Da Paul Challenge

Status
Not open for further replies.

Paul M. Weir

Forum Guru
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
8,706
Reaction score
3,732
Location
Dublin
First name
Paul
Country
llIreland
British prototype Coventry Armoured Car. The pictured version is the Mk II which was armed with the 75mm QF (the rebored 6lbr as used in the Churchill VI/VII and others). While the intention was to produce 900, no series production resulted. Either 220 (total production) or 283 (63 '44 production + 220 '45 production) of the earlier 2lbr armed Mk I were produced out of a planned 1700.

The image is L-R reversed.
 

Paul M. Weir

Forum Guru
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
8,706
Reaction score
3,732
Location
Dublin
First name
Paul
Country
llIreland
Disston Tractor Tank, long track version, National Museum Of Afghanistan. The gun is likely to be a dummy, the original armament was a turret mounted M1916 37mm "trench gun" and a hull mounted .30" MG, possibly a Marlin.

The vehicle to its left is possibly an Indian Pattern Wheeled Carrier.
 

Paul M. Weir

Forum Guru
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
8,706
Reaction score
3,732
Location
Dublin
First name
Paul
Country
llIreland
Wow, you only have a sliver of a view to go on there... ?
I found another version of that particular photograph with more visible and that corresponded to yet another from the front showing the IP carrier.

See: http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/disston-tractor-tank/ 10th photo is more of witchbottles photo, 18th is from the front.

To be honest, I just wanted to mess with people's heads just a little. :sneaky:

I suppose part of it was to prompt the "How did he manage that?" question.
First step is identifying the Disston. That was one I read about somewhere, there were a fair few similar Heath Robinson-ish "tanks" built on commercial tracked tractors, but few done in more than handfuls. The insignia, though quite unclear, "smelt" Afghan to me. Through having no life but much reading I retain odd snippets, like "Diston" (sic) which prompted me to check the tanks-encyclopedia site and confirm my suspicion. No remedy for that other than reading lots of tank books and sites.
The next step was to figure out what photos in the above page matched which in terms of period. While what is visible gives little clue, having a likely target does allow you to say if it matches or not, in this case the mudguards/running board did seem to match an IP-C. Sometimes a feature like a StuG III G's driver's visor are unique and give the game away, other times if you can identify a companion piece of equipment that will give you a clue as to which army and period. Then concentrate on what is visible on your target, things like wheel arch shapes, vision ports, grilles, etc and those will allow you to eliminate alternatives. The devil is in the details. Nothing fancy, just boring plodding processes of elimination or confirmation, look and check, look and check ... It doesn't always work, but you try and work with what you have.
 

witchbottles

Forum Guru
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
9,100
Reaction score
2,254
Location
Rio Vista, CA
Country
llUnited States
I found another version of that particular photograph with more visible and that corresponded to yet another from the front showing the IP carrier.

See: http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/disston-tractor-tank/ 10th photo is more of witchbottles photo, 18th is from the front.

To be honest, I just wanted to mess with people's heads just a little. :sneaky:

I suppose part of it was to prompt the "How did he manage that?" question.
First step is identifying the Disston. That was one I read about somewhere, there were a fair few similar Heath Robinson-ish "tanks" built on commercial tracked tractors, but few done in more than handfuls. The insignia, though quite unclear, "smelt" Afghan to me. Through having no life but much reading I retain odd snippets, like "Diston" (sic) which prompted me to check the tanks-encyclopedia site and confirm my suspicion. No remedy for that other than reading lots of tank books and sites.
The next step was to figure out what photos in the above page matched which in terms of period. While what is visible gives little clue, having a likely target does allow you to say if it matches or not, in this case the mudguards/running board did seem to match an IP-C. Sometimes a feature like a StuG III G's driver's visor are unique and give the game away, other times if you can identify a companion piece of equipment that will give you a clue as to which army and period. Then concentrate on what is visible on your target, things like wheel arch shapes, vision ports, grilles, etc and those will allow you to eliminate alternatives. The devil is in the details. Nothing fancy, just boring plodding processes of elimination or confirmation, look and check, look and check ... It doesn't always work, but you try and work with what you have.
You gotta admit, @dlazov Paul would have made one hell of a gunner in the turret. Heck, he'd probably be the deadeye in there lining up the sights for a 900 meter shot right into the shot trap - Wonder if one of his distant relatives was the man responsible for the 6 lbr shell hit that disabled the turret rotation and killed the driver in Tiger 131 back in Tunisia :).
 

dlazov

Elder Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
Messages
7,991
Reaction score
1,377
Location
Toledo, Ohio
First name
Don
Country
llUnited States
You gotta admit, @dlazov Paul would have made one hell of a gunner in the turret. Heck, he'd probably be the deadeye in there lining up the sights for a 900 meter shot right into the shot trap - Wonder if one of his distant relatives was the man responsible for the 6 lbr shell hit that disabled the turret rotation and killed the driver in Tiger 131 back in Tunisia :).
Yeah, I'd love to have him as my gunner or TC, I was just happy driving the thing...lol
 

Paul M. Weir

Forum Guru
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
8,706
Reaction score
3,732
Location
Dublin
First name
Paul
Country
llIreland
7.5 cm Kanone L/41 auf Zugkraftwagen 5t (HKP 902) aka 7.5cm Selbstfahrlafette L/40.8

Only 2 built, used in NA.

A similar era chassis used for an armoured AA version mounting the 3.7cm FlaK 18 in a lightly turret (looks closed top), 3.7cm Selbstfahrlafette L/70.

 

Paul_RS

Elder Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2010
Messages
1,723
Reaction score
765
Location
Gammonopolis
Country
llUnited Kingdom
why can't the Polish Vickers Edw (b) fire both turreted MGs through the front CA as a FG?
 

jrv

Forum Guru
Joined
May 25, 2005
Messages
21,998
Reaction score
6,206
Location
Teutoburger Wald
Country
llIceland
why can't the Polish Vickers Edw (b) fire both turreted MGs through the front CA as a FG?
I don't think the intention is to prevent the two MGs from forming a firegroup. I believe they are allowed to as per D3.5. I think the vehicle note is trying to say the two turrets *may* make separate attacks, presumably with mandatory FG applying if appropriate.

JR
 

Robin Reeve

The Swiss Moron
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
19,593
Reaction score
5,557
Location
St-Légier
First name
Robin
Country
llSwitzerland
why can't the Polish Vickers Edw (b) fire both turreted MGs through the front CA as a FG?
Perhaps are you referring to the erroneous illustration in the 1st edition of Doomed Batallions? (the tank should be facing the upper right vertex)
The MG turrets can fire together through the front VCA.
 

NUTTERNAME

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2010
Messages
1,943
Reaction score
37
Location
N
Country
llVietnam
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top