops also can fight in built-up areas and woods and forests. Under the Heer 2011 structure the Panzergrenadiertruppe consists of the following battalions: Panzergrenadierbataillon 33 (Neustadt am Rübenberge), Panzergrenadierlehrbataillon 92 (Munster), Panzergrenadierbataillon 112 (Regen), Panzergrenadierbataillon 122 (Oberviechtach),

Panzergrenadierbataillon 212 (Augustdorf), Panzergrenadierbataillon 371 (Marienberg), Panzergrenadierbataillon 391 (Bad Salzungen), Panzergrenadierbataillon 401 (Hagenow), Panzergrenadierbataillon 411 (Viereck), Panzergrenadierbataillon 908 (Viereck, inactive) and Panzergrenadierbataillon 909 (Marienberg, inactive). The battalions are structured into an HQ and support company and three combat companies. Currently the main weapon system of the Panzergrenadiertruppe are the Schützenpanzer Marder 1A3 and Schützenpanzer Marder 1A5 armoured infantry fighting vehicles, the latter features improved mine protection. Once available 342 Schützenpanzer Puma armoured infantry fighting vehicles will replace the current fleet of AIFVs.

FALLSCHIRMJÄGERTRUPPE

The Fallschirmjägertruppe airborne force provides the core of the specialised operation forces of the Heer. The force is a highly mobile one and trained to conduct airborne operations, non-combatant evacuation operations, rapid initial entry operations and operations deep behind enemy lines. The bulk of the equipment of the units of the Fallschirmjägertruppe can be airlifted, inserted by parachute drop and or deployed by transport helicopters. The

RIGHT... The Faltstraßengerät trackway laying system is used by the engineers to reinforce soft ground or existing roads so that they can support the weight of heavy vehicles passing over them. The vehicle is based on an MAN Kat I A1 15t mil gl truck and the trackway has a length of 50m, taking approximately ten minutes to deploy.

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BELOW... The Pionierpanzer 2A1 Dachs armoured engineer vehicle is the Swiss Army knife of the engineers of the Heer and is fielded by every armoured engineer company. It is fitted with a dozer blade with ripper tooth, an excavator arm with hoe dipper, a recovery winch and cutting and welding equipment.

ABOVE... The Brückenlegepanzer Biber armoured bridge layer is employed by the armoured engineer companies. With its horizontally laid bridge the vehicle can bridge gaps up to 20m wide. Here the vehicle can be seen launching its bridge.

Fallschirmjägertruppe is structured into the Luftlandebrigade 1 based in Lebach, which in addition to its brigade units comprises the Fallschirmjägerregiment 26 (Zweibrücken) and the Fallschirmjägerregiment 31 (Seedorf). The Fallschirmjägerregiment 26 is structured into an HQ and Support Company, four airborne infantry companies, an airborne fire support company, a medium airborne logistic company and an airborne medical company. The Fallschirmjägerregiment 31 is structured into an HQ and Support Company, six airborne infantry companies, an airborne fire support company, a heavy airborne logistic company and an airborne medical company. Among other vehicles the airborne forces employ the Einsatzfahrzeug Spezialisierte Kräfte (ESK) Mungo airborne forces vehicle, the Bv 206 S over-snow and all-terrain vehicle in different variants, the Waffenträger Wiesel 1 airborne weapon carrier in variants fitted with the TOW anti-tank guided missile system or the 20mm MK 20 automatic cannon and the Wiesel 2 in variants as command post vehicle, ambulance, engineer reconnaissance vehicle and so on.

GEBIRGSJÄGERTRUPPE

consists of an HQ and support company, three mountain infantry companies and a fire support company. Mobility for the Gebirgsjägerbataillon 231 is provided by Gepanzerte Transportkraftfahrzeuge GTK Boxer multi role combat vehicles while the other two battalions field a mix of Bv 206 D and Bv 206 S over-snow and all-terrain vehicles, the Bv 206 S being lightly armoured. Also part of the Gebirgsjägertruppe is the Einsatz-Ausbildungszentrum Tragtierwesen pack animal centre. Based at Bad Reichenhall the unit fields a mix of 54 Haflinger horses and mules.

PIONIERTRUPPE

The Pioniertruppe engineer force supports the Heer with the following major engineer support tasks: enhancing the mobility of own forces, enhancing the survivability and sustainability of the forces, slowing down enemy forces. Under the new Heer 2011 structure all Counter IED, EOD and Route Clearance capabilities of the Bundeswehr are merged within the Pioniertruppe. Within the structure of the engineers the capability for building tactical infrastructure in order to allow the sustainment of operations has been raised. The engineer support is mainly

The Gebirgsjägertruppe mountain infantry is specially trained and equipped to fight in difficult terrain under extreme climatic condition, first of all high mountains, but The Eagle IV protected mobility vehicle is also the arctic and fielded by the Bundeswehr as command jungle. Fighting in urban and liaison vehicle, patrol vehicle and terrain also belongs to mobile medical team vehicle. Eagle IVs are also employed with a wide range of the capabilities of the special mission kits fitted to them such mountain infantry who as a gun shot detection system. Here an is also trained in the use Eagle IV in the command vehicle version of skis and snowshoes. can be seen deployed in Afghanistan. Elements of the mountain infantry are prepared and trained to support the special operations forces of the Heer. The Gebirgsjägertruppe consists of the following three battalions: Gebirgsjägerbataillon 231 (Bad Reichenhall), Gebirgsjägerbataillon 232 (Bischofswiesen) and Gebirgsjägerbataillon 233 (Mittenwald). The battalions are equally structured and each

provided by the six engineer battalions on brigade level, which are Panzerpionierbataillon 1 (Holzminden), Panzerpionierbataillon 4 (Bogen), Panzerpionierbataillon 130 (Minden), Panzerpionierbataillon 701 (Gera), Panzerpionierbataillon 803 (Havelberg) und Gebirgspionierbataillon 8 (Ingolstadt). The structures of the battalions differ according to the brigade they are assigned, but all battalions feature an HQ and support company, at least one combat engineer company and at least one armoured engineer company. In case of the Gebirgspionierbataillon a second combat engineer company is available and both are trained and equipped for mountain warfare. In case of other battalions a second combat engineer company or armoured engineer company exists. One battalion also features an amphibious company equipped with the Schwimmschnellbrücke Amphibie M3 amphibious bridging rigs and a flotation bridge company equipped with the Faltschwimmbrücke FSB 2 ribbon bridge. The independent Panzerpionierkompanie 550 (Immendingen) armoured engineer company provides engineer support to the Franco-

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RIGHT... To improve counter IED capabilities of the engineers of the Heer the development and fielding of a new Route Clearance Package (RCP) is in progress with some of the components of the system being fielded with the German forces deployed to Afghanistan. Our picture shows the remote controlled Wiesel 1 based Detektorfahrzeug detection vehicle fitted with ground penetrating radar and a metal detector.

German Brigade while the independent Luftlandepionierkompanie 270 airborne engineer company provides engineer support for the Luftlandebrigade 1. The latter is equipped with light engineer equipment, of which the bulk can be air dropped or air lifted. Mobility for the combat engineers is provided by Transportpanzer Fuchs wheeled APCs. The major equipment of the armoured engineers includes the Pionierpanzer 2A1 Dachs armoured engineer vehicle, the Brückenlegepanzer Biber armoured bridge layer, the Minenräumpanzer Keiler flail mine clearing vehicle and the Faltstraßengerät trackway laying system. Fielding of a Route Clearance Package (RCP) is in progress and first components of it are already fielded.

ARTILLERIETRUPPE

The Artillerietruppe is the artillery force of the Heer and is responsible for indirect fire support within the all-arms battle group and offers commanders a deep fire capability. It also employs equipment for target location and identifications as well as for after fire mission effect reconnaissance. Assets of the artillery are also responsible for the coordination of the fire of any fire support asset that supports ground units, including guiding close air support and naval artillery. For this task the artillery provides Joint Fire Support Coordination Teams and Joint Fire Support Teams/Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JFST/ JTAC). The Artillerietruppe consists of the following four battalions: Artilleriebataillon 131 (Weiden in der Oberpfalz), Artilleriebataillon 295 (Immendingen), Artillerielehrbataillon

325 (Munster) and Artillerielehrbataillon 345 (Idar-Oberstein). Each of the battalions is structured into an HQ and support battery, an artillery reconnaissance battery, a multiple launch rocket system battery and two or three artillery batteries equipped with selfpropelled howitzers. Under the new structure the Artillerietruppe will be able to field a total of 89 Panzerhaubitze 2000A1 self-propelled howitzers and Raketenwerfer MARS multiple launch rocket systems. For target location and identification the artillery fields the Artilleriebeobachtungsradar (ABRA) and the Artillerieortungsradar COBRA counter battery radar.

HEERESFLIEGER

Under the Heer 2011 structure the Heeresflieder army air corps will only consist of three regiments, namely these are the two transport helicopter regiments Transporthubschrauberregiment 10 (Faßberg) and Transporthubschrauberregiment 30 (Niederstetten) and the Kampfhubschrauberregiment 36 (Fritzlar) combat helicopter regiment. The core mission of the Heeresflieger is to provide air mobility for the ground forces of the Heer, this they do in cooperation with the rotary wing assets of the Luftwaffe air force. Their mission includes the air transport of personnel and material, air reconnaissance and combat close air support. In cooperation with the units of the Zentraler Sanitätsdienst der Bundeswehr central medical services command the Heeresflieger provide a tactical

casualty evacuation and Search and Rescue (SAR) capability. Together with airmobile infantry assets and their support elements the Heeresflieger can serve as an airmobile battle group and can conduct operations deep behind enemy lines. The Heeresflieger field the NH 90 utility helicopter and the UH Tiger multirole combat helicopter.

HEERESAUFKLÄRUNGSTRUPPE

The Heeresaufklärungstruppe is the reconnaissance force of the Heer. Its main task is to gather information on the enemy in order to provide commanders with the best possible picture of the current situation as well as on possible future enemy plans. In order to achieve this task the Heeresaufklärungstruppe has a wide range of capabilities, its battalions are composed of rather different sub units and operate a mix of diverse equipment ranging from radars to reconnaissance vehicle and unmanned aerial vehicles. The Heeresaufklärungstruppe consists of the following units: Aufklärungslehrbataillon 3 (Lüneburg), Aufklärungsbataillon 6 (Eutin), Aufklärungsbataillon 7 (Ahlen), Aufklärungsbataillon 8 (Freyung), Aufklärungsbataillon 13 (Gotha) and Gebirgsaufklärungsbataillon 230 (Füssen). In addition to this the Luftlandeaufklärungskompanie 310 (Seedorf) airborne reconnaissance company and a reconnaissance company attached to the Jägerbataillon 291 of the Franco-German Brigade belong to the Aufklärungstruppe. The bulk of the mentioned Aufklärungsbataillone are structured into an HQ and support company, a ground reconnaissance company,

RIGHT...

ABOVE... Many models of the Mercedes-Benz Unimog 4 x 4 truck have been employed by the Bundeswehr over the years. The first vehicles had a 1.5-ton payload but from 2003 onwards the Heer began to replace parts of its U1300L fleet with the new U4000 and U5000 ranges, the latter offering a payload of 5,100kg. Our picture shows a U4000 Unimog truck fitted with a communication shelter.

