The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - PanzerKampfwagen IV - Feb. 3rd, 2004

www.wargamer.com ^

[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

...................................................................................... ...........................................

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PanzerKampfwagen IV
(PzKpfw IV)

Most postwar publications on German armor of WW II tend to overemphasize the importance of the Tiger and Panther. These vehicles, while undoubtedly making quite an impression on their opponents during their somewhat limited appearance on the battlefield, should be considered as derivatives of the PzKpfw III and IV. These two tanks established the reputation of the German armored forces, and demonstrated the most advanced technical and tactical features of their time. Production of the PzKpfw IV was originally intended to be on a limited scale. Only the designer Krupp was engaged, while the PzKpfw III production was divided among eight major companies.


Ausf. C with 30mm 'Zusatzpanzer' on the hull front

The PzKpfw IV was originally given a limited role as a 75mm gun (75mm Kw.K. L/24) support vehicle for the PzKpfw III, which was equipped with a 37mm gun, to complete the quartet of basic pre-war tank models, but it became the vital backbone of the Panzer force, more of this type being built than of any other. The sound principles used in the design of the chassis allowed it to be progressively up-gunned and up-armored so that it was expedient to continue production up to the end of the war, when some 8500 had been built. The turret ring was sensibly constructed with sufficient diameter to permit up-gunning without radical re-design. The PzKpfw IV used leaf springs, in contrast to the PzKpfw III, Panther and Tiger, who employed a torsion bar suspension. As the up-gunning and up-armoring process continued, the forward springs remained constantly bowed under heavy pressure, causing the vehicle to yaw badly.


Ausf. C with improvised box on the turret rear

One man most instrumental in the design of the PzKpfw IV was the creator of the German Panzertruppe, Colonel-General Heinz Guderian, who had laid down the basic prerequisites for armored fighting vehicles as early as 1933-34. These were mobility, fire-power, armor protection and communication. A five-man crew was also considered essential, as this allowed for a distinct allocation of duties between the crew, an advantage both in training and and in battle, which gave German tanks their marked tactical superiority over their Allied counterparts despite other shortcomings. For example, in contrast to the German three-man turret crews that worked as a team, the French preferred one-man turrets, which required the vehicle commander to act as his own loader and gunner with the result that he performed neither of these functions well under pressure.


PzKpfw IV Ausf. D with the short-barreled gun

In spring 1935, Krupp, Rheinmetall, and MAN all sent in designs to fit the specifications drawn up by the Heereswaffenamt. This vehicle was known under the cover designation of Battalionsführer Wagen (BW), and the Krupp design was chosen for production. Prototype trails took place at Ulm and Kummersdorf in 1937. As with the PzKpfw III, some pre-production models were built in small numbers for trails. Three models, Ausf. A, B and C, had been built by 1939, and the few vehicles available took part in the Polish campaign, painted in the usual dark blue-grey of the German Army. There was little variety in detail, and also in the period 1939-1941 little was changed, for in service the PzKpfw IV was fulfilling its role. With the outbreak of the war the design was 'frozen' and large scale production was ordered as the Ausf. D. However the PzKpfw IV was destined to supplant the PzKpfw III as the mainstay of the panzer divisions, for its larger size allowed more efficient up-gunning and up-armoring.


Replacing the engine

The only opposition encountered in Poland came from 37mm anti-tank guns, and losses were light. As a result of experience in Poland, armor protection had to be upgraded, but plans to increase the superstructure front to 50mm were delayed, which resulted in the acquirement of 30mm 'Zusatzplatten' (supplemental armor) for the PzKpfw IV Ausf. E. During the invasion of France in 1940, the superior deployment of German armor proved decisive, and neither the protection nor the fire power was greatly improved. The same story was repeated during the Balkan campaign of 1941 and the first appearance of the PzKpfw IV in North Africa. During this time, the PzKpfw III had replaced the obsolete PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II and fought, already up-gunned with a 50mm gun, most of the tank battles.


