Category: Fictional Tanks

Torumekian Empire Tanks (Fictional Tanks)

Post author By Zinoviy Alexeev
Post date September 14, 2024
1 Comment on Torumekian Empire Tanks (Fictional Tanks)

Torumekian Empire – 1,000 years after the Seven Days of Fire
Fictional tank (self-propelled gun) – at least 7 prototypes built

The Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind manga stands out as one of Miyazaki’s most significant creations. Not only did it bring him and his team widespread popularity, but the work on its film adaptation also paved the way for the establishment of Studio Ghibli, marking it as the studio’s inaugural project. The manga delves into crucial themes such as pacifism, environmentalism, the intricate relationship between nature and humanity, as well as the profound issues surrounding war and peace. The militaristic Torumekian Empire, serving as the primary antagonists in the plot, extensively employs advanced military technology, including various aircraft, an analogue of a nuclear bomb, and, of course, tanks.

Raised By a Real Pirate

Hayao Miyazaki was born on January 5th, 1941, in Tokyo City, Empire of Japan, the second of four sons. His father, Katsuji Miyazaki (1915-1993), served as the director of Miyazaki Airplane, his brother’s company, which manufactured rudders for fighter planes during World War II. While Miyazaki’s father enjoyed purchasing paintings and showcasing them to guests, he had little known artistic understanding.

Miyazaki has recounted that some of his earliest memories are of ‘bombed-out cities’. In 1944, at the age of three, Miyazaki’s family evacuated to Utsunomiya. The bombing of Utsunomiya in July 1945 left a lasting impression on young Miyazaki, who was four years old at the time. As a child, he struggled with digestive problems and was told that he would not live beyond the age of 20, an experience that made him feel like an outcast.

From 1947 to 1955, Miyazaki’s mother, Yoshiko, battled spinal tuberculosis. She spent the initial years in the hospital before being cared for at home. Described as a frugal and strict intellectual woman who regularly questioned ‘socially accepted norms,’ Yoshiko had a profound influence on Miyazaki and his later work. She was closest to Miyazaki and passed away in July 1983, at the age of 72.

Yoshiko Miyazaki (1983), Hayao’s mother. Miyazaki drew inspiration from her for some characters, including the brave Captain Dola from ‘Laputa: Castle in the Sky.’ Reflecting on his mother, he remarked, “My mom had four boys, but none of us dared oppose her.” Source: 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki, Ep. 2 Drawing What’s Real.

Hayao Miyazaki initially aspired to become a manga artist, but he faced challenges drawing people. Consequently, he focused on drawing planes, tanks, and battleships for several years. Influenced by manga artists like Tetsuji Fukushima, Soji Yamakawa, and Osamu Tezuka, Miyazaki destroyed much of his early work, considering it ‘bad form’ to emulate Tezuka’s style, as it impeded his own artistic development.

After completing school, Miyazaki enrolled at Gakushuin University, Tokyo in the department of political economy, where he majored in Japanese Industrial Theory. During this period, he continued drawing manga, though he never finished any stories, amassing thousands of pages of story beginnings. Miyazaki also approached manga publishers frequently to rent their stories. In 1963, he graduated from Gakushuin with degrees in political science and economics.

Hayao Miyazaki meets with the press at Studio Ghibli, Tokyo, in 2014. Source: Kyodo News Stills / Getty Images

In 1963, Miyazaki joined Toei Animation, where he served as an in-between artist for the theatrical feature anime Doggie March and the television anime Wolf Boy Ken. Shortly after his arrival, he emerged as a leader in a labor dispute and assumed the role of chief secretary of Toei’s labor union in 1964. Miyazaki later took on various roles, including chief animator, concept artist, and scene designer for The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun, 1968. Throughout the production of the film, Miyazaki collaborated closely with his mentor, Yasuo Ōtsuka, whose approach to animation significantly influenced Miyazaki’s work.

Miyazaki left Toei Animation in August 1971 and joined A-Pro animation studio, where he directed or co-directed, alongside Takahata, 23 episodes of Lupin III Part I. The duo also initiated pre-production on a series adapted from Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking books, developing elaborate storyboards. However, the series was shelved after Miyazaki and Takahata failed to secure a meeting with Lindgren. Subsequently, in 1972 and 1973, Miyazaki wrote, designed, and animated two Panda! Go, Panda! shorts under Takahata’s direction.

Beardless Miyazaki on March 3, 2024, during the live broadcast of the programs of the nominees of the 96th Academy Awards Ceremony. Source: shikimori.one

In 1979, Miyazaki transitioned to Telecom Animation Film, a subsidiary of TMS Entertainment, to direct his debut feature anime film, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro. Following the release of The Castle of Cagliostro, Miyazaki began exploring his concepts for an animated adaptation of Richard Corben’s comic book Rowlf and presented the idea to Yutaka Fujioka at TMS. By November 1980, a proposal was drafted to acquire the film rights. However, the company hesitated to finance anime projects not based on existing manga, and securing the rights for Rowlf’s adaptation proved unattainable. Consequently, an arrangement was made for Miyazaki to develop his sketches and concepts into a manga for serialization, with the stipulation that it would never be adapted into a film. This marked the inception of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, which eventually evolved into the inaugural film of the future Studio Ghibli.

Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli was officially founded on June 15th, 1985, under the leadership of directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, along with producer Toshio Suzuki; the core team had been collaborating for a year or two prior to this official establishment. Toshio Suzuki, who served as the editor of the magazine Animage, was deeply impressed by Miyazaki’s 1979 film Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro and encouraged him to create works for Animage’s publisher, Tokuma Shoten. This encouragement led Tokuma to commission Miyazaki to produce a manga, which eventually gave rise to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Miyazaki began writing and illustrating the manga in 1981, and it swiftly became Animage’s most popular feature. While Tokuma initially approached Miyazaki to adapt the manga into a film, he hesitated, as he had promised not to do so. However, he eventually agreed to direct the film adaptation, which was released on March 11th, 1984.

The Co-Founders of Studio Ghibli. Left to Right: Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, Isao Takahata. Source: animeuknews.net

In 1986, Studio Ghibli released its first film, Laputa: Castle in the Sky. The production team included many of Miyazaki’s longstanding collaborators, who would continue to work with the studio for the next three decades. The film drew inspiration from Miyazaki’s visits to Wales, where he witnessed the aftermath of the 1984 coal miners’ strike. Laputa: Castle in the Sky explores themes of environmentalism, examining the intricate relationships between humanity, nature, and technology – a reflection of Miyazaki’s ecological philosophy. The film’s retrofuturistic style, particularly evident in its flying machines, draws influence from nineteenth-century aesthetics, earning it recognition in the modern steampunk genre. Notably, one of the characters in the film, Dola, the leader of the Air Pirates, was inspired by Miyazaki’s own mother.

The modified Studio Ghibli opening poster features iconic characters from the studio’s films. In the background, one can see Sheeta from Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Howl and Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle, Haru Yoshioka from The Cat Returns, Chihiro Ogino and No-Face Kaonashi from Spirited Away, Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service, as well as Ponyo, Porco Rosso and Princess Mononoke. As usual, Totoro from My Neighbor Totoro is prominently featured in the foreground. Source: 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki, Ep. 2 Drawing What’s Real.

Almost all of Miyazaki’s works have gained international popularity, including My Neighbor Totoro (its characters, the Catbus and Totoro, have become iconic and are widely used on Ghibli’s merchandise), Kiki’s Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle. His latest film, The Boy and the Heron, was released in 2023, earning Miyazaki his second Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

History of the ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ idea

In the December 1981 issue of Animage, it was announced that a new manga series would begin in the February 1982 issue, even though Miyazaki had not finished the first episode. The notice introduced the main character, title, and concept of the new series. The first chapter, spanning 18 pages, was published in the February 1982 issue. Miyazaki continued developing the story for another 12 years, facing frequent interruptions.

Miyazaki experimented with various names for the main character before settling on Nausicaä. He chose this name based on the Greek princess of the same name from the Odyssey, as depicted in Bernard Evslin’s Encyclopedia of Greek mythology (translated into Japanese by Minoru Kobayashi). Nausicaä’s personality was also influenced, in part, by Homer’s character, especially in terms of her love for nature and music, her imagination, and her disregard for material possessions.

Odysseus meets Nausicaa, by Michele Desubleo (1602-1676): Ulisse e Nausica. Capodimonte Palace and National Gallery, Naples. Source: maicar.com

Miyazaki mentioned being inspired by The Lady who Loved Insects, a Japanese tale from the Heian period. The story revolves around a young court lady who prefers studying insects over wearing fine clothes or selecting a husband.

The fantasy and science fiction elements in the Nausicaä manga drew inspiration from various works by Western authors, including Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea, Brian Aldiss’ Hothouse, Isaac Asimov’s Nightfall, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The manga’s setting and visual style often reference Jean Giraud (a.k.a. Mœbius), with Miyazaki deeply impressed by his wordless 1975 comic Arzach.

Hayao Miyazaki drew inspiration for the environmental themes in his works from various sources. One notable influence was the Minamata Bay mercury pollution incident. The Sea of Corruption finds its inspiration in the forests of the Japanese island of Yakushima and the marshes of the Sivash, also known as the Rotten Sea, in Crimea. The works of botanist Sasuke Nakao were among Miyazaki’s inspirations for the environment of the story. Miyazaki mentions Nakao in the context of a question he was asked about the place Nausicaä takes in the ecology boom, explaining his shift from a desert to a forest setting. Miyazaki has identified Tetsuji Fukushima’s Sabaku no Maō (ja. 沙漠の魔王, eng. The Evil Lord of the Desert), a story he first read while still in primary school, as one of his earliest influences. Kentaro Takekuma has also observed this continuity in Miyazaki’s work and places it within the tradition of illustrated stories, emonogatari, and manga Miyazaki read while growing up, pointing out the influence of Fukushima on Miyazaki’s People of the Desert, which he in turn identifies as a precursor for both Shuna’s Journey, created in watercolor and printed in color, and Nausicaä.

Nausicaä flying in the Valley of the Wind on a Mowe glider. Fox-squirrel Teto is sitting on her shoulder. Source: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Since its initial serialization, Nausicaä has achieved commercial success, particularly in Japan, where the series boasts more than 17 million copies in circulation. Both the manga and the 1984 film adaptation, written and directed by Miyazaki and released after the serialization of the manga’s first sixteen chapters, garnered universal acclaim from critics and scholars for their characters, themes, and art. The manga and film versions of Nausicaä are also credited with laying the foundation for Studio Ghibli, the animation studio where Miyazaki created several of his most recognized works.

Fallout Falls Out

Paragraph contains spoilers!

The story is set in the future, at the closing of the ceramic era, 1,000 years after the Seven Days of Fire, a cataclysmic global war in which industrial civilization self-destructed. Although humanity survived, the land surface of the Earth is still heavily polluted, and the seas have become poisonous. Most of the world is covered by the Sea of Corruption (Toxic Jungle), a toxic forest of fungal life and plants that is steadily encroaching on the remaining open land. It is protected by large mutant insects, including the massive Ohmu – trilobite-like armored creatures.

An enraged giant Omu pursues the wanderer, Nausicaä’s teacher Yupa Miralda, while Nausicaä herself is flying around on the Möwe glider. Source: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Humanity clings to survival in the polluted lands beyond the forest, periodically engaging in bouts of internecine fighting for the scarce resources that remain. The ability for space travel has been lost, but the earth-bound remnants of humanity can still use gliders and powered aircraft for exploration, transportation, and warfare. Powered land vehicles are mostly nonexistent, with humanity regressing to dependence on riding animals and beasts-of-burden.

Ohmu in the Sea of Corruption. Fan art by Ellie Fortune. Source: ellielfortune.artstation.com

Nausicaä, the teenage princess of the Valley of the Wind – a state on the periphery of what was once known as Eftal. The kingdom of Eftal was destroyed by the poisonous forest 300 years ago. An inquisitive young woman, she explores the territories surrounding the Valley on a jet-powered glider, and studies the Sea of Corruption.

One day at dawn, a massive cargo aircraft from the Empire of Torumekia crashes in the Valley despite Nausicaä’s attempt to save it. Its sole survivor, Princess Lastelle of Pejite, pleads with Nausicaä to destroy the cargo and dies. The cargo is an embryo of a Giant Warrior, one of the lethal, gargantuan humanoid bioweapons that caused the Seven Days of Fire.

Torumekian Princess Kushana leading the intervention to the Valley of the Wind. Source: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Soon after, Torumekian troops, led by Princess Kushana, invade the Valley, execute Nausicaä’s father and capture the embryo. Enraged, Nausicaä assaults and kills several Tolmekian soldiers and is about to be overwhelmed when the Valley’s swordmaster, Lord Yupa, soothes the belligerents. Kushana plans to mature the Giant Warrior and use it to burn the Sea of Corruption.

Princess Kushana attempts to annihilate the hordes of enraged Ohmu by burning them with the nuclear power of the Giant Warrior. Source: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

During the occupation of the Valley of the Wind, Torumekians use tanks – armored fighting vehicles, more resembling real-life WWII-period assault self-propelled guns.

