This man finishes a day at work then sets up this table and records a video for RUclips that requires researching questions. We don’t deserve you, Mr. Willey. Thank you so much!
I Received the books I ordered from the shop! I bought the Tiger Tank Haynes issue, and The Tank Book. I must say, I am very happy with the quality of these books! The Tiger book came as a hard back, which I hadn't realized it when ordering. So that was great to see when opening the package. And, the over all quality of The Tank Book is outstanding! Not what I was expecting, considering I paid so little. That being said, I will be picking up another title or two soon. Thank you!
The dog always makes me giggle. Many of my dogs and cats used every tool they had to get me to stop working: Barking or meowing during conference calls, walking in front of the camera during video calls, dancing on the keyboard, putting their nose on my lap and looking up with sad eyes, etc. I even sometimes threw a ball for my dog, but none of them knew anything about tanks. :)
The best part of my day is seeing the curator of a tank museum, kicking back and having a pint at the end of the day and talking about tanks. Now we just need to see the great David Fletcher put his feet up with a stiff brandy and tell us about his past. Love the channel guys, thanks for the entertainment and information.
Dear David; You're a great representative of tank museum and Finn a great host. Thank for all you've done for tank museum and us in these "new normal" times
I'm impressed with your multi-tasking between the presentation of questions, fielding for Finn & dealing with the Rain. Presumably you setup the camera & set as well. Very professional job.
One of the best bits in " Kelly's Heroes" (my all-time favourite war film) is the scene when Oddball drops his Crazy in the tunnel and gives a totally competent plan for advancingagainst the enemyl. Clear directions, fluid analysis, clasic mission protocol. If you haven't watched it, please do: it's practically the only film of its time that tried to make things look realistic (the best approximation of a Tiger you'll get, rather than a Sherman with a swastika on it).
@@orbitalair2103 When I was young ( yes, I'm that """"ng old) it was the closest we got to a Tiger. Seriously, look at the other films of that time: stick a German Cross on it snd it's ,,,,
@@orbitalair2103 Yes, but not a T34 with a swastika. They put some effort into it (my whole point, in fact) Watch " The Big Red One" and see the 1st Infantry be attacked by what was clearly an Israil Sherman rather than a very carefully altered T34. (Also if you want to see a young Luke Skywalker...)
Pay a lot of attention to Finn. Dogs leave us much too soon. A friend was a US Infantryman across Europe, he carried an MP40 in addition to his M1. He said that whenever he used the "burp gun", he had to duck because many of the replacement GIs would just shoot at the sound. Good Luck, Rick
So happy to visit on Saturday the new exhibition is great. So good to see the videos of the veterans which actually bring everything thing to life. Well with a visit if you can
@Finn Edwards It is an old addage in show business that you should NEVER perform with animals or children: They will inevitably do something you haven't rehearsed or foreseen - and they will allways draw the attention.
Spongy nerfs. Tennis balls? Inquiries like these can lead to all sorts of interesting possibilities. Finn spit and teeth would probably render the nerfs as unusable ordinance pretty quickly.
"Traverse Left / Right" is coarse adjustment, perhaps using the higher geared traverse speed, "Steady ...." is finer adjustment with a lower gearing / slower. "ON!" means you are there.
Regarding the use of smoke of smoke shells in a surprise engagement,the white phosphorus was a very effective anti -infantry weapon,and there were occasions when enemy tanks were abandoned when WP fumes were sucked into their interiors by ventilation fans.
U.S.-led forces appear to be using white phosphorus in populated areas in Iraq and Syria. www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/06/09/u-s-led-forces-appear-to-be-using-white-phosphorous-in-populated-areas-in-iraq-and-syria/
@@saukraya3254 White phosphorus is a really horrible weapon. You would think it would be banned like cluster bombs. It has been used fairly recently against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
@@ddraig1957 It's already been deem illegal, not that it make any different. US and Iraq deny illegal use of phosphorus in civilian areas of Mosul. www.thetimes.co.uk/article/us-and-iraq-deny-using-phosphorus-in-civilian-areas-of-mosul-q5kwj9f8p
When 2nd UK Armoured division was sent to Libya in March 1941, an entire regiment (6 RTR) was equipped with 36 captured Italian M13/40 tanks. Of course, within a couple of weeks the DAK attacked and they were wiped out.
@@dylanmilne6683 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2/6th_Cavalry_Commando_Regiment_(Australia) Yes there were. It took me a little bit to track them down but I got there. It says that they used a 'number of them', which is vague to say the least but not all of the unit used these captured tanks.
O'Connor used large numbers of Tanks, Lorries and Guns captured from the Italians. They also captured a huge amount of food. there was a near revolt by the British and Australian troops who campaigned against the non stop supply of Italian provisions, they demanded real food. The captured Italian guns were also used in defense of Tobruk as they had huge amount of ammunition for them, they were used by Australian troops and not gunners, so called "Bush Gunners".