In 2013 the Heer received seven High Mobility Engineer Excavators manufactured by JCB in order to fulfill the urgent operational requirement of the engineers for a protected backhoe loader. This vehicle was seen in northern Afghanistan in late 2013.

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RIGHT... The MAN MULTI A4 FSA enhanced pallet loading system (EPLS) truck is used by the Versorgungsbataillone logistic battalions of the Heereslogistiktruppe. The vehicle features a protected crew cab and is fitted with a load handling system (LHS). In addition to pallets the vehicle can also transport 20-foot containers and tanks for fuel and water.

HEERESLOGISTIKTRUPPE ABOVE... Another system procured as part of the new Route Clearance Package (RCP) is the Manipulatorfahrzeug MineWolf MW 240 remote controlled vehicle that can be used to excavate IEDs and remove them to a safe location.

a human intelligence company and a technical reconnaissance company. The ground reconnaissance companies mainly employ the Fennek light armoured reconnaissance vehicle, mobility for light reconnaissance sections is provided by Allschutz-Transportfahrzeug (ATF) Dingo 2 and Transportpanzer 1 Fuchs wheeled APCs. The companies are also equipped with the ALADIN (Abbildende Luftgestützte Aufklärungsdrohne im Nachbereich) and the MIKADO (Mikro-Aufklärungsdrohne für den Ortsbereich) mini UAVs. The teams of the human intelligence companies use the Eagle IV protected mobility vehicle. The technical reconnaissance companies operate the Transportpanzer 1 Fuchs wheeled APC based Panzeraufklärungsradar RASIT (Radar d’Aquisition et de Surveillance Terrestre) battlefield surveillance radar, the LUNA (Lufgestützte Unbemannte Nahaufklärungs-Ausstattung) UAV and the KZO (Kleinfluggerät Zielortung) UAV. The Luftlandeaufklärungskompanie 310 airborne reconnaissance company employs the Aufklärungsfahrzeug Wiesel 1.

The Heereslogistiktruppe serves as a link between the logistic assets of the Streitkräftebasis (SKB) joint support services command and the combat and combat support forces. Together the Heereslogistiktruppe and the logistic assets of the SKB guarantee their operational readiness and that operations can be sustained for limited periods of time. The mission of the Heereslogistiktruppe is to ensure logistic support on the operational level and its units are specifically equipped to provide logistic support to the battle groups of the combat brigades. The battalions of the Heereslogistiktruppe offer a capability mix that includes allocation, administration and issue of supplies including food, water, ammunition, fuel, oil and lubricants, spare parts and components of equipment, construction materials, clothing, replacements for damaged beyond repair or destroyed equipment, medical material and so on. The units also conduct maintenance and repair work that cannot be executed on a unit level and by doing so ensure that equipment lasts longer and that damaged equipment is returned into action as quickly as possible. Within the Heer 2011 structure each of the six combat brigades can field its own logistic battalion, namely these are Versorgungsbataillon 4 (Roding), Versorgungsbataillon 7 (Unna), Gebirgsversorgungsbataillon 8 (Füssen), Versorgungsbataillon 131 (Bad Frankenhausen), Versorgungsbataillon 141 (Neustadt am Rübenberge) und Versorgungsbataillon 142

(Hagenow). Also part of the Heereslogistiktruppe are the German parts of the logistic battalions of the Franco-German Brigade, the EUROCORPS and the 1 (German/Netherlands) Corps. The Heereslogistiktruppe operates a huge number of different vehicles, including the Bergepanzer 3/3A1 Büffel armoured recovery vehicle, the MULTI A4 FSA enhanced pallet loading system truck, the SchwerlasttransportSattelzug 2 70t heavy equipment transporter, the Schwerlasttransporter 50-2 Elefant heavy equipment transporter, the schweres geschütztes Berge- und Abschleppfahrzeug Bison protected mobility recovery vehicle and so on.

KOMMANDO SPEZIALKRÄFTE

The Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK), Germany’s special forces, is based in Calw. Falling under the DSK the KSK is basically structured into an HQ element, an operational element with five companies and a support element that includes signals, logistic support and medical support assets. The KSK can conduct operations over the full special forces mission spectrum including long range reconnaissance operations, counter terrorist operations, hostage rescue operations, sabotage operations deep behind enemy lines and direct action operations. The KSK fields many unique vehicles, of which the existence usually is kept confidential, however, one of the vehicles known to be employed by the German Special Forces is the Aufklärungsund Gefechtsfahrzeug (AGF) Serval reconnaissance and special operations vehicle.

CONCLUSION

From 2012 onwards 110 Geschütztes Transportfahrzeug (GTF) Mercedes-Benz Zetros 5t trucks entered service with the Heer. The protected mobility vehicles were procured in order to fulfill a requirement for a tactical support vehicle that can accompany patrols and offers the same level of protection as the ATF Dingo 2 protected patrol vehicle.

The future will show whether the new structure will work and achieve what it was designed for and it is not for the author to judge this at this time. However, since its initial formation in 1955 the Bundeswehr only once managed to fully implement a new structure before a new one was under way for political, strategic or financial reasons. With their motivation, resourcefulness and skills the German soldiers usually managed to achieve their missions despite this almost constant restructuration, something they surely will also continue to do in the future.

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A British invention born out of the stalemate of the Great War, the ‘Tank’ has become a key element on the modern battlefield that is both feared and respected on all sides. Since those early days when the tanks were little more than thinly armoured boxes, the modern Main Battle Tank has evolved into a sophisticated armoured fighting vehicle that is highly mobile, well protected and heavily armed. In this 100-page special we take a look at ten of the most important tanks to have been produced since their introduction to the battlefield in 1916 including:

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AMERICAN SHERMAN

The WW2 Sherman was the first tank to be designed to be mass-produced and went on to serve with armies all over the world, lasting well into the 20th Century.

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August 2014

Tank Times

Published by THE TANK MUSEUM, Bovington, Dorset, UK, BH20 6JG

Tel: +44 (0) 1929 405 096

FIRST WORLD WAR CENTENARY

Commemoration Event

4th August 2014 The Tank Museum’s Commemoration Event, on 4th August, is set to be unmissable. The Kuwait Arena will see our Mark IV and A7V replicas trundling round, accompanied by the Great War Air Display team and the Gordon Highlanders. There will also be a tank mobility display later in the day, featuring both First World War and modern vehicles. Areas outside the arena won’t be short of action either. The Great War Cavalry Display team will be treating visitors to various displays on horseback, including mounted skill-atarms, with the horsemen slicing a melon on a stick in half whilst galloping past. There will also be a chance to meet the stars of the show, the horses (!), after the displays.

Inside… ● RECORD TANKFEST ● ARMOURED CARS IN ACTION ● HOBART’S PIKE ● WHAT’S ON ● TANK MASCOTS

Talks will be going on at the Museum throughout the day, including “Tommy in the Trenches “, a look at tanks in the First World War and the origins of the War, among others. Meanwhile a Living History display, with soldiers performing drills and explaining what life would have been like for a First World War soldier, will feature near the Vehicle Conservation Centre. Activities for children include medal decoration, writing war poetry and painting wooden tanks. While children who wear a decorative Tank Museum poppy will be given free entry on the day – see tankmuseum.org for details. As this is a commemorative event, there will also be a short service followed by a minutes’ silence. Normal admission prices apply on 4th August and Annual Pass holders will be admitted as usual.

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FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER Matt Sampson

There are two very good things about being the Tank Museum Photographer. First you get to do all the things you are normally told not to… climb in/on the tanks, handle the collection artefacts, order (sometimes quite important) people around and essentially cross that line that says no ‘access beyond this point,’ be it physical or unwritten. The second is working across the whole Museum. While most of the work is associated with the Archive and Marketing, Events need photographing, vehicles need documenting, shop merchandise needs pictures and exhibitions need material. A common question is… ‘surely we already have lots of pictures of the Sherman/Tiger/ Matilda?’, well yes but maybe but not in this location, not since it has been restored or not from this particular angle.

To a large extent the nature of the job is to document the Museum’s collection and activities. However the mission of the Museum is to tell and make available the stories of vehicles Continued on page 2...

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THE TANK MUSEUM - August 2014

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IN BRIEF

FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER

G N I K A E R B D R O C RE

Continued… and crew and that means actively getting the message out there, most obviously and immediately online, either through the Museums new website or via social media. A simple everyday Facebook post works wonders in keeping the interest there, but it would be nothing without images, the audience always wants something new and as the Museum’s director often points out, we have more stories than we know what to do with. For example; a trophy Nazi German aerial recognition flag signed by members of 11th Armoured Division captured in April 1945… of which some careful photography has revealed some long faded soldier’s names and a collection of children’s soft toy animals carried in a British tank during WW1. They all need photographs and with the collection being the size it is …quite often there aren’t any. There are also new donations coming in all the time, there’s always another album or collection of personal images that need scanning and that’s the photographers job too.

It’s not only stills either. New exhibitions and an effective on line presence means video. Digital HD video and non-linear editing means that we can create quality video product in house. The learning curve is steep… very steep, but it’s extremely satisfying when we get there and the subject matter doesn’t get any more interesting than 60 tons of tank racing around the arena. Wondering where else we can attach a GoPro camera to a tank is a constant ‘worry’! The Museum has recently been able to invest in some new stills and video equipment courtesy of an Arts Council Grant and private donations which will help enormously to make all this possible.

Tankfest 2014 far surpassed the previous record of 11,000 visitors, with a huge 15,000 visitors pouring in to the site over the weekend. Our arena displays were bigger and better than ever, and our traders’ stands didn’t disappoint either. Tankfest 2015 is taking place on the weekend of 27th and 28th June. Tickets are available now from The Tank Museum website – and if you buy before September, you’ll get you tickets at the 2014 price!

British Army Display

White Helmets

NEW for 2014! Tank Pull Challenge

25 pdr Artillery Display

P51 Mustang Aerial Display

Operation Market Garden

After a weekend of fundraising through the World of Tanks online game, €75,000 had been raised to support the Museum’s cause. Victor Kislyi, Wargaming CEO, officially presented the Museum with a cheque at Tankfest which was gratefully accepted.

The Tank Museum Volunteer Modellers, who attend the Museum during the holiday periods and Museum special days also attend model shows throughout the year representing The Tank Museum. Two of these are local, one with Poole Vikings Model Club and the other with Salisbury IPMS Model Club. I am pleased to report that at both these shows, Poole on April 12 and Salisbury this weekend, 31 May, they came away with the prize for Best Model Club display. Anyone who has visited one of these shows will know the high standard of models exhibited by other clubs and to be awarded this on two occasions is high praise indeed for our volunteers.

Matt Sampson Photographer

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Wargaming.net, the award-winning creators of World of Tanks, teamed up with The Tank Museum to support the restoration of a set of notable tanks from the running fleet. Keeping our tanks in good working order, is a considerable challenge; by raising money through their network of gamers, with regular users topping 70 million worldwide, Wargaming.net will be providing invaluable help to restore tanks including the Comet, Sherman and Matilda II.

So do we really need another picture of Tiger 131… well yes.

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THE TANK MUSEUM - August 2014

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ARMOURED CARS IN ACTION

by David Fletcher

A German Ehrhardt, but not in the desert. A big, stately looking car with Maxim machine-guns sprouting out everywhere but you can see how bullets from a Rolls-Royce could have entered the turret.

