green_acorn Posted 1 April , 2007 Share Posted 1 April , 2007 Hi Pals, Would any of the Pals know which captured A7 that I posted over in Units and Formations "researching intelligence" is shown at (apologies for the mangled English, I am Australian!) http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...howtopic=71995# The image is at http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/u...-1175312877.jpg I am very much interested in identifying both the tank, the officer and possibly others involved and where and when the photograph was taken and the capturing unit and circumstances of its capture. Looking forward to hearing from you all, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druid_Ian Posted 1 April , 2007 Share Posted 1 April , 2007 Hi Pals, Would any of the Pals know which captured A7 that I posted over in Units and Formations "researching intelligence" is shown at (apologies for the mangled English, I am Australian!) http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...howtopic=71995# The image is at http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/u...-1175312877.jpg I am very much interested in identifying both the tank, the officer and possibly others involved and where and when the photograph was taken and the capturing unit and circumstances of its capture. Looking forward to hearing from you all, Chris Well the Officer looks to be scottish so that may be a clue as I said in an earlier post there was a possible candidate at Lancaster Castle http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...showtopic=50912 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Sweeney Posted 1 April , 2007 Share Posted 1 April , 2007 The A7V is 542 "Elfriede". 542 was lost on the same day as Mephisto at Villers Bretonneux. 542 was dragged off by the French 37th Division on 28 May 18. There is a very good picture of "Elfriede" being displayed in Paris in the book "The German A7V Tank" Hundleby & Strasheim. I don't think that 542 ever was in England. The British shipped 504 "Schnuck" and 528 "Hagen" to England. Joe Sweeney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green_acorn Posted 2 April , 2007 Author Share Posted 2 April , 2007 Ian and Joe, Thank you. The handwritten inscription on the back describes it as being shipped back to England for intelligence examination, but your explanation Joe would seem more reasonable given the number of Frenchman in the photo! cheers, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhill Posted 29 May , 2007 Share Posted 29 May , 2007 ...snip,snip,... I don't think that 542 ever was in England. The British shipped 504 "Schnuck" and 528 "Hagen" to England. Joe Sweeney For those who are real enthusiasts, there is some film footage of soldies clambouring around the captured "Hagen" and others in France. One can find this at the National Film Board of Canada . Unfortunately, this site is ridiculously difficult to navigate. Here is the navigation path: Enter>> Discover the Collections Wartime Battles (then move the cursor over the little white boxes wayyyyy over to the right to one that shows) "September Offensive 6". Fullscreen Visioner le film That is all there is to it! The discription is this: " September Offensive 6 Year 1918 Running Time 01 min 35 s Producer Topical Film Company Unedited film of British and captured German tanks behind British lines during the Advance to Victory, Western Front, September 1918. Firstly, a column of Infantry marching through a town showing shell damage - the light values have been set wrongly and the film is far too dark. This is followed by British, or possibly Canadian, soldiers inspecting two captured German tanks, the A7V Sturmpanzerwagen, of which about twenty were built. One of them is marked as the ‘Hagen’. Beside these tanks is a British Mk V Male tank. Another tank, a Mk V Female Gasper’ of 7th Battalion, Tank Corps, towing a broken-down Mk V along a road. " Sorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zooloo Posted 29 May , 2007 Share Posted 29 May , 2007 They don't make it easy to get to do they? Try this one - should go straight there - www.nfb.ca/enclasse/ww1/en/film.php?id=538109 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hansen Posted 29 May , 2007 Share Posted 29 May , 2007 As Joe Sweeney pointed out, it is definitely 542 "Elfriede". After capture, it was put through some test drives and had various sections cut out of the armour to test shot penetration. There are quite a few shots around showing her on display in the Place de la Concorde, Paris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hansen Posted 29 May , 2007 Share Posted 29 May , 2007 For those who are real enthusiasts, there is some film footage of soldies clambouring around the captured "Hagen" and others in France. One can find this at the National Film Board of Canada . Unfortunately, this site is ridiculously difficult to navigate. Here is the navigation path: Enter>> Discover the Collections Wartime Battles (then move the cursor over the little white boxes wayyyyy over to the left to one that shows) "September Offensive 6". Fullscreen Visioner le film That is all there is to it! The discription is this: " September Offensive 6 Year 1918 Running Time 01 min 35 s Producer Topical Film Company Unedited film of British and captured German tanks behind British lines during the Advance to Victory, Western Front, September 1918. Firstly, a column of Infantry marching through a town showing shell damage - the light values have been set wrongly and the film is far too dark. This is followed by British, or possibly Canadian, soldiers inspecting two captured German tanks, the A7V Sturmpanzerwagen, of which about twenty were built. One of them is marked as the ‘Hagen’. Beside these tanks is a British Mk V Male tank. Another tank, a Mk V Female Gasper’ of 7th Battalion, Tank Corps, towing a broken-down Mk V along a road. " Sorry! Nice footage. Thanks for sharing that. Just a couple of points that the NFB have gotten slightly wrong. The male tank next to the A7V's is a Mk IV. The female tank Gasper is also a Mk IV and the tank she is towing is a Mk V*. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green_acorn Posted 29 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 29 May , 2007 Mark, Thank you, that increases the provenance for the museum I am donating the image to markedly, as it has a copy of the intelligence bulletin describing the technical characteristics and vulnerable points in the armour, kindest regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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