Museums Victoria photo archive

[Mike Cecil]

Nice piece of footage. Several famous faces. Those are two of the Experimental series tanks, E1 with the big fake barrel and E2 with a 2-pdr, being demonstrated for the big wigs at Fisherman's Bend in early 1942. E1 retired hurt with a broken track. There were three AC-E series tanks built before the production run of 65 AC1 tanks.

Most of the 65 production AC tanks were assembled and drivable by the close of the project, but far from reliable or combat-ready. I'd like to think the book covers the subject in sufficient detail - it's about 100,000 words supported by 430-odd images. The ultimate judgement of that will be the readers, of course, but I've done my best.

Interesting to see a camouflaged Mortar carrier amongst the swarm of AFVs.

Mike

[Mike K]

Sad end to WW1 aircraft.

Can anybody ID the 4 bladed aircraft in the background ?

https://collections.museumsvictoria..../items/1602920

[michaelkoudstaal]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Nice piece of footage. Several famous faces. Those are two of the Experimental series tanks, E1 with the big fake barrel and E2 with a 2-pdr, being demonstrated for the big wigs at Fisherman's Bend in early 1942. E1 retired hurt with a broken track. There were three AC-E series tanks built before the production run of 65 AC1 tanks.

All three if you look closely. Most of the footage is E1 and likely an incomplete E3, the one right at the end with no antennas or tool bins is probably the E2 being babied a bit as it was supposed to be sent of for gunnery trials the next day so you wouldn't want to break it.

[Mike Cecil]

Cannot agree, Michael: check the driver's hatch design for verification. This is E1 and E2. E3 was still being built at Eveleigh when this demo took place.

Mike

[Mike K]

https://collections.museumsvictoria..../items/1469617

https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/775817

A side note: I spotted somebody selling four of these 4.2 inch Mortar rounds at the swap meet I was at recently , they were packed in their shipping box. The seller had a sign explaining how they were first used at El Alamein

[michaelkoudstaal]

That is what the records say, E3 wasn't complete on that day. But there's three different looking tanks being driven around. You might explain away the loss of the partial sand shields, and the track guard toolbins, as simply "bits falling off" over the course of the run, but the antennas too? It's not like they're driving under trees or anything. I think they've been told to put on a show and while E3 wasn't finished it might have been drivable and that's what's in the film. I don't know that I'd put money on it, but that's what it looks like.
E1.JPGE2.JPG

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Michael,
We seem to be hijacking Mike K's thread here, but what the heck: Hanno will hive it off if he thinks it is inappropriate.

The three images:

E1 - agreed.
E2 - agreed. note that the short stretch of film has no other vehicles visible. This short section of film I suggest was taken on an earlier date, prior to the fitting of the items you point out. Also note the prominent forward-opening hatch on the driver's position, painted white on the inside face - a salient feature of E2, as E1 never had the hatch cover fitted to the opening, and E3 had a very different hatch design that did not fold forward.

E3- this is E2 on the day of the event, with the additional fittings. Note the big, white drivers hatch visible in the open position, just under & forward of the MG armoured housing. E3 did not have a forward opening driver's hatch: it had access via a double hatch on the flat above the driver's head.

Two other features to consider: E3 left Eveleigh fitted with Mk.2 suspension brackets, and the aerial mounts were on angle brackets welded one to each side of the turret, not on the back as on E2. The image you are saying is of E3 has Mk.1 suspension brackets and no angle bracket for the aerial on the turret side, but on the turret back as for E2.

Regards

Mike

[michaelkoudstaal]

Gotcha, I've been led astray by tricky editing in of old footage. I'd thought I'd never seen a proper photo of E3, but from your description I'm pretty sure I know the one, but for clarity, it has what looks like unusual turret ring side protection, or something similar, fitted?

[Mike Cecil]

Yes, Michael, the image you refer to is E3 and the unusual turret ring protector is a trial fit using a piece of timber to show what it would look like.

Mike