Those Crazy Germans!
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Original Poster:

9,385 posts

160 months

Tuesday 3rd August 2021
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Elderly German fined for keeping a WW2 tank and 88mm gun, mortar, and torpedo along g with other memorabilia in his basement.

The German army had to be called in to help remove the tank and anti-aircraft gun from the cellar when they were first discovered.

"The Panther, considered one of the most effective tanks deployed in the Second World War, weighed over 44 tons.

At the time of the discovery, Alexander Orth, the local mayor, told German media he was not surprised.

“He was chugging around in that thing during the snow disaster in 1978,” he said."


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2021/08/03/...

BabySharkDooDooDooDooDooDoo

15,078 posts

193 months

Tuesday 3rd August 2021
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https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/...

He’s my hero rofl

My ex kept all of her grandfather’s war gear (journalist / soldier on the Soviet front). He’d managed to keep it hidden when the US troops were stealing memorabilia after the fall of Germany.

jdw100

5,488 posts

188 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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How did he get a tank down the stairs?

anonymous-user

78 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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jdw100 said:
How did he get a tank down the stairs?
Gravity?

voyds9

8,490 posts

307 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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jdw100 said:
How did he get a tank down the stairs?
One step at a time

gazza285

10,876 posts

232 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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"...a private collector in Germany has expressed interest in the anti-aircraft gun."

Was it not already owned by a private collector?

JagLover

46,160 posts

259 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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In America you are allowed to own tanks if the main gun has been disabled. They aren't road legal though I believe.

TEKNOPUG

20,289 posts

229 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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In England you are allowed to own tanks and they are road legal....

greygoose

9,395 posts

219 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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JagLover said:
In America you are allowed to own tanks if the main gun has been disabled. They aren't road legal though I believe.
Surprised the NRA haven’t taken up this infringement of their second amendment rights.


JagLover

46,160 posts

259 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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TEKNOPUG said:
In England you are allowed to own tanks and they are road legal....
Just had a quick look at that and you do need to modify the tank first with rubber track pads and of course any UK tank has to have all weapons deactivated.

YorkshirePudding

2,160 posts

209 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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TEKNOPUG said:
In England you are allowed to own tanks and they are road legal....
One of the local pubs has this outside, quite funny when you see it parked up in the local Tesco, laugh


TEKNOPUG

20,289 posts

229 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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You can do the relevant tank driving license for a few hundred quid in a day.

Donbot

4,194 posts

151 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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JagLover said:
Just had a quick look at that and you do need to modify the tank first with rubber track pads and of course any UK tank has to have all weapons deactivated.
I believe you can register the cannon, but obviously not ancillary machine guns etc.

ChemicalChaos

10,707 posts

184 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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JagLover said:
TEKNOPUG said:
In England you are allowed to own tanks and they are road legal....
Just had a quick look at that and you do need to modify the tank first with rubber track pads and of course any UK tank has to have all weapons deactivated.
Actually, from discussions I saw a while back, it doesn't *have* to be deactivated.
There was for sale a Chieftain (I think) with a live main gun. To own it, all you needed was a current firearms rifle certificate that it could be added to (and some secure storage!).

Can you just imagine the discussion when you walk into the local police station?....
"I'd like to add a gun to my rifle certificate please"
"Certainly sir, what calibre is it?"
"120mm"

hehe

GreatGranny

9,519 posts

250 months

Byker28i

84,800 posts

241 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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You never told me for better for worse, for a pile of junk on the lawn...



Now bought again and at Spark Bridge in Cumbria

Edited by Byker28i on Wednesday 4th August 10:03

Beati Dogu

9,348 posts

163 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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This German story is from a few years ago. I remember it at the time.

ChemicalChaos said:
Actually, from discussions I saw a while back, it doesn't *have* to be deactivated.
There was for sale a Chieftain (I think) with a live main gun. To own it, all you needed was a current firearms rifle certificate that it could be added to (and some secure storage!).

Can you just imagine the discussion when you walk into the local police station?....
"I'd like to add a gun to my rifle certificate please"
"Certainly sir, what calibre is it?"
"120mm"

hehe
I think it's actually "only" 55 calibre. cool

On canons, the calibre is the gun barrel length divided by the bore diameter. So 6.6 meters / 120 mm = 55



vonuber

17,868 posts

189 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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Would make a great daily runner:


JagLover

46,160 posts

259 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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The Panther was notoriously unreliable so if you want a WW2 tank as a daily runner best to go for a Sherman.

vonuber

17,868 posts

189 months

Wednesday 4th August 2021
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JagLover said:
The Panther was notoriously unreliable so if you want a WW2 tank as a daily runner best to go for a Sherman.
Eh, the weak final drive thing was fixed after a while. The big problem was low quality materials at the end of the war making failures more common, and also lack of spare parts, maintenance etc.
It was a great tank, just not the tank Germany should have made.