Question please: In a WWII tank, what if you have a round in the breech and find that you need a different round instead? Do you just shoot it to clear the breach (and perhaps give away your position) or do you open the breach and take the round out? What if the ejector throws the round out? Is there an "over ride" on the shell ejector?
A question for Q&A - Can You elaborate on Ersatz M10 Panther? I would love to know more details on where the base tanks were coming from and where and how were they put together. Did any of them survive the battle of the Bulge to fight another day?
Thanks David! All these youtube videos are really informative and have sparked a renewed interest in me returning to the museum. Armed now with some knowledge I have a whole new appreciation of what I will be seeing. Question: If you were a tanker in WWII, which tank would you have wished to serve in?
Hi, Thank you for doing this Q&A for us it is very informative. Also found this been very funny from time to time. Also found this been very funny from time to time. Please add below questions to your show. 1 Why Sherman Firefly is named Firefly? Is Fury Firefly? 2 How did British troops, commandos, go along with willy jeep been left hand driven vehicle? 3 How many tanks in general actually survived war. (for example if there were 50K of shemans how many got back to USA, ) 4 Do tank crews have main gun loaded at all times to speed up first shot. Was this a practise in WWII ,what about more modern times Iraque?
Bought two books from the shop: The Secret War by Max Hastings and Classic Stories of WW1. They arrived promptly for the situation and I am Impressed with them. Also a Big Shout out to Samantha, the Marketing Admin for the museum. I have had to write off my intended attendance at Tiger Day 13, but she kindly transferred my tickets to Tiger Day 15. Cannot express how happy I am about this.
Do you ever get stories of attributes and qualities of different tanks that typically only crew members might know? Like places to stash extra goodies, places that can be used to heat food, sleeping arrangements, hiding spots for beer, etc
I do so love your videos- including Finn! I feel guilty that I can't contribute, living on Social Security- but I'm saving up to buy things from your shop.
"Beautifully detailed models, so of course maybe perfect for going over your MTP duvet cover when you're doing all of your tank battles up in the bedroom when no one else is around" Mr Willey knows his audience.
Question for David: Having read the Haynes manual on Chieftain and having family who served in and alongside them in BAOR, was the L60 engine really as bad as it’s reputation? By the 70/80’s it seemed to be ok statistically but my partners grandad (4RTR) always hated Chieftain because of the L60 after it replaced his beloved Centurion! Great video as always.
Here's a question which I would genuinely love to hear about. From your other videos I gather your background is in the fine arts. How did you come to be the curator of a museum dedicated to instruments of war? I don't mean this to be in any way critical because you clearly have a wealth of knowledge and understanding of these weapons.
In either the previous Q&A or the one before, he talked a bit about his education. It wasn’t fine arts, it was museum studies or something similar. He told a story in the episode about not knowing the name of some notable historian. He has done some television work in the past, so he might have learned on the job, so to speak.
@@CAP198462 You are correct. One of the questions that came in was from someone who was interested in how he could become a curator. David spent some time talking about his education (conservation and restoration of fine arts) and the role luck plays in landing a job as curator of a museum.
Question: I've been told by a Korean War Centurion veteran that it was standard practice for tank commanders to leave their hatch open during artillery bombardments as the risk of a shell actually entering the tank was incredibly small - although it did occasionally happen. I was surprised that they'd take any unnecessary risk no matter how remote it was and wondered if this was the case.
Getting hit by an artillery shell on the turret roof wouldn’t make a difference if the hatch was open or closed - it is going straight through and probably through the floor as well. (Turret roofs are just not that thick).
Thank you so much for answering my question about beutepanzer. It was very informative. I have another question: Nicholas Moran (The_Chieftain) has commented that the ergonomics of firefly were pretty terrible compared to regular 75mm Shermans and the later 76mm Shermans with the T23 turret the Americans developed. How did this impact the ability to fight of the tank and how did the actual crews of firefly experience this? Or were they just happy to have a great big gun to punch holes is German tanks and cared less about comfort? It was great meeting you at the NMM in the Netherlands last year. I have yet another order on the way from the tank museum. I am looking forward to receiving it. I've been reading Ken Tout's book and it's an absolutely fascinating book. He really paints a vivid picture of the nature of tank warfare.
Question: Did Americans call the Sherman the Sherman during the war? We do retroactively, but it was my understanding that American troops actually called it the M4 or even more simply as a "tank" -- with other armored vehicles differentiated from it as "TDs" or "Light Tanks". Thanks! Studying public history myself in Boston, MA and have shared several Tank Museum videos in class.
The US Army officially adopted "Sherman" (along with several other nicknames) in November 1944. The document notes that the name is already "in current use by men in the field", though obviously that doesn't tell us how common it actually was. I suppose units operating alongside British troops might have picked up on it. It's also interesting that technically they include the rank, e.g. "General Sherman", "General Stuart". The British explicitly did NOT do that. For further reading, Nicholas Moran (The Chieftain) of Wargaming dug the said documents out of the archives and wrote a few blog posts about them, if you search for "Chieftain's Hatch: What's in a Name?" you can find 'em. There's pretty interesting stuff, both the existing names they take on, as well as conventions being laid down for future naming.