Description of the design

Torumekian tanks, overall, bear a resemblance to real-life WWII-period assault self-propelled guns used by Germany (such as the StuG III and IV), Hungary (Zrinyi), or Italy (Semovente da 105/25) rather than those used by the Japanese Empire.

Torumekian armored column during the intervention in the Valley of the Wind. Source: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Nausicaä stands in front of the Torumekian tank during the Torumekian intervention in the Valley of the Wind. The details of the tank’s hull are clearly visible. Given Nausicaä’s height of about 1.6 m, the height of the Torumekian tank appears to be approximately 2.8 to 3 m. Source: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

It is crucial to note that the specifications of the Torumekian tanks are unknown. Therefore, the following paragraphs are largely based on estimations, speculations, comparisons, and assumptions. Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that the artists may not have meticulously designed the layout of the machine in detail. More likely, they were created with inspiration from real prototypes.

Hull

Torumekian tank during the intervention in the Valley of the Wind. Source: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

The most noticeable detail of the Torumekian Tank’s hull is its front, shaped like a pike nose. Pike nose hulls were widely used on real-life early Cold War vehicles, predominantly Soviet. For example, they were featured on heavy tanks like the IS-3 and IS-7 (Obj. 260), as well as on numerous projects and prototypes such as Obj. 252U, IS-2U, and others. ‘Piked nose’ hulls were also used on French medium tanks like the Lorraine 40t and AMX M4 (AMX 50), as well as on the Swedish heavy tank EMIL (Kranvagn). Additionally, they were present on the Charlemagne, a British paper medium tank proposed by STT in 1958, and in the early stages of development of the FV4201. Interestingly, one of the first piked-nosed hulls was proposed for the British infantry tank Valiant.

Torumekian tank during the intervention in the Valley of the Wind. The open-topped casemates are clearly visible. Source: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

The hull’s armor plates are connected by rivets. There is no available evidence regarding the thickness of the vehicle’s armor, except for the side armor, which is likely around 40 mm. The side skirts appear thinner, ranging between 10-20 mm. The engine compartment is situated in the rear part of the hull. Some of the vehicles, presented in the anime, have hatches at the hull’s lower front.

Panzer III’s air intakes for brake ventilation. Source: Panzer IV

On the upper frontal plate, two hemispherical parts with slots are present. These could potentially be observation slots for the driver and, possibly, the radioman (assuming a crew configuration similar to German prototypes). However, this arrangement might reduce the space for the transmission, which is likely located in the frontal part (due to the front sprocket).

StuG IV transmission maintenance hatches. Source: PANZER Insight

Alternatively, these cupolas may serve as air intakes for brake ventilation, a feature seen on real-life Panzer III and vehicles based on its hull, typically placed on the upper frontal plate as well. Finally, they may be transmission maintenance hatches, like those on StuG IV tank destroyers. Hatches at the hull’s lower front can also be used for transmission maintenance or crew access to the vehicle.

Casemate

The vehicle features a large open-topped casemate, occupying approximately three-quarters of the hull’s volume. This casemate is formed by ten sloped armor plates joined by rivets: one frontal plate, four on each side, and one at the rear. In reality, open-topped casemates were unsuitable for use as assault vehicles (even with thick frontal armor), as they were vulnerable to enemy’s anti-infantry weapons, such as grenades, Molotov cocktails, shrapnel, and HE shells, negating the value of heavy frontal armor.

People of the Valley of the Wind inside the captured Torumekian tank. Source: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

The driver’s hatch and viewport are located on the right side of the casemate’s front, next to a massive mantlet. Some versions of the vehicle also have a viewport on the left side of the gun, likely for the gunner.

Armament

The Torumekian Tanks are armed with short-barreled rifled guns, most likely howitzers. Additionally, up to two machine guns may be installed, either on the left side of the main gun or on the right part of the casemate’s roof.

Side view of the vehicle’s main gun, combined with the picture of its rifle. Source: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

No exact dimensions are known, but they can be inferred. For instance, the caliber of the gun is slightly larger than the height of a grown-up person’s head in that world. The average head height of humans is 20-25 cm, suggesting that the main gun caliber is likely to be about 240 mm. Consequently, the barrel length falls somewhere between L/12 and L/16 (12 and 16 calibers).

In real life, several guns and howitzers meet these conditions and could have served as sources of inspiration. For example, the 240 mm L/16.2 Type 45 howitzer was used by the Imperial Japanese Army during WWI and WWII. It was the first weapon of its kind to be entirely designed and produced in Japan. The designation ‘Type 45’ was given to this gun as it was accepted in the 45th year of Emperor Meiji’s reign, in 1912. The Type 45 was an extremely heavy weapon, weighing nearly 38 tonnes (84,000 lbs.) when emplaced. Its setup required considerable time and the use of a crane to raise the heavy gun barrel onto a firing platform. Typically, the gun was used in static positions, either for siege or defense.

The Type 45 siege gun in the batteries used against Tsingtao receives the order by telephone to open fire. Source: The Illustrated War News, Number 21, Dec. 30th, 1914.

The Type 45 was first deployed in combat during the Battle of Tsingtao in WWI, where it proved effective against German defenses. In the Second Sino-Japanese War, there were fewer opportunities to utilize the Type 45, as Japanese forces seldom encountered positions so heavily fortified that lesser caliber field artillery could not suffice. However, with the onset of WWII, the Type 45 saw action in the Battle of Hong Kong against entrenched British landward defenses. It was also employed in the Battle of Bataan and Battle of Corregidor during the invasion of the Philippines. According to the US Army, the Japanese fired 1,047 rounds from their Type 45 240 mm howitzers in the Battle of Bataan and an additional 2,915 rounds at the Battle of Corregidor. In the war’s final stages, the Type 45 saw combat in Manchukuo against the invading Soviet Red Army.

Another real analogue is the Czechoslovak-designed 24 cm houfnice vz.39, commonly known under the German designation 24 cm Haubitze 39. Originally developed by Škoda for export to Turkey, it remained in production following the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in March 1939. It was utilized during World War II by the Army’s Artillery Regiment 814, entering service shortly before the Battle of France in 1940. This regiment actively participated in Operation Barbarossa and in the sieges of Sevastopol and Leningrad.

Czechoslovak-designed 24 cm houfnice vz.39 of Artillerie Regiment 84 shelling Leningrad from a position near Peterhof, USSR. October 1941. Source: bloodandbullets.quora.com.

The Torumekian vehicle also features several machine guns, which can be used both for anti-infantry and anti-aircraft purposes. Their outlook is too general and cartoon-ish for any attempts to find any real analogues; still, one noticeable feature exists. Some machine guns are equipped with V-shaped armored shields, similar to real shields of the German Rundumfeuer remote-controlled machine guns, used on Jagdpanzer 38(t) tank destroyers.

Similar Real Designs

The Torumekian tank finds several real-world analogues in assault vehicles such as the German StuG III and StuIG 33B, the Hungarian Zrinyi II and the Italian Semovente da 105/25. While none of these vehicles possessed super-caliber guns or thick armor, akin to Miyazaki’s creation, their combat roles bore resemblance to it.

The StuG III emerged as the most produced tracked German AFV during WWII. Initially conceived as a straightforward derivative of the Panzer III intended solely for infantry support, it swiftly evolved into one of the war’s pivotal German vehicles. Its cost-effectiveness and low-profile design valued its low silhouette and robust armor, while the infantry it supported appreciated its firepower and ready availability.

Combat experience by 1940 revealed the insufficient power of the high-explosive fragmentation projectiles used by the 75 mm StuG III assault guns against enemy concentrations of manpower and field fortifications. In the summer of 1941, an order was issued for a 105 mm self-propelled gun with a barrel matching the ballistics of the leFH 18/40 light field howitzer. Several StuG III Ausf.F models were converted in early autumn 1942, after repairs, by replacing the 7.5 cm StuK 40 cannon with a 10.5 cm howitzer, resulting in the first prototype of the 10.5 cm StuH 42 (germ. Sturmhaubitze 42) self-propelled gun. These howitzers differed from the StuG III only in the installation scheme of the gun and the arrangement of the ammunition for separate loading artillery rounds, with a supply of 36 shells. The StuH 42 was actively deployed in both the European and Eastern theaters of operations, notably during the Battle of Kursk.

A German Sturmhaubitze 42 (StuH 42) assault gun at the Auto- und Technikmuseum, Sinsheim, Germany. Source: Christian Kath, Wikimedia, 2006.

The need for a well-protected vehicle armed with a 15 cm gun arose in late 1942, as the Germans faced challenges in their efforts to capture the city of Stalingrad. In response to this urgent demand, a small series of improvised vehicles equipped with a 15 cm sIG 33/1 gun housed within an armored superstructure were created on StuG III chassis, resulting in the development of the Sturminfanteriegeschütz 33.

The only surviving StuIG 33 vehicle at the Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia. Source: Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK, via Wikimedia.

The Italian Semovente FIAT-Ansaldo M43 da 105/25 self-propelled gun was developed by FIAT and Ansaldo. It saw limited service with the Regio Esercito (Eng: Italian Royal Army) before the armistice of September 8th, 1943. Although produced in small numbers, the Semovente 105/25 proved to be an excellent anti-tank artillery piece. However, its limited production meant it made little impact on the Axis war effort. After the Armistice of Cassibile and the subsequent German occupation of central and northern Italy, most of the Semoventi were captured and used by the German Army and the newly formed Italian Collaborationist Army. The lack of supplies and ammunition significantly hindered their effectiveness.

Some Semoventi M43 da 105/25 captured by Germans in Rome after the Armistice. Note the original Regio Esercito plate, R.E. 6453. Orte Tiburtino, Rome, March 1944. Source: icvi.at.ua

The Zrínyi II was the last Hungarian production series armored vehicle of WWII, which just barely managed to see frontline service during the final years of the war. The Turan medium tank was found to be an appropriate base for the new assault self-propelled gun. The width of its hull was increased by 450 mm. A 105 mm infantry howitzer 40.M, with a barrel length of 20.5 calibers produced by MAVAG, was installed in the armored casemate.

The only surviving Zrínyi II self-propelled gun, named ‘Irenke,’ is located in the Museum Complex Site No. 1 at the Patriot Park, Kubinka, Russia. Source: parkpatriot.ru

Designed as an artillery support vehicle, the Zrínyi II performed capably in this role, and saw considerable service, being forced into acting as an anti-tank vehicle. Employed against tanks, the Zrínyi II’s firepower was lacking due to its low-velocity gun, which was slightly compensated by the large caliber. The Hungarian Assault Artillery Battalions were never fully employed in their designated role of supporting infantry or other armored formations, often acting independently or being thrown in to plug gaps made by enemy breakthroughs. The Zrínyi II represented the peak of readily produced Hungarian armored vehicles during World War II, despite its low production numbers.

Conclusion

Sketches of the Torumekian Tank. Source: livlily.blogspot.com

The Torumekian Empire, with its advanced military technology, monopolistically possesses formidable weapons, including the Giant Warrior, akin to a nuclear bomb, as well as tanks that serve them effectively in both airborne and land military operations. The invasion of the Valley of the Wind was one such offensive. Though not much attention is paid to the tanks’ performance specifically in the film, it can be judged that these vehicles exhibit versatility, capable of engaging enemy infantry, fortresses, pillboxes, and theoretically even simple unarmored aircraft, in fact serving as assault self-propelled guns. These tanks were a cheap, reliable asset of the Torumekian Empire, which allowed it to quickly establish power and complete control over the deeply agrarian and technologically backward Valley of the Wind.

Torumekian Tank from the Miyazaki’s ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’. Illustration by Oussama Mohamed ‘Godzilla’.

Torumekian Empire Fictional Tank specifications table
Dimensions (L-W-H)	Length: ? mm Width: ? mm Height: 2,800-3,000 mm
Primary Armament	170+ mm unknown rifled howitzer
Secondary Armament	up to 2 unspecified machine guns (probably anti-aircraft)
Hull Armor	Unknown; 40 mm sides + 10-…20 mm sideskirts

Sources

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind anime.
The Illustrated War News, Number 21, Dec. 30th, 1914.
Art of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind – 22/02/2018 – characterdesignreferences.com
Ellie Fortune Fantasy Illustrator and Cartoonist – Artstation;
Ep. 2 Drawing What’s Real – 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki | NHK WORLD-JAPAN;
Hetzer Remote Controlled M.G. – by Paul Decker – July 1977 AFV News – pzfahrer.net
In Memoriam: Isao Takahata (1935-2018) – 6/04/2018 – Josh A. Stevens – Anime UK News;
Is Dola an Underrated Hero? – 07/11/17 – by Ghibli Squirrel – Amino;
My Studio Ghibli: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind – 1/04/2020 – by Iain McNally – Goggler;
Nausicaä – Greek Mythology Link, a web site created by Carlos Parada, author of Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology;
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) – Prop Design – by Peter Nagy-Galambosi – livlily.blogspot.com
Rare WW2 Sturmgeschütz IV footage – PANZER Insight YouTube channel;
The Siege of Leningrad – by Vincent Branley – Blood and bullets blog – Quora;
Zrínyi II Self-propelled gun – “Patriot” park (rus. Самоходная артиллерийская установка «Zrínyi II» – Парк «Патриот»)

Fictional Tanks WW1 German Fake Tanks

Iron Kaputt (Fictional Tank)

Post author By Zinoviy Alexeev
Post date August 28, 2024
5 Comments on Iron Kaputt (Fictional Tank)

Iron Kaputt. Illustration by the illustrious Oussama Mohamed 'Godzilla'.

