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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2016 13:23:02 GMT 12
Hi all,
I've started a small collection of tank kits and one I'd like to build is a NZ Army M41 Walker Bulldog, but in the original green rather than the desert camo.
Does anyone have any photos to share? I've found a handful of one in The Tank Museum in the UK and one or two in service, but I'd love some more.
I'd be grateful for any assistance.
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Post by planecrazy on Mar 28, 2016 20:16:16 GMT 12
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Post by 30sqnatc on Mar 29, 2016 6:12:48 GMT 12
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2016 10:25:49 GMT 12
Thanks folks. planecrazy - I've signed up to the forum as I can't see any pictures on that first page.
30sqnatc - Thanks for the link, I'm off for a look now. Good point about the pain, I've read of DBG hulls with OD turrets so that's an option! I'm not sure which I'll go for yet, it depends on which appeals and whether I can mix a decent match for DBG.
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Post by planecrazy on Mar 30, 2016 18:43:51 GMT 12
Thanks folks. planecrazy - I've signed up to the forum as I can't see any pictures on that first page. The chap who is building the Kiwi Bulldog in that thread has a couple of Kiwi army Bulldog builds on the go, one in plain green and one in that roudy desert scheme. Very friendly forum, I'm sure the folks there will be happy to help with any questions you may have! |
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Post by John L on Mar 31, 2016 19:20:07 GMT 12
What colour is the one outside the Army Museum in Waiouru
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2016 8:50:53 GMT 12
Unfortunately I'm still waiting for my membership of the forum to be approved. Disappointing as I'm itching to get started on the kit!
Jon - the pictures I've seen (been a while since I've gone) show it in a dark green but rather glossy, ditto the one at Linton. Waiouru also has one being restored which I'm guessing is in the camo scheme.
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Post by 30sqnatc on Apr 1, 2016 9:42:23 GMT 12
The one outside the museum was painted Deep Bronze Green before being placed on display. The gloss finish is correct for DBG. It may have now faded some what.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2016 11:18:31 GMT 12
Thanks for that, I figured the gloss was just gate guard stuff. I saw mention of some machines being painted glossy for parades etc.
On the KiwiModeller forum one of the members sent me a list of fates he compiled in March 1996 - interesting to note that the Museum had four inlcuding the two gate guard/memorials, one on the Waiouru range, and one owned by Alan Gibbs (possibly the one now with the folks in Huntly?). Also mentioned are the Massey Military Museum and "Kiest, Pahiatua", neither of which I can find via Google.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2016 20:18:26 GMT 12
I got in to Hobby Havoc and there are some great "in the field" pics of green machines, so that was well worth the wait!
Also they have a handful of photos of one performing at Wings Over Wairarapa 2009...that would be nice to see.
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Post by saratoga on Apr 2, 2016 21:41:08 GMT 12
Keast(deceased) is miss spelled, last known residing Featherston military museum.
There is also nearby a 'full scale kit of parts' for another one.
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Post by planecrazy on Apr 3, 2016 21:19:46 GMT 12
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2016 8:25:07 GMT 12
I did, yesterday - a lovely selection and very very helpful! I made a start on the model yesterday too, will post a pic or two in the Models subforum this weekend. Thanks saratoga, I also found a YouTube video of it running[/url] so I'll try to reach out to the poster and see what they can tell me. I have a feeling it's the one in the Wings Over Wairarapa photos I found but I may be mistaken. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 4, 2016 9:40:14 GMT 12
I never took a lot of interest in postwar Army stuff, and though aware that they had 10 Walker Bulldogs in the olden days. I have to admit I always assumed they were a rather heavy tank. But just now looking at Wikipedia I was quite amazed to find it was classed as a Light Tank, and at 23.5 ton was a lot lighter than the wartime Sherman medium tank at 30.3 ton.
I always wonder what the point of just 10 tanks to defend the country would be. But I guess they were reasonably mobile for tanks, with the Sherman travelling at 25 to 30 mph (40 to 48 km/h) against the Bulldog at 45 mph (72 km/h). I still think we're better defended now though with 105 LAV III's that can travel to the battlefield at 100 km/h, the LAV's will get there quicker and in greater numbers. Ten tanks would not last long in a battle and probably wouldn't even get to the front lines before being taken out.
Something else curious about the Walker Bulldog, the US military naming of tanks is usually after some past distinguished general (Generals Sherman, Stuart, Lee, Grant, Patton, Chaffee, Bradley, Abrams, etc) so I find it curious that the manufacturer initially called it The Little Bulldog (a nickname that stuck) and then when Gen. Walton Walker was killed in an accident in Korea they officially named it after him, but they kept the nickname as well, Walker Bulldog. Rather strange. Mind you the Brits all called the M3 and M5 Stuarts the "Honey" and it became knownas the Honey Stuart I guess.
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Post by 30sqnatc on Apr 4, 2016 12:29:15 GMT 12
The purpose of purchasing ten M41 was not to defend NZ. To start with the original purchase was to be around twenty five tanks (haven got my notes with me) but that could not be afforded in a single purchase and follow on purchases were never funded. They were primarilly to train NZ army crews to operate the tanks and for the Army to learn how to operate with tanks.
The M41 was chosen as it was perceived to be light enough to operate in the South East Asia and at least it was relatively modern. Immediately after WWII and into the 1950s all the UK could offer was obsolete Shermans, Comets and later the Centurion. In hindsight it was a fairly good choice although being second hand they never had brilliant reliability.
The 76mm gun was very accurate by day but it was rather night blind. It's other achilles heal was the Continental air cooled petrol engine which was thirsty when travelling cross country in Waiouru so we never got anything like supposed 160 km range.
Sitting on nearly 530 lt of petrol was always in the back of your mind. One day I was commanding an M41 on an exercise. We had just filled up with fuel and driving off to rejoin the rest of the vehicles I looked back and all I could see was a sheet of flame billowing up in the cooling air current. I definitely did not have to motivate my crew to do their drills quickly when I ordered (aka screamed) 'Driver halt engine fire' over the intercom.
Paul
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 4, 2016 13:50:08 GMT 12
So if someone had invaded our shores the tanks would not have been deployed?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2016 16:05:31 GMT 12
It's certainly an anomaly among American tanks as far as the name is concerned.
And I've never had much of an interest in armour at all, but after watching Fury I felt motivated to learn about what New Zealand had operated. It's a fascinating subject with more to it than I originally thought.
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Post by planecrazy on Apr 4, 2016 16:40:46 GMT 12
New Zealanders had a fair amount of success in Italy with the Sherman, even let loose with the Firefly version which had an 18 pounder shoe- horned sideways into the turret. One of the only guns fitted to an allied tank that was on a par with the deadly German 88mm. Did a bit of search and found this site which you may already have found? kiwisinarmour.hobbyvista.com |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2016 8:18:45 GMT 12
Oh yes, that's been a great reference. I need to buy some of Jeffrey Plowman's books after the wedding.
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Post by 30sqnatc on Apr 5, 2016 11:51:02 GMT 12
So if someone had invaded our shores the tanks would not have been deployed? Heck no. They would have been held back to defend Waiouru which must have been really really important as we practiced defending it year after year  |
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