Panzers In Berlin 1945 Pdf

[Mandy Geise]

Noone seems to know much but the assumption is that it (or they) were non-runners and either used as pillboxes or shelters. The tanks are claimed to have arrived by way of Estonia. Rather than fill the thread with links to some of the wackier reaches of teh interwebs, particularly since it is largely supposition, guesswork or fantasy, I'll simply ask if anyone knows anything about this.

The Germans took trophy Mk V tanks from France, Estonia and The Soviet Union. Despite various assertions there is no proof that they were used as anything other than museum displays. The only Mk V that can currently be identified as having seen action in WW2 is one that was incorporated in the defences at Riga armed with Vickers or Maxim Mgs in place of the Hotchkiss.

This was mentioned in 'Britain at war' magazine recently in an article on the MK V. It appears it may have been a museum piece that was used as a pillbox. It is on record that many such items in occupied country's had been taken for scrap ealier during WW2.

Obviously not all scrap as at least two show up in Berlin and the Germans captured no intact Mk Vs in WW1, all beute panzers being MkIV. This subject has been flogged to death over on Landships. There is no evidence that the tanks in Berlin were used as pill boxes.

I have a photo of a Mark V in a park with various civilians strolling past it. There were no Mark V presentation tanks in Britain and the photo has a European "feel" so I don't think it's taken in the US. I strongly suspect the picture was taken in Berlin and supports what Centurion has said that these were brought back as trophies. I don't believe the stories about them being used as pillboxes either. By 1945 they would have provided as much protection as a paper bag.

This 1945 shot shows the same building with the same tank (the domes have been blown off the towers and the trees have taken a pasting). The square building in the shot in the link in the header is off to the left of the picture. The one in this shot was once a museum and the tanks were on display outside.

No, none of those. The first appears to be during wartime, as the park looks undamaged, and the second's after the fall of Berlin (park's damaged and there's a jeep). The third I suspect is in France as it's the only place I've seen Mark Vs painted like this.

I may be imagining it but isn't that a white 4 in a black square on the side of the tank? If so then its one of the American 301st's and probably one of the ones shipped back to the US in early 1919 displayed alongside captured guns.

There were two built (possibly in railway workshops) either on Uberlandwagens (which shared the chassis with the A7V) or simply on spare A7V chassis). The body whilst obviously modelled on the A7V was not just an A7V in boiler plate rather than armour plate as there were a number of differences (shape of roof, driver's cab, machine gun turrets etc). Some improvised armoured cars were also built.

Having done some enhancing and sharpening using GIMP this tank does have a white 4 on a black background - the marking of the American 301st. Whilst this unit did have some tanks knocked out none were lost to the enemy (all ending up in Allied held ground at the end of the battle). The 301st shipped its surviving tanks back to the US at the end of the war. Looking at the costume of the lady in the trouser suit on the left hand edge of the photo I'd put the date as sometime in the 1920s. So probably a display in the USA.

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