German Empire (1900-1918)
Superheavy Tank – Fictional

In the 1990s, television in post-Soviet countries was experiencing a wave of freedom. With entertaining, satirical, and political plots galore, the era was remembered not just for its sense of impunity and permissiveness, but also for the release of many iconic media pieces. One such product was the ‘Calambur’ sketch show, which gained tremendous popularity and maintained it long after it aired. It became the subject of memes, jokes, photo edits, and more. Among its sketches was ‘Iron Kaputt’ (German for ‘broken’ or ‘ruined’), which narrated stories of a superheavy German Empire tank of the same name, a supposed ‘Wunderwaffe’, operating in Central Africa against unruly locals.

German Empire Vehicles of the WWI Period

During late WWI and the early Interwar period, when the events shown in the series take place, various tank projects had appeared in Germany.

The most recognizable German vehicle of that time is undoubtedly the Sturmpanzerwagen A7V (A7V stands for ‘Abteilung 7, Verkehrswesen’, meaning General War Department, Section 7, Transportation), developed in response to British tanks. One hundred chassis were ordered in early 1917, with ten intended to be completed as fighting vehicles with armored hulls, and the rest as Überlandwagen cargo carriers. Later, the number of armored ones was increased to twenty. A7Vs were deployed in action from March to October 1918 and were the first and only tanks produced by Germany in WWI to see combat.

A7V ‘Mephisto’. This vehicle now survives in Australia. Source: The Australian War Memorial

In 1917, while the A7V was already in production, the Sturmpanzerwagen A7V-U was developed. This variant featured a rhomboidal hull shape and layout similar to the British tanks. Care was taken to ensure that many parts between this model and the regular A7V were interchangeable. However, production of the A7V-U, of which a single prototype was assembled at Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, was ceased due to numerous drawbacks, even in comparison to the A7V. Development of the A7V-U was finally abandoned on September 12th, 1918.

The A7V-U prototype. Source: Waffen Revue 21

Another attempt to replace the A7V was the Sturmpanzerwagen Oberschlesien (German for Assault Tank «Upper Silesia»). This design was arguably the most progressive of its time, incorporating many features that would only become common ten years later. The tracks of Oberschlesien did not go around the fighting compartment, like on most WWI-era vehicles, instead wrapping a lower half of the hull. This design prioritized speed over armor; a 180 hp engine was intended to propel the 19-tonne vehicle at a speed of 16 km/h. The main armament was mounted on top of the tank in a centrally placed rotating turret. The frontal fighting and rear engine compartments were separated. Unfortunately, with the end of WWI, the Oberschlesien project was terminated.

Sturmpanzerwagen Oberschlesien. Source: Waffen Revue 52

One of the most extraordinary projects of that time was the Kolossalwagen, also known as the K-wagen or Großkampfwagen – a highly ambitious project that was doomed to fail from the beginning, as Germany did not yet possess the experience and industrial capacity to adequately produce such tanks.

The tank was intended to be crewed by 27 men consisting of two drivers and two machine gunners at the front of the tank; a commander and an artillery officer in the turret; behind them was a signalman, and behind him in the engine compartment would be two mechanics. Twelve additional crew were needed to operate the artillery guns and a further four for the machine guns.

The K-Wagen would have been operated like a true landship. The commander and the artillery officer observed from their cupola (bridge) and issued orders to the two drivers, who had no vision ports of their own. Orders were then relayed to the batteries of guns and machine guns to engage targets, with the use of light signals.

The two K-Wagens at the Berlin factory. Notice the size of the gears for the gear box. Source: Reddit

Two of these vehicles were almost completed by the end of the war and were intended for use in the upcoming operations of 1919. One of the vehicles was essentially ready for trials. However, none were permitted to leave the factory because the war ended, and the Allied Control Commission ordered both vehicles to be dismantled.

History of the ‘Calambur’ Show

In 1992, the clown trio Shop ‘Foo’ (rus. ‘Магазин Фу’), comprising Sergey Gladkov, Tatyana Ivanova, and Vadim Nabokov, along with the comic troupe Sweet Life (rus. ‘Сладкая жизнь’), featuring actors Yuri Stytskovsky and Aleksey Agopyan, joined the popular Odessa comic troupe ‘Masks’ (rus. ‘Маски’). Their television debut was marked by episodic and main roles in Masks Show, a series of silent comedy movies that infused slapstick and eccentricity into sitcom-style storytelling. The concept of video comics was conceived by Gladkov and Nabokov, and the first two sketch movies featuring Shop ‘Foo’ characters were produced in 1992 and 1993. During the production of the TV show Anshlag, they crossed paths with prominent Russian comic actors Ilya Oleynikov and Yuri Stoyanov and decided to create their own clown comics with dialogue.

The Calambur show cast. Source: Calambur Sketch show

Production for the first 12 episodes of the Full House show commenced in April, 1996 in Kharkov, Ukraine, at the studio of the TV channel Privat TV. The name was inspired by the actors’ specialization – three clowns and two comics, akin to a poker hand. A demo tape featuring the first five pilot episodes was presented to the management of one of Russia’s major TV channels, ORT. Although accepted, it came with a request to alter the name and the Cabaret-inspired appearance of the host character, Yuri Stytskovsky. Consequently, the show was renamed Calambur.

Production was relocated to Odessa, Ukraine, at the Odessa Film Studio for the second season onwards. In early 2001, following the broadcast of its sixth season, the production of the show was halted by unanimous decision of the cast and producer, leading to the cessation of Calambur. Subsequently, RTR TV channel aired a fake seventh season, comprising sketches from previous seasons along with several unused ones. Plans for new episodes of Calambur were mentioned in 2008 and 2011, but did not materialize, presumably due to disagreements within the cast.

Predecessor of the ‘Iron Kaputt’: a ‘Steep Dive’

The predecessor of the ‘Iron Kaputt’, the ‘Steep Dive’ (Rus. ‘Крутое пике’) segment of the Calambur show, was a parody of American disaster films and made an allusion to the TWA Flight 800 incident, in which a Boeing 747 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. All characters in this segment spoke broken English, which was translated by a single-voice VHS narrator, occasionally breaking the fourth wall. Each episode was accompanied by CGI footage of a falling airplane (initially an Airbus A340 in the earliest series) and began with a relatively long introduction by a nervous air traffic controller (portrayed by Sergey Gladkov) in the background:

Airliner Broiler 747 has been nose-diving for 325 episodes already. The crew of the airliner valiantly fights to save the lives of passengers. Starring…

The crew of the falling Broiler 747 airplane. Source: Calambur Sketch show

In each episode, the pilot of the plane intimidates his partner with jokes about the impending disaster, laughing mockingly at the camera with the audience. In between, a flight attendant comes into the cabin, warning about problems in the passenger compartment and sometimes talking about Miss Boorple (a frequent cause of disorder, described as “approximately 180 kilograms of constantly indignant weight… and this is without her jewelry”), and a radio operator Morse, suffering from stuttering and nervous tic, transmitting a radiogram or calling the Commander to the phone. At the end of each episode, after the credits, there is an inscription “To be continued …”, including the very last episode.

‘Inimitable Miss Moorple, starring as Miss Boorple’, portrayed by Sergey Gladkov. Source: Calambur Sketch show

After two years of Calambur broadcasting, ‘Steep Dive’ was replaced by ‘Iron Kaputt’. Though the spacetime, genre, and plot of ‘Iron Kaputt’ significantly differ from ‘Steep Dive’, all actors kept their stock characters without significant changes: Yuri Stytskovsky, who starred as the cheerful and courageous Commander, proceeded to play the Iron Kaputt’s Commander; Aleksey Agopyan, who played resourceful and quick-to-action co-pilot Drinkins, proceeded to play Iron Kaputt’s loader Hans Schmulke; Sergey Gladkov and Vadim Nabokov, who played Miss Boorple and radioman Morse respectively, proceeded as soldiers Drunkel and Zhrunkel. Nabokov and Agopyan also played parts of Zusu tribesmen.

‘Iron Kaputt’ Series

The intro is made in a mockumentary style, with a strict male TV announcer’s voice saying:

In the early 20th century, within the military laboratories of the First Reichsmacht, a highly classified tank project emerged, boasting military power and weaponry far ahead of its time. The tank could operate at temperatures from +50° to -500°C. To avoid prematurely unleashing its destructive potential on Europe, the tank was dispatched to Central Africa with the mission of subduing the unruly Zusu tribe. Over time, for security reasons, all individuals privy to this project were eliminated, and the tank faded into obscurity. However, its fearless crew remained steadfast in their commitment to their mission. This covert project came to be known in the annals of history as ‘Iron Kaputt’.

‘Iron Kaputt’. Source: Calambur Sketch show

The ‘Iron Kaputt’ tank is portrayed by a radio-controlled replica of a World War I panzer, adorned with desert camouflage. The sketches primarily depict scenes inside the tank and occasionally near the Zusu village. Flyby visuals of the tank model are used as scene intros, outros, and splitters.

The show makes fun of Russian and Ukrainian stereotypes of Germans, presenting a collective image of soldiers from the WWI-era German Empire and WWII Nazi Germany. This includes sharp army manners of conversations, soldiers’ uniforms, a large number of medals (‘Iron Crosses’), etc. Last but not least, ideas of German Tank Building: large, heavily armored and armed ‘Wunderwaffe’ vehicles, which turn out to be irrational, too expensive, and pointless in a combat environment, etc.

‘The First Reichsmacht’ (Germ. ‘Imperial Force’) is an allusion to the real Wehrmacht (Germ. ‘defensive force’), the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945.

Map of German African colonies. Vast areas and millions of subjects were controlled for over 30 years. Source: Deutsche Welle

Central Africa (known in German as ‘Mittelafrika’) was also chosen intentionally as it was an important geostrategic region for the German Empire: much like Central Europe (Germ. ‘Mitteleuropa’). Mittelafrika articulated Germany’s foreign policy aim, prior to the First World War, of bringing the region under German domination. However, in reality, Germany only controlled territories in modern-day Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania (Tanganyika region) in Eastern Africa (known as ‘Deutsch-Ostafrika’), Kamerun in Central Africa (known as ‘Deutsch-Kamerun’), Togo and a part of Ghana in Western Africa (known as ‘Togoland’), and Namibia in South-Western Africa (‘Deutsch-Südwestafrika’). After WWI, according to the Versailles Treaty, German colonies were divided among the Entente states (Belgium, British Empire, France, and the South African Union).

German WWI African Campaign – Source of Inspiration

Another event that needs to be mentioned is the German campaign in Central and East Africa during the First World War, which stands as a remarkable and oft-overlooked theater of conflict. With the outbreak of hostilities in Europe in 1914, German forces in their African colonies found themselves engaged in a protracted struggle against Allied powers seeking to disrupt Germany’s colonial presence. Among the notable campaigns was the German offensive in British East Africa, which culminated in the occupation of Taveta.

Askari troops advancing in a skirmish in 1914, probably the Battle of Tanga. Source: Bundesarchiv via warhistoryonline.com

Commencing in September 1914, German colonial forces under the command of Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck initiated a series of maneuvers aimed at securing strategic positions in British East Africa, Belgian Congo, and Portuguese East Africa. The capture of Taveta in October 1914 marked a significant success for the Germans, enabling them to control key supply routes and disrupt British communications. Concurrently, German expeditions penetrated deep into the interior, extending their influence over regions such as Abercorn in Northern Rhodesia and establishing control over Lake Tanganyika.

The British forces made numerous attempts to defeat Lettow-Vorbeck. For example, in 1916, a unit under the command of Jan Smuts (45,000 men, subsequently reinforced) was sent against him. Avoiding a direct clash with the main British forces, Lettow-Vorbeck instead raided Mozambique, defeating several Portuguese garrisons. Perfect knowledge of the terrain and climate helped Lettow-Vorbeck hold out for a long time while inflicting serious losses on the British forces. For instance, in the Battle of Mahiwa in October 1917, he lost 100 men compared to the British loss of 1,600.

Lettow-Vorbeck at a parade in Berlin in 1919. Source: Bundesarchiv

The end of the campaign deserves special attention. German forces took the town of Namakura in July 1918, once again relieving any supply problems. At this point, they had been so successful that they had more ammunition than they could carry. After Namakura, they began marching back up into German East Africa, but scouts spied a British force waiting for them near the frontier. They instead swung west and took the town of Kasama on November 13th, 1918.

Two days after the armistice was signed, the war was supposed to be over. But the news hadn’t reached this roving band of soldiers. The next day, while heading for another town, they saw a white flag approaching their column. Beneath it was the British Magistrate for Rhodesia, Hector Croad. Mr. Croad presented Lettow-Vorbeck, now a Lieutenant General, with a letter from British General Jacob van Deventer. It informed him of the armistice’s signing, the end of hostilities, and Germany’s defeat. Being a gentleman and knowing when there is no other course of action, Lettow-Vorbeck marched north to the British outpost of Abercorn to surrender properly. By this point, his almost 15,000-man force was reduced to 20 officers, 120 German non-commissioned officers and enlisted men, and around 1,168 native Askaris.