A British destroyer was sunk by a PzKpfw IV in the Boulogne harbor, May 23 1940

Against the PzKpfw III, the PzKpfw IV's production was modest, as in 1941 only 480 vehicles were produced, despite an order for 2160 vehicles to equip the planned 36 armored divisions. Originally the main assembly was at Krupp, with hulls and turrets supplied by krupp and Eisen, but due to Allied air raids new key war industries were relocated to areas not readily accessible to the bombers. One of the new tank factories taking on the PzKpfw IV production was Nibelungenwerken in Austria, were the production and assembly remained till the end of the war


Ausf. E of the 11. Pz.Div. in the Balkans, 1941

The PzKpfw IV hull was a simple design, with high-quality steel plates made by the electric furnace process, and austenitic steel weld joints. Two bulkheads separated the hull into three compartments: driving, fighting and engine. The front driving compartment housed the transmission and final drive assemblies as well as seats for the driver and radio operator/hull gunner. The superstructure was bolted to the top flange of the hull, and the welded turret had sloped sides. The commander's cupola on the back of the turret roof had five observation ports equally spaced around it with the front port pointing directly forward in line with the main gun.


PzKpfw IV Ausf. E with 30mm Zusatzpanzer

The main power plant was the standard medium tank engine, the Maybach HL120 TRM, a 12-cylinder liquid-cooled petrol engine. Cooling air entered through louvres on the left hand side of the engine compartment, and was drawn over the engine by two fans. An exceptionally large filter provided clean air for the power plant. Track tension was adjusted by a large diameter idler wheel mounted on an eccentric axle at the rear of the vehicle. the suspension system consisted of fout bogie units per side, each of which was fitted with two rubber-tyred wheels. Quarter elliptic springs were mounted on the underside of the leading axle arm of each bogie. The other end of the spring rested on a shackle pin and roller, carried on an extension of the trailing axle arm. Four support rollers per side completed the suspension.

[snippy_about_it]

Be careful. We have some closings to on the north side of the city, I'm to the South and work in the middle. Tonight will be slow going I think.

[Lokibob]

I looked at the M-5 stuart and it really does match with the exception of the box on the rear and fenders. Of course, this one could have been modified over the years.

[Lokibob]

I hope you all like this:

 

THE MILITARY EXPERIENCE

A few weeks ago, I got nostalgic for the Army, so I downloaded some bugle calls from the Internet. Retreat, Reveille, Charge, Call to Quarters were among my downloads. I programmed my computer to play these during certain times of the day. I was greeted in the morning with Reveille. You would recognize it. It sounds like :I CAN'T GET UM UP, I CAN'T GET UM UP, I CAN'T GET UM UP IN THE MORNNNNING!

Then I started using the computer as an alarm clock (in effect turning my $1000 computer into a $4.95 alarm clock). Every morning, the computer woke up at 5 am and after warming up and loading all of its programs, it would turn up the volume and play Reveille waking both the dog and me.

Very pleased with my experiment, I connected my computer to my high fidelity home entertainment setup, and the quality of the bugle calls improved significantly, along with the quantity of the volume. Now it really sounded like the bugle calls in Fort Monmouth New Jersey at 5 am in 1962.

I decided I had to share the military experience with my neighbors. And, of course, Reveille MUST be played at 5 AM. Got out some wire and extended the speakers of the entertainment center to 3 different windows of my house. Some duct tape sealed the windows from the wind but left the speakers sticking out the window. I couldn't test the volume because that would give away the surprise I had for my neighbors the next morning so I just guessed at about 3/4's of the full scale.

The day of awakening, I used the regular $4.95 alarm clock to wake the dog and I at 4:45 am. Perked my coffee, poured myself a cup, and waited for the big moment. At 4:58, the computer came on, loaded up the programs and at exactly 5AM, "THE MILITARY EXPERIENCE" began for my neighbors. Ahh, the pure joy of reveille.

Only one problem, the volume rivaled the civilian defense air raid sirens, and apparently Reveille broke the sleep of 5,000 residents over a 5 square mile radius. I saw lights come on all over my neighborhood, but since the bugle call was only 30 seconds long, they couldn?t locate the source. I was tempted to play it a few more times, but I didn't.

I gave my neighbors "THE MILITARY EXPERIENCE" for 4 straight mornings. I talked to the Bishop across the street and apparently "THE MILITARY EXPERIENCE" was not to his liking. He vowed to get the people that were playing bugles at 5 AM, so I realized that I had to get sneakier. I skipped 2 mornings (Saturday and Sunday), then gave them "THE MILITARY EXPERIENCE" again.