Were there many sent over there? I don't recall seeing any pictures of it on the Ostfront. But then the Soviets didn't film alot of non-Soviet equipment.
@@billd.iniowa2263 According to Stephen Hart's "Technical Guide: Russian tanks of WWII" 1386 were sent. Around 200 were lost during shipping. They were universally disliked (since Commies got much better T-34/76 already) so they were used mostly on secondary fronts or for training purposes. I guess the largest use of them was Operation Mars, but only because nothing better was readily available. This also was when Germans captured and tested some of them.
I think one American infantry division (83rd infantry division aka the Rag Tag Circus) which used captured German vehicles such as kubelwagens, staff cars, ammo trucks, panzer and etc....
The utilization of French tanks and British artillery by the Germans in WWII was also carried over to aircraft. The Fiesler Storch was built during the Occupation of France by Morane-Saulnier as an example.
Q: In the WW2 British Army, I know that some ex-cavalry units that had converted to tanks kept their social hierarchy and never commissioned anyone from the ranks. How many were commissioned within the Royal Tank Regiments?
Finn's first comment couldn't have been better timed if it had been planned. David you must have worked it out by now, that we are not intested in the Q & A's we just want to see you throw the ball for Finn. I will try to get down to the museum again sometime, as I normally call in when the Yeovilton Air Show is on so it might be next year before I am down again, but keep up the good work.
I do like these chats, always entertaining! BTW I really enjoyed the 'Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' book I bought from the shop and can highly recommend it!
Hi, hope you are all well. I finally have a question! During the restoration of any of your vehicles or stories of other restorations, did you ever find any interesting articles lost/hidden away in them? Thank you!
Suggestion, can we have a "Finn Edition", just David playing with Finn for a few minutes. After all he is your co star, so deserves a staring role in at least one episode :-)
Hi David thanks for another brilliant video. I have a question. The Germans captured some Churchills after the failed Dieppe raid, did they test it? What did they think of it? Thanks
They tested them and thought they were a bit of an anachronism, just tanks sent because they had them and were obsolete so used them up there rather than decent tanks - boy did that come back to bite them. A post-battle German report after Dieppe, a copy of which came into British hands, contained nothing that was positive about the Churchills. Simply put, their assessment was that it was out-dated and "offers nothing worthy of consideration by technical personnel, nor has it any new constructive features either in the metallurgical field, or in the field of weapon technology." "Steamroller Farm" Brigadier Russell thought a further attack on a larger scale might be necessary but Colonel Koch had had enough. A wireless message from Koch to his brigade commander was intercepted to the effect that: "He had been attacked by a mad tank battalion which had scaled impossible heights and forced him to withdraw". At first light the next day the French owner of the farm arrived at El Aroussa to say that the Germans had retreated across the Green Belt leaving behind three 88mm anti-tank guns, two tanks, a number of wheeled vehicles and the graves of many German soldiers.
chaz8758 thanks for the great answer seems like the Germans just wrote them off. They seem to have lagged behind the allies when it came to gathering and using military intelligence
Another brilliant video. We went to the tank museum itself yesterday and had a great day. We were interested to know more about the Churchill Gun Carrier wreck by the carpark outside - it seems to have taken fire, with multiple impacts on its barrel but none looked like they had penetrated. Is there a known story about that vehicle? Thanks.
Really been enjoying these videos! Really interesting! How long were the average tank engagements? The number of shells stored in the vehicles sounds low, were engagements quick or was running out of ammunition common?
When repainting tanks do you always go for the original colour of the specific vehicle or do you ever paint to represent a different vehicle to show typical camouflage designs.?? What would be interesting would be a display of several models of the same tank each painted to show different camouflage patterns used in different theatres of war. Steve A
Is Fin getting royalties for the puppets, has he got a manager? LOL. Really enjoy watching these Q&As, find them very informative. Helps with being in lockdown. Are there any books you can recommend on the M3 Stuart.
It is quite scary... almost disturbing really... of how well an Englishman can sell a book, a gadget, an idea... or even a Union Jack... outside UK... on a pole in the middle of a town. Anyway, I've just ordered the Tank book for myself, for my birthday :) Have a good one and keep up the good work. ^_^ P.S. Should I ever stop by the Tank Museum, which is still a bit of a dream, I'd be happy to buy a Union jack from your shop, while having a chat over a cup of tea, debating the pros and cons of the whole MBT doctrine :p
Nick HTK. Reading your valid question does put a smile apon ex tank crew mens faces. The short answer is, Nothing. That is no protection of any kind for the body or head, nothing for the eyes, nor hearing , the most vulnerable in tanks and armoured cars was our nose and wrists. The driver most of the time can brace as he sees and knows the terain ahead, the poor crew have no idea when the next lurch or spin or stop shall occur. We were aware that during ww2 the American and russian crews Had quite a deal of protection. Throughout the 1960s here in Aust, we followed all Brittish criteria and equipment. Even here in OZ we froze to death in our tank oversuits which had an inner and outer with a plastic inner sheeting which gave us a cold sweat to deal with. The wool black beret kept our skull warm, we provided our own gloves and sleeping bags, as the army issue was intolerable other than that we were as much to blame by accepting this lack of protective wear, they certainly never informed us that later in life this neglect will repay our ignorance, damage to hearing, sight and nervous system in shoulders and hip joints. Now we Tank crew suffer.