A native African drawing of the final surrender of Lettow Vorbeck at Abercorn. He won his final battle two days after the war ended, which finalized a four-year campaign of constant raids and movement. Source: warhistoryonline.com

Central to the German campaign was the leadership of Colonel Lettow-Vorbeck, nicknamed ‘The Lion of Africa’, whose tactical acumen and resourcefulness confounded Allied efforts throughout the conflict. Employing guerrilla tactics and exploiting the challenging terrain of East Africa, Lettow-Vorbeck sustained a remarkably effective resistance against numerically superior Allied forces. The East African colonial campaign led by Lettow-Vorbeck was the only one in World War I in which German troops were not defeated until the end of the war.

After the war, ‘The Lion of Africa’ lived a long, eventful, and turbulent life. When the Nazi regime was established, Hitler invited Paul to join the NSDAP. However, Lettow-Vorbeck disapproved of their ideology and affairs. In April 1933, Lettow-Vorbeck protested and sent a letter to the President of the Weimar Republic, Paul von Hindenburg, against the dismissal of Bremen police officer Walter Caspari by the National Socialists. The Nazis also attempted to exploit his popularity in propaganda films.

Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck (20.03.1870 – 9.03.1964), known as ‘The Lion of Africa’, a former German officer and commander of the protectorate in German East Africa, during his visit to the infantry regiment 69, a unit of the Wehrmacht. Source: warhistoryonline.com

In 1933, Lettow-Vorbeck reluctantly became a member of the SA (Sturmabteilung), and on August 25th, 1939, Hitler awarded him the rank of Infantry General. By the end of World War II, Lettow-Vorbeck found himself in poverty. Both his sons, Rüdiger and Arnd, were killed in combat while serving in the Wehrmacht. His house in Bremen was destroyed by Allied bombing.

In 1953, Lettow-Vorbeck visited the former German East Africa, where he was warmly welcomed by the surviving Askari (colonial soldiers), who accompanied him with the old hiking song ‘Heia Safari!’. He died on March 9th, 1964, in Hamburg, just 11 days before his 94th birthday. The German government invited former German Askari to his funeral. Several Bundeswehr officers were assigned to the guard of honor.

Description of the ‘Design’

Hull

Original model of the ‘Iron Kaputt’. Source: Calambur Sketch show

The hull of the ‘Iron Kaputt’ is shaped like a triangular prism, with front and rear plates angled inward at 45º. This differs significantly from the classic rhomboidal shape used on British tanks or the aforementioned German A7V-U during World War I. The creator’s idea and purpose behind this design choice are not clear – it could have been an unintentional choice of aesthetics, a happy little accident, etc., but it can also be optimistically speculated that such a grotesque shape was chosen to highlight the stupidity and impossibility of the design.

Armor thicknesses are unknown as well; the sides are likely not that thick, since they are easily pierced by the tusk of the Zusu war elephant in one of the series. Most armor plates are shown as joined via rivets. At the narrow top of the hull, a cylindrical turret is positioned, armed with two coaxial short-barreled howitzers/mortars. Two small superstructures with short-barreled guns are situated on the hull front step. The driver’s viewing slot is located on the right side of the hull front, next to a hatch on the left.

‘Iron Kaputt’, penetrated by the tusk of the Zusu war elephant. Source: Calambur Sketch show

Each side of the ‘Iron Kaputt’ features two sponsons, armed with short-barreled howitzers or mortars – one in the lower front part and another in the upper rear. Adjacent to the front sponson on each side of the hull are crew doors with ladders. The right side of the ‘Iron Kaputt’ also has a second ladder, leading to the vehicle’s roof and main turret. There are also two viewing slots on each of the tank’s sides.

Rear of the ‘Iron Kaputt’. Source: Calambur Sketch show

It is uncertain whether the vehicle had front or rear transmission; given that the motor department is located in the rear part, it is likely that it had a sprocket in the rear and an idler in the front. Details about the suspension are not specified and not visible in the show. The vehicle probably had tracks encircling the hull, similar to real-life British Churchill heavy tanks or the French B1 and ARL 44. In the rear part of the right hull side, a spare track segment is placed. The 3-2 tine single-pin flat tracks of the ‘Iron Kaputt’ are too modern; instead of the WWI ‘tractor’ style, they more resemble narrower 5-4 Soviet T-34 single pin flat tracks.

Overall, the layout of the ‘Iron Kaputt’ is not optimized for maximum speed or all-terrain capability and crossing capacities. This tank would be nearly useless for climbing even a small step and would fall into a trench, rendering it totally helpless on the battlefield.

Armament

It is worth remembering that this was a comedy show where weapons, including ammunition, were intentionally hyperbolized and depicted in a grotesque manner.

The main turret of the ‘Iron Kaputt’. Source: Calambur Sketch show

The caliber of the tank’s guns is not precisely known. However, based on the images depicting the tank’s appearance, the loading process, and the shown ammunition, it can be assumed that the caliber of the main gun was approximately 400 mm. This is confirmed by the words of the commander, who mentions ‘Big Bertha’ in one of the episodes.

Big Bertha with its crew on the Western Front in WWI. Source: faz.net

Big Bertha (germ. 42 cm kurze Marinekanone 14 L/12 ‘Dicke Bertha’, meaning ‘420 mm short naval cannon’) was a real siege howitzer that was used by the German Empire during WWI. It entered production in 1912 and was an iteration of earlier super-heavy German siege guns intended to break modern fortresses in France and Belgium. Test firing began in early 1914. When WWI broke out, the two Big Berthas, still prototypes, were sent to Liège, Belgium, and destroyed Forts Pontisse and Loncin. German soldiers bestowed the gun with the nickname ‘Big Bertha’, which then spread through German newspapers to the Allies, who used it as a nickname for all super-heavy German artillery. Two Big Berthas were surrendered to the American Expeditionary Force (A.E.F.) in November 1918. One was taken to the United States, evaluated, and then put on display at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, while the other was left unassembled in its transport configuration. Both were scrapped in 1943 and the early 1950s respectively.

Compared to the original Big Bertha ammunition, Iron Kaputt’s ‘Big Fritz’ is too rounded on the top. It is hardly not pointy for better aerodynamics or payload delivery; instead, the show creators intended for the round to be as scary as possible. Source: Calambur Sketch show

Using the aforementioned estimation, the second gun in the tower would have a caliber of about 300 mm, the guns in the sponsons would range between 150-200 mm, and those in the frontal superstructures would be around 100-150 mm caliber. An optical sight was used.

The tank was armed with additional ‘experimental’ weapons, which were developed by scientists of the First Reichsmacht, according to the plot. These weapons consisted of a collection of absurd, cartoonish, and science-fiction projectiles, which were inapplicable in reality. Below, only several of the most iconic weapons are listed.

The first such weapon was the Weightless Mine (Rus. ‘Мина-невесомка’). After toggling a special switch, within three seconds, the mine lost 100% of its weight and became lighter than air. Under the influence of the wind, the mine flew towards the Zusu camp, where it regained its 15 tonnes, descending to the ground, and exploding. The drawback was that, in the absence of wind, the tank from which it was launched got hit, as depicted in one of the episodes.

The crew of the Iron Kaputt standing around the Weightless Mine. Source: Calambur Sketch show

Another one was the Invisible Mine (Rus. ‘Мина-невидимка’). It resembled an ordinary pressure mine, but when a switch was toggled, it became invisible after three seconds. Once invisible, it could be loaded into a Big Bertha and fired towards the enemy, where it would fall in anticipation of the enemy’s arrival. The explosion was triggered upon pressing the fuse. This mine was easy to lose, posing a danger to both the operating crew and enemies alike. In one episode, the Commander steps on it and his clothes get destroyed.

The crew of the Iron Kaputt standing around the yet visible Invisible Mine. Source: Calambur Sketch show

‘Iron Kaputt’ was also armed with the Combat Gas of Stultifying Effect (Rus. ‘Боевой газ отупляющего действия’). The gas acted instantly. According to the Commander, when exposed to this gas, Zusu lose control of themselves and begin to do all sorts of stupid things, such as banging their heads against walls, tearing off pins, and trying to shove grenades into their pants. However, since Zusu did not have walls, pants, or grenades, this gas had no effect on them.

The Combat Gas of Stultifying Effect. Source: Calambur Sketch show

The Stupid Mine (Rus. ‘Мина-тупица’) was designed to target a single complete idiot. The principle of its action is entirely unknown, but most likely, it detonated when the designated individual was close enough to it and inevitably alone. In one episode, it explodes near the Commander.

The Stupid Mine. Source: Calambur Sketch show

The Self-guided Sonic Mine (Rus. ‘Самонаводящаяся Звуковая Мина’) was designed to react to the battle cry of the Zusu. Upon detecting the battle cry, the mine immediately reacted, getting as close to the Zusu as possible and exploding.

The Self-guided Sonic Mine. Source: Calambur Sketch show

The Super Grenade of Enormous Explosive Power (rus. ‘Супер-граната огромной взрывной силы’) was a large projectile, standing at over a metre in height, resembling the real German WWI stick hand grenades, known as ‘Stielhandgranate’. It detonated precisely one minute after the safety was removed. The tricky drawback of this grenade was that the safety mechanism represented a platform beneath the grenade, used for its transportation.

The ‘Super Grenade of Enormous Explosive Power.’ Source: Calambur Sketch show

Crew

The Commander, Major Baron von Schwalzkopf XII, also known as Herr Major by his tank crew members, was portrayed by Yuri Stytskovsky. Proud but not particularly intelligent, he often refers to others as ‘dummkopf’ (Germ. for ‘blockhead’). Despite his self-assured demeanor, his decisions often lead to chaos, resulting in explosions within the tank, torn uniforms, and his signature exclamation: “Ha-a-ans!”.

Major Baron von Schwalzkopf XII, Commander of the ‘Iron Kaputt’ (portrayed by Yuri Stytskovsky). Source: Muzej Goroda N via yandex.zen

The Commander’s name contains two allusions, primarily to Russian offensive words.

Firstly, his surname part “Schwal-“ is a play on words. It innocently references the German word ‘schwalbe’, meaning ‘swallow’ (a bird), while also serving as a transliteration of the Russian offensive word ‘шваль’ (meaning ‘trash’ or ‘scum’). This rude word has historical roots, potentially dating back to the Napoleonic Wars of 1812. It may have originated from the French word ‘cheval’, meaning ‘horse’, which Russian peasants misheard and integrated into their language as an offensive term. Another theory suggests its origin from the Russian verb ‘шить’, meaning ‘to sew’. During the Swedish siege of Russian Novgorod in 1614, a captured tailor, Ivan Prokofiev, nicknamed ‘the Schwal’, betrayed his compatriots by agreeing to open the city gates for the Swedes. In this context, ‘шваль’ is an ancient Russian masculine noun derived from the aforementioned verb ‘шить’ and means ‘tailor’. Modern Russian language only uses the feminine form ‘швея’, meaning ‘female tailor’ or ‘needlewoman’.

Map showing the events of the capture of Novgorod. Source: National Archives of Sweden

Additionally, Schwalzkopf can be associated with Schwarzkopf (roughly translatable as Black Head), a German company that exported care products (such as shampoos and shower gels) to Russia in the 1990s, becoming one of the most recognizable and popular brands on the market.

Secondly, the German vocative ‘Herr’, meaning ‘Lord’, phonetically resembles a Russian vulgar word often humorously portrayed in the ‘Iron Kaputt’ series.

Hans Schmulke, portrayed by Aleksey Agopyan, serves as the gunner and the sole technician aboard the tank. While not exceptionally bright, he shows more foresight than the Major and considers the consequences of their actions. Apart from his mechanical duties, he enjoys reading, listening to music, and dancing. When explosions occur within the tank, Hans is quick to flee to retrieve a fresh pair of gallifet trousers (a style of Russian military trousers similar to riding breeches) for the commander after the blast.

Hans Schmulke, gunner and the technician of the ‘Iron Kaputt’. Source: Muzej Goroda N via yandex.zen

Drunkel, portrayed by Sergey Gladkov, and Zhrunkel, played by Vadim Nabokov, are two enormously fat soldiers who often find themselves on the receiving end of the commander’s tirades. As their names suggest (‘Drunkel’ from eng. ‘drunk’ and ’Zhrunkel’ from the Russian word ‘жрать’, meaning ‘to devour’), one is frequently seen with a beer stein while the other carries a chain of bockwurst sausages. Herr Major frequently tests their knowledge of military terms and regulations, or challenges their physical endurance with rapid push-ups.

Drunkel and Zhrunkel, soldiers of the ‘Iron Kaputt’. Source: Muzej Goroda N via yandex.zen

From a rational perspective, there are several questions regarding the crew of the vehicle. Firstly, traditional crew roles are not clearly defined. Herr Schwalzkopf, the Commander, could potentially serve as a radioman as well. Hans Schmulke, the gunner and technician, may also operate as a driver, which would mean that ‘Iron Kaputt’ could not shoot while on the move. Drunkel and Zhrunkel may function as loaders, although they may not be sufficient for the numerous heavy armaments of the land cruiser.

