Looong ago .. as a young soldier in the Swiss Tank Forces I spent months with this baby before we switched to the Leopard II. I have good memories of the PZ 68 .. Very nice to sleep on the rear flat covers after a hard day of training .. Cannon in 6 o clock position high.. protection cover over the barrel.. nice and cosy underneath even in a november repetition course in the alps. Have fun with "my old baby".. and take care of it !! Greetings from Switzerland
J'ai servis comme pointeur /chargeur puis comandant sur ce char durant une dizaine d'année. C'est avec une grande émotion que je le revois au antipodes de la Suisse. I served as pointer/loader and then commander on this tank for about ten years. It is with great emotion that I see him again at the antipodes of Switzerland.
She looks like the offspring of a Leo and an M48 somewhat. The hyd cooler inside of the turret is feasible due to the Swiss never deploying to the desert I guess. Sort of a dual-use hyd cooler/crew heater. I always get the impression that Jason just KNOWS all of these facts and figures during his presentations. Such good delivery.
Coldest place in the freaking world, a tank with a malfunctioning heater. First day of Hohenfels Jan 1991...woke up, opened my tank commanders hatch to snow...and the first words from my driver "Hey sir...the heater stopped working." Good times.
I was driver in Pz68 and enjoyed every second in that tank. Very nice to drive and i allways had the fastest tank...because i put the gaspedal stopp with hammer away...so my tank made 200 rpm more than others fun time😂
Maybe you can confirm something for me: I was a bit confused as I first saw the turret in this video. Mainly the shape of the range finder housings. I memory serves me right, the 68 turrets have more rounded, cast-like looking housings compared to the box-like looking ones on the 61. After looking for a few more details, I think this is a Panzer 68 hull mated to a Panzer 61 turret. Am I correct or wrong?
The first two series 170 & 50 tanks had the smaller turret, similar to Pz61.For the loader and gunner very tight. Serie 3.and 4. 110 and 60 units was built with bigger size turret, called GT ( gosser Turm ) It was heavier and with that some upgrade at the gear and suspension needed. At the end with the latest edition callet Pz 68/88 it was a useful tank with good first shot hit. Nice tank to drive because of very good steering and gear. It could have more power.I liked @@Bird_Dog00
Please sign here for the package. The real hero here is the trailer, being able to support two tanks! So nice to see a running leopard, we had these while I was in the Canadian army.
As a Swiss I served 17 years on the Pz68. Started as a recruit as a gunner and loader and ended as a commander and platoon leader with the rank of first lieutenant. I am very pleased to see that you like our baby. Have fun with it and take care of it, as we have done all these years. Greetings from Switzerland.😜
ruclips.net/video/ABB0NwtghOU/видео.html The Link will show you Parts of the Training of Crews with the Tank 68. I've found this on RUclips. Very rare Pictures!It was a Swiss TV Report from 1986. The Lanquage is French. Unfortunately no english Subtitles exist. ( sorry for my typo, english is not my Mother Tongue 😢 )
I had to do a double take when I saw the SLM plate on the gearbox. It roughly translates to “Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works” they were known for building railway locos especially cog rack locos never knew they built gearboxes for tanks
Makes sense though...it takes a heavy industry to build locomotives and tanks. For instance, the American M4 Shermans were also built by a locomotive company (although they utilized a number of different power trains from various automotive manufacturers, Ford, GM, and even Chrysler, I think...all of the big 3). But the Swiss had their own resources (some borrowed from Germany). Until watching this video, I never realized how much I love this tank! Maybe not the best protected, but it's still a thing of beauty.
Well, they gave (swapped) you a tank that was in great condition with most if not all of its ancillary equipment in situ, the engine was in a surprisingly well-looked-after condition which says a lot about its former owners! You have to keep a watch on the Swiss!
fantastic swap and a worth while piece of kit to show off - she sounds great too, pretty much what you expect i think from the Swiss, all parts well maintained and moving correctly
Crew,You've gone from strength to strength..An army of Fans n admirers who cone to this site because Everything That's Done,Is Done Properly,from the VT to sweeping up..Its all done with enthusiasm n professionalism..Can't wait for the YT award fir a 100k subs..lots of love from Blighty..