I understand, at least I have been told, that there is a discussion going on, on one of these on-line chat rooms that deals in such things, about the first occasion in history when armoured cars engaged one another in battle. Apparently they have come to the conclusion that the first time it ever happened was near Aleppo, in northern Palestine towards the end of the war. I remember having read something about this so I thought I had better read more, to see how good my memory was and to bring myself up to date on the facts, such as they were.

the German vehicle was stopped and surrendered. Apparently although the armour on the German car was proof against machine-gun fire the British weapons penetrated gaps in the turret mounting and wounded the crew. The lorries all got away, except for one which was shot up by a Model T Ford armed with a Lewis gun, or broke down, depending upon which book you read. The Official History doesn’t mention the aircraft but says that the information about the Turkish column came from local inhabitants in Hama.

I found two sources. One was in the book ‘War on Wheels’ by Captain C R Kutz of the United States Army, published in 1941, the other was in Part II, Volume 2 of the British Official History ‘Military Operations Egypt & Palestine’ by Captain Cyril Falls and published by HMSO in 1930. Both tell the same story, as you would expect, although Captain Kutz has added a few juicy details to his in order to tell a good story, the author of the Official History clearly doesn’t see the need to do that.

The Germans had three types of armoured car in 1914, an Ehrhardt, Daimler and the massive double ended Bussing. They were all quite big, and all had four-wheel drive but we still don’t know which version was then operating in the Middle East. Upon further consideration the most likely type of armoured car would be the Ehrhardt. Of the three types mentioned above only the Ehrhardt continued in production, up to 32 having been built by the end of 1917. Another type mentioned as a possibility is the Mannesman-Mulag of 1916, but only one of these is believed to have been built and in any case it did not have a turret or any fixed weapon mounting and the account of the action particularly refers to the turret being struck by rounds from the British cars; the Ehrhardt had a machine gun turret.

So what happened? Well it appears that three Batteries, the 2nd, 11th and 12th along with a couple of Ford T based Light Car Patrols were operating with 15th Cavalry Brigade near the town of Hama when they received a report from an aircraft of a Turkish transport column, escorted by an armoured car, heading north out of Khan es Sebil on 22 October 1918. The armoured cars, which would have been Rolls-Royces, immediately set off to give chase but the roads were rough and stony so progress was slow. I remember reading about this and being more anxious to confirm the identity of the German armoured car than anything else. Whether it was the first armoured car vs. armoured car action of the war was something that didn’t interest me very much at all. Mind you I was surprised to read that the German armoured car made better speed over this rough ground than the British Rolls-Royces which were renowned for their speed. According to Kutz this was because the German vehicle, which he says was a big, lumbering Model 1914 type had iron rimmed wheels which coped with the stony road a lot better than the British cars which had pneumatic tyres. Kutz says that when the British caught up they were involved in a running fight for about a mile or two before

It always struck me as a bit unfair that one lone German armoured car was attacked by up to a dozen Rolls-Royces, even if they were half the size, but it is no wonder that it surrendered. Apparently, according to Kutz, there is a firsthand account giving details of the German car in a book entitled ‘Allenby’s Final Triumph’ by W T Massey which I need to see. As to whether this was the first (and possibly only) action involving armoured cars on both sides I don’t know and am not really bothered. I should have thought that such an action would have taken place earlier, possibly more than once, on the Russian front where they had any number of armoured cars. However if you are prepared to stretch the description of what constitutes an armoured car somewhat then an action by Commander Samson, in Flanders very early in the war should qualify.

Tel: +44 (0) 1929 405 096

ARMOURED CARS ON THE SOMME

We hear quite a bit about the first use of tanks on the Somme in September 1916, and we’re going to hear a lot more over the next two years, but what about armoured cars, were any of them on the Somme too? By my reckoning there were three Light Armoured Batteries of the Machine Gun Corps (Motors) on the Western Front in 1916, the 7th, 8th and 9th, that is to say twelve Rolls-Royce armoured cars in all, and it makes sense that at least some of them were active on the Somme, the main focus of British effort in the late summer of 1916. There are in fact two pictures of Rolls-Royce armoured cars on the Western Front in 1916, one at Abbeville, the other at Guillemont, there are probably others but those two spring to mind at the moment. Granted Abbeville is a long way from the Somme but Guillemont is slap bang in the middle of the battlefield and what is more the photograph was taken in September 1916. The picture shows a Rolls-Royce with a small box cupola on top of the turret, escorting a Daimler ambulance on what passed for a road in that part of the world at that time. So far I have never seen a photograph showing a tank and armoured car together and it goes without saying that in action the tanks could go places the armoured cars could not, but the latter were definitely there, at least one was and probably more. They may have been patrolling behind the lines or acting as escorts for ambulances and staff cars but maybe, just maybe, they went forwards along what was left of the roads to add their firepower to that of the tanks. It is a topic that could do with a bit of investigation, particularly if the War Diaries of the above mentioned units still survive, in the National Archives; so how about it?

A typical group of Rolls-Royces in the Middle East, three at least with the upper panels of the turrets removed to reduce the heat. Each car was equipped with a single Vickers machine-gun.

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THE TANK MUSEUM - August 2014

FROM THE

EDITOR

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Hobart’s In the summer of 1940 Britain awaited a German invasion. Europe had fallen to Hitler, Stalin and Hitler had a pact and the resources of Russia were supplying Nazi Germany; Britain was alone in the fight.

Andrew Sawyer Tankfest 2014 was a fantastic weekend and a record-breaking one at that! We’re now looking ahead to our 4th August commemoration event, which we hope will be just as well received. Commemorating the day, 100 years earlier, when the First World War began it will be a day to both learn more about the realities of battle and an opportunity to remember those who died. This event will be the focus of the commemoration activities in Dorset and forms a significant part of the national programme of remembrance as well. As part of a rolling programme of new exhibitions, The Tank Museum is also setting its sights on its next project inside the Museum - scheduled for launch in Spring 2015. Set within a mock factory scene, the Tank Factory (working title) exhibition will explore the design and manufacture of British armoured vehicles from 1916 to the present. Using firsthand accounts of workers from the large northern factories, the display will focus on the highly skilled job of building complex war machines like tanks and how the demands of factory life affected the workforce. The display will also showcase an impressive line-up of post WW2 vehicles and through a series of themed bays, cover a variety of topics including Materials, Armour and Weapons and Testing, linking in directly to the Science and Technology education agenda. This programme of events and new exhibitions allows us to continue our aim of telling as many people as possible the story of armoured warfare and the people behind the machines. See you soon.

The Local Defence Volunteers, later called the Home Guard, was set up to help defend Britain. This pike, made of a piece of scaffolding pole with a 1913 Remington bayonet welded to it, was issued to 55 year old Percy Hobart to help defend Britain should the Germans have come. This amazing object was kindly donated to The Tank Museum by Grizell Hobart this year.

Tel: +44 (0) 1929 405 096

Pike The engraving on the bayonet reads: “Pike issued to L/Cpl. P.C.S. Hobart, Home Guard, Deddington - by Lord Croft, Under Secretary of State for War in 1940. For repelling the invasion of Great Britain.“

Hobart was, of course, no ordinary member of the Home Guard. Before the war he had distinguished himself as a leading exponent of armoured warfare, trained and developed many armoured units including the 7th Armoured Division and had seen service in the First World War. After being in the Home Guard, he eventually fought his way back to the top to Command the new 79th Armoured Division. The 79th Armoured Division pioneered and developed many variants of specialist armour for the D-Day landings, and of course a number of these vehicles can be seen inside the Museum. By the end of the war Hobart commanded the largest armoured formation the western Allies possessed – not bad for a Corporal in the Home Guard who five years before was ready to repel an invader with a bayonet welded to a piece of scaffolding pole.

Tank Mascots

4.8.2014

WW1 Centenary Commemoration Commemoration of the outbreak of the First World War, with talks, tours, living history, a mock battle and air display. Children who complete our online challenge go FREE*.

20.9.2014

Britain at War Show This yearly event returns, looking at the events surrounding D-Day with talks tours and activities throughout the day.

11.10.2014

Tank Mod 2014 See the whole Museum taken over by model clubs and traders, for this model exhibition. This group of items was recently donated by the son of 2/Lt E. J. F. Sharp and has now doubled our collection of World War 1 tank mascots. The mascots were carried by 2/Lt Sharp as he served with 10th Battalion Tank Corps. Mascots came in all shapes and sizes, teddy bears, horse shoes and other objects were kept and carried into battle by crews for good luck. The four donated are stuffed toy animals representing a dog, a horse and two lambs. They have obviously received

some wear and tear in their lifetime, both during their time with 2/Lt Sharp in his tank and in the subsequent years. Accompanying the mascots is an early raw edge Brodie helmet. This was one of the early pattern Brodies introduced in 1915. It was a much played with item by the donor, who as a child added the green daubs of paint and also regretfully painted over what were most likely Tank Corps flashes.

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WHAT’S ON

The Tank Museum | Bovington | Dorset | BH20 6JG t: 01929 462 529 | e: [email protected] The office is open Mon - Fri 9.00am - 5.00pm.

25.10.2014 – 2.11.2014

October Half Term Modern Warfare – Find out more about warfare since the Second World War. Children who complete our online challenge go FREE*. * See our website for details.

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Standard Beaverette PHIL HOMER LOOKS AT THE WARTIME STANDARD BEAVERETTE LIGHT ARMOURED CAR

ABOVE... The best preserved Beaverette remaining today is probably the one now on display at IWM Duxford, a fitting location given that the armoured cars provided wartime protection for this airfield. The vehicle in question is a Mk III.

W

hilst the Standard Motor Company’s output during the war comprised mainly of aircraft, car building was not totally ignored. Amongst the vehicles produced was this tank-like vehicle, the Beaverette, which was Standards contribution to the ranks of wartime Light Armoured Cars, but how did it come about? The British Army evacuation from Dunkirk in May and June 1940 saw almost 340,000 soldiers were repatriated. Unfortunately they left almost all their weapons and vehicles on the beach and there was precious little in the way of effective defences at home so a German invasion was expected imminently. The rush was on to rearm, and Industry turned itself to defending our shorelines in case

BELOW... John Black – Captain at that time, not knighted until wartime. (Photo courtesy of Nick Black)

BELOW... Max Aitken – newspaper mogul, knighted in 1917.

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the very real threat of an invasion should mature and the Standard Beaverette was part of that initiative. The idea for the Beaverette is accredited to Lord Beaverbrook, conservative MP and owner of the Daily Express and London Evening Standard. Lord Beaverbrook was prominent in Churchill’s wartime government as Minister of Aircraft Production (40-41), Minister of Supply (41-42), Minister of War Production (42), Special Envoy to the United States on Supplies (42), and Lord Privy Seal (43-45). It is to be expected therefore that Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook, must have been acquainted with Captain John Black, who in the late 30’s was chairman of the Aero Engine Development committee. Standard had received government funding to build two Shadow factories in Coventry to build aircraft for the hostilities. One of these was the huge factory at Banner Lane that was later used for Tractor production. No doubt Beaverbrook and Captain Black co-operated on the Beaverette’s initial design, at least in principle, indeed Black was knighted for his wartime work. The Beaverette therefore came about because of the Air Ministry’s requirement for light armoured cars for the Home Guard and RAF to defend airfields. Standard had around 500 uncompleted chassis leftover from car production and found that it was pretty simple to design and build a vehicle around it from flat armoured steel. Hence the Beaverette was born.