On Monday, the Bishop told me he was going to call the police. He suspected the "new people" down the street. They had teenagers and must be the guilty family. I decided to push it. I got out the police scanner, and fired it up. Tuesday, "THE MILITARY EXPERIENCE" went off without a hitch. Wednesday, the police scanner was full of talk. The Barney Fife SWAT team was deployed around the town, waiting for the perps giving "THE MILITARY EXPERIENCE". I decided to wait, desecration being the better part of valor. At about 5:30, Barney Fife (the chief) came over the police radio, canceling the stake out. I gave them 5 minutes to go get donuts, turned the volume to full, then "THE MILITARY EXPERIENCE" happened again. Unfortunately, I cracked three windows in my house, and the dog went deaf.

I have decided to give my neighbors an Honorable Discharge, and let them sleep in, retiring the reveille tape.

Does anybody know where I can get the sound of a fog horn in the middle of the Atlantic?

 

[gridlock]

I can take a couple of more pictures (front on type) but it is on private property, and the person who owns enforces it.

Never mess with a homeowner who has his own tank...

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone in the Foxhole.

[snippy_about_it]

I'm sure once Sam gets on he will be able to give you something definitive, but we might be close! ;-)

[Valin]

On This day in history


Birthdates which occurred on February 03:
1368 Charles VI King of France (1380-1422)
1805 Otto T Freiherr von Manteuffel premier Prussia
1807 Joseph E Johnston General (Commander army of Tennessee)
1807 Joseph Eggleston Johnston General (Confederate Army), died in 1891
1809 Felix Mendelssohn, German composer and pianist (Overture to a Midsummer Night's Dream).
1811 Horace Greeley editor ("Go west, young man")
1817 Samuel Ryan Curtis Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1866
1820 Elisha Kent Kane US arctic explorer (Kane Basin off NW Greenland)
1821 Elizabeth Blackwell Bristol England, 1st woman physician
1823 Spencer F Baird US biologist (Wood's Hole Station)
1824 George Thomas "Tige" Anderson Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
1824 Nathan George "Shanks" Evans Brigadier General (Confederacy), died in 1868
1831 Cyrus Ballou Comstock Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1910
1865 Martinus Ballings Flemish Jesuit/author (Will Power)
1874 Gertrude Stein Pennsylvania, author (Autobiography of Alice B Toklas)
1883 Clarence Mulford Illinois, western writer (Hopalong Cassidy)
1890 Heinrich Barth Swiss philosopher (Problem des Bösen)
1894 Norman Rockwell US, artist/illustrator (Sat Evening Post covers)
1899 Forrest "Red" DeBernardi basketball hall of famer (elected 1961)
1904 Charlie "Pretty Boy" Floyd (Oklahoma knew him well)
1907 James A Michener New York NY, writer (Tales of the South Pacific, Centennial, Chesapeake, Hawaii, Space)
1918 Joey Bishop [Gottlieb], Bronx, comedian/talk show host (Joey Bishop Show)
1922 Jean-Pierre Rampal flutist (Italian Flute Concertos)
1926 Arthur Arfons auto racer/designer (Green Monster 1964-536.71 MPH)
1926 Shelley Berman Chicago IL, actor/comedian (Son of the Blob, Love American Style)
1933 Paul S Sarbanes (Senator-D-MD, 1977- )
1935 Johnny "Guitar" Watson rock guitarist
1938 Victor Buono San Diego CA, actor
1940 Fran Tarkenton Richmond VA, NFL quarterback (New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings)
1943 Blythe Danner Philadelphia PA, actress (Butterflies are Free)
1945 Bob Griese NFL quarterback (Miami Dolphins, 1971 Player of Year)
1947 Dave Davies London, rock vocalist/guitarist (Kinks-Lola)
1950 Morgan Fairchild [Patsy McClenny], Dallas TX, actress (Falcon Crest, Flamingo Road)
1958 Joe Frank Edwards Jr Richmond VA, Commander USN/astronaut (STS 89)
1984 ? Long Beach CA, 1st baby conceived by embryo transplant