I have a couple of questions about camoflage patterns, I know that all sides used field applied camoflage patterns to some extent during ww2 but was there any kind of guidance provided to the troops for the use of these camoflage patterns or were they made up on the spot? Were there any distinct unit specific schemes or was it fairly standardised? And finally, were camoflage schemes applied during the ww1? I have seen photos of German or French tanks in the latter half of ww1 with camoflage patterns but I can't remember seeing any British tanks carrying one
Battlefront brought out a supplement called Monty’s meat grinder. It featured the hybrid tanks based on French chassis’ which equipped 21st Panzer division. Those I had heard of. However it also included stats for captured Sherman Fireflys being pressed into service. I find it hard to believe that after having seen the effects of hits on allied tanks, especially, Sherman’s, that German troops would willingly use them. I doubt that the performance of the 17 pdr impressed them that much. Also in Normandy, although the Germans could inflict defeats they did not often regain territory, and only then do they have an opportunity to recover tanks. Firefly were a priority target for German tanks and anti-tank guns and we know how much damage they would inflict.
This man finishes a day at work then sets up this table and records a video for RUclips that requires researching questions. We don’t deserve you, Mr. Willey. Thank you so much!
Refreshing to hear pocket money saved to buy books. Well done Hector .
"You can get yourself a Finn puppet... if you're that way inclined" LMAO, you are an absolute legend David, keep up the great work.
I could listen to this man talk for hours on end. Love him
I Received the books I ordered from the shop! I bought the Tiger Tank Haynes issue, and The Tank Book. I must say, I am very happy with the quality of these books! The Tiger book came as a hard back, which I hadn't realized it when ordering. So that was great to see when opening the package. And, the over all quality of The Tank Book is outstanding! Not what I was expecting, considering I paid so little. That being said, I will be picking up another title or two soon. Thank you!
Pleasantly surprised by the quality of mine as well.
The dog always makes me giggle. Many of my dogs and cats used every tool they had to get me to stop working: Barking or meowing during conference calls, walking in front of the camera during video calls, dancing on the keyboard, putting their nose on my lap and looking up with sad eyes, etc. I even sometimes threw a ball for my dog, but none of them knew anything about tanks. :)
The best part of my day is seeing the curator of a tank museum, kicking back and having a pint at the end of the day and talking about tanks. Now we just need to see the great David Fletcher put his feet up with a stiff brandy and tell us about his past. Love the channel guys, thanks for the entertainment and information.
These videos wouldn't be what they are without the Finn. He's (?) the gravy that comes with the meat of the subject matter.
Oh, nice to see that rain didn't stop play!
Please keep these talks in the garden going. They are a pleasure to listen to and watch. Dog and all.
I'm quite impressed by your ability to keep tossing the ball for your dog without breaking stride in your narrative.
Finns having a top afternoon. Bet he loves these chats. I do too...
As a fellow Finn, I enjoy these Q&A's about as much as Finn. :)
Took me second... Well done sir!
If you need something herded, he's the perfect dog. That includes public opinion.
Dear David; You're a great representative of tank museum and Finn a great host. Thank for all you've done for tank museum and us in these "new normal" times
I'm impressed with your multi-tasking between the presentation of questions, fielding for Finn & dealing with the Rain. Presumably you setup the camera & set as well. Very professional job.
Thanks to the Museum for sending the Cobi Tiger 131 to me here in Australia,keep up the good work,cheers.
Bafalcon Bafalcon g’day mate, nice to see another Aussie in the comments 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
@@f18_lovermacdonald-doaglau69 OI OI OI OI
Bafalcon Bafalcon 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
OI OI OI
@@f18_lovermacdonald-doaglau69 I'd like to see david skull one of those beers before going of cam,lol.
David Plater huge respect for our Aussie brothers 🇬🇧🇦🇺
One of the best bits in " Kelly's Heroes" (my all-time favourite war film) is the scene when Oddball drops his Crazy in the tunnel and gives a totally competent plan for advancingagainst the enemyl. Clear directions, fluid analysis, clasic mission protocol.
If you haven't watched it, please do: it's practically the only film of its time that tried to make things look realistic (the best approximation of a Tiger you'll get, rather than a Sherman with a swastika on it).
it was a t34 chassis iirc.
