40 Tonne Model 1:1 Scale

**Mutawintji** · 18th March 2013, 08:33 AM

In 1989 Communism collapsed.

One of the consequences of this, amongst many, was the reunification of West and East Germany. Festivities, ceremonies, and events to mark this historic event were planned.

In Lower Saxony, not far from Luneburg, is a small town called Munster. It is a military town, a garrison town, and almost unknown except for Lili Marlene, the prostitute, who supposedly worked from outside the main barrack gates in the town

Underneath the lantern
By the barrack gate,
Darling I remember
The way you used to wait.

Munster is the centre of two enormous training grounds, where armored vehicles are tested, live fired, and crews trained. In the town itself is a large museum, an Armored Vehicle Museum. This Museum has armored vehicles from all over the world. But it also has German Armored Vehicles. One of every tank ever built, except one, the first one, the WWI A7V.

There were 22 A7Vs built during WWI. After the unconditional surrender of Germany at the end of WWI, all the remaining A7Vs of the original 22 were taken to England and America where they were used in training grounds as target practice and to test the newly designed armor piercing shells.

One survived, Mephisto. It was captured in the last stages of the war by the 26th battalion of the 7th Brigade, a mostly Qld regiment, and shipped back to Brisbane.

As part of the reunification events of Germany it was decided to purchase this vehicle back, and place it in the Munster Museum. But this proved impossible, the Qld Museum is only the 'curator' for the public and it cannot sell its treasures. So it was decided, by the German Military, and German Government Departments to form a committee and 're-build' an A7V from scratch. The Komitee, Nachbau Sturmpanzerwagen A7V.

All the major companies in Germany, Porsche, Kraus Maffei, MAN, and many other manufacturing companies were 'conscripted' to rebuild the original as they once had done during the first world war. A massive undertaking.

Thru a series of misunderstandings, poor translations and talking at cross purposes, I received the following telegram in Australia (there was no email, computers, digital data)

HaaHaa .... rather than return this to sender, I decided to accept.

The A7V

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**Mutawintji** · 18th March 2013, 08:34 AM

Some photos of the real A7Vs in action. They are a very large machine, as big as modern fighting tanks today.

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**Mutawintji** · 18th March 2013, 08:37 AM

Reconstruction:

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Original Transmission

New Transmission

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Drivers and Navigator's Cupola Cockpit.

Original Controls.

New Controls.

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**Mutawintji** · 18th March 2013, 08:40 AM

Making the new Control Levers and Arms for the Cockpit.

(I'm the skinny one)

After much negotiation with the Qld Museum we finally received permission to remove the existing control arms and assemblies. We took them to a small foundry in Mooroka, now gone, were sand molds were made and the new parts were cast.

During this process it was discovered that the original pattern maker, anonymous, had placed his own mark on the castings. One side of every arm and lever was ever so slightly tapered, allowing the casting to be easily broken out from the sand mold. A small thing. This was passed on the the Komitee Nachbau.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finished.

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**Mutawintji** · 18th March 2013, 08:41 AM

Assembly of the 40 tonne Monster.

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**Mutawintji** · 18th March 2013, 08:42 AM

Millions of dollars and a year later WOTAN was finished.

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The Main Cannon.

Capable of Firing.

Inside Images.

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**Mutawintji** · 18th March 2013, 08:43 AM

Installed in its diorama in the Museum in Munster.

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From first to last. Note the shaded Leopard II behind WOTAN.

A live firing display and battle inside the training grounds as part of the opening ceromonies.

Hope you enjoyed. Sorry about the picture quality as they are photos of old photos.

cool bananas ... Greg

**Scribbly Gum** · 18th March 2013, 08:51 AM

There was a time, when I was a young boy, when Mephisto was housed outside the front corner of the old Qld museum.
I don't know if it was allowed or not, (probably not) but I do remember getting inside of it - as boys do. Very dark as I recall.
I never realised that it was the only surviving WW1 German tank.
SG

**Mutawintji** · 18th March 2013, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by Scribbly Gum

There was a time, when I was a young boy, when Mephisto was housed outside the front corner of the old Qld museum.
I don't know if it was allowed or not, (probably not) but I do remember getting inside of it - as boys do. Very dark as I recall.
I never realised that it was the only surviving WW1 German tank.
SG

Hi Scribbly Gum ... yes it was parked there for many years and many parts were 'souvenir-ed'. An 'amnesty' advertisement was placed in the newspapers by the museum and many parts were handed back in, I believe.

It is the only surviving original. Altho rumours are that another has been found at the bottom of a lake somewhere in Europe... but only rumours. They are dark inside. The replica was painted accidently by the assembler. it was not supposed to be. However it does make it very easy to see.

cool bananas ... Greg

**Scribbly Gum** · 18th March 2013, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by Mutawintji

Hi Scribbly Gum ... yes it was parked there for many years and many parts were 'souvenir-ed'. An 'amnesty' advertisement was placed in the newspapers by the museum and many parts were handed back in, I believe.

It is the only surviving original. Altho rumours are that another has been found at the bottom of a lake somewhere in Europe... but only rumours. They are dark inside. The replica was painted accidently by the assembler. it was not supposed to be. However it does make it very easy to see.

cool bananas ... Greg

Honest guv, I don't know where the machine gun in my garage came from.
Did I know it was German, certainly not!

**bj383ss** · 18th March 2013, 11:00 AM

Wow Greg this is cool thanks for sharing!

Bret

**Anorak Bob** · 18th March 2013, 11:22 AM

Fantastic. Thank you Greg.

Bob.

**artme** · 18th March 2013, 11:32 AM

**Mutawintji** · 18th March 2013, 11:35 AM

Thank you peoples for kind remarks.

Please note: I only built the cockpit control levers ... NOT the tank itself or any other part.

cool bananas ... Greg

**jhovel** · 18th March 2013, 09:08 PM

Vielen Dank, mein Herr Greg.
Thanks for making the replica controls for my grandfather's or one of his contemporaries' tank.

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