BEAVERETTE MARK I AND II The first cars were the most crude in their design, but rolled out of the Canley factory after only a few short weeks. The 14hp chassis was used

since the Flying 12, by this time, in its 12C incarnation, had new-fangled independent front suspension. Hence the 14hp with a beam front axle and four semi-elliptical springs was judged to be less complex and more appropriate. The 14hp engine, at 1776cc, had a slight chance of propelling the predicted weight of the machine, especially as the prop shaft was fitted with double reduction gears before entering the conventional hypoid differential in the rear axle. The vehicle was fitted with a flat steel plate body/hull of angular

proportions with all sheets butt welded at the edges. The floor would add substantially to the strength and would be adding much more rigidity than just the standard C-channel chassis used. The front and side panels were made from 11mm steel plate backed by 3-inch thick oak planks, but the Beaverette could only offer protection against small arms fire. Marles-Weller steering was provided, but there was no power assistance. Clearly Standard had a number of front wings left over so these were the only consideration made to what might be called “styling”.

ABOVE... Factory photo offering a rear view of a Mk II. The drop down armoured flap is shown in the lowered position, and the additional oak planking inside the front and side armour is also visible. (Photo courtesy SMC Archives)

ABOVE LEFT... Factory drawing of the Mk IV Hull assembly. (Photo courtesy SMC Archives)

ABOVE... This factory photo shows a front three-quarter view of the Mk II. The use of the original car wings and open top armoured superstructure is clear to see and makes for a very different looking Beaverette to the later marks. (Photo courtesy SMC Archives)

RIGHT... Another example of the Mk III Beaverette is to be found on display at the Cobbaton Combat Collection in Devon.

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DRIVING EXPERIENCE

This was the Mk IV Standard Beaverette that I had the misfortune to drive - once was quite enough, heaven knows how the drivers used to control these things during the war!

ABOVE... Another as yet unrestored late model Beaverette, this time still on its chassis, but the rear armour appears to have been cut down as the rear side panels are normally full height.

A Bren .303 machine gun was the usual offensive fitting and some carried a wireless set. The driver and gunner sat in the open cockpit, which was completely exposed to the rear. The driver had a horizontal slot to view the road while the gunner a vertical slot to see and fire out of. In addition there were two tiny

About 20 years ago, I was privileged to drive a Mk IV, well, actually I drove it off a low loader and into the hall in which the Standard Motor Club was exhibiting, and to be honest that was quite far enough! Having climbed in through the small armoured rear door and clambered over the huge armoured rear axle the two instruments and an ignition switch sit on a small panel up front with the driver sitting on what is best described as a canvas camping chair! I can report that visibility was next to nil, as was performance and the cacophony of noise in that enclosed space was positively dangerous! A normal car steering wheel was fitted, and the foot controls were in the conventional positions, but you won’t be surprised to learn that the steering wasn’t exactly light, in fact I could barely turn it and I remain surprised to this day that the Beaverette didn’t demolish the exhibition hall!

horizontal slots, one on each flank that offered a restricted additional view to left and right. Some photos show a third crewmember, though he appears to have no seat and stands behind the driver or gunner – not an ideal situation! Rear views of the Mk II show that the back of the cockpit was still not fully enclosed, though the operatives could now swing up hinged steel plates for some added protection. With those plates lowered the crew could disembark over the lower deck panel. The only other changes from the Mk I were the horizontal bars across the radiator to gave that some protection from small arms. There were obvious failings in the design, not least the top speed of 24mph, which would be insufficient in retreat to outrun a German tank, and the driver would probably have had a difficult task keeping all 2 ¼-tons on the road, or even stopping it using the less than efficient Bendix cable braking system! Despite these shortcomings the Ministry must have been desperate, as yet more Beaverettes were commissioned, perhaps based on the presumption that they could only be improved...

BEAVERETTE MK III AND IV

By now Standard appeared to have exhausted the supply of the car type front wings and chassis so the next batches were purpose built. The design of the chassis was new and much shortened to remove the rear

ABOVE... Here we see the Beaverette Mk III driving position and instruments, as you can see there are no creature comforts!

overhang and the tin wings were now replaced with steel plate, but the engine, gearbox and transmission were retained. An armour-plated roof was added enclosing the cabin for the first time on the Mk III, adding substantially to the weight. Four open windows were cut in the plate with hinged visors that could be pulled down to completely seal the driver’s compartment. Cut into the roof was a rotating turret with either an enclosed turret, or an open topped turret, using a larger twin Vickers machine gun arrangement, and while the gunner had more freedom to manoeuvre, he was exposed. The Mk IV retained the enclosed roof and turret, but the armour around the driver and navigators heads was redesigned. The navigator/ gunner gained two smaller slots in a vee configuration, again designed to improve visibility and all the slots had visors fitted.

LEFT... Official photo showing the filling of the petrol tank with the filler positioned under the front nearside wing under a lift up flap, seen up against the frontal armour. (Photo courtesy - SMC Archives)

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STANDARD BEAVERETTE SPECIFICATION Weight:

Mk I: 2-tonnes (2.2-tons) Mk III: 2.6-tonnes (2.9-tons) Length: Mk I: 4.11m (13ft 6in) Mk III: 3.10m (10ft 2in) Width: Mk I: 1.60m (5ft 3in) Mk III: 1.73m (5ft 8in) Height: Mk I: 1.52m (5ft 0in) Mk III: 2.16m (7ft 1in) Armour: Mk I to Mk III: 9mm (0.35 in) Max Mk IV: 12mm (0.47 in) Max Armament: 0.303 (7.7mm) Bren MG or twin Vickers MGs Engine: Standard 4-cylinder, side valve petrol engine developing 46 hp Transmission: 4 x 2 Suspension: Leaf springs all round Range: Mk III: 300 km (190 miles) Max Speed: Mk III: 38 km/h (24 mph)

DEPLOYMENT

Beaverettes seem to have been deployed, as intended, at airfields and military installations all over the UK and Northern Ireland. Some 2,800 of all marks were built, but only a handful survive. They would only have had limited capabilities had they seen any serious action, but no one told the Home Guard that at the time! There is no record of Beaverettes leaving these shores for active service and certainly it never got anywhere near a desert campaign.

It may seem remarkable but there are still unrestored examples of the Standard Beaverette out there just waiting for a bit of attention! This photo shows the armoured body, it is not fitted to a chassis.

After the war a number of Beaverettes found their way to the Irish Army, again for Training purposes. These Mk IVs had their turrets and top half of the armour cut off. A number passed into civilian use, mainly on farms, and usually the armour was further cut down in these circumstances. There is even a well-documented example of a Beaverette being reconverted to a Standard 14 chassis, with the addition of a bespoke wood-framed and fabric body.

ABOVE RIGHT... In peacetime many Standard Beaverettes found their way into private hands, and many were cut down to make them more usable.

BELOW... Official diagram showing the bespoke chassis fitted to the Mk III and Mk IV Standard Beaverettes. (Photo courtesy - SMC Archives)

RIGHT... Official drawing showing an exploded view of the propshaft and back Axle components. Note the reduction gearing at the rear end of the propshaft. (Photo courtesy - SMC Archives)

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A MALTA

VETERAN John Blackman takes a look at Ross White’s eye-catching BSA M20

G RIGHT... Don’t let the sunshine, blue sky and Malta camo scheme fool you, Ross White’s M20 was photographed in Weymouth not Valletta.

BELOW... Ross White pictured astride his Malta veteran BSA M20 during the 2014 Weymouth at War event.

iven that the BSA (British Small Arms) M20 manufactured from 1939 to 1947 became the most numerous and long-serving motorbike in the British Army, with around 125,000 in service at one time or another, it is hardly surprising that there are plenty of examples in preservation, however, the M20s length in service and the fact that they would likely have been rebuilt several times over prior to be demobbed, following civilianisation and generally non-military alterations, it is hard to find one with the kind of military provenance attached to the example owned by Ross White - that Malta-style camouflage scheme is no flight of fancy, but we’ll come back to that in a moment. Despite its later popularity, BSA’s M20 had an inauspicious start when, on being offered to the War Office for possible military use in 1936, it was rejected due to ‘unacceptable engine wear’. The machine needed a replacement piston and cylinder after only 6,000 miles. BSA submitted three more M20s to the War Office for testing in 1937. Two apparently managed the 10,000-mile suitability test at the Mechanization Experimental Establishment (MEE) at Chertsey, while the third was issued for service trials. The overall conclusion was that the machine offered fair reliability and was acceptable for military use; a somewhat grudging verdict, one suspects.

SPECIFICATION

The BSA M20 was a conventional bike of its time, powered by a 496cc sidevalve, single cylinder engine, with a solid rear end and girder-type front forks suspended on a single spring.

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The very first production machines of 1939 were described as K-M20s and were essentially a mixture of civilian standard and deluxe components with the addition of parts specified by the military such as an 8in Lucas headlight and ‘winged’ filler caps for the petrol and oil tanks. Come October 1939 a number of detail changes were made and the bike became known as the W-M20. A less bulbous 3-gallon type replaced notably the original 3½-gallon fuel tank, and the hand-adjustable damper knob on the front forks was replaced by a locknut. As a matter of interest, this latter change – which prevented damper adjustment while riding – was reversed during 1941/42 before the adjustment facility was deleted entirely in late 1943. Other changes that came during 1941/42 include the provision of a 6in Lucas headlight complete with a hooded blackout shield and a universal WD-pattern taillight. Early

1942 saw the introduction of a larger rear carrier to accept the newly introduced universal WD-pattern steel pannier frame and bags. A pillion seat and footrests were also fitted and, as a consequence of these amendments, the nearside field stand was lengthened and its mount repositioned. By late 1942 such was the shortage of rubber that components made of the valuable material were, wherever possible, either deleted or replaced, as was the case with the handlebar grips, which were replaced with canvas alternatives. Presumably also in the interests of economy, the rear mudguard, which had previously had a central rib, was replaced with a plainer unribbed guard. From 1942 onwards modifications made to the W-M20 were relatively minor. We’ve already mentioned the deletion of the damping control on the front forks, but in addition a new crankcase guard was designed to

better protect both the engine and the frame rails, and a standard WDpattern Vokes air filter was mounted on top of the fuel tank which was in turn modified to accommodate the sizeable hose leading down to the carburettor air intake. Despite its shaky beginnings in 1936, by the end of WW2 the M20

ABOVE... The BSA M20 is extremely popular on the rally scene, but few can claim the provenance attached to Ross White’s example.

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The markings on the M20’s fuel tank refer to 6 Watchtower in Malta and, in the case of the ‘152’ on the red over blue square, the Royal Artillery in North Africa.

ABOVE... The M20’s singlecylinder, side-valve engine produced around 13bhp, but was initially rejected by the War Office for possible military use due to ‘unacceptable engine wear’

RIGHT... Ross presumes that the forks were changed when the bike was overhauled in 1956 (indicated by a brass plate on the side of the crankcase) which is why there could be no damping adjuster knob.

seems to have achieved a reasonable reputation for reliability. True, its clutch had always been problematic, either due to slippage caused by oil contamination or failure to release fully, and the bike tended to be difficult to start when hot. There was also the danger of fire caused by a backfire through the carburettor, but basically the M20 was thought well enough of for examples to continue in military service until the sixties. Mind

FAR RIGHT... Ross has added various items of period correct kit to the M20, giving the bike a proper ‘lived in’ look.

you, that could as much down to the sheer number of them around as to their inherent reliability or suitability. Whatever the case, the BSA M20 is much appreciated on the current MV scene and excellent examples abound. However, we must accept that it is extremely difficult to find one that retains its original factory specifications since bikes will probably have been rebuilt several times during service and, in the process, ‘contaminated’ by the mixing and matching of parts from other years and contracts. As for discovering a bike’s service history… well, let’s just say that it is highly unlikely but not entirely impossible.

