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Post by planecrazy on Jun 26, 2016 23:44:40 GMT 12
Happy to be corrected, would like to suggest the following is probably the oldest/rarest tank on the planet, the sole remaining A7V in existence is currenty on display in the Australian War Memorial. As you can see you can get up close and even touch her! Bit more of her story below. www.awm.gov.au/mephisto/    Interior, not much to see, the Germans attempted to destroy the machine with an internal charge.   |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 27, 2016 1:43:39 GMT 12
The Bovington Tank Museum has the world's oldest combat tank, a Mark I Tank, built in 1916, which was the first tank type ever produced. Wikipedia says of it: "Mark I A single male survives. This is the only surviving Mark I and the world's oldest surviving combat tank. It is part of the collection at the Bovington Tank Museum. It is painted to represent Number 705, C19, Clan Leslie although its identity and wartime history are unknown. There are indications that it may have served as a driver-training tank and it has been suggested it is Number 702, which would make it the second Mark I built. Between 1919 and 1970, it was sited in the grounds of Hatfield House to commemorate the fact this was a testing site for tanks during their earliest development" As it is the sole survivor of the type, I guess that makes it equally as rare too. Bovington also has the world's only surviving Mark II Tank, built sometime between December 1916 and January 1917, and this tank saw action and was damaged at Arras in April 1917. So, also older and equally as rare Mark IV Tanks went into production in May 1917, and went into action the following month, so perhaps some of the seven survivors of them in the world are also older. The A7V type did not see service till 1918. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_heavy_tanks_of_World_War_I#Mark_I |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 27, 2016 2:22:43 GMT 12
It is certainly an impressive beast though, I had a good look over it in November during my visits to the AWM.
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Post by nuuumannn on Jun 27, 2016 6:23:52 GMT 12
Mephisto used to be at the Queensland Museum in Brisbane for many years. I saw it there a while ago. And I've just read that it's on loan...
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Post by nuuumannn on Apr 3, 2017 0:15:30 GMT 12
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Post by planecrazy on Apr 4, 2017 14:41:22 GMT 12
She is an impressive machine to see up close, an amazing peace of history. After a bit of research it seems the oldest tank in the world would be "Little Willie" so easy to ask what where they thinking in hind site, a product of necessity I guess.  |
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Post by nuuumannn on Apr 5, 2017 16:11:40 GMT 12
Nice; Bovington is on my 'to do' list next year in the UK.
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Post by emron on Apr 5, 2017 22:43:12 GMT 12
It's been a while since I've been to the AWM but wasn't it their MKIV Female Tank "Grit" that was on display in ANZAC Hall back in 2004 ? I read that it's being taken on roadshows around the country for the duration of centenary commemorations. It's probably stored at the Annex up at Mitchell between tours if it isn't presently on show at the Museum. I wonder if Mephisto is on loan until it gets back.
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Post by ErrolC on Apr 6, 2017 7:39:59 GMT 12
It's been a while since I've been to the AWM but wasn't it their MKIV Female Tank "Grit" that was on display in ANZAC Hall back in 2004 ? I read that it's being taken on roadshows around the country for the duration of centenary commemorations. It's probably stored at the Annex up at Mitchell between tours if it isn't presently on show at the Museum. I wonder if Mephisto is on loan until it gets back. From memory, Mephisto's home (Queensland) is under renovation and AWM has borrowed it. |
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Post by nuuumannn on Jan 4, 2018 18:57:06 GMT 12
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