Inside the ‘Iron Kaputt’. Source: Calambur Sketch show

Overall, it seems unlikely that just four crew members could effectively operate such a complex and large vehicle. Instead, ‘Iron Kaputt’ would likely have required about 24 crew members, including a commander, driver, seven gunners (one in the main turret, two in frontal turrets, and four in side sponsons), up to 14 loaders (considering the varying calibers of the ‘Iron Kaputt’, which range from 150 to 420 mm, and the extremely heavy ammunition), and optionally, a radioman.

The Unruly Zusu Tribe – Enemies of the Iron Kaputt

The unruly Zusu tribesmen with their ‘weapons’. Source: Calambur Sketch show

The Zusu, played by Aleksey Agopyan and Vadim Nabokov, are two members of the ‘unruly Zusu’ tribe. They find amusement in the mistakes and futile attempts of the invaders and fire their makeshift ‘weapons’ at the tank while hiding in the trenches.

Zulu warriors, approx. 1907. Source: The Walther Collection

Though these characters present a generalized image, poking fun at Russian stereotypes of the african tribes, their tribe name – Zusu (Rus. ‘непокорные зусулы’, pronounced ‘zoosooly’) – is an allusion to the real ethnic group Zulu (in rus. ‘зулусы’, pronounced ‘zooloosy’) with an estimated 13.56 million people. Zulus live not in Central, but in South Africa, mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, and were never Germany’s colonial aim. Today, the Zulu people predominantly adhere to Christianity but have developed a syncretic religion that combines aspects of their prior belief systems.

Second Life of the ‘Iron Kaputt’

The ‘Calambur’ series gained tremendous popularity long after it aired. In the 2010s and 2020s, numerous ‘Iron Kaputt’-based memes appeared on the internet in the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States; countries of the former Soviet Union with large percent of russian-speaking population).

‘Iron Kaputt’ has even become a part of furry fandom. Source: pikabu.ru

For example, when the online game World of Tanks introduced the premium Pz. B2 tank (a French B1 captured by Germans and referred to as ‘Pz.Kpfw. B2 740 (f)’), which was considered overpowered in many aspects at the time, it quickly acquired the nickname ‘Iron Kaputt’ amongst Russian players.

Furthermore, ‘Iron Kaputt’ has now become a widely recognized term for a tank that is described in words as an ultimate weapon, super-strong, and invincible, but in reality is not. For instance, a 2018 article about Projekt P.1000 (also known as Ratte) by Russian historian Yuri Pasholok is titled ‘Iron Kaputt’, referring to the land cruiser’s formidable yet ultimately pointless nature.

Original model of the ‘Iron Kaputt’. Source: Calambur Sketch show

Additionally, during the conflict in Ukraine, Russian propaganda often labels Western vehicles, such as the M1 Abrams or the MIM-104 Patriot, as ‘Iron Kaputt’, attempting to sway the opinion of the target audience by portraying Western supplies to Ukraine as insufficient and worthless.

On the other hand, Ukrainian and the Russian non-systemic opposition propaganda often refer to prospective Object 195 and T-14 Armata in this way. Here they are using the term to emphasize that these modern and high-tech prototypes are either too expensive for the Russian Army to afford or do not meet the stated specifications.

Conclusion

‘Iron Kaputt’ side view. Source: Calambur Sketch show

Despite being dubbed a ‘Wunderwaffe’, the ‘Iron Kaputt’ tank is riddled with flaws in its construction and features impractical weaponry; this stark contrast forms the basis for the plot of most sketches. In summary, it can be noted that the Calambur sketch show in general, and the‘Iron Kaputt’episodes in particular, were significant milestones in Russian and Ukrainian humor. In the 1990s, they ushered-in an era of avant-garde and innovative comedy on television screens. This is evidenced by the continued interest of new generations of viewers even after almost a quarter of a century, and their continued relevance and cultural inclusion in the countries of the former USSR to this day.

Iron Kaputt. Illustration by the illustrious Oussama Mohamed ‘Godzilla’.

‘Iron Kaputt’ fictional tank specifications table
Dimensions (L-W-H)	Length: 20,000+ mm Width: 10,000+ mm Height: 5,000+ mm
Crew	4 (commander, gunner/technician, two soldiers)
Primary Armament	42 cm kurze Marinekanone 14 L/12 ‘Big Bertha’
Secondary Armament	Unspecified; 15, 21, 28.3 cm cannons and/or mortars [hypothetical]
Operational temperature	+50°…-500°C
Built	1

Sources

Calambur sketch show;
Waffen Revue 21;
Waffen Revue 52;
«A German tank captured by the 26th Australian battalion, at Monument Wood, near …» – Australian War Memorial
‘«Armata» is replacing the «Iron Kaputt»’ – Argumenti nedeli (rus. ‘«Армата» идет на смену «Железному капуту»’ – Аргументы Недели);
“Dicke Bertha”: Only partially powerful – Frankfurter Allgemeine (germ. ‘«Dicke Bertha»: Nur bedingt durchschlagskräftig’);
East and Central Africa by Anne Samson, 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia for the First World War;
Iron Kaputt – 3D model by t-braze;
‘Iron Kaputt’ – Y. Pasholok (rus. ‘Железный капут’ – Ю. Пашолок);
‘Iron Kaputt’ superheavy tank – WikiWarriors (rus. ‘Сверхтяжёлый танк Железный Капут’);
‘Iron Kaputt: the story of the most powerful tank in the world’ – Yandex.Zen (rus. ‘Железный Капут: история самого мощного танка в мире’);
Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck by Eckard Michels, 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia for the First World War;
“Shady deals: How German colonists bought an empire in Africa” – Cai Nebe, Deutsche Welle;
‘«The Iron Kaputt». How the United States is dumping unnecessary military junk to Ukraine’ – Ukraine.ru (rus. ‘«Железный капут». Как США сваливают Украине ненужный военный хлам’);
The Lion of Africa: Paul von Lettow Vorbeck: Germany’s WW1 Guerilla Commander In East Africa by Gabe Christy, War History Online;
“Zulu Warriors” – The Walther Collection;

Fictional Tanks

“Derailer” – Dr. Loveless’ Steam Tank (Fictional Tank)

Post author By Mark Nash
Post date August 7, 2024
4 Comments on “Derailer” – Dr. Loveless’ Steam Tank (Fictional Tank)

Loveless Alliance (1865-1869)
Steam Tank – Fictional

Doctor Loveless’ Steam “Derailer” Tank was a fictional armored vehicle that appeared in the film ‘Wild Wild West’. Released on June 30th, 1999, by Warner Bros. Pictures, the Western/Steampunk/Action/Adventure film debuted to a less than stellar reception. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, the film is based extremely loosely on the 1960s television show of the same name and features an all-star cast of Will Smith, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, and Salma Hayek. Despite this, the film was a commercial failure and was virtually torn apart by reviewers at the time. Even so, the film is an award winner, claiming 8 Golden Raspberries (‘Razzies’) at the 2000 Awards. These included Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Director.

‘Wild Wild West’ released in June 1999 by Warner Bros. Pictures. The Western/Steampunk/Action/Adventure film starring Will Smith and Kevin Kline, debuted to a less than stellar reception.

The ludicrous plot of ‘Wild Wild West’ is set four years after the culmination of the American Civil War (1861 – 1865), in 1869. It tells the tale of two U.S. Marshalls, Jim West and Artemus Gordon (Smith and Kline respectively), who work together to protect the unity of the bruised United States from an ex-Confederate mad scientist, Doctor Arliss Loveless (Branagh). Thanks to a science experiment gone wrong, Dr. Loveless is quite literally ‘half a man’, and wishes to once again break up the Union all from the comfort of his steam-powered wheel-chair. To quote a line from the film, this “Sawed-off, sadistic bastard” has a wealth of technology available to him that is seemingly decades ahead of its time (that is to say, the set time of the film). This includes a fleet of weaponized steam-powered vehicles, one of which is a heavily armed steam-powered “tank” – the more realistic one, not the “80-foot Tarantula”…

This steam “tank” was dreamt up by the film’s production designer Bo Welch, and is depicted as an armored vehicle capable of semi-submerged travel in shallow water, can run on railroad tracks, and is armed with a litany of weapons. In the set time of 1869, the vehicle pre-dates the first real tanks by almost half a century, so there are not any real-world comparisons (save for a couple of patents that the design team was probably unaware of). Nonetheless, there are some real-world parallels of certain details that can be drawn on.

The “Sawed-off, Sadistic Bastard” himself; Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh), the main antagonist of Wild Wild West and the evil mind behind a wealth of steam-powered monstrosities. Photo: Warner Bros.

Name

One thing to address is the term ‘tank’ and the name of the vehicle itself. At the time set of the film, the term ‘tank’ used to describe a heavily armored vehicle did not exist. The term did not appear until the battlefield debut of the tank by the British in 1916, during World War I. The origin of the term stems from the odd construction of Little Willie (the first tank prototype), which had completely separate track units and looked very much like a water tank without them. The name has stuck ever since.

As to its own name, the vehicle is not officially named in the film, only referred to as ‘the tank’. Outside of the in-film universe, it is often just referred to as ‘The Loveless Tank’, ‘Loveless’ Tank’, or the ‘Wild Wild West Steam Tank’, among others. However, a toy of the vehicle was released as part of the movie’s tie-in toy line produced by the toy brand X-toys. This was called the “Derailer Tank” and came with an action figure of Dr Loveless. This is where the name used in this article comes from, as it is the most official source for an actual name.

Pre-production artwork of Dr. Loveless’ steam-powered “Derailer” tank. Image: Warner Bros.

Steam Tanks in History

While there were never any real-world steam tanks built, there were a number of armored vehicle patent designs floating about across the major powers during the mid-19th century. One such vehicle comparison is the ‘Locomotive Land Battery’ designed by James Cowen and James Sweetlong in 1855. A full article on this conceptual vehicle exists on Tank Encyclopedia, but this excerpt from an 1855 issue of ‘Mechanics Magazine’ gives the best brief description of the proposed vehicle:

“This invention consists in forming a large land battery, running on wheels and driven by steam. To the framing of the battery and at right angles to its length, are fitted strong and powerful blades turning upon a hinge joint, so as to lie close to the framing when not in use, and to be instantly thrown out when required by the artillery-men or persons inside the battery, ‘the effect being to mow down any troops that come in contact with or near the battery”

– Mechanics Magazine 1855

Cowen’s vehicle was never built, and would only remain a paper-based patent design. The designer would die in the late 1800s, with his design largely forgotten. It was not until more well-known ‘futurists’ like H. G. Wells came along that steam tanks, and armored vehicles in general, were again considered to be a feature on future battlefields.

Etching of Cowen’s ‘Locomotive Land Battery’, drawn by the man himself in 1862. Image: Cumbria Archive Services

Cowen’s design looked more like a turtle than a tank – not that people at this time knew what a tank was supposed to look like – and its design was far different from the vehicle seen in ‘Wild Wild West’. The only shared similarities are the fact it has a noticeable funnel, and rolls on large spoked, wagon-like wheels.

Film Representation

“…It rolls on, and on making a screeching sound like a wounded animal. It has a cabin on top with a cannon, swivels around like an eagle’s head…”

– Jim West after Loveless’ ambush of Confederate troops.

The “Derailer” tank was designed and developed by Loveless himself and debuted in action in the final days of the American Civil War, which ended in 1865. The vehicle takes the form of an ovoid box, almost like a carriage with three large, wagon-like wheels on either side. The wheels are – presumably – iron or steel, and covered in spikes, with the central wheel overlapping the front and rear set. The vehicle is all-metal and is constructed from riveted panels. The upper ‘turret’ section bears the weaponry and is separate from the hull, capable of full 360° rotation. Armament consists of a single large caliber cannon, backed up by multiple smaller caliber cannons, and a couple of Gatling guns. The vehicle’s main funnel protrudes from the rear of the turret, where there is an access ladder to the single roof hatch, seemingly the only point of ingress and egress. Attached to a pintle in front of this hatch is another Gatling Gun. There is also an extending periscope on the roof.

Loveless’ “Derailer” tank on set. Photo: Warner Bros., (AI upscaled)

Apart from the periscope, there appears to be no other vision devices on the tank, whether it be a slit in the armor or otherwise. This leads to the question of communication. The tank receives instructions via signal lamp, much like that used on shipping from the mid-19th century. However, with no means of vision other than the periscope, it is hard to see how this would work effectively, not least because the operator would have to take his eyes off of directional travel and targeting to concentrate on signaling. The vehicle also does not seem to have a means of reply.

The number of crew is unknown. Taking into account the amount of weaponry, the fact that it is steam driven, and has poor visibility, it would take a crew of at least 6 – 10 men (comparable to the first real tanks with similar layouts) to practically operate this machine. Although a large vehicle, one fails to see how these men would fit inside, especially when one considers the rest of the gubbins that are supposedly contained within.

Overview

“Gentlemen, since the beginning of written history, a nation’s power has been determined by the size of its standing army. Tonight, that chapter will be closed! The traditional army, to say nothing of the United States, will become extinct! Laid low by a ‘cripple’ – as the General so amusingly implied – and mechanology…”

– Dr. Loveless addressing his audience after the bloody display of the tank.

