Sogenanntes Panzerautomobil

[Ulrich]

During our preperations for a exhibition about WW1 we got many photos from persons nearby.One old postcards shows "einen englischen Tank, sogenannten Panzerautomobil". A father had written that postcard to his son and I think he try to calm his son down not to have to much fear what could happen with his father

But someone here who knows more about the wooden tank?

Thanks

[centurion]

The Germans produced a number of dummy tanks but there is very little explanation available. From what little text is available and the context of the photos reasons appear to have included.

:

Training for artillery in spotting and engaging tanks (the dummies appear to have been towed (or in one case floated on rafts) across the training range

Training of anti tank squads as to where the vulnerable area were on tanks

However there are some photos in which the location of the tanks ( near buildings in some cases), suggest that these may have been decoy Beutepanzers intended to fool Allied reconnaissance flights. The Germans also produced dummy A7Vs

[Ulrich]

Thanks. That was very helpful. I had thought it was a british wooden tank which was used to fool German reconnaissance flights and that the tank was captured from the Germans.

[centurion]

Thanks. That was very helpful. I had thought it was a british wooden tank which was used to fool German reconnaissance flights and that the tank was captured from the Germans.

German dummies appear to be all wood and very solidly built, British (and Australian) ones seem to use a lot of canvas and not made to last. The Australians appear to have been especially adroit in using them to convince the enemy that a tank attack was coming where it wasn't and therefore deploy their artillery inappropriately. These dummies were light enough to be moved around by about four men inside them (which must have taken some guts as they attracted fire just like the real things and canvas gives a lot less protection than steel).

[trajan]

Centurion, what fascinating and enlightening photographs! Thanks for showing them!

[centurion]

A two horsepower British dummy tank

[Ulrich]

One of my hobby is painting figures and that would be a nice little scene

[delta]

The horse drawn tank must have been Summer 1917 given the replication of the Vickers fitted in the sponsors