Ahahaha well in the swiss army we still use M113 made in 1963 and M109 produced in 1966 (the M113 only in artillery as FDC and the M109 have been modernised)
Just think about it these guys from Aus Armour have probably driven more types of tanks than most actual Tank Corp drivers would in a lifetime of service, They have pretty much Tanks from most every Nation and from a timeframe where most modern Tankers would literally only ever see such examples as static displays in a Museum. So many of the Tanks here actually work bar the Weapons of course so the staff here are probably the most Multiskilled Tank Drivers on the planet.
The Swiss Army is one of a biggest force in Central Europe ❗Has more men than the French or German Army! I mean the Swiss Army has a man power between 300.000men .In Emercency times 500.000men.
Thanks Jason, great brief! Great how most of the labels are bilingual in German/ French (both official Swiss languages) . Was the colour-coding of the various lubricant bottles a standard thing, or am I reading too much into it 😀
Actually most labels are trilingual German, French and Italian,Switzerland have 3 official language plus Romanch recognised but not in use for official stuff
@@thurin84LoL! I think Nicholas Moran would be able to climb out pretty quickly...this PZ 68 is definitely made for taller tankers. Considering how small it seems on the outside, it looks pretty roomy inside (of course it's not bombed up/full of ammo, but still). Has The Chieftain covered the Pz68 yet? Since wotb and wargaming slumped, haven't seen too many regular reviews from him. Guess i better browse his old vids, but I don't remember seeing him do the Pz68.
@@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785 i havent seen one for the pz68 but with them split between wot and his channel its easy to miss some here and there. yeah, theres been a definite slump in insides the hatches. the chieftans put out a good bit of other tank related content though.
Actually, the track tensioner was hydraulic. The tensioners only had to be adjusted every now and then to set minimum tension, and they had to be set all the way to slack to remove/service the tracks. The actual tensioning was done automatically by hydraulics.
Newest acquisition is super cool. Some fake plastic/resin ammo in all those empty spots might be great to look at, but probably make it claustrophobic inside.
While I was in Iraq in 2003-04 we had to keep a complete tow bar on each vehicle if we were in a LOGPAC convoy and nothing pissed me off more than when a vehicle didn’t have the adapter ‘feet’ (parts that allowed the bar to connect to various towing/lifting points) because it was basically useless if we needed it.
710 litres/156 imp Gallon fuel tank divided by max range 240km/150 miles equates to about 1mpg. Now 1mpg is probably good mileage for a MBT! You should be able to run this thing around quite cheaply!
Gunner's sight can go from 1.5 to X8 magnification? Those are rookie numbers! Man... I'd love to turn one of these into a man cave. Without the ready rounds in the turret, it still looks fairly roomy to me, it's plenty tall and I'm 6'2". Also, I'm quite comfortable in tight spaces anyhow, and mindful of the turret monster and pinch points like in the gun elevator he showed(working around various industrial.machinery and presses has made me learn to respect heavy chunks of steel in motion)... I think I'd feel quite at home in a PZ 68. Love how he even showed a bit about the track tensioning system. If I ever make a trip to Australia, remind me to apply for citizenship while I'm there. Maybe I'll trade places with (or at least house sit for) Steve Bowditch! ⛳
Hi Jason or Rob when you get a new toy (Tank,Gun) when does the deatification occur ? Do you guys do it and its inspected or before entering into the country ? And you dont have to answer on this medium if its a security issue at all. Thanks heaps keep up the good work you know we cant get enough of it . Stu
Hi Stu, the main armament is deactivated prior to entering Australia as per Customs and Qld firearms regulations. Australian Customs carries out an inspection when it arrives into Port.
I'm curious about the tracks on this example; there didn't seem to be any rubber pads present until the vehicle was parked in its display location. Were they present, but only on a limited portion of the tracks under transport, did you replace both tracks before displaying the tank, did you hammer in a few pads for the look of the thing, or is it some fourth option I haven't thought of? Enquiring minds want to know!
