German lawyers wrangle over pensioner's WW2 tank in basement

[muriel_volestrangler]

Lawyers in Germany are wrangling over how to deal with a pensioner who stored a World War Two tank, anti-aircraft gun and torpedo in his basement.

The items were removed from a house in the northern town of Heikendorf in 2015 with the help of the army.
...
In July 2015, it took about 20 soldiers almost nine hours to extract the Panther tank - which was without its tracks - from the residential property and push it onto a low-loader for transportation.

Local authorities were reportedly tipped off about the cellar's contents by colleagues in Berlin, who had earlier searched the home for stolen Nazi art.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57965260

I'm trying to think how he got it down there in the first place. What kind of place has an entrance to a basement so big you can fit a tank through it?

[rsdsharp]

1. Maybe it's like Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel.

The built the house around the tank.

[keithbvadu2]

2. Like new?

[70sEraVet]

7. It looks cleaner than our family car.

[Aristus]

3. Looks like it's in relatively good condition.

I wonder what it would take to get it in running order again?

There are so few Panther tanks left in working condition. They're treasures.

Tank enthusiasts agree that tanks themselves are non-political. So we can admire a piece of engineering like the Panther tank without it being a tacit endorsement of the Nazis.

Restoring WWII German tanks is a relatively new phenomenon. Only one of the major war movies to be released in the last fifty years or so has featured genuine German tanks. The filmmakers usually substitute tanks that bear no resemblance to German tanks, and tank experts in the audience will hoot with derisive laughter.

[Harker]

8. The T-34 as Tiger I always gets a roll of the eyes. n/t

[Aristus]

11. If it's well-disguised, I give the filmmakers one for nothing.

The Tiger in "Saving Private Ryan" was a T-34-based replica, but it was a good one. When I saw the trailer for the first time, with the Tiger coming up over the pile of rubble, I thought the tank was CGI, it looked so good.

Then I saw the movie, and when the track got blown off, it was pretty easy to tell it was a T-34 chassis.

I don't think any replica has been able successfully to recreate the interleaved road wheels of the original Tiger.

[Harker]

12. I was thinking Kelly's Heroes...

No amount of Zimmerit could hide the beast within, but they did try.

[DURHAM D]

4. Someone needs to ask Leroy Jethro Gibbs. nt

[Ocelot II]

5. Don't tell them about the Type VII U-boat I've got in my basement,

complete with torpedos. I've kept the basement flooded to make it more fun to play with it.

[getagrip_already]

6. Ha - I have the sister ship to the hindenburgh in my attic......

I don't have to worry about the roof caving in at least.

[Mopar151]

9. It'll be at Barret-Jackson soon!

In superb "survivor" conditionn, with provenance.

[keithbvadu2]

10. Panther tank transmissions

Panther tank transmissions

https://www.quora.com/We-all-know-that-Germany-captured-and-used-enemy-equipment-trucks-tanks-etc-but-did-Germany-ever-take-notes-on-how-to-create-a-dependable-tank-from-captured-Shermans-and-implement-their-findings-into-their-own-tank


One key weak spot on the Panther was the transmission, which was designed for a 30-ton tank before Hitler insisted that the Panther get much thicker front armour and a longer gun, taking its weight past 45 tons. As a result, the final drives on a Panther typically failed before a M4 Sherman even needed to refuel (postwar, the French used some captured Panthers and found the transmission lasted only 100 miles or so before breaking down even in peacetime usage).


>>>>>>> (more)

Was the Sherman tank super reliable? Not quite.

[Worried2020]

13. I like the flak gun!

.

From another article

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3148431/Police-discover-WWII-TANK-anti-aircraft-gun-hidden-cellar-German-pensioner-s-house.html


Rallying: The mayor of Heikendorf has come out in defence of the pensioner, saying he had even been seen driving the tank around in public

Don't need a horn or turn signals when ur driving THAT!



W

[Javaman]

14. I really wonder about the reports of him driving that tank around in public.

the weight and treads would severely tear up any pavement.

[Worried2020]

15. I think they are referring to the flack gun as a tank.

.


First - the text is right underneath the pic of the flack gun (at the link I provided)

"The mayor of Heikendorf has come out in defence of the pensioner, saying he had even been seen driving the tank around in public"

I'm pretty sure the Mayor would not be too pleased if he actually drove the tank down the streets - tracks or no tracks



W

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

16. I just hope he was a better tank driver than Frank Burns.