Steam Power

Steam-powered vehicles require certain factors that allow them to operate. These include, but are not limited to water, fuel (coal, wood, in some cases oil), a fire-box, and a boiler. Typically, a steam engine utilizes a large boiler filled with water. At one end of this is a firebox (basically a furnace) where the fuel of choice is inserted and set ablaze. The fire heats the water and vaporizes it to form steam. The steam is then directed via piping to whichever parts need to move. Excess steam and smoke from the fire are vented from a funnel. It would appear that the Derailer has no room for any of these components, at least at a size necessary to move what would probably be an incredibly heavy machine. The only evidence of the steam system is the large funnel that protrudes from the rear of the ‘turret’. This then leads to the question of just where the steam engine would be located inside. Looking at the vehicle, one would assume it lies in the ‘belly of the beast’, the drive to the wheels being certainly located here, but then how would the funnel continue to vent in a separate rotating body?

As to the wheels, these large, spoked metal wheels are at least 5 ft (1.5 m) in diameter and use spikes around the circumference for grip. This is great for soft terrain, less so on hard terrain or ice. It would appear the wheels are chain driven. The chain runs to the hub of each wheel, but it is unclear which one is the main ‘drive’ wheel. The vehicle can also travel through deep water, seemingly by deep-wading). Quite how it achieves this is not explained. The vehicle by no means appears sealed to water, and its solid metal spiked wheels would no doubt find it hard to gain traction. One thing that suggests deep wading over complete submersion is the simple fact that its funnel needs to breathe.

Armored Train Mode

To achieve rail travel, two sets of bogies wheels extend from the bottom of the hull, lifting the rest of the vehicle off the ground. Although, quite how the tank gets over and straddles the rails in the first place bares its own question. When on the rails, it can form the ‘engine’ of Loveless’ single carriage personal armored train. To achieve this, the tank backs up to the carriage. When in place, two large claw-like doors close around it. Apertures are left for the funnel and weapons to protrude through. It is unclear how the railroad wheels are powered, as there are no obvious belts, chains, pulleys or pistons attached to them.

The “Derailer” tank also forms the head of Loveless’ armored train. Photo: Warner Bros. (AI upscaled)

The carriage has its own set of armaments, and appears to have multiple firing slits. It would appear that the armored train has a similar speed to a standard ‘Western Style’ steam locomotive. One trick it has up its proverbial sleeve is a set of extendible legs. These come in handy if being pursued, especially if you happen to be on the reverse side of a tunnel. Folding out from the flanks of the carriage, these cable and truss legs are strong enough to support the entire weight of the combined vehicle.

Armored trains were a very real form of armored vehicle, in fact one of the first. As a concept they appeared around the time of the American Civil War, in the form of the “Railroad Battery”, literally just a box of cannons pushed by a locomotive. Over time, they became more complex. By the time of World War Two, the trains were fully armored, featuring cannon turrets, anti-air guns and squads of infantry. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union (USSR) developed train based Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Launchers.

The “Railroad Battery” drawn by William C. Russel in 1861. It was simply an armored box equipped with cannons, pushed by a locomotive. Photo: Wikimedia

Weaponry

The “Derailer” has quite the arsenal at its disposal, all carried in or on the upper ‘turret’ portion of the vehicle. This turret is capable of full 360 rotation, but it is unclear how much movement is afforded to the main armament. This armament consists of a large cannon of unknown type and caliber. It is clearly breech-loaded, but it is unclear whether it uses black-powder charges or contained cartridges. This cannon is also capable of firing a large harpoon attached to a heavy chain. Quite how this is supposed to work is unclear, as the length of chain would have to be pulled through the breach, meaning it would not be sealed and the pressure of the contained explosion would vent through any aperture instead of the barrel of the gun. For this reason, real world harpoon guns, such as those used on whaling vessels, had their chains/cables/ropes stowed on the outside of the gun and its firing mechanism.

Secondary armament consists of four smaller cannons, again of unknown type and caliber. They are placed in two, double-gun mountings, one each side of the main gun on the ‘cheeks’ of the turret. If that was not enough, there are also three Gatling-type machine guns. There is one on each flank of the tank in what appears to be a ball mount, as well as the pintle mounted gun on the roof. The choice of Gatling guns is not too outlandish, these hand-cranked rotary guns appeared in 1861. The hull-mounted guns appear to be traditional hand cranks, however, Loveless has gone one step further and somehow powered the roof gun (presumably some sort of steam contraption), removing the need for the hand crank. In reality, powered Gatling-type weapons would not appear until the late 1950s, with the American M61 ‘Vulcan’ rotary cannon.

Left, the “Derailer” emerges from water, note the large main cannon. Right, the “tank” advancing on its unsuspecting targets. Note one of the ball-mounted gatling guns in the side of the turret and the roof mounted weapon. Photo: Warner Bros.

Interior

The “Derailer’s” interior simply does not match its exterior when when one considers the internal volume that should be taken up by the internal components. As already stated above, a boiler for the steam power and the breach end of the main cannon, among other things, are missing. Second to that, it is hard to see how a practical number of crew members would fit in its confines.

The tank’s controls consist of a large podium-like structure covered in a series of levers that can seemingly be operated by one crew member. The interior walls are covered in the stowage of ammunition, including machine gun-like belts of small arms ammunition. There are also small caliber fixed artillery shells stowed at various points. In reality, these did not come about until much later in the 19th century.

The interior of the “Derailer”, operated by one of Loveless’ hench-women, ‘Munitia’ (Musetta Vander) as they pursue Jim West (Smith) and Artemus Gordon’s (Kline) train. Photos: Warner. Bros

From Betrayal to Destruction

Chronologically speaking, the first mention of the tank refers to its use as the Civil War was winding down. A week before the War’s culmination, which would make it May 19th, 1865, Confederate Troops under the Command of one General McGrath (Ted Levine) ransacked the free-slave town of ‘New Liberty’. Loveless’ tank was also used. It was a massacre, leading to the General receiving the grizzly nom de guerre of “Bloodbath McGrath – The Butcher of New Liberty”. At some point in this attack, however, the tank malfunctioned and apparently had a bad case of gunpowder-related rapid unscheduled disassembly, resulting in Dr. Loveless’ life-changing injuries. From that day, Jim West (main protagonist), who was serving in the Union Army at the time, vowed to hunt down “The Butcher of New Liberty”.

“Today, I’m proud to be able to sit before ya’ll, and tell you that the wrongs will be righted! The past, made present! The United, Divided!”

– A snippet of Loveless’ speech to his benefactors.

Fast-forward four years to 1869, and Loveless has a grand scheme to create an ‘Un-United States’. Should they back his plan, countries such as Mexico, Spain, France and the British Empire, all of which had a stake in colonial America, would all get a sizable chunk of the continent either returned to them, or new territory granted. Great Britain, for example, would reclaim their 13 original colonial states. Loveless would claim much of the north-west of the continent for himself as ‘Loveless Land’.

Map of Loveless’ “De-United States”. Photo: Warner Bros.

With these plans gathering steam – pun intended, Loveless arranges a live-fire demonstration for his supposed foreign beneficiaries. He orders fellow ex-Confederate Army officer, General ‘Bloodbath’ McGrath, to gather his rag-tag band of Confederate veterans to a small lake-side peninsula. Observing from a distance in a small ironclad steam-boat on the lake, were Loveless, his female entourage, General McGrath and the foreign dignitaries. The steam tank soon emerges from the lake and climbs out onto the shore. Initially, the Confederate troops were ecstatic to see the iron monster, no doubt thinking that this machine was going to win them the war that had already been lost.

Slaughter. The Derailer cuts down the unsuspecting Confederate troops. Photo: Warner Bros.

Screams of delight soon changed to screams of terror as, with all guns, the Derailer opened fire on the unsuspecting men. Sitting in place and spinning its turret, the men are cut down one by one. A horrified General McGrath accuses Loveless’ of betrayal, to which the Doctor replies:

“My dear General, having donated half of my physical being to create a weapon capable of doing this, how did you and General Lee repay my loyalty? You surrendered, at Appomattox! So who betrayed who!?”

McGrath then levels his pistol on Loveless’ head, but the Doctor shoots first from a concealed gun in his wheelchair. Loveless’ hench-women then throw the General’s body overboard. With the slaughter concluded and Loveless’ vengeance complete, the tank rolls onward to a nearby rail siding, where the armored train carriage is waiting.

Some time later, Marshalls Jim West and Artemus Gordon are in pursuit of Loveless’ armored train on their own locomotive, ‘The Wanderer’. They soon spot Loveless’ train in the distance and begin to close. The Wanderer passes through the tunnel, only for Loveless’ train to have disappeared. By using a set of hidden legs, Loveless had stopped on the rear side of the tunnel and raised the train high enough for the following Marshalls to pass through without noticing. Once the Wanderer had passed, the Derailer lowered itself back down on the rails to become the pursuer.

Now on the rails, Loveless’ hench-women guide the vehicle into docking position with the main body of the armored train. Right, the train lowers itself back onto the rails from its ‘standing’ position to pursue the Marshalls. Photos Warner Bros.

Artemus suddenly notices they’re the one being chased as the Derailer fires, missing the train as they take a turn. West jumps onto the “Sub-Carriage Inter-Rail Vehicular Egressor”. One of Artemus Gordon’s catchily named inventions, this particular piece of equipment is a low-profile skid that can run between rail tracks and under a following train. After a couple of mishaps, West manages to jump on-board the rear of Loveless’ train, and reaches the roof. While looking for something to plug the funnel, West is set upon by one of Loveless’ men. Quickly dispatching him, West uses his body to plug the funnel, stopping steam from escaping.

With the Wanderer in the main gun’s sights, Munitia fires the main gun, launching the large harpoon. It smashes through the rear of the carriage and brings the train to a halt, just as the built up pressure detonates the front portion of the Derailer. Loveless’ and his cronies leave their train, and move to steal the Wanderer. Jim West and Artemus Gordon are left at the rail side, awaiting their fate at the hands of one of Loveless’ steam powered booby traps.

The “Derailer” sits de-railed as Jim West and Artemus Gordon watch their own train chug away with Loveless. Photo: Warner Bros.

And thus, the role of the “Derailer” in Wild Wild West comes to a close. Loveless plans would, of course, go on to fail, even after he replaces the “Derailer” with his crowning glory, an 80 foot steam-powered mechanical tarantula. Loveless would die at the hands of Jim West, achieving his revenge for the slaughter of New Liberty. President Grant rewards both West and Artemus Gordon with becoming the first members of the US Secret Service (even though, in reality, it had existed since 1865, and the role of protecting the President did not come until 1901).

Conclusion

Much like the plot of the movie in which it features, the “Derailer”, while imaginative, is complete insanity. Its biggest flaw is that, being part of a Hollywood feature, its design was governed by “the rule of cool” without a thought given to how this thing would operate, move, or even exist in a real world sense. That being said, it is a bit of fun, and who doesn’t like the idea of some madman in a steam tank carving up the old west?

As for the prop itself, it would appear it has completely disappeared. Various size versions of it were no doubt built for filming, including life-size practical examples. However, as the film itself was a complete failure critically and commercially, one imagines that there was not a great deal of sentimentality towards the vehicle.

While the film-used prop is likely long gone, the “Derailer” toy by ‘X-Toys’ can still be found in the hands of toy collectors. A good condition example can be worth a pretty penny. Photo: Carousell

Our own representation of Doctor Arliss Loveless’ Steam Tank – known as the “Derailer” – from the 1999 Warner Bros. movie ‘Wild Wild West’. While an imaginative design that looks like it could have existed in the 1800s, everything about the design is pure fiction. Illustration produced by Oussama Mohamed ‘Godzilla’

Specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	Unknown. Roughly the size of a small locomotive
Total Weight	Heavy
Crew	Only 2 – 4 shown
Propulsion	Steam Engine
Suspension	6 large, spiked metal wheels + 4 rail-road wheels
Speed	Cross Country: Slow On Rails: Faster
Armament	Cannon Cannon-fired harpoon 4 x smaller cannon 2 x turret mounted Gatling guns, 1 x roof Gatling gun
Armor	Iron/Steel, unknown thickness

Sources

Wild Wild West (1999), Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, Written by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock, Warner Bros. Pictures
The Making of Wild Wild West, ‘Evil Devices’, DVD extras.
Mechanics Magazine, Vol. 63, 1855, R. Brooman
Internet Movie Database (IMDB)
Trading Card Database (TCDB)

Fictional Tanks

Armored Assault Tank (AAT) (Fictional Tank)

Post author By Arturo Giusti
Post date May 4, 2024
5 Comments on Armored Assault Tank (AAT) (Fictional Tank)

Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) (32 BBY-19 BBY)
Repulsor Tank

The Armored Assault Tank (AAT), also known as the AAT-1, was a medium repulsor tank designed by Baktoid Armor Workshop. The AAT was deployed by the Trade Federation and, after 24 BBY, also deployed by the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS). It was used by the droid armies from the invasion of Naboo (32 BBY) until the end of the Clone Wars in 19 BBY. It was the main crewed tank of the droid armies, with dozens of thousands of examples built in many droid factories around the Galaxy.