The pads were removed for quarantine purposes before arriving in Australia to make sure no dirt, plant matter is trapped behind the track pads. They were placed back on the vehicle once it arrived.
Could you give us the meaning of the Acronym CES in relation to the outside stowage bins? Crew Effects stowage, or something of that nature? By the way, nice trade.
Complete Equipment Schedual. There is usually a Part 1 and a Part 2. Part 1 comes with the vehicle, ie jack tooling etc Part 2 is the additional tooling, ie, for the Turret
The hydraulics cooling panel in the turret isnt strange at all, it makes sense from an efficiency point of view: Its the thickest piece of armor, so it has loads of heat capacity. Its way up there in the wind, so it can dissipate the heat better than the hull. And since its passive cooling it saves space and weight. Sure, it adds to the heat signature, but likely not more than the engine heating up the hull.
Looong ago .. as a young soldier in the Swiss Tank Forces I spent months with this baby before we switched to the Leopard II. I have good memories of the PZ 68 .. Very nice to sleep on the rear flat covers after a hard day of training .. Cannon in 6 o clock position high.. protection cover over the barrel.. nice and cosy underneath even in a november repetition course in the alps. Have fun with "my old baby".. and take care of it !! Greetings from Switzerland
J'ai servis comme pointeur /chargeur puis comandant sur ce char durant une dizaine d'année. C'est avec une grande émotion que je le revois au antipodes de la Suisse.
I served as pointer/loader and then commander on this tank for about ten years. It is with great emotion that I see him again at the antipodes of Switzerland.
50+ year old tank, fully kitted and in almost in mint condition... Swiss maintenance and quality. Much impressed.
He said it's from the second batch, produced from '74 on. Technically, less than 50 years old. Technically. :D
is it.
Won’t have seen much action though mmm.
Still better preserved and more complete than my dad's old cars from the 1970s....
These tanks were garbage. They caused a major scanal and allegations of corruption.
As a Swiss, this brought a tiny little tear to my eye.
U guys are truly amazing, Greetings!
She looks like the offspring of a Leo and an M48 somewhat.
The hyd cooler inside of the turret is feasible due to the Swiss never deploying to the desert I guess. Sort of a dual-use hyd cooler/crew heater.
I always get the impression that Jason just KNOWS all of these facts and figures during his presentations. Such good delivery.
Coldest place in the freaking world, a tank with a malfunctioning heater. First day of Hohenfels Jan 1991...woke up, opened my tank commanders hatch to snow...and the first words from my driver
"Hey sir...the heater stopped working." Good times.
I was driver in Pz68 and enjoyed every second in that tank. Very nice to drive and i allways had the fastest tank...because i put the gaspedal stopp with hammer away...so my tank made 200 rpm more than others fun time😂
Maybe you can confirm something for me:
I was a bit confused as I first saw the turret in this video. Mainly the shape of the range finder housings. I memory serves me right, the 68 turrets have more rounded, cast-like looking housings compared to the box-like looking ones on the 61.
After looking for a few more details, I think this is a Panzer 68 hull mated to a Panzer 61 turret.
Am I correct or wrong?
The first two series 170 & 50 tanks had the smaller turret, similar to Pz61.For the loader and gunner very tight. Serie 3.and 4. 110 and 60 units was built with bigger size turret, called GT ( gosser Turm ) It was heavier and with that some upgrade at the gear and suspension needed. At the end with the latest edition callet Pz 68/88 it was a useful tank with good first shot hit.
Nice tank to drive because of very good steering and gear. It could have more power.I liked @@Bird_Dog00
@@uelisuter1563 Ah, so it's a early Pz 68 turret that looks similar to the Pz 61's.
Dank hegisch.
Please sign here for the package.
The real hero here is the trailer, being able to support two tanks!
So nice to see a running leopard, we had these while I was in the Canadian army.
It's so cool that more Swiss tanks are getting recognition. Keep up the good work boys!
этот танк не произведен в швейцарии.
@@Дмитрий-о9щ5ш it is not made in Switzerland but it was😂
@@Дмитрий-о9щ5ш uhm, where else do you think it was made?
