A7V

The Sturmpanzerwagen A7V was the first (and only) Tank builds by the German army during the First World War. Its startup was very late (the first specimen was delivered on October 1st 1917), the German army, which had used until this moment there only tanks captured with the enemy, not believing in the utility of the tank.

“Simple imposing armor-plated box” and far from handy, the Panzer A7V uses as principal armament a gun of Belgian capture of 57 mm opposite before and six machine-guns MG 08 in secondary armament. It was built only in one score of specimens before the capitulation of the November 11th 1918. A specimen on however the occasion to be measured with an English counterpart, confrontation balanced by the destruction of the German armoured tank.

History

As of October 1917, two " Abteilungen" (units) of A7V were consisted, followed by a third at December. The February 27th 1918 a presentation with real shooting took place in front of the Kaiser itself. But, if one believes of them the memories of Ludendorff, this exercise did not make great impression…

The March 21st 1918, of a7V were engaged for the first time at the Bataille of St-Quentin. The April 24th, the three units were committed on the plate of Villers-Bretonneux to Cachy during the Bataille of the Sum or they are heurtérent with Mark V of the British Army in what was the first confrontation between tanks. On 15 tanks, 13 took part in the action, causing a considerable moral effect. But one of the vehicles was reversed and was recovered by the French troops, which made it possible to know the weak points of them.

The July 15th 1918, a score of A7V took part in an attack against the French lines, but they were violently taken with part by artillery. The October 8th finally, 11 A7V ran up against the Mark V 12th British battalion.

The October 21st, only 3 weeks before the armistice of November 1st, the three units of A7V as well as the units armor-plated made up of tanks of catch were transferred in Germany, with Erbenheim, where they were dissolved the November 17th.

Some of these tanks A7V were then taken by victorious French who gave them to the Poland which employed them against Russian during the Russo-Polish Guerre. At the time of the armistice of 1920, Poland still seems to have had five A7V in operating condition.

Today there does not remain any more but one A7V of origin, the tank Mephisto N°506, which had been recovered by the Australian troops the July 22nd 1918. This tank had been abandoned in the " No man' S land" after being broken down during the Battle from the Sum. It is exposed from now on in the Queensland Museum with Brisbane, in Australia.

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