@@orbitalair2103
When I was young ( yes, I'm that """"ng old) it was the closest we got to a Tiger.
Seriously, look at the other films of that time: stick a German Cross on it snd it's ,,,,
@@orbitalair2103 Yes, but not a T34 with a swastika. They put some effort into it (my whole point, in fact)
Watch " The Big Red One" and see the 1st Infantry be attacked by what was clearly an Israil Sherman rather than a very carefully altered T34.
(Also if you want to see a young Luke Skywalker...)
@@orbitalair2103 Sorry mate: didn't realise I was replying twice to the same person.
Stay Safe.
The Dog makes it so much funnier 😂
Pay a lot of attention to Finn. Dogs leave us much too soon. A friend was a US Infantryman across Europe, he carried an MP40 in addition to his M1. He said that whenever he used the "burp gun", he had to duck because many of the replacement GIs would just shoot at the sound. Good Luck, Rick
Just beautiful! The delivery. The setting. The subject matter. The border collie. Even better than the tank chats before lockdown. Well done!
So happy to visit on Saturday the new exhibition is great. So good to see the videos of the veterans which actually bring everything thing to life. Well with a visit if you can
I wish I had a fraction of this man's knowledge.
The Tank museum a place you could visit every year!
Cheers Mr. Willey. Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.
Well, the commercial certainly is improved by Finn.
Finn keeping You busy with something productive!
Upper body exercise for David and amusement for the rest of us.
@@williamswenson5315 Keeping the teaslurping mechanism in good repair and working order.
@Finn Edwards It is an old addage in show business that you should NEVER perform with animals or children: They will inevitably do something you haven't rehearsed or foreseen - and they will allways draw the attention.
@@thomasborgsmidt9801 I was thinking of the ball throwing, but hey! Similar muscle groups.
Idea for a mini video, seven minutes of David Willey playing with Finn, no tank chat, just a guy and his dog having fun.
Finn is being very well behaved, sitting still with his paws in the air :) Museum is great to visit right now, the new WW2 display is great.
Another fantastic installment. I really enjoy the book reviews. Great to see Finn enjoying playing fetch!
Going to the museum with my 8 year old boy in two weeks don't know about him but I can't wait 😊
Many thanks for doing these videos. Very informative and interesting. Many thanks for using your time to put these out for us.
Great multi-tasking with Finn. I notice there seems to be a bazooka amongst the items for sale on the table.I wonder if it fires tennis balls ?
Spongy nerfs. Tennis balls? Inquiries like these can lead to all sorts of interesting possibilities. Finn spit and teeth would probably render the nerfs as unusable ordinance pretty quickly.
Went to the museum yesterday, staff are great and I like the new layout too!
"Traverse Left / Right" is coarse adjustment, perhaps using the higher geared traverse speed, "Steady ...." is finer adjustment with a lower gearing / slower. "ON!" means you are there.
It’s been a shitty day for me. I need Fynn to cheer me up, and the curator of course.
May tomorrow be better, friend.
Great way to start my day, Finn and my favorite curator.
Regarding the use of smoke of smoke shells in a surprise engagement,the white phosphorus was a very effective anti -infantry weapon,and there were occasions when enemy tanks were abandoned when WP fumes were sucked into their interiors by ventilation fans.
U.S.-led forces appear to be using white phosphorus in populated areas in Iraq and Syria.
www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/06/09/u-s-led-forces-appear-to-be-using-white-phosphorous-in-populated-areas-in-iraq-and-syria/
@@saukraya3254 White phosphorus is a really horrible weapon. You would think it would be banned like cluster bombs. It has been used fairly recently against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
@@ddraig1957
It's already been deem illegal, not that it make any different.
US and Iraq deny illegal use of phosphorus in civilian areas of Mosul.
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/us-and-iraq-deny-using-phosphorus-in-civilian-areas-of-mosul-q5kwj9f8p
i hope this series keeps going, it's wonderful
Not sure what was made faster, these videos or the T34.
Love them so much.
When 2nd UK Armoured division was sent to Libya in March 1941, an entire regiment (6 RTR) was equipped with 36 captured Italian M13/40 tanks. Of course, within a couple of weeks the DAK attacked and they were wiped out.
We're there not also Australian units equipped fully with Italian tanks too?
@@dylanmilne6683 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2/6th_Cavalry_Commando_Regiment_(Australia) Yes there were. It took me a little bit to track them down but I got there. It says that they used a 'number of them', which is vague to say the least but not all of the unit used these captured tanks.
@@dylanmilne6683 yes. both sides used captured equipment. in the desert any vehicle was better than walking.
O'Connor used large numbers of Tanks, Lorries and Guns captured from the Italians. They also captured a huge amount of food. there was a near revolt by the British and Australian troops who campaigned against the non stop supply of Italian provisions, they demanded real food. The captured Italian guns were also used in defense of Tobruk as they had huge amount of ammunition for them, they were used by Australian troops and not gunners, so called "Bush Gunners".