After the proclamation of the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY, all droids were deactivated and, together with the majority of the equipment of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, scrapped. A few Armored Assault Tanks survived the destruction and were deployed by many warlords of the Outer Rim planets, where old droid tanks could be extremely useful when defending from small units of Stormtroopers or in order to oppress the inhabitants of an area.

An early production Armored Assault Tank of the Trade Federation. The difference between the early and late versions of the AAT are their armament positions and camouflage. Photo: Lucasfilm/Disney

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy far far Away…

The Second Trilogy of Star Wars starts with The Phantom Menace, set 32 years Before the Battle of Yavin (BBY), which took place during the A New Hope movie of the Galactic Republic era. This was followed by the Attack of the Clones, set 22 years Before Battle of Yavin, and Revenge of the Sith, set 19 years Before Battle of Yavin. This timeline, created for the First Star Wars Trilogy, had as year 0 the Battle of Yavin during the bloody Galactic Civil War. This was the first decisive victory of the Rebel Alliance, during which the first Death Star of the Galactic Empire was destroyed.

The Star Wars canon timeline explaining the Star Wars Saga for each canon film and TV series. Source: cultureslate.com

Trade Federation

The Trade Federation was the most powerful commerce guild of the Galaxy, controlling all the major commercial routes, with an enormous number of merchant spaceships in its fleets and even owning some planets.

The Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious, contacted the Viceroy Nute Gunray, leader of the Trade Federation, in the mid-30s BBY and manipulated him and his guild for his plans to found the Galactic Empire.

The spark which started the fire of the Clone Wars that led to the fall of the Galactic Republic started 10 years before the actual start of the War, with the blockade of Naboo in 32 BBY. The blockade, which began as a showdown, would turn into military occupation of the planet by the Droid Army under Gunray himself.

Viceroy Nute Gunray (right) and his right hand man Rune Haako (left) on the Droid Control Spaceship during the blockade of Naboo in 32 BBY. Source: starwars.com

The brief occupation ended a few days after, when the Gungan Army engaged the Droid Army on the flat landscapes near the human capital city Theed, known as the Battle of the Great Grass Plains or simply the Battle of the Grassy Plain. A group of Naboo soldiers, who had escaped from capture, commanded by Princess Padmé Amidala and Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, took control of the Royal Palace in which Viceroy Nute Gunray was sheltered.

During the attack, pilots from a nearby hangar were liberated by the Naboo rebels and launched an attack on the blockade’s spaceships. During the furious spaceship battle, a young boy called Anakin Skywalker, who would become famous in the years to come, destroyed the droid control spaceship by a stroke of luck, disabling all the droids that had landed on Naboo.

Confederacy of Independent Systems

After the Battle of Naboo, the new Republic Supreme Chancellor, Sheev Palpatine (alias Darth Sidious), approved a decree that increased the taxes for the Outer Rims space routes.

This political maneuver led to the discontent of some hundreds of planets and commerce guilds. In 24 BBY, these planets and guilds joined to form the Confederacy of Independent Systems, led by Count Dooku, (a renegade Jedi and Darth Sidious’ new apprentice) alongside the headstrong Nute Gunray.

Some of the most important commerce guilds that were part of the Confederacy were the Techno Union, Corporate Alliance, InterGalactic Banking Clan, SoroSuub Corporation and, of course, the Trade Federation.

From left to right: Poggle, the Lesser Archduke of Geonosis, Count Dooku, the new Lord of the Sith’s pupil and leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and Viceroy Nute Gunray, leader of the Trade Federation. Here on Geonosis in 22 BBY, a few minutes before the Clone Wars would start. Source: Lucasfilm/Disney

Development

The Armored Assault Tank was developed by the Baktoid Armor Workshop. This company was owned by the Trade Federation, with Wat Tambor (future Techno Union leader) as Chief Executive Officer. The Baktoid company specialized in developing and producing sturdy all-terrain ground vehicles for the civilian market before the blockade of Naboo. Even if these vehicles were officially civilian and were not equipped with armament, they could be easily equipped with support for heavy blaster guns by the owners after acquisition.

The Baktoid Armor Workshop logo, which was never painted on the armored fighting vehicles in manufactured. Source: Wookieepedia

With the deterioration of the diplomatic relationship between the Separatists and the Republic, the Baktoid Armor Workshop received funds from the Trade Federation and was converted to the production of military equipment. Rumors denied by the Baktoid itself stated that the Trade Federation organized a collaboration between the Baktoid Armor Workshop and Haor Chall Engineering, a high-precision manufacturing company specializing in small arms production. The development of new tanks was helped by Baktoid’s brilliant Chief Designer, Raith Sienar, described as “obsessed with tanks”.

Some of the equipment produced by Baktoid Armor Workshop during the Battle of the Grassy Plain. There are three AATs, two Multi-Troop Transports (MTTs) armored droid carriers, two Platoon Attack Craft unarmored droid carriers, and various Single Trooper Aerial Platforms (STAPs) supporting them. Source: Wookieepedia

After the blockade and the Battle of Naboo, the Trade Federation was forced to distance itself from Baktoid. This forced Nute Gunray and his subordinates to finance the creation of the Baktoid Combat Automata, an illicit company, composed of various subsidiaries located on many planets under the Confederacy of Independent Systems’ control. The most important known Baktoid subsidiary plants were located on the planets of Balmorra, Foundry, Geonosis, Cato Neimoidia, Ord Cestus, Ord Lithone, Skako, and Telti. For the duration of the war, the Baktoid subsidiary plants produced an uncountable number of battle droids, tanks, and weapons with which the Confederacy of Independent Systems defeated the Clone Armies of the Galactic Republic on many occasions.

Design

Armor and Hull

The tank was built over anti-gravity repulsion discs that allowed the vehicle to levitate some centimeters off the ground. The frontal repulsor disc was under a thick half-round shaped armored structure that could be dismounted from the superstructure. The rear repulsor disc was placed under the fighting compartment. On the sides sat the autoloaders for the 6 grenade launchers, placed 3 per side in the rounded structure.

A Trade Federation Armored Assault Tank cross section. Source: Dorling Kindersley Publishing

Despite it being an expensive solution, the adoption of repulsor discs made the vehicle invulnerable to pressure-operated landmines, while the height above the ground also provided it with some protection against RC-IED (Radio Controlled – Improvised Explosive Devices).

An early production AAT. This design took part in the Battle of Naboo in 32 BBY. Source: swse.fandom.com

Despite the cost of the repulsor discs, it is possible to assume that an AAT was cheaper compared to other armored vehicles of its era commonly spotted on the Clone Wars battlefields. These included the NR-N99 Persuader-class Droid Enforcer Tracked Sentient Tank, which cost 120,000 Galactic Credit, or the Clone Army’s All Terrain Tactical Enforcer (AT-TE), which cost 300,000 Galactic Credits.

Left, The NR-N99 Persuader-class Droid Enforcer Tracked Sentient Tank, another less famous tank of the droid armies. The All Terrain Tactical Enforcer (AT-TE) tank, the main Clone Army’s armored fighting vehicle and main opponent of the AAT. Photos: Wookiepedia

As with all the Baktoid Armor Workshop armored vehicles, the Armored Assault Tank was composed of thick armored plates capable of easily withstanding light laser guns. This made it a virtually unstoppable behemoth against clone trooper patrols without portable anti-tank weapons and, in general, against any enemy without medium blaster guns. The repulsor generator, power generator, and power converter were kept in the rear of the vehicle, increasing the protection.

Rear view of an Armored Assault Tank. The rear access door is opened to permit Separatist General Whorm Loathsom to start peace negotiations with Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Battle of Christophsis (22 BBY). Note the heavy armored plates with which the lower half-round superstructure was made. Source: starwars.com

Even the communication system was placed at the vehicle’s rear. It both connected all the vehicles of a unit to ease coordination and also permitted a constant connection link with the Separatist Command Spaceship in orbit above the planet on which the AATs operated.

The Armored Assault Tank’s rear. The rear access ramp (closed) and turret base are clearly visible. Source: miaurnbull.pw

On the superstructure were three handles on each side. These were used by B1 Battle Droid ‘tank-riders’ when traveling long distance to avoid draining their batteries. On the rear of the superstructure, near the main armament, two horizontal trunnions were placed for the secondary armament.

Two B1 Battle Droids taking a ride on an early production AAT. The droid in the background is holding one of the handles on the vehicle’s superstructure. Source: static.wikia.nocookie.net

Propulsion

The Armored Assault tank was propelled not by a conventional combustion engine, but by a power generator that, thanks to the tank’s levitation, was small and compact and probably not very powerful given the lack of friction with the ground.

The maximum speed of the AAT was 55 km/h (34 mph), which was decent for such an armed and armored vehicle.

The propulsion and repulsion systems were placed on the vehicle rear, increasing their protection and decreasing the IR signature against missiles with infrared homing guidance systems.

The energy supply guaranteed an autonomy of one week before necessitating a battery recharge or change at a Separatist field workshop, base, or C-9979 landing craft.

However, the lack of friction with the ground meant that the vehicle was slower to brake and steer, being more difficult to control and presenting further difficulties for fire control.

An Armored Assault Tank of the Desix Droid Battalion during the defense of Desix city following the end of the Clone Wars (19 – 18 BBY). Source: Wookieepedia

Turret

The one-droid (or humanoid) turret was placed over the AAT superstructure and was characterized by its low profile. Another interesting feature of the turret was what seems to be a separated section containing the gun, gun elevation, and autoloader separated from the droid commander. This feature surely increased survivability for a humanoid crew member.

During the Battle of Christophsis, General Whorm Loathsom checking out the advance of his troops from the commander’s hatch of an Armored Assault Tank. Even if developed for droid crews, the AATs could be manned by alien crews. Source: imperialtalker.com

The turret was equipped with a plethora of fire control systems, observation systems, and other devices, such as the turret rotation mechanism and battlefield sensors that were placed on the left side of the turret. Both the driver and commander had periscope scanners and stereoscopic cams at their disposal. A major shortcoming of the AAT was the lack of a commander’s independent periscope, which forced the vehicle commander to expose himself from the turret’s hatch to check the battlefield, becoming an easy target for enemy snipers or ambushes.

Armament

The Armored Assault Tank was one of the best armed vehicles of the Clone Wars era. The main gun was placed in the turret and was manned by the droid commander from the turret’s interior. It was equipped with a muzzle brake and was capable of dealing with the majority of Republican armored fighting vehicles. It also had an elevated firing rate, permitting it to quickly engage clone trooper walkers during assaults. The main gun could be raised at high angles to engage slow-flying incoming targets, such as the ubiquitous Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry (LAAT/i) clone gunships.

Main armament sight reticle showing Jedi Grand Master Yoda during a clash on Rugosa (22 BBY). Source: starwars.fandom.comalias Wookieepedia

On the horizontal trunnions on the superstructure’s sides were two secondary laser guns coupled with rangefinders. Two other guns were located on the lower side of the superstructure, on the sides of the driver. These were short range laser blasters that were rarely used and were of limited utility, similar to the bow machine guns of early WW2 American tanks.

Four AATs fighting against the Gungan Army, shortly followed by Multi-Troop Transports during the Battle of the Grassy Plains. The short range laser blasters are visible on the superstructure’s lower side. Source: starwars.com

In the round-shaped structure were a total of 6 grenade launchers with their autoloaders and 57 grenades each. When an Armored Assault Tank exhausted its grenade launcher’s ammunition, it turned back to its carrier. There, an automated workshop replaced the lower structure with a fully loaded one.

The grenade types fired from the lower grenade launchers of the Armored Assault Tank. Source: Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections

The grenade launchers fired three types of ammunition: Bunker-busters against static fortified positions, armor-piercing against enemy armored vehicles, and high-energy against infantry, artillery positions, and unarmored vehicles. After leaving the barrel, the grenades were covered by high-energy plasma that decreased friction with the air, increasing speed and penetration in the case of the armor piercing rounds.

An early AAT opens fire with four grenade launchers simultaneously. In the foreground, a high-energy shell. Source: fantasyflightgames.com

With all this firepower, the AAT proved to be among the most multi-purpose vehicles in the Clone Wars, able to not only face similar vehicles in protection and armament, but also to serve as a fire support vehicle during Separatist assaults, being able to destroy any kind of threat it faced, from Republican gunboats, to fortifications, to the Heavy Assault Vehicle/wheels (HAV/w) A6 Juggernaut that were among the best armored and armed vehicles in the Republican Army. It maintained a cost-effectiveness that was drastically better than that of its opponents thus becoming extremely advantageous to produce for the Separatist armies, which were notorious for skimping on raw materials and quality of their equipment, preferring quantity over quality.

Crew

The crew of an Armored Assault Tank was composed of four battle droids, on some occasions substituted by four humanoid sentient aliens. A B1 Battle Droid of the OOM command battle droids series was usually the vehicle’s commander even if it was also common to see OOM AAT Driver Battle Droids as tank commanders.

An OOM pilot battle droid was the driver, positioned in the front of the fighting compartment, with a big round escape hatch on the front.

Driving position of an AAT. Source: starwars.com

On the driver’s sides, there were two more gunner positions for OOM AAT Driver Battle Droids that operated the secondary armaments of the tank. It is likely probable that, in case of breakdowns, the gunners in the hull could take the controls of the turret gun or vice versa. The commander could fire the secondary armaments from its position.