PRIVATE HANDS

Northamptonshire-based Ross White understands that his M20 (built under 1942/43 contract S1048 for a mere £62.30 in today’s money) was destined for North Africa, but as the transport ship approached Gibraltar it was diverted to Malta. The M20 served with the British Army there until 1956 when it was passed to the Armed Forces of Malta. The bike was finely decommissioned in 1986 and ended up with a collector in Kent until purchased by Ross three years ago. “I had four other BSAs,” he says, “a C11, a Sloper and two Bantams, but I’d always wanted an M20, and although I had been looking for a khaki green example when I saw this one I just had to have it. I wanted a khaki green one, but when I saw this I had to have it. It’s so rare to find one with service history. The ‘C’ number on it is the one with which it left the factory and the ‘152’ on a red over Blue Square relates to the Royal

Artillery in North Africa. Of course the bike didn’t reach North Africa, it went to Malta where the ‘6’ on a quartered red and blue square was applied to signify it’s attachment to 6 Watchtower, one of the many around the island’s coast.” Ross added: “Much of bike is original although it was overhauled in 1956, and the items of kit are period correct. Even the tyres are of the correct pattern, but not brand of course. The bike wasn’t in too bad a condition when I got it, but hadn’t been run for a long time. It had been chemically cleaned to reveal just enough of the original camouflage scheme to be able to follow it.” Ross has done a fine job in recommissioning the M20 and kitting it out as it might have appeared during WW2. M20s may be fairly common (or should that be ‘popular’?) on the rally scene, but his Malta veteran certainly stands out from the crowd!

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THE COMPLETE HIST

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21/05/2014 12:04

From Scrapyard to Plinth

ABOVE... I think everyone agrees that 35KA60, now renamed RHINO, looks absolutely splendid, particularly bearing in mind the limitations imposed on the three-man crew.

W

hat a General wants, a General usually gets, and when Major General Adrian Bradshaw, General Officer Commanding 1st (UK) Armoured Division in Herford, Germany,

Dick Taylor traces the restoration of a British Army Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank

mentioned casually over coffee that a Challenger 1 would “look nice” outside his headquarters, wheels were set in motion. As so often, work devolved downwards until it landed in the lap of someone who would actually do the work – and

take responsibility if things went wrong. In this case that person was Dave “Luigi” Lomax, a Royal Tank Regiment Staff Sergeant serving in the HQ. With clear instructions that he was not to spend any real money, but was nevertheless to deliver an

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ABOVE LEFT... The Coffin Bin was missing on 60, and the one on 40 was too badly damaged to be used, so a new bin was made by REME tinsmiths from scrap metal. This was the single most complicated piece of construction required, and it really looks the part.

ABOVE RIGHT... Front wings were adapted from CRARRV components cut to fit and then welded onto the hull.

ABOVE... WO1s Tony Dawson and Tim Whiteway assessing the state of the hull rear. 60 had been fitted with a dummy powerpack to stop the hull twisting, but this had to be removed.

RIGHT... The MRS mirror and shroud on the end of the barrel were missing, so a spare Challenger 2 set was procured, necessitating drilling to fit.

FAR LEFT... A sorry state indeed! 35KA60 before the work started in June 2010, showing the effects of seven years of neglect and being left out in all weathers.

LEFT... Preparing to move the Chally for the first time: another concern was that the tracks themselves might split, but luckily this did not happen.

ABOVE... The Chinese Eye on the turret front tells of 60’s service with 1RTR in 1996, although the name ‘DAVE MOBILE’ must be an unofficial appellation!

immaculate tank to the HQ in short order, he set to work. The first job of course was to find a suitable tank, and bearing in mind that almost the entire British Army Challenger 1 fleet had been gifted to Jordan, this was not straightforward. Luckily for him, two old and almost derelict Challengers were located in a secure compound in Paderborn, about an hour’s drive from Herford.

They had been used as REME training aids but were now surplus to requirements, and with the Chobham armour and most other components removed, had been left to rot. By taking some parts from one of them, 35KA40, Dave realised that the better one of the two (35KA60) could be restored to an acceptable condition. With the assistance of WO1 (ASM) Tony Dawson REME and the

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ABOVE... The tank mounted onto the plinth in Herford after eight months work – on Thursdays only, remember! Because German regulations mean that transporters can only move at dead of night, the residents of the barracks came into work on the 3rd February 2011 to find a beautifully painted Challenger 1 looking at them!

RIGHT... A CRARRV from 3 (Close Support) Battalion REME was used to (very gently) move 60 around when required.

Command Sergeant Major, WO1 Tim Whiteway RA, and also handicapped by the fact that they could only be released to do the work on Thursdays, they got stuck in and with the generous assistance of many other units and individuals, produces a great looking, if not entirely authentic, Challenger 1. Additional help was also provided by Dai Marsh of the Defence Support Group (DSG), an old 3RTR mate of mine.

VEHICLE HISTORY

35KA60 was the 170th Challenger 1 produced, a Mk 2 built at Royal Ordnance Factory Leeds and was accepted into service on 6th September 1985. She originally served with the Queens Royal Irish Hussars from August 1986, before being handed over to 3RTR in February 1988. She also subsequently served with the Royal Dragoon Guards, 1RTR, the Queens Dragoon Guards, and

ABOVE... 60 is now ready to move to Herford for the first time, again using a conveniently passing transporter from 3 Regiment RLC! Note the Challenger 2 thermal sleeves fitted to the 120mm barrel, as it proved impossible to find the correct ones.

the Queens Royal Hussars, before being struck off strength to become a training aid for 3(CS) Bn REME on 16th December 2003; 35KA40 was condemned to the same fate at the same time. The cosmetic restoration job started in earnest in June 2010; the images here show the progress and explain some of the more interesting aspects of the restoration. I am sure everyone will agree that, particularly considering the time and budget constraints, they have done an excellent job! Well done Dave, it almost makes up for hitting that Portaloo in BATUS with a 120mm DST round!

ABOVE... Jerrycans, fire extinguishers, recovery bars and spare track links have now been found in the scrap compound and fitted, and the registration and convoy plates have been reapplied – job nearly done.

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FINNISH FLEET SCANIA’S MILITARISED HEAVY COMMERCIAL TRUCKS HAVE PROVEN A HIT WITH FINLAND’S ARMED FORCES

LEFT... This R500 LB8x4HHZ (8x4) is fitted with a hooklift and both it and companion trailer are laden with an autonomous fuel module.

E

arlier this year Finland’s defence forces awarded Scania a contract for the delivery of 184 logistic support trucks. The contract placed with Scania’s Finnish subsidiary Scania Suomi Oy has an order value of around €66 million (SEK600 m), includes service and maintenance contracts for six years, and includes an option for an additional 69 trucks and additional six plus three year maintenance contract extensions.

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LEFT... Since 1999 Scania had supplied Finland’s armed forces with approaching 440 assorted trucks, with a handful of vehicles also due to be delivered later this year.

BELOW... An R500 truck demonstrating an ability to cross-load from trailer to truck; the commercial hooklift fitted to Finnish Army Scania’s is similar in concept to the military-specific Multilift Mk4 system fitted to British Army’s DROPS vehicles.

Deliveries commence later this year and will run in to 2017 and will involve a variety of three- and four-axle drive configurations, these including 99 (8x4), 52 (8x6) and 28 (6x4). The bulk of chassis (172) will be fitted with hooklifts, some of these supplemented by materials handling cranes or container handling units (CHUs). The order also includes 20 (6x4) hooklift chassis configured for driver training and 12 tractor units in a mix of (6x4) and (6x6) drive configurations. Chassis are manufactured at Scania’s Södertälje plant in Sweden, with all bodybuilding

and associated work to be undertaken by Scania Suomi Oy in Jyväskylä, Finland. Hiab will supply the main components – cranes, hooklifts and CHUs, while the hooklift is a modified commercial system that in addition to a tipping option has been adapted to interface with the

military-specific CHU. A CHU essentially allows any so-equipped truck to load/unload and transport a 20ft ISO container. Scania’s trucks offered for defence applications are based on the modular use of components from the company’s range of heavy

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ABOVE... The hooklift of this R500 LB6x4HHZ (6x4) has been adapted to accept a fifth wheel, effectively making the truck dual-purpose and converting a rigid chassis into a tractor unit capable of moving all but the heaviest of loads.

LEFT... One of a kind… This R500 LB6x2MNB was delivered to the Finnish Air Force in 2006.

commercial components. Finnish deliveries are all construction-grade chassis with leaf spring suspension and fitted with a sleeper-type cab. Motive power for all models is provided by a Scania DC13 125/490 12.7-litre six-cylinder EURO 6 compliant water-cooled diesel, this developing 490 hp (360 kW) at 1900 rpm and 2550 Nm torque between 1000 and 1300 rpm. Gearbox for all models is Scania’s GRSO905 OptiCruise automated splitter gearbox with clutch, this having 12 forward, two crawler and two reverse gears; 11th gear is direct drive.

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LEFT... P380 CB4X4HHZ Army fire fighting vehicle fitted with a fourdoor cab.

ABOVE... One of four G480 CB8x2HSZ fuel tankers delivered to the Finnish Air Force and seen here refueling one of their jets.

HISTORY...

Prior to the award of this latest contract, since 1999 Scania had supplied Finland’s armed forces with approaching 440 assorted trucks, with a handful of vehicles to be delivered later this year. Unusually for militaryuse trucks, these are all supplied with a dealer network supported service and maintenance contract that limits downtime to 24 hours. As of May 2014 some 395 trucks were on contract, the oldest of these delivered in 1999. Linked to the maintenance contract requirement, it was stated that a trained accredited service network

ABOVE... One of five Scania R164GB8x4NZ580 (8x4) HETs delivered in 2003.

Maskinfabriks-aktiebolaget Scania was founded in 1900 in Malmö, Sweden as a manufacturer of bicycles. By 1903 the first cars had left the factory, and two years later Scania built its first truck. Scania’s origins actually trace back to 1891 with Vabis (Vagnsfabriksaktiebolaget i Södertälje), founded in 1891 as a railway carriage-manufacturing subsidiary of Södertälje-based steel company Surahammars Bruk. In 1902, engineer Gustaf Erikson designed the company’s first truck that was powered by a petrol engine and had two gears. The first order for a Vabis commercial vehicle was placed a year later in 1903, and 1907 saw the inauguration of a new factory, specifically for the manufacture of automobiles and engines. A new three-ton truck was developed, and despite this winning the Swedish Royal Automobile Club award for 1909, orders were low and Surahammars Bruk resolved to sell Vabis. In 1911 Vabis and Maskinfabriks-aktiebolaget Scania merged to create AB ScaniaVabis. Engine and car production was moved to Södertälje, with truck production taking place in Malmö. Scania-Vabis merged with Saab in 1969 to form Saab-Scania AB, and when the two split again in 1995 the name of the truck and bus division changed to Scania AB. In 1996 Scania AB was introduced on the stock exchange. Fellow Swedish truck maker Volvo attempted to take over Scania in 1999, however, the attempt failed as did a similar attempt by MAN in 2006. Currently the two major stockholders of Scania AB are Volkswagen AG and MAN SE. Volkswagen AG has a 70.94% voting stake (equity), while MAN SE holds a 17.37% voting stake. Volkswagen AG also owns a 29.9% voting stake in MAN.