Switzerland produces its own models of west german tanks
Under license
As a Swiss I served 17 years on the Pz68. Started as a recruit as a gunner and loader and ended as a commander and platoon leader with the rank of first lieutenant. I am very pleased to see that you like our baby. Have fun with it and take care of it, as we have done all these years. Greetings from Switzerland.😜
Swiss Army Panzer! Can't wait to see all the special fold out tools! Special episode coming?😃
Yes but does it still have the tweezers?
@@brucelamberton8819 Guess so! They must need some special tools to repair the onboard Cuckoo clock 🙂
@@markdavis2475 Cuckoo clock is southern germany :)
@@ox2design Ahh, cool! So it probably came with one from the factory!
Outstanding addition to the museum and great tank tour.
the gentlemen who told us about the tank was very knowledgeable about every aspect. Nice job men, I love all of your machines.
I was Gunner and Loader on this Tank in my whole Military Service Time in the Swiss Army.
Hello Bison, I'd love to hear about your time in this vehicle. Could you please make contact via our website and email address. Thanks, Jason
Another outstanding acquisition. Showing the world what a great museum looks like. Thanks for the in depth video.
Every episode is like Christmas. Keep up the great work and videos. Love From America
ruclips.net/video/ABB0NwtghOU/видео.html
The Link will show you Parts of the Training of Crews with the Tank 68. I've found this on RUclips. Very rare Pictures!It was a Swiss TV Report from 1986. The Lanquage is French. Unfortunately no english Subtitles exist. ( sorry for my typo, english is not my Mother Tongue 😢 )
Thanks Jason, and team, another brilliant addition to your amazing museum, Cheers.
Always impressed not just by your eclectic collection but your knowledge of these vehicles too.
I had to do a double take when I saw the SLM plate on the gearbox. It roughly translates to “Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works” they were known for building railway locos especially cog rack locos never knew they built gearboxes for tanks
they also built the motors for the Leo 2 in licence later in the 90's.
Makes sense though...it takes a heavy industry to build locomotives and tanks. For instance, the American M4 Shermans were also built by a locomotive company (although they utilized a number of different power trains from various automotive manufacturers, Ford, GM, and even Chrysler, I think...all of the big 3). But the Swiss had their own resources (some borrowed from Germany). Until watching this video, I never realized how much I love this tank! Maybe not the best protected, but it's still a thing of beauty.
Well, they gave (swapped) you a tank that was in great condition with most if not all of its ancillary equipment in situ, the engine was in a surprisingly well-looked-after condition which says a lot about its former owners! You have to keep a watch on the Swiss!
Nice Pun! ⌚
Holy smokes!
First the weekly Cutting Edge Engineering drop the a surprise Oz Armory vid!
fantastic swap and a worth while piece of kit to show off - she sounds great too, pretty much what you expect i think from the Swiss, all parts well maintained and moving correctly
What a beautiful Acquisition! That must be a bizzare sight for anyone passing by on the highway.
Crew,You've gone from strength to strength..An army of Fans n admirers who cone to this site because Everything That's Done,Is Done Properly,from the VT to sweeping up..Its all done with enthusiasm n professionalism..Can't wait for the YT award fir a 100k subs..lots of love from Blighty..
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Tankday, Thursday, Tankday, Saturday! 2 out of 7 is not bad at all 🐈⬛
Wow, still almost entirely kitted out and running strong approaching 50... She's a beauty!
Ahahaha well in the swiss army we still use M113 made in 1963 and M109 produced in 1966 (the M113 only in artillery as FDC and the M109 have been modernised)
So far away and one of the best armour musea.
A great day to listen with headphones if you like V8 diesels. Thank you. This tank is a great addition to the museum.
What a absolutely beautiful piece of kit....not you Jas, the bloody tank!
Just think about it these guys from Aus Armour have probably driven more types of tanks than most actual Tank Corp drivers would in a lifetime of service, They have pretty much Tanks from most every Nation and from a timeframe where most modern Tankers would literally only ever see such examples as static displays in a Museum.
So many of the Tanks here actually work bar the Weapons of course so the staff here are probably the most Multiskilled Tank Drivers on the planet.
