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Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> German Tanks -> More A7V types?
Post Info TOPIC: More A7V types?
James H


Legend

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More A7V types?
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This is from a small section in one of the lesser-known old Profile publications, called The Experimentals.

On the A7V:

It was planned that the hinged-side square cupola be replaced by a round cupola because of the weight of the sides which were a burden to raise or lower. One vehicle was started but never completed.

There were also two projects to improve the A7V. One was to add angles to the front and rear armour and to provide a wide vertical-sided oval cab. The other utilized the basic chassis but with a smaller hull and small cupola. Two TuF guns and two Maxim machine-guns were to be used, but eight alternate (sic) mounts were planned. There was no tailpiece but a left and right front wire-cutter were added.

(There's then a bit about Heidi and her sister, saying at least one A7V was modified in this way. This was written in 1970, a long time before we worked out that there were 2.)

Finally,

There were two projected variations of the A7V-U. The A7V-U2 had somewhat smaller sponsons and cab, and had four machine-guns in the cab. The A7V-U3 was similar but had no cab, the sponsons were even smaller and they mounted only machine-guns.

The last two ideas seem to show signs of being influenced by British female Tanks, and German design was heading in that direction. I don't know if any drawings exist of the above


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Bodlosh


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According to JEDSite there were quite many A7V types that haven't been build

A7V-1 - A7V fitted with round cupola, not completed.

A7V/U-2 - Smaller sponsons, no cab, belgian 57mm and 1 machine gun in each sponson.
A7V/U-3 - Smaller sponsons, Cab, MG's front rear sides, belgian 57mm in each sponson.
A7V Abaendert - A7V with two round cupolas and semi-circular MG mounts at rear corners.
A7V Projekt [1] - Larger version with 77mm gun in front and 20mm cannons.
A7V Projekt [2] - Smaller hull with 2 TUF a/tk machine-guns's and 2 Maxim machine-guns.
Fahrgestell A7V mit zwei 7.62cm Flak - Experimental air defence version.

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mad zeppelin


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I've some problems with the information provided on JEDSite. - Initially, all A7Vs were intended to carry 2 cm Becker guns and 08 machine guns. The original design therefore is a "female" (like 501), were Beckers and/or 08s could be used from all eight apertures.
When the Beckers were discarded, another gun had to be found. The drawing with the 77 mm field cannon only served to establish that this variant would be too front heavy. The final solution was the fitting of the 57 mm Nordenfeldt (initially only in one tank in five).
By order of the OHL a cannon proof version had to be developed. This led to the small hull (30 mm of armour all around) version with 2 Beckers and 2 MGs.
In reality, however, only the front armour was raised to 30 mm.
The next variant planned was the transmission vehicle, were machine guns were only to be carried front right and rear left while all other apertures were to be taken by signals equipment. Externally, the vehicle would not have differed from a female.
In the A7V-U series I miss the assault gun version (one 77 mm carried centrally) with only MGs in the sponsons.

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MZ
James H


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Hmmm. These don't quite tie up, do they? The Profile article acknowledges Colonel Robert J. Icks for the info I quoted in the original post, but says nothing more.

Is the abändert version what became Heidi, etc, or a genuine A7V modification?

Max Hundleby showed me some photos of what looked like the one with the 2 AA guns. At the time he said it was all top secret. I haven't been in touch with him since, so I don't know if he published them anywhere, maybe in Tankette.

Spoke too soon. Tankette Issue 39.2 - A7V mit Zwei 7.62cm Sockelflak L/30.
Anyone seen it?

-- Edited by James H at 23:07, 2007-09-10

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Mark Hansen


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James H wrote:

...Spoke too soon. Tankette Issue 39.2 - A7V mit Zwei 7.62cm Sockelflak L/30.
Anyone seen it?

-- Edited by James H at 23:07, 2007-09-10


I don't have the Tankette issue but I think the same photo might be in the Osprey "German Panzers 1914-1918".

P.S.: Also to be found here. Click on the "Die Originale/The Originals" button and it's the very first photo.

-- Edited by Mark Hansen at 23:58, 2007-09-10

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James H


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That's the rascal.

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Roger Todd


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Tim Rigsby's been doing a lot of research into the flak thingy. There are also two photos in the Osprey book on the A7V.

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mad zeppelin


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The Flak carrier is a development from the Überlandwagen, which was also tested as artillery tractor, and there also was a project for a recovery vehicle with a huge crane. - However, Überlandwagen is not A7V tank.
One could say that Überland variants started to appear after A7V construction had already been closed down.
Abändert (better: abgeändert) would describe the Hedi variant. The Hedi variant is the only one not covered by construction drawings, indicating a late development - after the A7V programme had already been shut.

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MZ
James H


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I thought abändert didn't seem right. It would be nice to see drawings of the variants.

Roger - sorry, haven't seen the Osprey book.

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mad zeppelin


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FK 77 mm variant.

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MZ
mad zeppelin


Commander in Chief

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30 mm armour all around variant.

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MZ
mad zeppelin


Commander in Chief

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The Nachrichtenvermittlungs variant:

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MZ
mad zeppelin


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The assault gun variant of the A7VU, a real darling:

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MZ
Roger Todd


Legend

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MZ, that fourth image, of the A7V-U3 is fascinating, I've never seen it before! Many thanks for posting it.

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Ivan


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This is chassis A7V with captured russian canons 76 mm.
(scans from german magazin "Kit")

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mad zeppelin


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There were 3 KFlak on A7V Überlandwagen:
- 1 with 2x German 7,7 cm Sockelflak,
- 2 with 2x captured Russian Sockelflak 02.
All three conversions were done by Krupp.


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MZ
28juni14


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Thank you Ivan, and MadZepp -

I have two images; one of which is the same as the first, but had not seen the second pic until your post.  Note in the first photo, both guns are in full recoil with one chap clearly grasping a lanyard.  Are there anymore images out there ?

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