The Australian Army used Italian tanks against the French in Syria as well.
"The first round he carried in his barrel was always smoke."
That's how I'd like to be remembered.
Question please: In a WWII tank, what if you have a round in the breech and find that you need a different round instead? Do you just shoot it to clear the breach (and perhaps give away your position) or do you open the breach and take the round out? What if the ejector throws the round out? Is there an "over ride" on the shell ejector?
Thank you David. We want to see you and Finn rock up at the museum, side by side in the dingo!
Finn is very quick today!
A question for Q&A - Can You elaborate on Ersatz M10 Panther? I would love to know more details on where the base tanks were coming from and where and how were they put together. Did any of them survive the battle of the Bulge to fight another day?
Literally just regular Panthers with a few cosmetic modifications and the muzzle brake removed.
Fantastic presentation through classic English Weather! Thank You!
I didn’t think I could like this guy more.. until the dog ❤
Thanks David! All these youtube videos are really informative and have sparked a renewed interest in me returning to the museum. Armed now with some knowledge I have a whole new appreciation of what I will be seeing.
Question: If you were a tanker in WWII, which tank would you have wished to serve in?
Hi,
Thank you for doing this Q&A for us it is very informative.
Also found this been very funny from time to time.
Also found this been very funny from time to time.
Please add below questions to your show.
1 Why Sherman Firefly is named Firefly? Is Fury Firefly?
2 How did British troops, commandos, go along with willy jeep been left hand driven vehicle?
3 How many tanks in general actually survived war. (for example if there were 50K of shemans how many got back to USA, )
4 Do tank crews have main gun loaded at all times to speed up first shot. Was this a practise in WWII ,what about more modern times Iraque?
Thank you David
Bought two books from the shop: The Secret War by Max Hastings and Classic Stories of WW1. They arrived promptly for the situation and I am Impressed with them. Also a Big Shout out to Samantha, the Marketing Admin for the museum. I have had to write off my intended attendance at Tiger Day 13, but she kindly transferred my tickets to Tiger Day 15. Cannot express how happy I am about this.
These videos have made lock down much more pleasant. David's voice is very restful. He should consider doing audiobook narration.
Awesome David! As always!
Thank you for another great Q&A as always!
Do you ever get stories of attributes and qualities of different tanks that typically only crew members might know? Like places to stash extra goodies, places that can be used to heat food, sleeping arrangements, hiding spots for beer, etc
I do so love your videos- including Finn! I feel guilty that I can't contribute, living on Social Security- but I'm saving up to buy things from your shop.
Joel Monka not a moan about postage, but I live in spain and it ain’t cheap. Come to think of it, where is my order?
Thanks for answering my question! Hope to visit the museum someday.
Bloody marvelous, says I.
"Beautifully detailed models, so of course maybe perfect for going over your MTP duvet cover when you're doing all of your tank battles up in the bedroom when no one else is around"
Mr Willey knows his audience.
Question for David: Having read the Haynes manual on Chieftain and having family who served in and alongside them in BAOR, was the L60 engine really as bad as it’s reputation? By the 70/80’s it seemed to be ok statistically but my partners grandad (4RTR) always hated Chieftain because of the L60 after it replaced his beloved Centurion! Great video as always.
Here's a question which I would genuinely love to hear about. From your other videos I gather your background is in the fine arts. How did you come to be the curator of a museum dedicated to instruments of war? I don't mean this to be in any way critical because you clearly have a wealth of knowledge and understanding of these weapons.
It may be the camouflage. He has a whole collection of uniforms! :-)
But seriously I would like to hear about it, too.
In either the previous Q&A or the one before, he talked a bit about his education. It wasn’t fine arts, it was museum studies or something similar. He told a story in the episode about not knowing the name of some notable historian. He has done some television work in the past, so he might have learned on the job, so to speak.
@@CAP198462 You are correct. One of the questions that came in was from someone who was interested in how he could become a curator. David spent some time talking about his education (conservation and restoration of fine arts) and the role luck plays in landing a job as curator of a museum.
Question: I've been told by a Korean War Centurion veteran that it was standard practice for tank commanders to leave their hatch open during artillery bombardments as the risk of a shell actually entering the tank was incredibly small - although it did occasionally happen. I was surprised that they'd take any unnecessary risk no matter how remote it was and wondered if this was the case.
Getting hit by an artillery shell on the turret roof wouldn’t make a difference if the hatch was open or closed - it is going straight through and probably through the floor as well. (Turret roofs are just not that thick).
Thank you so much for answering my question about beutepanzer. It was very informative.
I have another question: Nicholas Moran (The_Chieftain) has commented that the ergonomics of firefly were pretty terrible compared to regular 75mm Shermans and the later 76mm Shermans with the T23 turret the Americans developed. How did this impact the ability to fight of the tank and how did the actual crews of firefly experience this? Or were they just happy to have a great big gun to punch holes is German tanks and cared less about comfort?