Wouldn't be surprised that you have more armour than most countries.
They definitely have more than our own army 😂😂
@@davidbarnsley8486 we in the UK keep giving them away. I wouldn't mind one for going shopping. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
NZ comes to mind 😂
The Swiss Army is one of a biggest force in Central Europe ❗Has more men than the French or German Army! I mean the Swiss Army has a man power between 300.000men .In Emercency times 500.000men.
Another fantastic addition to the collection and a very informative video, thanks and well done guys
Probably worth mentioning to your viewers that CES would be Complete Equipment Schedule
Thank you! I came to ask just that. I am used to BII (Basic Issue Items)
Love these videos and this newly descovered channel. I am imagining this is the latest vehicle delivered to my house😁
Looks great!
Well done ,a nice acquisition to the tank museum.
Thanks for sharing delivery. And detail presentation second to none.
Congrats on the new tank
Was waiting for this - saw it earlier this week. Jason might recall I asked about WHO is the "Tom Cruise" of the workshop.......
Congratulations on the new acquisition! She's beauty!
Thanks Jason, great brief! Great how most of the labels are bilingual in German/ French (both official Swiss languages) . Was the colour-coding of the various lubricant bottles a standard thing, or am I reading too much into it 😀
Actually most labels are trilingual German, French and Italian,Switzerland have 3 official language plus Romanch recognised but not in use for official stuff
@@jannuzz76 Even an English speaker can understand them. Geshutz....weapon oil. Machinen...engine oil.
The Chieftain will be pleased with the coverage of the track tensioning system 😂
but saddened no "oh buggar the tank is on fire!"
@@thurin84LoL! I think Nicholas Moran would be able to climb out pretty quickly...this PZ 68 is definitely made for taller tankers. Considering how small it seems on the outside, it looks pretty roomy inside (of course it's not bombed up/full of ammo, but still). Has The Chieftain covered the Pz68 yet? Since wotb and wargaming slumped, haven't seen too many regular reviews from him. Guess i better browse his old vids, but I don't remember seeing him do the Pz68.
@@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785 i havent seen one for the pz68 but with them split between wot and his channel its easy to miss some here and there. yeah, theres been a definite slump in insides the hatches. the chieftans put out a good bit of other tank related content though.
Actually, the track tensioner was hydraulic. The tensioners only had to be adjusted every now and then to set minimum tension, and they had to be set all the way to slack to remove/service the tracks. The actual tensioning was done automatically by hydraulics.
Beautiful addition to the museum and good trade. Keep the videos coming mates.
My main question is how do u acquire these finds ?
Newest acquisition is super cool. Some fake plastic/resin ammo in all those empty spots might be great to look at, but probably make it claustrophobic inside.
very good presentation of the new tank.
So cool, cant wait to see it on Workshop Wednesday
Thx AA&AM
Wow! Verry, verry nice! I'm gunna hafta get up to the museum and check everything out some day...🤔
Enjoyed very much
Very Cool! Cheers!
Interesting video! there are still plenty of beautiful vehicles 👍👍
The bottles of oil are collectors items ,I love this stuff and His walk about explaining things is awesome Just Brilliant stuff many thanks
Thanks to Kurt for jumping in with questions. Not everybody is a full-blown tank geek, it is good to stop now and then for an explanation.
Bloody beauty!!
Great video
you guys are just great, at this rate you'll soon have enough tanks for your own army!
Great video as always - really nicely shot and informative!
What a beauty!
Brilliant informative video.
While I was in Iraq in 2003-04 we had to keep a complete tow bar on each vehicle if we were in a LOGPAC convoy and nothing pissed me off more than when a vehicle didn’t have the adapter ‘feet’ (parts that allowed the bar to connect to various towing/lifting points) because it was basically useless if we needed it.
Beautiful work as always. Canada
Nice addition!
Trading tanks! Love it
710 litres/156 imp Gallon fuel tank divided by max range 240km/150 miles equates to about 1mpg. Now 1mpg is probably good mileage for a MBT! You should be able to run this thing around quite cheaply!
