Posted on 07/27/2021 3:50:45 AM PDT by Libloather
An elderly German man is facing a suspended prison sentence for storing a WWII tank, anti-aircraft gun and torpedo in his basement.
The case is moving through a German court, after Germany's army was called in to remove the tank and other weaponry from the 84-year-old's home in 2015.
According to man's lawyer, a US museum is keen to buy the 1943 Panther tank, which weighs 50,000 kilograms and measures 6.7 metres long.
Authorities were alerted to the remarkable collection after the home in the wealthy town of Heikendorf, a suburb of Kiel, was searched during an investigation into stolen Nazi art.
Other military and war collectors have shown interest in purchasing a variety of other weaponry seized from the home, including assault rifles and pistols, local media reports.
The mayor of Heikendorf, Alexander Orth, told local media at the time he was not surprised by the discovery of military hardware.
(Excerpt) Read more at 9news.com.au ...
Dude must have a rather large basement, with a sturdy foundation. 😀
I’m having a time just scoring 10mm....
Part of this story, which was left out in this article. When the cops found all of this....they couldn’t ‘recover’ the tank. So the Bundeswehr (Army) was called, and they sent a recovery team. Then they discovered that the tank would not crank up.
Rather than repair the vehicle (time constrants)...they dragged it out...heavily damaging the underground garage. There is still apparently some kind of legal deal going on about the damage done, and who will pay for it (police and Bundeswehr both say they aren’t responsible).
What’s the world coming to when you can’t keep a Panther tank in your basement?
eich PANZER, not Panther!
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/military-vehicle-news/panzer-mk-vi-tiger-for-sale.html
Thanks, I didn’t think that was right. But it’s been a very long time since I played Panzerbitz.
The elderly man should be tankful that it’s not an atom bomb in his basement.
It must have been tough getting that tank down the stairs.
Maybe the house was built around the tank.
Not necessarily. All tanks were “Panzers” or armored vehicles. But this one was a Panther, rather than a Tiger or a Löwe (Lion). It’s confusing I know.
Elderly gentleman: “Honest, I didn’t know it was down there, I never go downstairs”.
6 Years ago. Things are slow in the media.
Derek from Vice Grip Garage could have got it running.. just saying. He does that stuff all the time. “Send the lightning”!!
It does not appear that the tank owner was manufacturing, selling or transporting of weapons of war.
”He was chugging around in that thing during the snow catastrophe in 1978," town mayor said.
That was 43 years ago and 33 years after the war. The tank was not a secret in the town. Why the gestapo tactics now?
[P.S. My iPhone does not recognize the word “gestapo.” I guess Apple does not want us using that word.]
The German mark V was known as the panther, and the mark VI the tiger. Panzer is German for tank.
The thing didn’t move. Unless he had ammo for it, it was actually just scrap iron he kept in the basement.
The thing probably belongs in a museum, but for about 20 years after the war it was just considered scrap metal by most. Destroying his basement to remove it a hurry seems silly.
Leftist virtue signalling. The discovery that some guy managed to keep the Panther intact all this time - and 88mm FLAK and that torpedo - is a almost a miracle, given the enthusiastic destruction of all things German at the end of WWII.
They should give the guy a medal, but they won't.
Shame on you! You should still be playing Panzerblitz. ;-p
Panzer Leader was my gateway drug, and it set me on a journey that I still enjoy to this day.
We played Panzer Leader a few years ago at the beach
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