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ABOVE...

ABOVE... This P 380 CB6x6HHZ belonging to the Army is also fitted with a 4-door cab for use in a CBRN decontamination role.

BELOW... Tilting test for an (8x8) hooklift; note the static tilt angle has just been reached tyres have just lost contact with the platform – safety chains prevent the truck from tipping...

be in place, this covering the whole of Finland. More specifically, it was stated that (in 2014) the distance between any Defence Forces garrison and the nearest service center should not exceed 80 km, the exclusion here being the remote Jaeger Brigade (Sodankylä), for which the distance to the nearest service center should not exceed 150 km. The maintenance contract is based on each truck covering 20,000 km per year. Service life is projected to be 20 years, and contractors were required to commit to maintenance services and the supply of spare parts for 20 years calculated from delivery. In securing this latest award, Scania defeated proposals from CT-Finland Oy (DAF), Iveco Finland Oy, Konekesko Oy (MAN), Sisu Auto Oy, Sisu Auto Trucks Oy, Sisu Defence Oy, Veho Group Oy Ab (Mercedes-Benz), Volvo Finland Ab. The pre-qualification was released on 31st May 2013, closed 16th August 2013 and with the exception of CT Finland Oy (did not fulfill the requirement concerning service network) all were approved to receive the Request for Quotation (RfQ). The RFQ was released to the approved bidders on 20th September 2013 and closed 18th November 2013. On 11th December 2013 it was announced that quotations had been

P 380 CB6x6HHZ fitted with 4-door cab specifically for use as a rescue vehicle by the Air force.

received from Iveco Finland, Scania Suomi Oy, Veho (Mercedes-Benz), and Volvo Finland Ab. The requirement called for the tobe-procured trucks to operate all year round on road and on forest roads, as well as on hard-bottomed grooves, but did not specify all-wheel drive for any of the three categories of trucks to be ordered: a) Truck, Construction chassis, 8x4, bodywork hooklift b) Truck, Construction chassis, 6x4 , bodywork hooklift c) Truck, Construction chassis, 6x4 , bodywork 5th wheel for semi- trailer tractor units (tractor) Instead, an option for a hydraulically or mechanically driven front axle was to be provided by all bidders for all three categories. This option was exercised for a percentage of category a) and c) orders. On 1st April 2014 the Ministry Of Defence (MoD) announced that they intended to approve that the defence forces could order 184 trucks and repair and maintenance agreements for a total value of €66 million Euro from Scania Suomi. The contract was signed on Thursday 15th May 2014.

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SHOW REPORT SHOW REPORT SHOW REPORT SH

Duxford 2014 MMI ATTENDED THE ANNUAL MILITARY VEHICLE SHOW HELD AT IWM DUXFORD BELOW... Lovely example of the Bedford QLR wireless truck seen here on static display outside in the area between the Land Warfare Hall and the American Air Museum.

T

he annual military vehicle show held at Imperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire, which is jointly organized by the Duxford Aviation Society Military Vehicle Wing and IWM Duxford, is traditionally held on Father’s Day and for many years it has been one of the ‘must do’ shows on my calendar. What makes this such

a great day out is the fact that this one-day event packs such a lot in, making it excellent value for money, and what’s more it appeals to those who like aircraft and vehicles or indeed both. The format of the show hasn’t changed much since it first began, with the first part of the day normally a time to spend looking around the various aircraft hangars, display

halls and display areas surrounding the airfield that are home to the world-famous collection of aircraft and other exhibits, which incidentally includes a midget submarine, various small boats, a V1 Flying Bomb, military vehicles and other military related items. Of course for those primarily interested in military vehicles the Land Warfare Hall is a big draw, with

There were quite a few post-war vehicles at the event, including a large contingent of military Land Rovers, but this Hummer stood out from the crowd.

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T SHOW REPORT SHOW REPORT SHOW REPORT SH

The diminutive Austin 7 also saw military service, being converted by various coachbuilders for military use.

LEFT... To the untrained eye this could be mistaken for a genuine example of the tiny inter-war period Carden-Loyd machine gun carrier, in actual fact it is a faithful replica built by Shaun Mitchell and is seen here heading off to the display field.

The third WW1 lorry attending Duxford was this 1918 AEC Y Type lorry. All three took part in the vehicle cavalcade, and despite their comparative slow speed, still managed two tours of the airfield.

ABOVE... The appearance of three WW1-dated lorries was a timely reminder that 2014 is the 100th Anniversary of the start of WW1. The lorry closest to the camera is a Dennis Subsidy ‘A’ Class dating from 1918, while the one in the background is a Hallford Model EIDI-80 dating from 1917.

some fascinating and rare exhibits on display there, and this year there were one or two new exhibits to be seen, such as the cutaway Jagdpanther that was formerly on display at IWM London. For the duration of the show there are also privately owned military vehicles on display outside the hall, along with a large contingent of radio controlled tanks and a marquee that plays home to the MAFVA (Miniature Armoured Fighting Vehicle Association) National show, which again traditionally takes place at the show. Elsewhere there were a multitude of trade stands selling a variety of wares from model kits, militaria and books, while the iconic American Air Museum with it’s distinctive glass fronted hall played host to specialist book sellers, giving enthusiasts a chance to pick up some reading matter.

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CAVALCADE

There was a good selection of motorcycles to be found at the show, however, only a small selection took to the airfield for the cavalcade in the afternoon.

The vehicle cavalcade around the airfield perimeter road is always a popular event with both the vehicle owners and the general public and is always well attended. This year the three WW1 lorries in attendance were given a bit of a head start when the airfield opened at 2.00pm due to their comparative slow top speeds, and sure enough by the time they had got half way down the first straight the rest of vehicles had already caught with them! Once again there was a varied mixture of vehicles taking part in the cavalcade, from motorcycles and various wartime softskins to a selection of the Museum’s own vehicles, some of which were armoured. Thankfully there were very few breakdowns this year, and the WW1 Dennis, AEC and Hallford did themselves proud and didn’t miss a beat, but then again they had already driven to the show and a few weeks earlier had taken part in the

Historic Commercial Vehicle Society London to Brighton run, so why should they? Given that 2014 marks the 100th Anniversary of the start of World War One, the attendance of the three WW1-dated lorries was a timely reminder of just how far military vehicle technology has come in that time, and judging by the crowds around the lorries whilst on static display, the level of interest shown by both the general public, vehicle enthusiasts and model makers was very high. If there’s a downside to a oneday event such as this it is that if the weather is poor you don’t get a second chance for the weather to improve on the following day and sadly the weather on the day was a mixture of light showers and cloud with the occasional brief sunny spell. The grey, overcast weather certainly didn’t seem to dampen the spirits of those attending, and the numbers of people visiting the show seemed to

LEFT...

ABOVE...

Interesting recreation of an experimental armoured Jeep leaves the airfield following the cavalcade.

I found this lovely example of a Series I Land Rover amongst the many military Land Rovers in attendance.

The three WW1 lorries were parked up close to the marquee housing the MAFVA nationals, and I managed to grab this quick snap before the hoards descended on them!

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What a lovely pair of Dodge WC 53 Carryalls taking a spin around the airfield during the cavalcade, the one to the right is fitted for radio.

BELOW... A Burma Jeep, or Ford GTB(A) arrives for the show. Around 6,000 were built during the war and this one has been a regular at Duxford for many years.

BELOW... This beautifully restored Morris-Commercial CDSW breakdown truck put in an appearance at the show this year and won a prize into the bargain!

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One of the more unusual Land Rovers in attendance was this Belgian Minerva Series I.

be just as high as previous shows, though the numbers of vehicles in attendance did seem slightly down on previous years. Sally B, the World War ABOVE... Two American This Austin Tilly still bears many dings and B-17 Flying dents in the bodywork, presumably from it Fortress based retaining original body panels and not being at Duxford over restored by the owner. Airfield, treated visitors to the show to an unexpected flying appearance. BELOW... An hour or so before the vehicle You don’t see many of cavalcade was due to start Sally these Fordson 3-ton B (marked up as Memphis Belle trucks around any following her appearance in the film more. This one is in need of a little light of the same name) taxied up the restoration, but was runway and took off for an event running well out on elsewhere, and half an hour or so the airfield. later returned, but not before doing

a fly past of the airfield. The organizers of the cavalcade were sweating for a time because Sally B had priority over the airfield and had she not returned on time, the cavalcade would have had to be postponed until she had landed. Fortunately everything went to plan, much to the relief of the organizers! The show normally concludes with a display of various vehicles from the Museum’s collection in the off-road arena to the rear of the Land Warfare Hall, and this year’s show was no different, except that I had to leave before it began due to family commitments, but I was assured that the vehicles due to run were the same as those seen in previous years, so at least I didn’t miss out on anything. After missing last year’s show due to unforeseen circumstance it was good to be back at Duxford once again, and as usual I really enjoyed my

ABOVE... The workshop to the rear of the Land Warfare Hall where many of the Duxford Aviation Society Military Vehicle Wing volunteers restore and maintain Duxford’s vehicles, I spotted this part-restored Clark CA1 ‘Clarkair’ dozer part way through a rebuild.

time there, even if the weather wasn’t playing ball! I say this every year, and I’ll say it again, this is a great one-day event that offers a lot to see and do for anyone visiting the show, and it comes thoroughly recommended as a day out for all the family.

This Caterpillar D4 dozer was another of the award winners at this year’s show.

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LATIN AMERICAN NEWS Juan Carlos Cicalesi and Agustín Puetz update us on the latest defence news from Latin America

New tractor trucks for the Argentine Army

W

ithin a plan for renewing part of its automotive fleet, the Argentine Army is expecting to receive, initially via FMS, twenty 6x6 MTVA1 (Medium Tactical Vehicle) trucks and ten 6x6 M931A2, together with ten second-hand trailers purchased in the USA.

Textron M-1117ASV with new turret

T

he National Army of Colombia is working to equip some of its new Textron M-1117 ASV Guardian Armoured Security Vehicles, with the new twin MG turret, namely the UGWS 40/50, armed with two 12.7mm M2 Machine gun, and one 40mm Mk.19 Mod.3 grenade launcher. There is apparently the Colombian Army is also interested in purchasing an additional batch of this vehicle. (Photo: Colombian MoD)

Venezuela receives more BTR-80As

A

new batch, of Russianmade BTR-80A armoured vehicles, were received at Port Cabello in Venezuela. The vehicles are armed with a 30mm cannon. A total of one hundred and fourteen BTR-80A were purchased in September 2009, and by mid 2012, Venezuela had expressed an interest in purchasing another batch, of the same model. The BTR-80s received were used to equip four tactical units of the Ejercito Bolivariano de Venezuela, including 311 Batallon de Infanteria Mecanizada and the 302 Grupo de Caballeria Motorizado, both units being organic to the 31st Brigada de Infanteria Mecanizada, of the Tercera Division de Infanteria, located at the Tiuna Fort in Caracas.

These will replace the old Fiat 619 and complement the Fiat 697BN, M-54A2 and M-52A2. The MTVA1 are diesel vehicles presented in two base models (2.5-tons and 5-tons) with multiple variants of each, while the M931A2 weigh 5-tons and are Reo variants, manufactured by AM General.

