Why So Few German Tanks In Ww1

[Panzermann]

I'm always amused at the K-wagen, considering how Porsche struggled to build a workable vehicle in the Maus, with the benefit of 1940s technology.

 

Hitler showed interest in the K-Wagen late in WW2. Desperation seems to lead to landships I think.

[Ken Estes]

Source on Hitler and K-Wagen?

[Panzermann]

Read it somewhere looong ago. Maybe some book on the Maus or about all the wonder weapons at the end of WW2? Sorry. What I remember is, it was for comparison to the big tank projects. Drawings shown to him and a mock-up was built. Though I doubt it was considered for production. I think his interest came from the legend that must have built around the K-Wagen after the Great War. Ordered by Hindenburg himself, biggest tank ever to roll on earth! a true landship! And the victors ordered the K-WAgen scrapped.

 

 

edited to add: The wikipedia entry mentions this, but without source needless to say.

 

At least I found this photo of building the two K-Wagen: http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fruehe-kampfmaschinen-angriff-der-kreiselpanzer-fotostrecke-106858-23.html

Edited July 22, 2014 by Panzermann

[Ken Estes]

 

Yes, those were the two most finished of the ten ordered, in this case by the Riebe Ballbearing Works in Berlin, 1918. A bridgebuilding firm, the managers are posing for pics after armistice. They had wanted to finish and test run the first one but the Armistice Commission turned them down.

 

I was curious of the source, but thanks anyway. I was shocked to see Frölich making comments in his Kampfpanzer Maus about the mythical Ratte and Monster projects, as if he was just retelling everything ever said or written, in stark contrast to the quality material he has about Maus. Usually you don't see German sources circulating such foolishness.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Ken Estes

[Mr King]

German repair shop for captured British tanks, in Belgium.

 

[Dave Clark]

German repair shop for captured British tanks, in Belgium.

 

To be even more specific - the Bayerischen Armee-Kraftwagen-Park 20 in Charleroi.

[Mr King]

Thank you Dave.

[X-Files]

As good a thread as any for this -

[Harold Jones]

Found episode 1 here

 

http://youtu.be/P3AdbPzqnyg

 

it was pretty good.

Edited August 15, 2014 by Harold Jones

[TonyE]

Yes, if thats anything like episode one, it will be worth watching.

 

Bring back the Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps!

[Markus Becker]

German repair shop for captured British tanks, in Belgium.

 

 

That explains why Germany built so few. Gathering broken down British tanks was so much easier.

[Ken Estes]

Literally, it was just so.

[Mikel2]

Didn't the British demolish tanks they had to abandon to the Germans??

[Markus Becker]

I guess getting out of a disabled tank and then taking cover was as important to the Great War tankers as it was to WW2 tankers. So whoever controlled the battlefield after the fighting could salvage tanks. Like Rommel did in the western desert so much.

Edited August 17, 2014 by Markus Becker

[DougRichards]

German repair shop for captured British tanks, in Belgium.

 

 

Am I the only person who has seen that the worker sitting on the tank track - see the man in the top third of the image approximately one third of the image from the left - appears to be of African origin? Labour drafted in from the colonies or just a labourer who may have been in Germany at the outbreak of war?

[Markus Becker]

Looks like it but you are missing the point. The depot was run by the Bavaria army and that bloke is most certainly not a Prussian.

 

edit: Jokes aside, he migjt from the Belgian Kongo or from a French African colony.

Edited August 17, 2014 by Markus Becker

[Colin]

be interesting to see how they got them off the battlefield?

[Markus Becker]

Repair the first in place and use it to pull the second? I also assume that the Germans had some tractors for the really heavy artillery. They might have worked too if the terrain was not too broken.

[Mikel2]

http://info8058.wix.com/panzer-bahnhof-1917#!panzertransporte/cnec

 

http://www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.nl/viewtopic.php?t=7820

Edited August 18, 2014 by Mikel2

[Mikel2]

be interesting to see how they got them off the battlefield?

 

 

Edited August 18, 2014 by Mikel2

[Colin]

Tanknet-ask and ye shall receive, excellent, thank you

[Colin]

interesting picture

[Ken Estes]

Saved a lot on R&D

[DougRichards]

interesting picture

 

 

Obviously an prototype of an Imperial Walker

 

[BansheeOne]