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• Panzer II...

Îïèñàíèå: German WW2 era light tank which served from 1936 to 1945 Official designation Panzerkampfwagen II, Ausf.c (Sd.Kfz.121). This is believed to be the oldest surviving Panzer II. It was built by MAN in 1937 and is a developmental ‘c’ variant, of which only 25 were built. This was the first variant to have five running wheels instead of six, this revised suspension being used on the following models. This example is known to have served with the 2nd Panzer Division, although by 1944 it had been converted into a Panzerbeobachtungswagen armoured observation vehicle. It was recovered from a scrapyard in Trun, Normandy, and restored to running order in the UK. It is seen on display in the ‘Germany 1934-1945’ hall. Mus'ee des Blind'es, Saumur, Pays de la Loire, France 11th July 2022 The following detailed information on ‘304’ is from the excellent “Surviving Panzers” website: - “According to Hillary Louis Doyle, this is the oldest preserved Panzer II known to date. This c version was produced in 1937 by MAN between the b and the A version. Yes, the first versions of the tank are designated by a lower-case letter, then by a capital letter starting from the beginning of the alphabet. The c-versions are distinguished by several main features: - the pilot's vision hatch specific to models a, b and c, which is large without a vision slot and whose supports are placed on either side of the small vision holes under armour. - the shape of the fan louvers, different from those that appear from the Panzer II A - the undercarriage, different from that fitted to the a and b models. This tank comes from the Trun scrapyard (Rudi Schoeters). When found in the scrapyard, it had the divisional sign of the 2nd Pz Division under the grey/yellow paint, which was its original panzer unit. The 2nd Panzer Division was in Poland 1939, France 1940, Balkans 1941 and Russia 1941-42, and this Pz II was there with the 2nd PzD. Obviously by 1942 it was an obsolete panzer and must have been withdrawn from service for second line duties. However, it was then in Normandy in 1944, as a front line combat vehicle again, tactical number 304 (there is also a WWII photo of Pz II #303, KO'd near St Lambert, Normandy). Both 303 and 304 have by then been converted to PzBeobachtung Wagen II and carried large external frame radio antenna. Their possible unit was Sturm Panzer Abt 217 (Brummbars), they were then clearly command, control and observation vehicles after conversion. The British tank restoration company of the Cadman brothers was given the contract to restore the tank. It was restored by their chief mechanic Steve Cobb. When finished it made its debut straight off a low loader and into the Tank Museum's Carousel display in Saumur”

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