Berlin´s panzers

[brano]

Please...I search any interesting photos from battle of Berlin...Berlin´s streets,Kummersdorf,Zossen...
Thanks !

[Homerr]

(Note: Since I no longer host the images I've put in links for Webshots images that someone uploaded there from my scans.)

Here's something I wrote up for another forum:

I've seen in other threads misinformation about the Maus tanks and their fate. Two hulls were completed. V1 had the simulated turret weight and gasoline engines, while V2 was completed with a full turret and diesel engines. Much speculation has been made about thier fate and combat if any. I'd like to clear some of these things up.

First, the Russians did capture both V1 and V2. Neither saw combat. V2 was in process of being evacuated from Kummersdorf and broke down at Stamplager, near Zossen. It was scuttled by the crew. V1 was captured in the vicinity of the western batteries of the Kummersdorf artillery firing grounds. V1 had the simulated turret weight on when captured.


Maus V1 Note the Russian soldiers working on V1.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/338 ... 0923zoERjK
http://community.webshots.com/photo/338 ... 0923cCIsEm


Maus V2 As found by Russians.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/338 ... 923HUMtTD#
http://community.webshots.com/photo/338 ... 0923gXGJhC
http://community.webshots.com/photo/338 ... 0923ZhxlNE


The Russian Commander of Armored and Mechanized troops ordered hull V1 to be mated with the turret of V2. The Russians used six 18t half-tracks to pull the 55 ton turret off the burnt out hull. The combined V1/2 vehicle was completed in Germany and sent back to the USSR for further testing. It arrived there on May 4, 1946.


HT's hook up.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/338 ... 0923HEXwWE


Ready to pull turret off.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/338 ... 0923IZGPdw


Turret protruding in upper left corner, soldier is in the rear electric motor compartment, large open area is the fighting compartment, and the cylindrical object down the center is the generator.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/338 ... 0923vjZBNT


Left view of V2.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/338 ... 0923nWhywt


Maus V1 hull and V2 turret ready for shipment to the USSR.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/338 ... 0923KBeruy


Further testing was done, and when completed the vehicle was taken over by Kubinka for storage, and where it is now on display.

Kubinka tank museum:
http://www.tankmuseum.ru/

This is by far the best source I've found is this Japanese magazine:
[no pic] Here's the info from it though, "German Super Heavy Tank MAUS; Sergeev, Gelto; Model Art, Japan (1997)"

It is in both Japanese and English, and has a 9 page development write up, dozens of photos of the recovery of the two tanks as well as misc. photos of the inside and the automotive components, and many drawings of the mechanicals. If you can find one I would suggest buying it!

Tom Jentz's "Panzerkampfwagen MAUS" is also a must read for more history and technical background.

[Patrice]

Hello.
Very interesting and instructive,thank you.

[Sander D]

Thanks for showing these great picture Homerr

What the ISBN number of this book ???

Regards

Sander

[Homerr]

I've gotten a couple requests about this book I posted about, I've shot a little .avi of it so you can get an idea of more of the book. It's in Japanese but does have a few english words/numbers on it. The captions on the photos are in Japanese and English; and a 9 page section is also in English. There is a color section at the back of models done based on the destroyed V2 and and V1 as discovered by the Russians. Two fold-out sections with 1:35 drawings.

It is "Model Art" No. 482
"German Super Heavy Tank Maus"
Inside title spread credits "A.Sergeev, I.Geltov, M.Pavlov, I.Pavlov"
On back:
[Japanese characters]08734-12
1997/1/9 [assume the date of it]

.avi file:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/kogut/homer/111_1119.AVI
(may want to "right click-save target as...")

No ISBN number, it may be a glorified magazine in reality. It's like an expanded, more detailed version of a Ground Power magazine. As you can tell from the .avi there is alot of Japanese text to it, more than the 9 pages of English. I got this as part of an auction on Ebay and it was a nice gem in a pile of other gems it came with.

Anyway, Model Art seems to be a GREAT resource even if you can't read all of it. I suggest you pick up this copy if you can find it or one on another tank.

[Sbf.Koch]

Here are some pictures taken in berlin around march/may 1945:








































Probably SdKfz.301 Borgward IV Ausf. C Wanze,
abandoned near Brandenburger Tor, Berlin, 1945.


the Wilhelmstraße










A very rare photo from a Krupp gepanzerter Radfahrzeug 1936


Also kind of rare, I believe


Destroyed SdKfz 251 from 11. SS Panzerdivision 'Nordland'


IS II with it's HUGE Machinegun (DShK)

I believe that's it... for now. Hope it helped!
Regards,
Sbf.Koch

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

It is interesting to see, htat despite the heavy fighting that took place in Berlin, the buildings are still largely intact.

Christian

[Sbf.Koch]

True, but some (like the t-34's driving down the street with german civillians looking at them) had titles like 'Red army tanks entering Berlin' .
So, I think they might have been taken in Berlin's suburbs, before the 'big' battle, or maybe in a street where not too much fighting took place...? What I do know is that all pictures had 'Berlin' in their titles...

[Alex Pitolin]

Look there:

http://www.ostpanzer.nm.ru/raznoe/battl ... erlin.html

This is good artikles with more foto.

[MaisAlto]

Another one !

[hchris]

From which vehicle is that hull?

[LordTD]

From which vehicle is that hull?

looks like a T-34
you can see the fuel drum holders on the left side

[MaisAlto]

"...the buildings are still largely intact."

I wouldn´t say that...

[Pete A.]

Pantherturm on Stahlunterstand.

[H.v.Holdt]

Nice pics MaisAlto!

One of the pics made on the Potsdamer Platz and on the right side is the "Columbus Haus" and on the left side is the "Pschorr Haus". That is directly on the "Potsdamer Bahnhof" (Railstation) where the last position of the Tiger II #100 of sSSPzAbt.503 was.













Some time earlier





Hartmut