Da Paul Challenge

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Paul M. Weir

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Valentine with gap jumping rockets. For some curious reason it was not proceeded with. I wonder why :unsure:.

Another Valentine weirdo had a Welland jet engine mounted at the front to scour out or detonate mines ahead of it. Imagine having to play catch with your own mines! The Soviets did a similar thing with a MiG-15 engine on T-54/55. A later T-62 based version with twin MiG-21 engines was used for oil well firefighting.
 

witchbottles

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Valentine with gap jumping rockets. For some curious reason it was not proceeded with. I wonder why :unsure:.

Another Valentine weirdo had a Welland jet engine mounted at the front to scour out or detonate mines ahead of it. Imagine having to play catch with your own mines! The Soviets did a similar thing with a MiG-15 engine on T-54/55. A later T-62 based version with twin MiG-21 engines was used for oil well firefighting.
perhaps the early precursors to this beauty:

7536

7537

AKA
7538

Zero Length Launch. Scary part, they worked (most of the time) and they worked (some of the time) on their MiG 19 counterparts!

Got to admit, it would be one hell of an adrenalin rush. But I do see why they passed on the Carrier mounted rockets - a disturbing trend of 100% upside down landings. Kind of hard to find test crews after that, ya know ?:D
 

von Marwitz

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perhaps the early precursors to this beauty:

View attachment 7536

View attachment 7537

AKA
View attachment 7538

Zero Length Launch. Scary part, they worked (most of the time) and they worked (some of the time) on their MiG 19 counterparts!

Got to admit, it would be one hell of an adrenalin rush. But I do see why they passed on the Carrier mounted rockets - a disturbing trend of 100% upside down landings. Kind of hard to find test crews after that, ya know ?:D
Damn! THAT is truly scary... ?

von Marwitz
 

witchbottles

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Bit of help here, Perhaps Paul or "Von Marwitz" can assist. 1 document, pages 1 and 2. I need to know what unit this document is referring to as possessing the issued PzKpfw IVs (12) and Vs (10), the date the AFVs were issued, and the intended final disposition of the AFVs.

7620


7621


My interpretation is this is in reference to a "holding company" for the AFVs until they were assigned to Pz Brigade 103, just before it was absorbed into Pz Div Muncheburg. The holding unit being "Pz Kp. (BO) Berlin".

If these AFVs were actually present in Sector B and/or Z in April 1945 after Berlin was surrounded, there is an ad hoc AFV holding unit with 22 issued tanks that has remained unaccounted for across most historical records, that was present during the Battle of Berlin.

Thanks for the assist, and if anyone else has input on the document, please chime in! Thanks!!

Jon H
 

von Marwitz

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The document is a request for the establishment of Panzer-Kompanie (bo) "Berlin" per 24. February 1945.

The suffix (bo) means "bodenständig", which means as much as immobile. For example units in fixed defences like Normandy fortifications etc. were sometimes "bodenständige" units as they did not need and were not equipped with the usual vehicles and means of transportation.

In this particular case, the Panzer-Kompanie consists of 10x Pz. V and 12x Pz. IV, each crewed by a commandant, gunner and loader - but no driver and no radioman.
These Panzers were "Schadpanzer", i.e. damaged and immobile tanks (thus no need for a driver and radioman). The Schadpanzer were to be collected at Waffenmeisterschule Berlin-Neukölln, address of Treptower Park 4-8.

I reckon that these tanks were intended to be used as dug-in tanks (as they were damaged or immobile). Possibly - but I have not checked that - maybe only the turrets were used as armored cupolas.

von Marwitz
 

witchbottles

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Appreciate the response. I have just received this afternoon several photo prints of Volksturm digging in at least 4 of these into standard "AFV Dug in Tank" positions. One near the Zoo Flak Tower, (an obvious landmark) ; one near the Anhalther Station (another obvious landmark), and two that appear to be in the near vicinity of the Brandenburg Gate (another obvious landmark) - the Gate appears to the distant left and distant right of the photographs. All 4 are Pz V Panthers. Interestingly, one seems to be a G model hull with an A model turret installed - and the turret has zimmerit while the hull does not.

It would stand to reason that at least some of these tanks arrived in Berlin to become dug in fortifications but not "Pantherturm" or "Panzerturm" (which were not present in Berlin in 1945).

One of the Panthers has a missing ventilation cover set from the engine deck in one photo.

(The prints arrived from NARA today).

This will help me update the RG chart / FPP Chart for the OSDG Berlin project accordingly.

Thanks!
 

Yuri0352

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The '02SS armoured aerosan', a prototype built in 1940-41 by the TsKB-50 (Leningrad) design bureau.
Powered by the same 850 hp M103a aircraft engine used on the Tupolev SB bomber. The turret is from the T-40 light tank, with a 23mm cannon in place of the usual 12.7mm DShK machine gun.

The vehicle was not placed in to production due to design flaws revealed in testing, such as a relatively low speed, a poor ability to negotiate even minor obstacles, and structural failures of its thin (5-7mm) armor.
 
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