Brazilian Navy takes on the AAV-7A1

T

he Cuerpo de Fusileros Navales (CFN) of the Brazilian Navy purchased twenty-three AAV-7A1 amphibious assault vehicles (manufactured by BAE Systems), to complement the other twenty-six currently in service. There is also a requirement for another batch of twenty-five vehicles of the same model; these are believed to be surplus US Marine Corps vehicles. (Photo: PNG)

Colombian Army receive the Stryker M1126

T

he National Army of Colombia received the first batch of eleven Stryker M1126 8x8 armoured vehicles, following negotiations with General Dynamics Land Systems Canada (GDLS-C). The US Company revealed that the vehicle purchased by Colombia, were the LAV III version, similar to the Stryker M1126 version vehicles used by the US Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The contract is believed to have been worth an estimated $US 65.4M, and the Colombian Army has placed another order for a further eight vehicles more. The thirty-two vehicles will be equipped with the remote weapon station (RWS) Samson Mini, from the Israeli Rafael Company.

Uruguayan Armed Forces test Gaucho

A

VLEGA (Vehículo Liviano de Empleo General, Aero transportable) ‘Gaucho’ was recently delivered by the Argentine Embassy at Montevideo, Uruguay in regard to an earlier military co-operation

agreement signed between the two countries. Uruguay received the Argentine-made light military vehicle “Gaucho”, on loan, to undergo a variety of trials and tests by the Uruguayan Armed Forces, in order to see if the vehicle fits with the Uruguayan Armed Forces requirements, that could lead to sale of vehicles to the Uruguayans.

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REGULAR: ON THE SHELF Complete Illustrated Parts Catalogue for 90, 110 and 130 Variants The latest book to be published by Brooklands Books, well-known purveyors of vehicle manuals, is this Illustrated Parts Catalogue referring to the British Army’s Land Rover Defender XD-Wolf. Despite the fact that the Wolf is still in service, a great many have been sold off through various MoD auctions and with an increasing number now in private hands, the release of this publication couldn’t be more timely. The A4 format, 318-page, softback book features around 1000 black and white diagrams that illustrate the various mechanical components, allowing owners to identify

replacement parts that may be required more easily. The book covers the Defender XD (Wolf) model manufactured from 1996 on, the Truck Utility Light (TUL) HS, Truck Utility Medium (TUM) and TUM Ambulance HS, built on 90, 110 and 130 chassis, with the only exception being the Weapons Mounting Installation Kit (WMIK) versions, although a large proportion of the book would still apply given that the WMIK was based on the standard 110 Wolf TUM. The book is available directly from the publishers, or from various good Land Rover suppliers and is a worthwhile investment if you own an ex-military Wolf Land Rover.

Title – Military Land Rover Defender XD-Wolf By – UK MoD ISBN – 9781783180240 Price - £39.95 Format – Softback Available from – Brooklands Books Ltd – www.brooklands-books.com

Essential Model Making Guide to the Jagdpanther Title – Jagdpanther By – Lukasz Gladysiak & Adam Rejmak ISBN – 9788362878833 Price - £12.99 Format – Softback Available from – Casemate Publishing Ltd – www.casematepublishing.co.uk

This new addition to the popular Photosniper range of modelling books from Kagero looks at the World War Two German Jagdpanther tank destroyer. Despite the fact that this book, and indeed the series, is clearly aimed at military model makers, the book is packed full of fascinating information and photos that would be of equal interest to military vehicle owners or military historians. The 108-page softback book is provided in A4 format and contains 71 colour photos (mainly of preserved examples of the Jagdpanther), 8 painting schemes (provided as colour side elevation

illustrations), 17 black and white archive photos and 39 scale line drawings produced to the popular 1/35 scale. The Jagdpanther, like all wartime German tanks and vehicles, remains a popular subject, especially with model makers who are well supplied with model kits of the Jagdpanther across a variety of scales from numerous manufacturers, and as such this book will no doubt be well received. At just £12.99 the book represents excellent value for money and would be well worth adding to any reference collection. The book is widely available through good book and model shops, including Bookworld Wholesale, who advertise in MMI.

Essential Model Making Guide to the Challenger 1 Another new addition to the Photosniper range of modelling books from Kagero is this first volume on the British Army�s Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank, and few people are better qualified to provide reference material on the Challenger than author Robert Griffin. This is more like a proper photo reference guide, with around 280 colour photos to be found on the 80-pages, which describe the tank in great detail both inside and out. A number of line drawings, again produced to 1/35 scale are also included, along with excerpts from manuals describing specific aspects of the tank. With this

being the first volume it is well and truly packed with information that will appeal to model makers and vehicle enthusiasts, and the second volume that is due to be produced is set to cover the peacetime use, combat use (Gulf War, Balkans etc.) as well as offering material on the Challenger armoured recovery vehicle or CRARRV. The £13.99 price tag is very reasonable, and when combined with the second volume will offer an excellent reference source on the Challenger 1 MBT. The book is widely available through good book and model shops, including Bookworld Wholesale, who advertise in MMI.

Title – Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank Vol.1 By – Robert Griffin ISBN – 9788362878956 Price - £13.99 Format – Softback Available from – Casemate Publishing Ltd – www.casematepublishing.co.uk

Strategy and Tactics from Gallipoli to Iraq Title – Amphibious Warfare By – Ian Speller & Christopher Tuck ISBN – 9781782741404 Price - £19.99 Format – Hardback Available from – Casemate Publishing Ltd – www.casematepublishing.co.uk

Landing on a hostile beach is one of the most ancient forms of warfare, and arguably one of the most difficult to perform successfully. The level of planning, organization, co-ordination and co-operation between different arms of the forces is unparalleled, and while it can sometimes go wrong, when it all comes together it can be used as a key initiative in any military assault. The D-Day Landings are obviously a case in point, but there have been many amphibious landings both before and after, and this fascinating book from Amber Books

discusses the different aspects of amphibious warfare, from the men and their specialist training to the machines and vessels needed to ensure a successful operation. The 192page book is well illustrated throughout with a series of 150 black and white photos, 25 pieces of black and white artwork and 40 colour illustrations, all of which combine to trace the history of amphibious warfare from the Norman Conquest to the very latest ships and vehicles in use around the world today. All in all it’s a great book that offers a complete guide to a form of warfare that in this troubled world bears an increasing relevance. The book is available from all good book stores.

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REGULAR: ON THE SHELF In-Depth Photographic Study of the Wehrmacht in WW2 Title – PK Cameraman No.1 By – Remy Spezzno & Douglas Nash ISBN – 9780974838960 Price - £35.00 Format – Hardback Available from – Casemate Publishing Ltd – www.casematepublishing.co.uk

Presented in an extra-large 12x12” format with large black and white images, this new book from RZM Publishing offers a unique, in-depth study of the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War using images taken by professional German war correspondents of the Propaganda Kompanie (PK), hence the title for this new book! This first book in the series covers a relatively small number of vehicles, which include a number of images of the Marder III self-propelled gun and crews, the Sd.Kfz. 11 half-track and 7.5cm PaK 40, Sd.Kfz. 10 half-track, BMW

R75 motorcycle combination and the Ford Eifel, converted from captured Ford sedans to tow the 2cm Flak 38. Some of the photos are a little grainy, but then they are over 70 years old and photography has come on a long way, but to be honest it is the subject matter that counts, which is rare and unusual. The book will undoubtedly appeal to those with an interest in history, and the vehicles included will ensure a good following from vehicle owners and enthusiasts too. With more volumes due to be published, this will no doubt build into a fascinating record of the German Wehrmacht during WW2.

WWII German Solo Motorcycles in Detail The ever-growing series of ‘In Detail’ books from Wings & Wheels Publications have firmly established themselves as a favourite amongst model makers and vehicle enthusiasts since they were first introduced some years ago, and it’s all thanks to the superb and detailed photographic coverage of a wide range of popular military vehicles, aircraft and other interesting hardware. This is the latest book in the series, and the 72-page book in the familiar square format offers a superb collection of colour photos of preserved examples of a range of German wartime solo motorcycles. Featured in the book are the DKW RT125, DKW NZ350

(early and late versions), the Zundapp K350, BMW R12 and BMW R61 motorcycles, so as you can see it covers most of the important motorcycles to be used by German forces throughout World War Two. Numerous close-up photos describe each of the motorcycles in detail, together with a small amount of text and informative captions. If wartime German motorcycles appeal to you then check out this new book from Wings & Wheels Publications. The book was supplied for review by, and is available from, Bookworld Wholesale Ltd.

Title – Wings & Wheels Publications R074 By – Frantisek Koran & Jaroslav Votik ISBN – 9788087509296 Price - £19.99 Format – Softback Available from – Bookworld Wholesale Ltd – www.bookworldws.co.uk

US Army Earth Movers in Detail Part One Title – Wings & Wheels Publications R075 By – Jan Horak & Frantisek Koran ISBN – 9788087509302 Price - £30.99 Format – Softback Available from – Bookworld Wholesale Ltd – www.bookworldws.co.uk

Our second new release in the ‘In Detail’ series looks at a growing area of interest within the military vehicle fraternity, namely earth movers and construction equipment. In what we must presume from title is the first of a series of two or more books on the subject, the authors have gathered together a superb collection of colour images of restored and preserved vehicles, which includes the likes of the Clarkair CA-1 airborne dozer, the International Harvester IH-T6, Allis-Chalmers HD-15A, Caterpillar D2, D4, D7 and D8 dozers, and the Le Tourneau scraper and Cat No.12 grader. The

majority of the photos are colour photos of vehicles that are either in private hands or in museum collections, however, the book also includes a number of wartime black and white images that illustrate various types in service. The book is fairly comprehensive, being of 156-pages, and offers plenty of material for model makers and vehicle enthusiasts alike, however, there is one slightly odd inclusion with the book, namely the M2 Cletrac, which according to my references was an airfield tow tractor and not an earth mover, but it hardly spoils the book and if anything can be seen as a bonus! The book was supplied for review by, and is available from, Bookworld Wholesale Ltd.

Canadian CMP C8A HUP in Detail Our final offering from Wings & Wheels Publications this month is yet another release in the ‘In Detail’ series and looks at the Canadian Military Pattern or CMP C8A HUP (Heavy Utility Personnel). The 108-page book looks at two particular examples of the type, both in private hands and both superbly restored and equipped with many original additions. As well as the usual walkaround type photos and the numerous detail photos of the body and running gear, the book also covers the interior of the office variant in some considerable detail, looking

at the equipment in there such as the typewriters, field telephones etc. Several pages are also devoted to the canvas penthouse that was erected to provide the officers with more room to work when operating from a field base, which to my mind was a nice addition and something that will no doubt be appreciated by the reader, many of whom will probably never have seen the set up before. The final few pages are devoted to examples of the ambulance and wireless car, all of which rounds off another excellent offering from Wings & Wheels Publications. The book was supplied for review by, and is available from, Bookworld Wholesale Ltd.

