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Rick_Eshleman · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:31 am Post subject: APG 1940s, Where did these go?

10 more old APG photos loaded in my gallery. We all know where the Czech 35t is, how about the others? Enjoy. Rick

Walter

Great pictures especialy the Minenraum Panzer
never seen this
Thanks !

Rick_Eshleman

Glad you liked the photos. Years ago, I would go to the US Army Military History Institute (MHI) in Carlisle, PA and copy photos from the various sources there. They have the Jarrett Collection, Crittenburg, and many more there. They are not classified and credit goes to US Army.

Rick_Eshleman

5 more photos added this morning.

Rikard_Hufschmied

As I recall many vehicles were scrapped in a 1950's scrap drive. As the story goes a junior officer made a bad, and unauthorized, call to scrap some of the collection. Others have gone to other museums or back to their native soil. Some are stuck in Limbo (3 vehicles at The Wheatcroft Collection) awaiting return to the US.

Walter

Rick the18-ton is superb !
Thanks for sharing

Rick_Eshleman

Rikard,
Thanks for the update. I now do remember hearing of the "scrap drive". I also know of the Wheatcroft vehicles, and some that made it to New England (BA-64,PBV 302, etc). It bothered me that these items were "loaned out" but nothing could be done once they were shipped out. The so called scrap drive was ultimately the worst thing you can do to a piece of history! Take care,
Rick

Pzkpfw-e · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jul 21, 2010 Posts: 1202

I wish you'd put links on, for us lazy/forgetful types!

Rick_Eshleman

Pzkpfw e,
Sorry, I just know how to load them into "My Gallery". LOL, Rick

Rikard_Hufschmied

- Rick_Eshleman

Rikard,
Thanks for the update. I now do remember hearing of the "scrap drive". I also know of the Wheatcroft vehicles, and some that made it to New England (BA-64,PBV 302, etc). It bothered me that these items were "loaned out" but nothing could be done once they were shipped out. The so called scrap drive was ultimately the worst thing you can do to a piece of history! Take care,
Rick

It was a quite common practice all over actually. It was just after the war and many vehicles were plentiful, or so it seemed. Not much value were placed in them as trophies of war either once their technological and intelligence value had been depleted. There was also a sentiment that Axis vehicles were "evil" and didn't deserve to be preserved, I've spoken to more than a few veterans who still voice this opinion.

Neil_Baumgardner

Rick, thanks for posting these. I've seen a few pics of these before, from the museum's inactive files, but not all the ones you posted.

Yes, a number were destroyed during the 1952-1953 Scrap Catastrophe. In fact the Minenraumgeratmit PzKpfw Antrieb can be seen in the one photo I have seen of the scrapping

smg.photobucket.com/al...393683.jpg
(in the background)

Closeup
smg.photobucket.com/al...ntrieb.jpg

You can see more of my pics from the inactive files here
smg.photobucket.com/al.../Inactive/

Here's our old discussion on the topic, although most of the links have changed com-central.net/index....m+inactive

Neil

Rick_Eshleman

Neil,
Thanks for the update. Proof that some people have no sense of value for one of a kind historical items.
Rick

Pzkpfw-e · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jul 21, 2010 Posts: 1202

It's a shame, same as the mass scrapping of the WW2 aircraft held in storage, to free up space for renewed production during the Korean War.
One can see why this was done, nothing more to be learnt from these relics, dead-end technology and yes, some could see them as a celebration of Nazism etc.
Any books ever printed on these ex-Axis trophies, like the one produced on the aircraft? ("War Prizes", by Phil Butler)

Neil_Baumgardner

You do have to keep in mind the era. In the 1950s the war was less than 10 years ago, and the "Greatest Generation" mindset wasnt there yet. This is the same timeframe as the scrapping of the USS Enterprise - the most decorated ship in US Navy history. Even Bovington scrapped the E-100 chassis (and of course no British carriers or battleships were saved from the torch).

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