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Friday, March 02, 2007

Strange Tanks


"QUANTUM SHOT" #127


When the military decides to get weird, it's gets REALLY weird

It all started in the Fourteenth Century. We have a record of a "pre-tank" machine, called "Fighting Unicorn".

Military

This is a fragment of a page from the work of Mariano di Jacopo (aka Mariano Taccola) from Sienna. Apparently the body was full of very small soldiers, all running in step; the unicorn horn would be lowered to charge, or just to pound on the helmets of astonished infidels .
(via Barista Media)

------------------------
WORLD'S BIGGEST TANKS

World War I -
1. TZAR TANK

Military

Read it and weep! Landships describes the Biggest Tank Ever Built! It is also the Most Strange Armored Fighting vehicle ever constructed.
"Lebedenko Tank", or Tzar tank (after tsar Nikolaj, who helped finance it) was also called "Netopyr" - vampire bat. Its history starts in 1914 with the engineer N. Lebedenko, who came up with the idea of a 40-ton battle machine, running on one small and two very large spoked wheels, almost 9 meter in diameter. The designers hoped that this configuration would make it possible for the vehicle to cross practically all obstacles. However on the initial trial run the small wheel got stuck in a ditch, and the weak engines did not help either.

Military

Military

Military
Source: Tzar

UPDATE:
Here is another strange one (from France):
The "Machine Boirault" tested for the French Army in 1915 as a trench crossing vehicle:


(image credit: Steve Zaloga )

-------------------

World War II -
2. Stalin's Heavy Tank

Military
art by Lobachev

This page has a fascinating article about Stalin's T-35 HEAVY TANK - multi-turreted monster, visually stunning in its huge dimensions.

Military
T-35-2 on parade in Moscow. November 7, 1933.

The running gear of the T-35A tank:
Military

Military

Outwardly, the T-35 looked like the British A1E1 "Independent" five-turret tank:

Military

Today, only one T-35 survives. It is on display in the Kubinka tank museum.

We deliberately omit Nazi Germany tank monstrosities, as they will be subject of a separate post. We will also speak about TOG series 1 and 2, created in 1940 by a team of former WW1 tank designers - in the forthcoming articles.

Military

-------------------

Cold War -
3. American T95 and T28

Allies came up with a few GIANT TANKS, too. T95 and T28 had a shape somewhat similar to German "Maus" prototypes. This thread (in Spanish) discusses their history and has more images.

Military

Military

Military

Military

Only 2 tanks were finished, one just in time for Korean War. The armored plates in front were 12 inches thick!

-------------------
Have you heard of the Ferrari Tank?

No, not this one:
Military
Military

I am talking about ARMY FERRARI - F333E "Lizard"

Military

The lucrative military contracts has proven to be irresistible to many luxury auto-makers. This article puts it this way:
"The Mercedes G-Wagen has been a staple of European and Asian militaries for two decades. Land Rover has been supplying military trucks for over 50 years. BMW sold motorcycles to the Nazis. Porsche designed the Tiger tank and the Wiesel AWC. The Lamorghini LM-002 was adopted by Saudi security forces. And yes, even acclaimed Ferrari got in on the action."

Military

The Ferrari F333E Lizard was an odd little vehicle, it offered sports car performance with armored protection and special operations capabilities; had a reasonable price (one could buy several "Lizards" for the price of one Ferrari's top-end sports car) and provided a status symbol for some third-world dictators. Unfortunately it did not make any waves with the military, because of Ferrari's "absolute lack of experience in the military sales market".

During WWII US Army used "Cadillac" tanks:
Military

Preview of Cadillac Power:
M-5 light tank powered by two Cadillac V-type engines and twin Hydra-Matic transmissions
Source: Plan59

-------------------
More of weird tanks:

Military
Motorized "schlittenfahrt"

Military

Military
Minenraumpanzer III (source)

PAV 6-12: Rolling Mine Exploder:
Military

Russian "Flying Tank" Antonov-KT:
Military

Soviet OBJECT 279 - heavy 4-track tank with an unusual shape which was supposed to prevent its overturning in case of a nuclear blast:

Military

-------------------

World's Smallest Tanks:

Military

Military

Even Smaller? - the "Tank" Chair

Military

Military

Military
Site:Tank Chair

CONTINUE TO PAGE 2 OF THIS ARTICLE

Also Read: "Tank Bling!"

Permanent Link...
Category: Technology,Vintage, Military

Dark Roasted Blend's Photography gear Picks:


READ LATEST POSTS:

May 8, 2008 - Quantum Shot #418
World's Smallest Cars, Part 2

Great things come in small packages

May 9, 2008 - Biscotti Bits
Mixed Links & Images

incl. "Parkour, First Person View"
(for other daily "Biscotti" issues - see our main page)

COMMENTS:

4 Comments:

Anonymous Bob Steinbrunn said...