It was great meeting you at the NMM in the Netherlands last year.
I have yet another order on the way from the tank museum. I am looking forward to receiving it. I've been reading Ken Tout's book and it's an absolutely fascinating book. He really paints a vivid picture of the nature of tank warfare.
Question: Did Americans call the Sherman the Sherman during the war? We do retroactively, but it was my understanding that American troops actually called it the M4 or even more simply as a "tank" -- with other armored vehicles differentiated from it as "TDs" or "Light Tanks". Thanks! Studying public history myself in Boston, MA and have shared several Tank Museum videos in class.
The US Army officially adopted "Sherman" (along with several other nicknames) in November 1944. The document notes that the name is already "in current use by men in the field", though obviously that doesn't tell us how common it actually was. I suppose units operating alongside British troops might have picked up on it.
It's also interesting that technically they include the rank, e.g. "General Sherman", "General Stuart". The British explicitly did NOT do that.
For further reading, Nicholas Moran (The Chieftain) of Wargaming dug the said documents out of the archives and wrote a few blog posts about them, if you search for "Chieftain's Hatch: What's in a Name?" you can find 'em. There's pretty interesting stuff, both the existing names they take on, as well as conventions being laid down for future naming.
I don't recall tank commander Oddball being so precise in delivering his orders LOL!!!
Regular M3 Lee tanks were used in Europe. Eastern front fighting took place in Europe too!
Were there many sent over there? I don't recall seeing any pictures of it on the Ostfront. But then the Soviets didn't film alot of non-Soviet equipment.
@@billd.iniowa2263 About 1300.
@@billd.iniowa2263 According to Stephen Hart's "Technical Guide: Russian tanks of WWII" 1386 were sent. Around 200 were lost during shipping. They were universally disliked (since Commies got much better T-34/76 already) so they were used mostly on secondary fronts or for training purposes.
I guess the largest use of them was Operation Mars, but only because nothing better was readily available. This also was when Germans captured and tested some of them.
@@foszasty Russia's quite flat. The Soviets hated the Lee's height.
I think one American infantry division (83rd infantry division aka the Rag Tag Circus) which used captured German vehicles such as kubelwagens, staff cars, ammo trucks, panzer and etc....
Could this be the first video without a dislike? Looking good so far
The utilization of French tanks and British artillery by the Germans in WWII was also carried over to aircraft. The Fiesler Storch was built during the Occupation of France by Morane-Saulnier as an example.
Q: In the WW2 British Army, I know that some ex-cavalry units that had converted to tanks kept their social hierarchy and never commissioned anyone from the ranks. How many were commissioned within the Royal Tank Regiments?
Question for next time. How effective would ww2 anti tank weaponry (88, 17lber, PIAT etc) be against modern MBTs (Abrams, Challanger2 etc)??
Coming down to bovington this weekend. Hope to stop by the tank museum. Havnt been since lockdown
Thank you for content.
And the Dog is like "The most remarkable thing! Each time I drop the ball at his feet he tosses it away! Must be something he really enjoys, I guess."
Finn's first comment couldn't have been better timed if it had been planned. David you must have worked it out by now, that we are not intested in the Q & A's we just want to see you throw the ball for Finn. I will try to get down to the museum again sometime, as I normally call in when the Yeovilton Air Show is on so it might be next year before I am down again, but keep up the good work.
Finn must be loving having you stuck at home!
26:00 just like the stop ribs on medieval armour
29:11 alsow on Dutch TV
I do like these chats, always entertaining! BTW I really enjoyed the 'Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' book I bought from the shop and can highly recommend it!
Hi, hope you are all well.
I finally have a question!
During the restoration of any of your vehicles or stories of other restorations, did you ever find any interesting articles lost/hidden away in them? Thank you!
Finn's woof on this one nearly caused a riot in Australia. Woof back from Max and Bear!
Suggestion, can we have a "Finn Edition", just David playing with Finn for a few minutes. After all he is your co star, so deserves a staring role in at least one episode :-)
Hi David thanks for another brilliant video. I have a question. The Germans captured some Churchills after the failed Dieppe raid, did they test it? What did they think of it? Thanks
They tested them and thought they were a bit of an anachronism, just tanks sent because they had them and were obsolete so used them up there rather than decent tanks - boy did that come back to bite them.
A post-battle German report after Dieppe, a copy of which came into British hands, contained nothing that was positive about the Churchills. Simply put, their assessment was that it was out-dated and "offers nothing worthy of consideration by technical personnel, nor has it any new constructive features either in the metallurgical field, or in the field of weapon technology."
"Steamroller Farm"
Brigadier Russell thought a further attack on a larger scale might be necessary but Colonel Koch had had enough. A wireless message from Koch to his brigade commander was intercepted to the effect that:
"He had been attacked by a mad tank battalion which had scaled impossible heights and forced him to withdraw".
