Jim Chandler reports from a very sunny Bovington

Show Report – Bovington 2013
The Tank Museum’s T-34/85 is often to be
seen in the arena at Tank Fest, but this
year it was part of the Russian re-enactors’
exhibit, and seemed to be a convenient
place to catch some Dorset sun!
2013
Tank Fest
Jim Chandler reports from a very sunny Bovington
This tiny half-track is the Sd.Kfz.2 Kettenkraftrad, a vehicle intended for airborne
troops, but eventually used very widely in the German army in WWII
King of the castle! The Challenger mounts the arena’s central mound without difficulty
The Museum also owns a replica German A7V WWI tank. The only real A7V to survive is
in a museum in Australia, and the replica allows the Tank Museum to compare the
tank designs of the First World War
The Centurion was used as the basis for this engineer vehicle. Note the way that the
oil from the latches on the side bins has soaked into the dust
SHOW REPORT – TANKFEST
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Show Report – Bovington 2013
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The Museum recently acquired this replica Mark IV Male tank that was used in the making of the film
‘Warhorse’. Although the Museum does have a real Mark IV in running order, using the replica allows them to
show how these vehicles looked in real life, while conserving the actual tank for future generations
The Soviet BRDM-2 armoured car is amphibious with minimal preparation, but its design makes it very difficult for
troops to mount and dismount
Bridging the gap between WWII and today, a pair of Centurions take to the arena
The humble FV432, for a long time the British Army’s standard ‘battle taxi’ was here too
The first WWII German tank into the arena was the Panzer III
SHOW REPORT – TANKFEST
SHOW REPORT – TANKFEST
Show Report – Bovington 2013
Show Report – Bovington 2013
The Centurion arrived too late to see action in WWII, but has been used by the British and other armies,
almost to the present day. The Museum’s Centurion gets the award for ‘Most Cheerful Crew’!
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The Tank Museum’s Tiger I, parked with contemporary German vehicles, such as the Panzer III
As the Centurion was replaced with the Chieftain, so the Centurion-based vehicles were replaced also. This is an engineer vehicle based on the Chieftain
The Pz.61 was a Swiss tank of the early 1960s
Also based on the Chieftain is this ‘Khalid’. It was developed for the pre-revolutionary Iranian army, and is effectively a Chieftain with a Challenger engine
SHOW REPORT – TANKFEST
SHOW REPORT – TANKFEST
Show Report – Bovington 2013
Show Report – Bovington 2013
The M3A1 Stuart also saw service in the desert with British troops. Compared to the British tanks of
the time, its reliability was remarkable
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Like many Soviet vehicles of the Cold War era, the BTR-60 armoured personnel carrier is amphibious. The BTR series
is still widely used in various forms by many armies
Roughly analogous to the US ‘Jeep’, the Kübelwagen was based on the Volkswagen Beetle
The Valentine was next in the arena. These tanks were used during the desert war, and many were exported to the USSR
It’s easy to see in this view the wooden sides of this late-model Sd.Kfz.7. Earlier types had a metal rear body with transverse seats for the gun crew
SHOW REPORT – TANKFEST
SHOW REPORT – TANKFEST
Show Report – Bovington 2013