Title – Wings & Wheels Publications R076 By – James Baxter & Frantisek Koran ISBN – 9788087509319 Price - £25.99 Format – Softback Available from – Bookworld Wholesale Ltd – www.bookworldws.co.uk

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august 2014 Saturday 16 Sunday 17 August 2014: Lacock at War: presented by the West Wiltshire Military Vehicle Trust, held in Lacock Village (SN15 2LQ) and featuring military vehicles, living history displays, 1940s singing, dancing, music, traders and BBQ. Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Flypast applied for. Adults £3, Children and Senior Citizens £1.50. For further details see: www.westwiltsmvt.co.uk Saturday 16 Sunday 17 August 2014: Cobbaton Combat VJ Weekend: Our annual military vehicle show, featuring vehicles, stalls, living history displays, etc. as well as entry to the museum. Open between 10am and 4pm. Held at the Cobbaton Combat Collection, Chittlehampton, Umberleigh, North Devon, EX37 9RZ. Tel: 01769 540740 [email protected] www.cobbatoncombat.co.uk Saturday 16 Sunday 17 August 2014: Norfolk Tank Museum 2014 Military Vehicle Weekend: Norfolk Tank Museum, Station Road, Forncett St Peter, Norwich, Norfolk, NR16 1HZ. Run What You Bring, Military vehicle extravaganza. Displays, living history, stalls and refreshments/BBQ. Saturday evening hangar dance with licensed bar. All Terrain Vehicle ride around our specialist off-road track, 10am to 5pm. Entrance to show £8 per adult, accompanied children under 12 free, children £3. Entry forms and pitch booking available from Stephen Machaye: Tel: 01508 532650 [email protected] Show incorporates the 40’s Hanger Dance at the Norfolk Tank Museum with the Beeston Big Band and licensed Bar on Saturday 16 August 2014. £12.00 per ticket. 1940’s dress code optional but preferred. Bandside tables (10) on a first come first served basis. Bring your own picnic! Saturday 23 to Monday 25 August 2014: Mount Edgcumbe At War: Organised by members

of the MVT in Cornwall and held at Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, Cremyll, Cornwall, PL10 1HZ. At the beautiful Mount Edgcumbe estate on the Rame Peninsula, just across the water from Plymouth. Military vehicle displays and living history groups from all eras. Trade and memorabilia stalls, and entertainment. All welcome! Contact Gwen Jenkins on Tel: 01872 561653 or [email protected] Saturday 23 to Monday 25 August 2014: Tanks Trucks and Firepower Show: held off the A426 Dunchurch, Nr Rugby, CV226NR. Over 150 military vehicles on display, Tank driving/firing displays, pyrotechnic displays, Challenger 1, re-enactors, stalls, beer tent, tank rides, mini tanks, children’s rides, foods stalls. Public camping available. Gates open 10am - 5pm each day. For more information call: Tel: 07803 080028 or Tel: 07885 115341 www.tankstrucksandfirepower.com Wednesday 27th to Sunday 31st August 2014: the Great Dorset Steam Fair: held at Tarrant Hinton, Blandford Forum, Dorset DT11 8HX. Regarded as “THE” National Heritage Show as well as being regarded as the leading show of its type in the World and now in its 46th year visitors will find steam engines, vintage and classic commercials, cars, tractors motorcycles and hundreds of trade stands and of course military vehicles! The spectacle covers an enormous showground, at over 600 acres it is one of Europe’s largest outdoor event locations. For further details or to book in for the show check out the website below, or call/email: Tel: 01258 860361 [email protected] www.gdsf.co.uk Saturday 30 August Sunday 31 August 2014: Echoes of the Past, Vintage weekend: held at Rougham Control Tower Museum, Rougham Indust Est, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP309XA. Step back in time at

‘Echoes of the Past’ at Rougham Control Museum. Take a wander around the Military vehicles, Classic cars, Vintage Tractors and Motorbikes. Living history displays, a vintage Fete and lots of free competitions will keep the children young and old entertained for the whole day with refreshments, beer tent or BBQ available to keep you fed and watered. Open 10am – 5 pm both days, Saturday - Adults £3.50 Under 16s free, Sunday – Adults £5.00 Under 16s free. All proceeds will go to the upkeep of the Tower Museum, Grounds & associated buildings. For further details call Shirley on: Tel: 07976 670679 roughamcontroltowermuseum @gmail.com www.rougham.org Sunday 31 August 2014: Jeep & Cheerful day: Its on, and now the show includes Military Vehicles too! A Free day out for anyone with a Military Jeep, or Military Vehicle, at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum ‘AeroVenture’ at the former site of RAF Doncaster. For more information and an entry form either write to: Jeep Promotions Ltd, 5 Chestnut Ave, Wheatley Hills, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN2 5SW, or call/fax: Tel: 01302 739000 Fax: 01302 739001 Or email your ‘Postal’ address details to: [email protected] and we shall send you an entry form. www.aeroventure.org.uk

september 2014 Saturday 6 September 2014: Buntingford Classic Car & Vehicle Show: The show features classic cars, motorcycles and military

vehicles, held at Buntingford, Herts, between 9am and 4.30pm. For further details call: Tel: 01462 630214 Mob: 07963609143 Saturday 6 September 2014: Peopleton Autumn Show: Held at Peopleton Village Playing Fields, Peopleton, Worcs. Featuring Classic Cars, Military Vehicles, stalls, food and entertainment throughout the day. Open from 12.00 noon till 6.00pm. For further details call John Sargeant on: Tel: 01905 840155 [email protected] Saturday 13 Sunday 14 September 2014: Wimpole at War: Held at The Wimpole Estate, near Cambridge, SG8 0BW. Modest admission prices apply, National Trust members free. Open from 11am to 5pm. Annual 1940s weekend with music, song & dance, fashion show, military and civilian living history, parades, entertainments, vehicles & traders. Full details at: www.eventplan.co.uk Saturday 20 Sunday 21 September 2014: Hughenden’s Wartime Weekend: Held at Hughenden Manor, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP14 4LA. Modest admission prices apply, National Trust members free. Open from 11am to 5pm. Annual 1940s weekend at “Secret Wartime Hughenden” with music and song, fashion show, military and civilian living history, vehicles & entertainments. Full details at: www.eventplan.co.uk Saturday 20 Sunday 21 September 2014: Salute to the ‘40s: held at The Historic Dockyard Chatham. Over the

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weekend, the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings, together with the 70th Anniversary of the launch of Second World War Destroyer HMS Cavalier will be commemorated. Tickets are now on sale (with discounts for ‘advanced’ purchases which enable fast track entry) at: www.thedockyard.co.uk/ salutetothe40s or call the Ticket Hotline: 01634 823826 Saturday 28 Sunday 29 September 2014: On the Home Front 1939-45: Held at Rufford Abbey Country Park, nr Ollerton, Notts, NG22 9DF. Free admission, £5 visitor parking fee, open from 11.00am to 4.30pm. Annual 1940s weekend with music, song & dance, military and civilian living history, tactical display, parades, entertainments, vehicles & traders. Full details at: www.eventplan.co.uk

Are you a show organiser? Don’t delay, and email your show & event details direct to the Editor at: [email protected] or if you prefer you can post them to the Editorial Office – details can be found on page 3 Friday 10 October to Sunday 12 October 2014: Pickering Wartime Weekend: Held in Pickering, North Yorkshire. A full on Wartime Weekend at Pickering, with Steam Trains running from the Station and a large number of trade stands in and around the Town! 1,000’s of re-enactors dressed in period uniforms and Civilian dress. For more information about the show visit: www.nymr.co.uk Traders see: www.pickering-warweekend.co.uk Sunday 12 October 2014: Hack Green Bunker Rally: Sale of electronic equipment, amateur gear, components, military

cover. Cafe with hot bacon rolls, tea/coffee. Great time to come and meet fellow enthusiasts. Dallas shop open at 9am. For further details contact Liz Rivers: Tel: 01635 201124 [email protected]

november 2014 Sunday 2 November 2014: Northern Military Expo: Held at the Newark Country Show Ground, just off the A1M (NG24 2NY). A Great indoor event with traders selling everything from Military & 4x4 Vehicles, Books, Manuals, Vehicle Parts, Uniforms, Medals, and much more and all under one roof.

to see some of these machines put through their paces as they tackle the off-road circuit at Mercedes-Benz World. Brooklands Museum, Brooklands Road, Weybridge, KT13 0QN. Tel: 01932 857381 www.brooklandsmuseum.com Sunday 16 November 2014: Malvern Militaria Fair: Held at The Three Counties Showground, Malvern, WR13 6NW. A quality, well attended indoor militaria fair with over 240 stall pitches to choose from. Doors open 9am-3pm, admission £5. For further details or to book please contact Amanda Lycett on: Tel: 01743 762266 or Fax 01743 762277 [email protected]

january 2015

october 2014 Saturday 4 Sunday 5 October 2014: Sherwood through the ages: Held at Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve, Notts, NG21 9HG. Free admission, £5 visitor parking fee, open from 11.00am to 4.30pm. Enjoy multiera living history exploring the many inhabitants and users of this iconic, beautiful forest from pre-history to the modern era, in peace or in war. Full details at: www.eventplan.co.uk

radio sets and vehicle spares. Doors open at 10am. Tea, Coffee and snacks available. Traders contact Lucy on: Tel: 01270 623353 [email protected] www.hackgreen.co.uk Sunday 26 October 2014: Dallas Digout: Held at Dallas AutoParts, Cold Ash Farm, Hermitage, Newbury RG18 9LT between 8am - 1pm. Sell your unwanted MV spares, car boot £8, entry £1, some stalls under

£5 entry, open 9 am to 4pm Sunday. Contact Mark at Jeep Promotions Ltd. on: Tel: 01302 739000 or visit www.northernmilitaryexpo.co.uk Sunday 15 November 2014: Military Vehicles Day: held at the Brooklands Museum. Over 80 vehicles are expected for our annual Military Vehicle Day. As well as the spectacular displays in the Paddock and around the site, there will be the chance

If travelling long distances to events we would advise people to check for cancellations before leaving home, MMI cannot be held responsible for any errors, omissions or cancellations. Submissions for Mission Briefing should be sent at least two months prior to the event and we would also ask that event organisers notify us of any changes as soon as possible.

Sunday 4 January 2015: Aviation, Airline & Model Collectors Fair: Event held at the former Aerodrome Hotel, next door to Airport House. Now the Hallmark Hotel, Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 4LT. Show set to include Aviation & Military Collectables, Airline Collectables, Plastic kits and books. Doors open at 10:30, £3 Entry, Children under 12 free. Free car parking. Stalls plots to be pre-booked, traders contact Acebell Aviation on: Tel: 01737 822200

may 2015 Sunday 3 May 2015: Historic Commercial Vehicle Society London to Brighton Run: This year marks the 54th Annual London to Brighton Run of restored historic commercial vehicles, buses, fire engines, vans and steam vehicles of all sizes travelling from Crystal Palace in London to Madeira Drive in Brighton. Public admission to the Paddock on Madeira Drive is by programme only from 2.00pm (price £3.00), although vehicles can be viewed from outside the paddock. For further details about the HCVS see their website at: www.hcvs.co.uk or email: [email protected]

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On Sale 4th September 2014

NORMANDY 2014

Simon Thomson reports from the D-Day commemorations in France

ALL AT SEA

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING

We look at a restored example of the Ford GPA amphibious Jeep

Ron Fry discusses the restoration of his Light Tank M3

DEERHOUND

TANKFEST 2014

Hélio Higuchi and Paulo Roberto Bastos Junior look at the CBR T17 Deerhound of the Brazilian Army

MMI brings you a report from the annual Tankfest show held at the Tank Museum, Bovington Content may be subject to change

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