---

Deaths which occurred on February 03:
0474 Leo I Byzantine Emperor (457-74), dies
1399 John of Gaunt duke of Lancaster/king of Castile & León, dies at 58
1451 Murad II sultan of Turkey (1421-51), dies
1558 Alfonsus de Castro Spanish theologist (council of Trente), dies
1832 George Crabbe English vicar/poet (Borough), dies at 77
1889 Belle Starr US female gangster, murdered at 40
1909 Johann Georg Herzog composer, dies at 86
1924 Woodrow Wilson 28th President (1913-21), dies at his home in Washington at 67
1943 Alexander Goode rabbi who surrendered his life jacket, drowns
1945 Roland Freisler German Nazi judge (July 20th plotter case), dies
1958 Henry Kuttner sci-fi author (Dark World, As You Were), dies at 42
1959 The Big Bopper [Jiles Perry Richardson] rocker (Chantilly Lace), dies in a planein Iowa crash at 28
1959 Buddy Holly rocker (That'll be the Day), dies in a plane crashi Iowa at 22
1959 Richie Valens rock vocalist (Donna, La Bamba), killed in plane crash in Iowa at 17
1989 John Cassavetes actor/director (Husbands, Dirty Dozen), dies at 59
1991 Nancy Kulp actress (Jane Hathaway-Beverly Hillbillies), dies at 69
1996 Audrey Meadows actress (Alice-Honeymooners), dies at 69
1997 William Geoffrey Biddle bomb disposal expert, dies at 79
1998 Karla Faye Tucker murderer, executed at 38

---

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 BROWN WILBUR R.---WILMINGTON NC.
[NO RADIO CONTACT CRASH SITE UNCONFIRMED]
1966 CARTER JAMES L.---PASADENA CA.
[NO RADIO CONTACT CRASH SITE UNCONF]
1966 COFFEE GERALD L.---LOS ANGELES CA.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1966 HANSON ROBERT T.---TOLEDO OH.
[REMAINS RETURNED-IDENTIFIED 02/22/89]
1966 PARSLEY EDWARD M.---NAUGATUCK WV.
[NO RADIO CONTACT CRASH SITE UNCONF]
1966 WALLER THERMAN M.---WYNNE AR.
[NO RADIO CONTACT CRASH SITE UNCONF]
1967 JOHNSON AUGUST D.---HOUSTON TX.
[BLOWN UP BY GRENADE IN BOAT]
1968 ANDERSON JOHN T.---NIAGARA FALLS NY.
[03/05/73 RELEASED BY PRG, DECEASED]
1968 CAYER MARC---CANADA
[INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE RELEASED 13 FEB 1973]
1968 DEERING JOHN A.---NASHVILLE TN.
[03/05/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 98]
1968 DI BERNARDO JAMES V.---FULTON NY.
[03/05/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 1998]
1968 DIERLING EDWARD A.
[02/23/68 ESCAPED]
1968 DAVES GARY L.
[03/16/73 RELEASED BY PRG]
1968 ETTMUELLER HARRY L.---PLEASANTVILLE NJ.
[03/05/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE AND WELL 99]
1968 GOUIN DONAT J.---FORT KNOX KY.
[03/05/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 98]
1968 HAYHURST ROBERT A.---NEW RICHMOND WI.
[02/23/68 ESCAPED]
1968 JOHNS VERNON Z.---BALTIMORE MD.
[REMAINS RETURNED 89]
1968 WIGGINS WALLACE L.---WHITTIER CA.
[08/24/78 REMAINS RETURNED]
1968 WILSON MARION E.---ZANESVILLE OH.
1971 GOTNER NORBERT A.---KANSAS CITY KS.
[03/29/73 RELEASED BY PL, ALIVE IN 98]
1971 STANDERWICK ROBERT L. SR.---MANKATO KS.
1973 STRINGHAM WILLIAM STERLIN---GARDEN GROVE CA.