Just when you think you've seen 'em all...

___  
Blogger Dave said...

The tank with the glass cab on top is a German driver-training tank for the Leopard series. The instructor sits up there with a very good view, and doesn't have to worry about the weather.

___  
Anonymous Iñaki said...

Video about Goliath tank

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIL34mpLi4o

Fantastic blog ¡

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Some other cool nazi tanks:
Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte Landkreuzer P. 1500 Monster

___  

Post a Comment

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  • wow- the mountains are so surreal. Beautiful post.
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  • Unreal Landscapes... any one of them seems more at home in some imagined sf/f world than the other side of the planet from where I'm sitting.
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  • The post very much on time for me so I am glad I checked the net. I just finished watching The Last Emperor. Photography in the movie is ok but very limited - to the Forbidden City, the prison and some other grey stuff. Very nice pictures and show a different face of China.
    Read more

  • Wonderful images. I'd be inclined to visit your site again or on a more regular basis if you would please cite your sources. Some, you have. Great! Clicking on a link that takes me to a static flickr page does not allow me to investigate. Informational-wise, it's like clicking on a thumbnail of a picture and not getting a larger picture. Frustrating experience. Finding more citation information, like a good newspaper, would make for a more rewarding experience and something that I turn to places like reddit and flickr for.
    Read more

  • thank you for this comment. Most of the sources are listed in the body of the post, or at the end of it. I also duplicate the source info on the flickr pages. Some photos lead to the larger versions, if such are available. I would like to find out more about the locations photographed here; if you have such info, please send it in.
    Read more

  • first photo:
    A place for the eye and mind. Stunning. Please track down the exact location. It's a must visit. Thanks for finding.
    Read more

  • I wonder how much of the area shown in the pics, especially the river scenes with the old volcanic cones, will be under water after the DAM is complete.
    Read more

  • To say thats China is a bit too generalized. All of the photos are just from one area!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilin
    Read more

  • I really liked the picture you found. It looks so relaxing. I couldn’t figure out what it was in the water but when I looked closer I made it out to be a person floating in the water looking up at the sky. I wish I could trade places with that person. Instead I’m stuck here with all this snow. I loved your descriptions about the picture too.
    Read more

  • Great photos to say the least. They give a very false reality of where the majority of the population lies today. Over 40% of its 1.3+ billion people live in urban settings. Those in rural locales are facing soil erosion, desertification, and lack of potable water in significant numbers.
    Read more

  • Wow. Those are amazing.
    Read more

  • I want go to travel china and see this place with my eyes it's wonderful land
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  • These score are wonderfully strange. I've linked to this blog from mine, which is called http://smpl.se
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  • Odd ... trackback.
    Read more

  • Does anyone know where that sheet music nonsense comes from? I'd love to get hold of a full version.
    Read more

  • yeah that is some crazy music.. i want a full version as well
    Read more

  • For the full versions (and more) -
    see this post
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  • Nuns with guns? You have to protect your old, atrophied virginity somehow I guess.
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  • this reminds me of that movie Knock Off with Jean Claude
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  • Great post!
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  • I have been up close to some of those container ships having picked up many times at various docks in N.O., Houston area and in the NJ ports.
    They make you feel really small when you have to really look up to see the top of one even from 50-100 yards away let alone standing or driving next to one.
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  • hey this site has been digged cute !
    cool collection buddy ! thanks to that flickr guy busyman

    a cool collection for you !
    hhtp://thundafunda.com
    Read more

  • http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=295981167&size=m
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  • Here is another for your collection. This is the University of Arkansas Razorbacks "Razorbug".
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  • Thank you, Johnathan!
    Pic is posted
    Read more

  • There's a black & white one done up to look like a killer whale with a big dorsal fin and a huge tail in Anchorage, Alaska.
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  • Let's try that again. What collection of VW mods would complete without the flying saucer.
    Read more

  • http://flickr.com/photos/jahfish/190281287/

    shortest one i've ever seen!!!!
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  • Amazing photos, and note the one from 1945 with the Nazi banners and everyone giving the Hitler salute. Yup, the VW came right out of Nazi Germany and onto our roads. Few Americans bought them in the 1940's, but by the time I came of age in the 1960's, everyone had one and they were a blast to drive. Ironic that the preferred mode of transportation for the peace and love generation came from wartime Germany, but our response to this conundrum was to turn the AM radio up louder and light up another joint. Peace, brother.
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  • Here's another one - the Fremont Troll
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  • THESE are amazing, or at least wonderful pictures :) good job findin' em!
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