Another one to look forward to seeing in august 👍👍
No doubt one of my favorite tanks
Visited a few days ago, and was curious what this one was. Thanks guys!
Nice.
3:56 "Oh, look what the cat draged in..."
As a Neutral country……the Swiss sure have a lot of tanks and chocolate 😂
That is the cleanest tank I've seen in ages
Gunner's sight can go from 1.5 to X8 magnification? Those are rookie numbers!
Man... I'd love to turn one of these into a man cave. Without the ready rounds in the turret, it still looks fairly roomy to me, it's plenty tall and I'm 6'2". Also, I'm quite comfortable in tight spaces anyhow, and mindful of the turret monster and pinch points like in the gun elevator he showed(working around various industrial.machinery and presses has made me learn to respect heavy chunks of steel in motion)... I think I'd feel quite at home in a PZ 68. Love how he even showed a bit about the track tensioning system. If I ever make a trip to Australia, remind me to apply for citizenship while I'm there. Maybe I'll trade places with (or at least house sit for) Steve Bowditch! ⛳
Congratz on the new addition
A very good trade indeed!
Awesome condition
That’s a beauty
I thought it would have knives and screwdrivers pop out the sides.
Hi Jason or Rob when you get a new toy (Tank,Gun) when does the deatification occur ?
Do you guys do it and its inspected or before entering into the country ?
And you dont have to answer on this medium if its a security issue at all.
Thanks heaps keep up the good work you know we cant get enough of it .
Stu
Hi Stu, the main armament is deactivated prior to entering Australia as per Customs and Qld firearms regulations. Australian Customs carries out an inspection when it arrives into Port.
@@jasonbelgrave2831 Thanks
Stu
Leo 1, what a beast... Returning to work vs the reds, and never retired as recovery vehicle 😁
Hurray!
Bless that trailer that took that punishment of two tanks on its wheels. wow.
what is getting done with the tank in the yard where you got the swing arm from because i saw a whole tank that looked goo and had some parts from it
I'm curious about the tracks on this example; there didn't seem to be any rubber pads present until the vehicle was parked in its display location. Were they present, but only on a limited portion of the tracks under transport, did you replace both tracks before displaying the tank, did you hammer in a few pads for the look of the thing, or is it some fourth option I haven't thought of? Enquiring minds want to know!
The pads were removed for quarantine purposes before arriving in Australia to make sure no dirt, plant matter is trapped behind the track pads. They were placed back on the vehicle once it arrived.
@@jasonbelgrave2831 I see! Thanks for satisfying my curiousity, it's always nice to learn something new
Leopard saves the day!!
Time to introduce the armour museum to the ammunition museum. Just watch the tourist numbers to Cairns go off the clock!
Pretty impressive.
Love your work 👍
The presenter did a really nice job of showing off the tank. Very interesting.
Lovely 😍👍
That is one good looking tank...
Forget Swiss chocolate, Swiss tanks are what we really want for Easter...
You need a good towing vehicle that's also a good exhibit. Ask Mr Hewes, he's got a couple of Fodens.
amazing!
Could you give us the meaning of the Acronym CES in relation to the outside stowage bins? Crew Effects stowage, or something of that nature? By the way, nice trade.
Complete Equipment Schedual. There is usually a Part 1 and a Part 2.
Part 1 comes with the vehicle, ie jack tooling etc
Part 2 is the additional tooling, ie, for the Turret
The hydraulics cooling panel in the turret isnt strange at all, it makes sense from an efficiency point of view:
Its the thickest piece of armor, so it has loads of heat capacity. Its way up there in the wind, so it can dissipate the heat better than the hull. And since its passive cooling it saves space and weight.
Sure, it adds to the heat signature, but likely not more than the engine heating up the hull.
Nice..... Runs like a top
🎖️⭐🙏🇺🇲🏆
Thank you for sharing
Great a tandem tank,thats cool ;-) , can you tell more off where it is from,where has it been ? ,some things look like a T55 like tank.
I think Porshce (designer of King tiger turret) designed this tank back in the 50/60s with 90 mil main gun as standard .
She looks in good nick!