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

---

On this day...
1160 Emperor Frederick Barbarossa hurtles prisoners, including children, at the Italian city of Crema, forcing its surrender.
1238 The Mongols take over Vladimir, Russia
1377 Cardinal Robert of Geneva (anti-pope Clemens VII) starts term
1377 Mass execution of population of Cesena Italy
1488 Bartholomeus Diaz discovers Mosselbaai (Angra dos Vaqueros)
1547 Russian czar Ivan IV (17) marries Anastasia Romanova
1576 Henry of Navarre (future Henry IV) escapes from Paris
1591 German monarchy forms Protestant Union of Torgau
1660 General Moncks army reaches London
1690 1st paper money in America issued (colony of Massachusetts)
1740 Charles de Bourbon, King of Naples, invites Jews to return to Sicily
1743 Philadelphia establishes a "pesthouse" to quarantine immigrants
1752 Dutch States-General forbid export of windmills
1783 Spain recognizes US independence
1809 Territory of Illinois organizes (including present-day Wisconsin)
1815 World's 1st commercial cheese factory established, in Switzerland
1836 Whig Party holds its 1st national convention (Albany NY)
1855 Wisconsin Supreme Court declares US Fugitive Slave Law unconstitutional
1867 Prince Mutsuhito, 14, becomes Emperor Meiji of Japan (1867-1912)
1870 15th Amendment (Black suffrage) passed
1876 Albert Spalding with $800 starts sporting goods company, manufacturing 1st official baseball, tennis ball, basketball, golf ball, & football
1882 Circus owner PT Barnum buys his world famous elephant Jumbo
1887 To avoid disputed national elections, Congress creates Electoral Count Act
1894 1st US steel sailing vessel, Dirigo, launched, Bath ME
1899 -16º F (-27º C), Minden LA (state record)
1908 Supreme Court rules a union boycott violates Sherman Antitrust Act
1913 16th Amendment, federal income tax, ratified
1916 Canada's original Parliament building, in Ottawa, burns down
1917 US liner Housatonic sunk by German sub & diplomatic relations severed
1919 League of Nations 1st meeting (Paris)
1919 Socialist conference convenes (Berne Switzerland)
1924 Alexei Ryko elected as President of People's commission (succeeds Lenin)
1930 William Howard Taft, resigns as chief justice for health reasons
1930 Vietnamese Communistic Party forms
1931 Arkansas legislature passes motion to pray for soul of H L Mencken after he calls the state the "apex of moronia"
1941 Supreme Court upheld Federal Wage & Hour law, sets minimum wages & maximum hours
1942 1st Japanese air raid on Java
1942 Baseball owners agree to permit each club up to 14 night games in 1942
1943 4 chaplains drown after giving up their life jackets to others
1945 Walt Disney's "The 3 Caballeros" released
1945 Almost 1000 Flying Fortresses drop 3000 ton bombs on Berlin
1947 -81ºF (-63ºC), Snag Yukon (North American record)
1950 Nuclear physicist Klaus Fuchs arrested on spy charges
1951 Largest purse to date in horse racing, $144,323, won by Great Circle
1953 J Fred Muggs, a chimp, becomes a regular on NBC's Today Show
1957 Patty Berg win LPGA Havana Golf Open
1958 Royal Teens' "Short Shorts" enters Top 40 chart & peaks at #3
1959 The day he music died
1962 President Kennedy bans all trade with Cuba except for food & drugs
1964 "Meet the Beatles" album goes Gold
1965 Orbiting Solar Observatory 2 launches into Earth orbit (552/636 km)
1965 105 USAF cadets resigned for cheating on exams
1966 1st soft landing on the Moon (Soviet Luna 9)
1967 "Purple Haze" recorded by Jimi Hendrix
1969 The Palestine National Congress appointed Yasser Arafat head of PLO
1973 Dr Hook's "Cover of "Rolling Stone"" enters Top 40 & peaks at #6
1973 President Nixon signs Endangered Species Act into law
1979 Minnesota Twin trade Rod Carew to California for 4 players
1979 "YMCA" by Village People peaks at #2 on pop singles chart
1980 Muhammed Ali tours Africa as President Carter's envoy
1980 Larry Holmes TKOs Lorenzo Holmes in 6 for heavyweight boxing title
1982 Greatest helicopter lift, 56,888 kg, Podmoscovnoe, USSR
1984 1st baby conceived by embryo transplant born in Long Beach CA
1987 San Diego Yacht Club celebrates return of America's Cup
1989 Military coup overthrows Alfredo Stroessner, dictator of Paraguay
1990 Jockey Billy Shoemaker (58), retires after 40,350 horse races
1990 New York Met Darryl Strawberry voluntarily enters Smither Center for Alcohol rehabilitation
1993 Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott suspended for 1 year due to racist comments
1993 Federal trial of 4 police officers charged with civil rights violations in videotaped beating of Rodney King begins in Los Angeles CA
1994 President Bill Clinton lifts US trade embargo against Vietnam
1998 Mary Kay LeTourneau, 36, former teacher, violates probation with 14 year-old father of her baby
1998 US military plane clips cable car lines in northern Italy, kills 20