At first light the next day the French owner of the farm arrived at El Aroussa to say that the Germans had retreated across the Green Belt leaving behind three 88mm anti-tank guns, two tanks, a number of wheeled vehicles and the graves of many German soldiers.
chaz8758 thanks for the great answer seems like the Germans just wrote them off. They seem to have lagged behind the allies when it came to gathering and using military intelligence
Did David mention the M33 Prime Mover? The Lee served in Italy as an artillery tractor for the 240mm M1 Howitzer.
@Oliver Viehland I thought he was just answering mailbag questions at the beginning.
@John Smith Thats what I thought. I tried skipping back and couldn't confimr.
I had just learned of the M33 a few months ago.
that meng armor car is a real banger
Renewed enthusiasm from Finn!
His bark was perfectly timed, almost like it was on que lol
Nooo, just bought the Challenger and Chieftan books because of one of these talks . .. . I really want WW2 through soldiers eyes now . . . . ..
Another brilliant video. We went to the tank museum itself yesterday and had a great day.
We were interested to know more about the Churchill Gun Carrier wreck by the carpark outside - it seems to have taken fire, with multiple impacts on its barrel but none looked like they had penetrated. Is there a known story about that vehicle? Thanks.
It was a range wreck, used as a hard target for many years
Question for the curator at home: will you ever do a tank chat on the British comet?
Tie and trouser game on point
Really been enjoying these videos! Really interesting! How long were the average tank engagements? The number of shells stored in the vehicles sounds low, were engagements quick or was running out of ammunition common?
Love that dog!!! 🖤🖤
When repainting tanks do you always go for the original colour of the specific vehicle or do you ever paint to represent a different vehicle to show typical camouflage designs.?? What would be interesting would be a display of several models of the same tank each painted to show different camouflage patterns used in different theatres of war. Steve A
Is Fin getting royalties for the puppets, has he got a manager? LOL. Really enjoy watching these Q&As, find them very informative. Helps with being in lockdown. Are there any books you can recommend on the M3 Stuart.
It is quite scary... almost disturbing really... of how well an Englishman can sell a book, a gadget, an idea... or even a Union Jack... outside UK... on a pole in the middle of a town.
Anyway, I've just ordered the Tank book for myself, for my birthday :)
Have a good one and keep up the good work. ^_^
P.S.
Should I ever stop by the Tank Museum, which is still a bit of a dream, I'd be happy to buy a Union jack from your shop, while having a chat over a cup of tea, debating the pros and cons of the whole MBT doctrine :p
Question: What kinds of hearing and eye protection would tank crews employ?
Thank you
Nick HTK. Reading your valid question does put a smile apon ex tank crew mens faces. The short answer is, Nothing. That is no protection of any kind for the body or head, nothing for the eyes, nor hearing , the most vulnerable in tanks and armoured cars was our nose and wrists. The driver most of the time can brace as he sees and knows the terain ahead, the poor crew have no idea when the next lurch or spin or stop shall occur. We were aware that during ww2 the American and russian crews
Had quite a deal of protection. Throughout the 1960s here in Aust, we followed all Brittish criteria and equipment. Even here in OZ we froze to death in our tank oversuits which had an inner and outer with a plastic inner sheeting which gave us a cold sweat to deal with. The wool black beret kept our skull warm, we provided our own gloves and sleeping bags, as the army issue was intolerable other than that we were as much to blame by accepting this lack of protective wear, they certainly never informed us that later in life this neglect will repay our ignorance, damage to hearing, sight and nervous system in shoulders and hip joints. Now we Tank crew suffer.
I have a couple of questions about camoflage patterns, I know that all sides used field applied camoflage patterns to some extent during ww2 but was there any kind of guidance provided to the troops for the use of these camoflage patterns or were they made up on the spot? Were there any distinct unit specific schemes or was it fairly standardised? And finally, were camoflage schemes applied during the ww1? I have seen photos of German or French tanks in the latter half of ww1 with camoflage patterns but I can't remember seeing any British tanks carrying one
Talk about multi tasking! You could throw in a Tap Dance to top it off David. :0) (Love the Chats)
"Every now and again I have to throw the ball"...Fin shows up chewing on said ball in the lower right.
You need to add a Tank Museum ball thrower to your shop.
Battlefront brought out a supplement called Monty’s meat grinder. It featured the hybrid tanks based on French chassis’ which equipped 21st Panzer division. Those I had heard of. However it also included stats for captured Sherman Fireflys being pressed into service. I find it hard to believe that after having seen the effects of hits on allied tanks, especially, Sherman’s, that German troops would willingly use them. I doubt that the performance of the 17 pdr impressed them that much. Also in Normandy, although the Germans could inflict defeats they did not often regain territory, and only then do they have an opportunity to recover tanks.
Firefly were a priority target for German tanks and anti-tank guns and we know how much damage they would inflict.