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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Tank 799


tanks3

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Ok,

Here's what I take to be a drivers/maybe gearmans pedal.PICT0888.jpg

PICT0886.jpg

Thats dried mud,I haven't touched it yet.

I will post a photo with flash next,just for a dif view.

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The 303 is just for size etc.

Heres it with flash followed by some armour/boiler plate.

Seems to be about 1/4 inch thick & has a purposeful shape to it.I must get some plans & find out which part its from.

PICT0885.jpg

Old boiler

PICT0889.jpg

Dave.

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Thanks for posting those photos, Dave. Here is a portion of another map, from Jonathan Walker's "The Blood Tub", showing the location of the tank wrecks. Note that 799's position is somewhat to the north of that indicated on Bean's map. A fold of land runs from Queant to Riencourt, and 799's wreck may have been out of sight behind the skyline from the Australian position on the railway embankment. This might account for the numerous photos of German troops congregated around the wreck in daylight. (Perhaps a member who has had the opportunity to walk the battlefield could comment.)

In an footnote to "The Blood Tub", Walker refers to a source who told him that 799 was removed by the Germans to the Bavarian Motor Depot at Charleroi, and may have been restored to running condition. I have seen no photographic evidence which would confirm these assertions. The order to establish BAKP 20 at Charleroi as a captured tank repair facility was not given until after the battle of Cambrai.

It's interesting to hear that a siding was built to remove one of the wrecks after the war. Wreck "4" is Lt. Clarkson's 586. A number of photos (seen in another thread about this tank) show the wreck becoming progressively more heavily damaged, and I don't think it would have been sufficiently intact to justify it's removal (as opposed to simply blowing up the remains in-situ.) Wreck "6" is probably Lt. Money's 590. I havn't seen any photos of this wreck, however it is known to have been burnt out following the rupture of it's fuel tanks. A few of the tanks either broke down or were knocked out immediately adjacent to the railway embankment - perhaps the siding was built for one of these wrecks?

post-11482-1197233027.jpg

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In an footnote to "The Blood Tub", Walker refers to a source who told him that 799 was removed by the Germans to the Bavarian Motor Depot at Charleroi, and may have been restored to running condition. I have seen no photographic evidence which would confirm these assertions.

If the bits in Daves photos are from 799 then they would appear to refute this story. I've seen other secondary (tertiary) references to 799 becoming a beute panzer but no evidence. I've seen one picture of a Mk IV in German hands incorrectly atributed as 799 (unless those restoration guys at Charlroi were really good!)

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Dave, that pedal certainly looks like a drivers clutch pedal. Wouldn't be surprised that it came from 799 or another heavy.

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