---

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Japan : Bean throwing Festival/Setsubun (last day of lunar calendar winter)
Paraguay : Patron's Day/San Blas, patrón
Puerto Rico : Fiesta de San Blas, protector of harvest (316)
Switzerland : Homstrom-celebrates end of winter ( Sunday )
US : Crime Prevention Week (Day 3)
US : 4 Chaplains Memorial Day
US : Flush Toilet Day
US : Muffin Mania Week (Day 3)
Community College Month

---

Religious Observances
Roman Catholic : Memorial of St Blase, bishop of Sebaste, Armenia, martyr (opt)
Christian : Feast of St Laurentius, 2nd archbishop of Canterbury (604-619)
Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran : Memorial of Anskar, Hamburg archbishop, Denmark/Sweden

---

Religious History
1518 Pope Leo X imposed silence on the Augustinian monks.
1744 Colonial missionary to the American Indians David Brainerd explained in a tract: 'God designs that those whom He sanctifies...shall tarry awhile in this present evil world, that their own experience of temptations may teach them how great the deliverance is, which God has wrought for them.'
1864 In Columbus, Ohio, a fellowship of independent Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational and United Brethren churches organized itself into a separate Protestant denomination known as the Christian Union.
1943 The Allied troopship S.S. Dorchester was torpedoed by a German sub and went down with a loss of 600 lives. As it sank, four chaplains gave up their lifejackets to shipmates, thereby also perishing in the icy waters. The bravery of Rev. Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed), Rev. George Lansing Fox (Methodist), Father John Washington (a Catholic priest) and Alexander David Goode (a Jewish rabbi) led Congress afterward to mark February 3rd as "Four Chaplains Day."
1985 In South Africa, Desmond Tutu, 53, became Johannesburg's first black Anglican bishop.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

---

Thought for the day :
"Prejudices are the chains forged by ignorance to keep men apart."

---

Question of the day...
Is "tired old cliché" one?

---

Murphys Law of the day...(USAF Law)
Cluster bombing from B-52's is very, very accurate. The bombs are guaranteed to always hit the ground.

---

Astounding fact # 672...
The first brand of Wrigley's chewing gum was called "Vassar", after the New England woman's college. Next were "Lotta" and "Sweet Sixteen Orange."

[snippy_about_it]

Ouch. I would not be waking up happy! LOL.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning gridlock.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning feather.

[snippy_about_it]

US : Flush Toilet Day

Did you make this up Valin?

[Colonel_Flagg]

Good morning!

Nice thread today. Looking forward to Tuesdays to see what you come up with!

Mmmmm .. Flakpanzers. Not just for breakfast anymore.

[snippy_about_it]

Great thread today Sam. I'm learning a lot.

Zimmerit was an anti-magnetic compound preventing magnetic charges being placed on the vehicle.

Sounds like zimmerit was a good idea. I like the looks of the Flakpanzer 3.7. LOL. Looks like quite a big target though. Thanks for teaching me about tanks!

[snippy_about_it]

This is our fifth TreadHead Tuesday and I'm learning lots! Tuesdays have become more fun I agree.

[snippy_about_it]

Sheesh. Mind my manners.


Good morning Colonel. How are you today?

[Colonel_Flagg]

Well, I've been better. My sister just called to say my grandmother is expected to pass away this morning. Waiting is very hard.

[Valin]

Nope! :-)

It say so right here
http://www.davesdatebook.com/71files/71s0203.htm

And we all know nothing on the net is untrue.

[SAMWolf]

Don't know if anyone has answered yet but it's a Stuart. Not sure if it's the M3 or M5 version but based on the turret I'd guess M5

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Snippy.

[snippy_about_it]

I'm sorry to hear that. Will you be flying down asap?