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German Sturmpanzerwagen A7V Infantry Support Tank - "Skull and Crossbones", Villers-Bretonneux, April 1918 (1:72 Scale)
German Sturmpanzerwagen A7V Infantry Support Tank - "Skull and Crossbones", Villers-Bretonneux, April 1918

Wings of the Great War German Sturmpanzerwagen A7V Infantry Support Tank - "Skull and Crossbones", Villers-Bretonneux, April 1918




 
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Product Code: WW10002

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Wings of the Great War WW10002 German Sturmpanzerwagen A7V Infantry Support Tank - "Skull and Crossbones", Villers-Bretonneux, April 1918 (1:72 Scale) "You will be home before the leaves fall from the trees."
- German Emperor Wilhelm II, addressing German soldiers departing for the front in WWI, August 1914

The Sturmpanzerwagen A7V was an enormous vehicle, hurriedly designed following the appearance of British tanks in 1916. Ground clearance was only 40mm (1.57 inches) and the length of the track on the ground was too short for a vehicle of its size. The result was an unstable vehicle with poor cross-country performance.

Despite its obvious flaws, 100 A7Vs were nevertheless ordered in December 1917. The German war machine was already stretched beyond its capacity at tis point in the war and only about 20 were ever produced. Their shortcomings over rough ground were manifested in March 1918 when they first saw action, and they often lagged behind the infantry they were originally designed to support. Variants included the Uberlandwagen, an open-topped, unarmored supply version, and the A7V/U with 'all-around' tracks. During the inter-war period, they were used by the Polish Army for several years until they were eventually retired prior to World War II.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a German Sturmpanzerwagen A7V infantry support tank. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 4-inches
Width: 1-3/4-inches

Release Date: October 2015

Historical Account: "Villers-Bretonneux" - The first tank against tank combat in history took place on April 24th, 1918, when three A7Vs (including chassis number 561, known as "Nixe") taking part in an attack with infantry incidentally met three Mark IVs (two female machine gun-armed tanks and one male with two 6-pounder guns) near Villers-Bretonneux. During the battle tanks on both sides were damaged. According to the lead tank commander, Second Lieutenant Frank Mitchell, the female Mk IVs fell back after being damaged by armour-piercing bullets. They were unable to damage the A7Vs with their own machine guns. Mitchell then attacked the lead German tank, commanded by Second Lieutenant Wilhelm Biltz, with the 6-pounders of his own tank and knocked it out. He hit it three times, and killed five of the crew when they bailed out. He then went on to rout some infantry with case shot. The two remaining A7Vs in turn withdrew. As Mitchell's tank withdrew from action, seven Whippet tanks also engaged the infantry. Four of these were knocked out in the battle, and it is unclear if any of them engaged the retreating German tanks. Mitchell's tank lost a track towards the end of the battle from a mortar shell and was abandoned. The damaged A7V was later recovered by German forces.

Three detachments (Abteilungen) of five tanks each were at Villers-Bretonneux at the head of the four German divisions committed over a 4-mile front. One tank refused to start, but the fourteen that saw action achieved some success, and the British recorded that their lines were broken by the tanks. Two A7Vs toppled over into holes, and some encountered engine or armament troubles.

After a counterattack, three fell into Allied hands. One was unusable and scrapped, one was used later for shell testing by the French, and the third was eventually recovered by Australian troops.

Features
  • Resin construction
  • Static tracks
  • Accurate markings and insignia
  • Vacuu-formed packaging
  • Comes with display base

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