MILITARY VEHICLES #5.

 

 

 

KRAUSS - MAFFEI  LEOPARD 1 ( main battle tank )

 

During the cold war, west Germany designed and manufactured two main battle tanks. The Leopard 1 was the first of these successful designs and was an unqualified success, not only gaining large sales from the west German army but also sales to at least eight other countries.

 

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BMP - 1. (armoured personnel carrier )

 

The Russian BMP-1 went into production in the early 1960`s and marked an important departure from previous armoured personnel carriers. Not just an infantry carrier it provided a measure of combat capability with the vehicle. Its high mobility, effective anti-tank weapons combined with its armoured protection made it a significant addition to soviet battlefield forces. In service - 1960s - max speed - 24.23mph. Engine - 300hp v-6 diesel. Width - 7feet, Length - 22feet.





 



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ALVIS SALADIN.    ( armoured car )

 

The Saladin had a protracted development before going into production in 1958. It entered service a year later and served in all parts of the world. In many politically sensitive colonial situations its heavy gun allowed it to provide effective support as a wheeled tank where a fully tracked vehicle would have been difficult to justify. In service -1959- later 1960s. Max speed - 44.73mph. Engine - Rolls Royce B80 no1 mark 6D. Length - 17feet 3.5inches. Width - 8feet 5inches. Armament - one 76.2mm L5A1 gun, one 7.62mm L3A3 machine gun, one 7.62mm L3A4 machine gun.

 



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ALVIS SCORPION.

 

The Scorpion is a simple vehicle apparently on the straight line of British light tank design, with the engine on the front and turret/fighting compartment on the rear. Apart from the nose which is rounded, there is a well-sloped front plate. The engine was at first the Jaguar J60 4.2 litre petrol engine but a diesel was chosen later during production to increase range. The final one was the Cummins BTA 5.9 litre capable of 190hp, or a Perkins equivalent. The armament comprised the main ROF ( royal ordinance factory ) 76mm L23A1 gun, tailored for the Scorpion in 1973, which could be fed with various ammunitions, ranging from HE to various AP rounds. Also a coaxial 7.62mm L43A1 machine gun. Other equipment included a wireless radio, image intensification sights for the gunner and driver and IF vision, internal commodities comprised a commanders commode under his seat, a water tank and a boiling vessel.

 

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VANGUARD VAN.

 

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BEDFORD TASKER and QUEEN MARY TRAILER.

 

Long serving tractor and trailer designed for the transportation of aircraft. The 5 ton low loading semi trailer entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) just before the outbreak of the second world war in 1939. It was quickly nicknamed `Queen Mary` due to its large size. Its function was to carry component parts of aircraft-fuselages, engines, wings and tail plane sections. This was carried out so efficiently that it still remains in service for specialist movements. The towing vehicle is a post war Bedford `Tasker Tractor`, capable of pulling up to ten tons of weight. During the war, Queen Mary trailers were towed by Bedford OXC and by Commer and Crossley Q tractor units fitted with a special Tasker coupling.

 

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GERMAN HETZER TANK DESTROYER.

 

Introduced in May 1944 the Hetzer was popular with its crews as its manoeuvrability, low height, well sloped armour and relatively powerful gun made it both dangerous and difficult to knock out on the battlefield.

 

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CENTAUR COMMAND TANK.

 

Used by tank formation commanders, it had a wooden dummy gun to create room inside the turret for extra radio equipment. This also enabled the tank to blend in with the standard British Battle Tank, the Cromwell.

 

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GERMAN 150mm NEBELWERFER 41.

 

Originally designed to supply smoke cover, this six barrelled rocket launcher was more often used to deliver barrages of high explosive. The distinctive sound of incoming Nebelwerfer fire earned the weapon the nickname `Moaning Minnie`.



 

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BRITISH DAIMLER MK1 ARMOURED CAR.

 

This reconnaissance vehicle was used by the British Army in the second world war. Vehicles like this served all over the world, particularly in North Africa and North-west Europe. 2,694 MK1 and MK2 vehicles were built.

 

 

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