An OOM command battle droid, named OOM-9, over an AAT commanding a company of armored vehicles during the Battle of Naboo. Source: Wookieepedia

To distinguish an OOM command battle droid, an OOM AAT Driver Battle Droid and an OOM pilot battle droid, paint schemes were applied over the usual B1 Battle Droid kaki camouflage. The command droid received yellow circles on the torso and head, the AAT driver droid received blue markings on the torso while the pilot droid received two different shapes of dark green markings on the head and torso.

Three droid tank commanders over their AATs’ turrets during a briefing in the clashes of Rugosa. The side ones are OOM AAT Driver Battle Droids with their complex tow-tone green markings while the middle one is a OOM command battle droid. Source: youtube.com “Star Wars: B1-Series AAT Pilot Battle Droids” @Mando and Scoundrel Gaming

The crew had a total of three access points, the main one was the rear entrance, which made it easy to evacuate the vehicle in a hurry. The others were the commander’s cupola and the front escape hatch that was rarely used due to exposure to enemy fire and the presence of the more useful rear entrance.

For self-defense, the droid crew could rely on the common E-5 light blaster rifle produced by the Baktoid Armor Workshop. It was a cheap and light gun, characterized by its compactness and thus really useful in the narrow spaces of the AAT. The crew was probably also equipped with other weapons, such as thermal detonators or E-60R missile launchers, but these are only assumptions, since no image shows such equipment inside an AAT.

An AAT B1 Driver Battle Droid with its usual blue paint addition and a standard E-5 light blaster rifle. Source: reddit.com

According to various sources, the AATs which were not scrapped after the end of the Clone Wars fell in the hands of the Alliance to Restore the Republic where they were modified in order to better accommodate organic crews. Anyway their service with Alliance to Restore the Republic is completely unknown.

Differences Between Models

The Armored Assault Tank was produced for 13 years in the droid factories. During its production history, it saw some modifications to speed up production, save on raw materials, and decrease the overall costs. To cool the hardware inside the vehicle or simply to let a humanoid crew survive, the AATs of the Trade Federation were equipped with an air intake on the lower side of the superstructure.

Early production Armored Assault Tanks with new Confederacy of Independent Systems camouflage. Old batches of Armored Assault Tanks were deployed until their total destruction or wear and tear. Source: deviantart.com @SirChewy

A modification between the AATs deployed by the Trade Federation and the most modern versions adopted by the Confederacy of Independent Systems was the commander’s hatch on the turret roof. In the early models, it was composed of two doors opening to the sides, while on the later models, the hatch was composed of a single rear-openable door.

OOM-9 command droid refers to the successful landing on Naboo to Viceroy Nute Gunray in 32 BBY. Note the early-type two doors cupola. Source: Wookieepedia

During production, there was a modification on the original secondary armament. The laser guns coupled with rangefinders installed on horizontal trunnions were replaced with twin heavier laser guns, increasing the already heavy firepower of the tank. This however came with the removal of the short range laser blasters from the superstructure, which were probably judged to be superfluous because they fired solely in the direction of travel and were of too limited power to be effective against anything other than clone troopers.

An Armored Assault Tank of late production in its usual Confederacy of Independent Systems camouflage. The twin heavier laser guns and the absence of the short range laser blasters are clearly noticeable. Source: battle-droids.fandom.com

Operational Use

The production of the Armored Assault Tank started before the Battle of Naboo, which took place in 32 BBY, even if the exact year of their first tests is not known. During the tests, two AATs fought against each other to assess their resistance, protection, and armament.

It is known that, before using them in the occupation of the peaceful planet, the Trade Federation used the AATs against the pirate armies of several Outer Rim planets with great results. One such example was on the planet of Lok in the Karthakk System, where battles against pirates were fierce. When the tanks were moved to Naboo, some were already battle-scarred.

When the invasion of Naboo was ordered, the Armored Assault Tanks were the most common armored vehicle of the Droid Army and were deployed in the droid units in proportion of two AATs for each Multi-Troop Transport (MTT). The only criticism encountered in the first part of the operation were the dimensions of the vehicles that, during urban operations in Naboo’s capital city, Theed, damaged some buildings.

AATs and B1 Battle Droids advancing through the Royal Palace’s Square in Theed, Naboo’s capital city. Source: starwars.fandom.comalias Wookieepedia

With the start of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, the Armored Assault Tank saw an increased production rate. Due to its low cost and speed of production, it quickly became the most common Separatist vehicle encountered by clone troopers and the Jedis. After the first battles of the war, the AAT showed its vulnerabilities against the Republican force’s PLX-1 anti-tank missile launcher and TX-130 tank of the Saber-class. With the continuation of the war, clone troopers learned by experience how to disable an AAT at short range using hand grenades and EMC (ElectroMagnetic Compatibility) grenades dropped in the tank hatches after separating it from droid infantry. Another solution was to ambush isolated AAT with fast All Terrain Recon Transport (AT-RT) attacking the tanks at short distances on the sides.

An AAT ambushed by AT-RTs during Battle of Ryloth (22 to 21 BBY). Despite heavy armor, the AAT was vulnerable to short-range side ambushes. However, clone walkers had to score many hits before destroying it. Source: Wookieepedia

Despite its vulnerability and its career of over 10 years, the Armored Assault Tank was still produced when the war ended and widely deployed in the droid armies of General Grievous, the Separatist Army’s commander. One possible reason, in addition to low cost and ease of production, is to be found in the ease of operating a manned tank compared to the cost of a sentient droid-tank. In the event of battlefield damage, the crew of an AAT could partially fix the damage and return to the carrier’s automated workshop for repair. A sentient droid-tank, such as the NR-N99 of the Persuader-class, could not self-repair due to the absence of a crew. The AATs took part in the majority of the Clone Wars’ battles as main battle tanks of the droid armies. They were present during some of the great successes of the Separatists during the three years of the Clone Wars.

A late model Armored Assault Tank during the Siege of Muunilinst (22 BBY). It was painted with the InterGalactic Banking Clan camouflage, identical to that of the Trade Federation. Source: star-wars-clone-wars-original.fandom.com

In order to transport the droid assault forces from the spaceships to the planet surface, 4-wing C-9979 landing craft were deployed. Each C-9979 landing craft could transport a total of 114 AATs: 24 on each front wing and 33 on each rear wing. The C-9979 also worked as a workshop for damaged battle droids or vehicles. When an AAT finished its ammunition, it returned to its C-9979 landing craft that automatically replaced the empty racks with fully loaded ones. This totally automated process sensibly decreased the loading time, allowing the crew to remain on board the tank and return to the battlefield in a few minutes. At the same time, the automatic workshops substituted damaged parts of the AATs to put them back on the battlefield as soon as possible. The vehicle could also be deployed on moons and asteroids without an atmosphere if operated by a droid crew.

A C-9979 landing craft unloading an AAT and some droids units on Rugosa. Source: starwars.fandom.comalias Wookieepedia

In 21 BBY, the Techno Union attacked Ryloth populated by the peaceful Twi’lek. The armies of Wat Tambor quickly repulsed the clone forces on the planet and started a hard dictatorship which was disturbed only by the ruthless warrior Cham Syndulla.

Later on, the Galactic Senate sent a clone force to free the planet. The force was commanded by Master Jedi Mace Windu supported by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi General Anakin Skywalker. After a hard fight to create a bridgehead on the planet, the clone forces started to push back the droid forces which spared no droids and AATs to stop the Republican advance.

In one of these clashes, the droids successfully employed ambush tactics to slow down the clones, inflicting the maximum number of losses. Probably, without Jedis and Cham Syndulla’s rebels, the campaign would have failed.

Techno Union’s AATs ambush a column of clone’s All Terrain Tactical Enforcer tanks during the Battle of Ryloth on 22 BBY. Source: youtube.com

During the Battle of Christophsis on 22 BBY, the AATs were between the main droid armies’ vehicles. During the Battle of Chaleydonia, capital city of the planet, the clone forces were trapped and Jedis were called to intervene.

The heavy firepower of clone’s AV-7 Antivehicle Cannon repelled numerous waves of droid army tanks, and to destroy the clone’s artillery Separatist General Whorm Loathsom adopted an innovative solution. Droid armies would advance below an energy shield to prevent clone artillery from hitting them. The plan worked well and Gen. Loathsom was one step away from destroying the clone armies. Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, however, managed to infiltrate behind enemy lines and disable the shield. The Separatist general should have concentrated on destroying the opposing guns but he entertained himself discussing the terms of surrender of the clone armies with Jedi Master Obi Wan-Kenobi and was caught unprepared by the loss of the shield. In a very short time, the clones responded and annihilated the Separatist forces, including dozens of AATs.

Separatist General Whorm Loathsom’s droid army advanced, covered by the energy shield. On the first line, five AATs and four platoons of B1 Battle Droids shortly followed by three platoons of B2 Battle Droids and NR-N99 Persuader-class Droid Enforcer Tracked Sentient Tanks. Source: starwars.fandom.comalias Wookieepedia

The AATs also saw extensive service in the various battles on the jungle planet of Felucia. A repulsor tank was considered better in the harsh terrain of the planet, legged and wheeled clone vehicles easily got stuck in mud and dense forests. Nevertheless, battles on the planet were often fought along the few roads on the planet. Most of the clashes took place head-on, and the AAT proved adequate in absorbing opposing lasers. Even in ambushes the vehicle could prove very useful, although its low speed did not help.

An AAT with a droid battle group being repelled by a clone’s HAVw A6 Juggernaut. Source: YouTube.com

There was only one instance where the AAT was not used, during the Battle of Kashyyyk in 19 BBY, by then the end of the Clone Wars. The Trade Federation invaded the peaceful forest planet, home of the Wookies, and the Republic rushed to the aid of its allies. There were no AATs in the ranks of the droid armies, although the reasons are unclear. Probably the NR-N99 Persuader-class Droid Enforcer Tracked Sentient Tanks were preferred for their off-road capabilities.

After the Clone Wars, some AATs that survived the scrap, were repurposed by renegade Separatist warlords and the nascent Alliance to Restore the Republic.

Versions

Heavier Armored Assault Tank

During the Battle of Naboo, the Trade Federation also deployed a heavier version of the AAT, called the Heavier Armored Assault Tank (HAAT), of which nothing is known. It was probably hindered by bad performances and judged negatively. When the Baktoid Combat Automata resumed the production of droids for the Trade Federation, the HAAT production was not resumed.

An image of the Heavy Armored Assault Tank. This vehicle only appeared in the game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. Source: starwars.fandom.com alias Wookieepedia

Heavy Artillery Gun

The Heavy Artillery Gun – Mortar (HAG-M) or Mortar Tank was a self-propelled gun version of the AAT. It was a sentient self-propelled artillery vehicle equipped with a longer superstructure and a bigger gun used for indirect fire during sieges.

The Heavy Artillery Gun – Mortar (HAG-M) in its Confederacy of Independent Systems camouflage. Source: reddit.com u/KunaiOats

The Heavy Artillery Gun’s armor was increased compared to that of the Armored Assault Tank to better protect it from clone armaments. The increased weight decreased the maximum speed. It was capable of becoming a dangerous opponent on the battlefield, but its low speed and maneuverability made it an easy target for more mobile Republican units, such as the small All-Terrain Recon-Transport (AT-RT) walker.

Defoliator Deployment Tank

The Defoliator Deployment Tank (DDT) was a Self-Repulsor Artillery system, developed by droid armies general and gun developer Lok Durd of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. It was a heavily modified Armored Assault Tank armed with a defoliator gun instead of the turret.

This new gun was capable of destroying all organic life forms, such as plants and aliens, leaving the droids intact. The prototype of the DDT was tested for the first time in 21 BBY on the semi-desert planet of Maridun, where only a small colony of Lurmen was located. Thanks to the intervention of some Galactic Republican forces arriving on the planet during a crash landing, the Lurmen village was not destroyed during the defoliator gun tests and Master Jedi Anakin Skywalker sliced the prototype of the DDT with his lightsaber.

The Defoliator Deployment Tank prototype. As visible, the front part of the original chassis of the AAT was left intact, modifying only the rear and turret. Source: star-wars-and-mlpfim.fandom.com

Imperial Armored Assault Tank

The Imperial Armored Assault Tank (IAAT) was a heavier armored version of the AAT adopted by Galactic Empire allies, such as the Trandoshan slave merchants.

The main armament was substituted with a heavy flamethrower. It is unclear if this was an especially produced variant or a simple conversion to operate in the full forest planet Kashyyyk.

An Imperial Armored Assault Tank on Kashyyyk, manned by the Trandoshan. Source: Lucasfilm/Disney

The hull and turret were left unmodified while there are few more external features. The turret was now equipped with a second external position for another gunner. while the half-round shaped structure was elongated at the back probably to increase the flamethrower fuel reserve.

This vehicle appeared for the first time in 18 BBY. Some Trandoshan slave merchants on the forest planet Kashyyyk, homeland of the Wookies, were attacked and stopped by the Clone Force 99 (also known as the “Bad Batch”) and Padawan Gungi.

The new Imperial Armored Assault Tank seen in 18 BBY in Kashyyyk in the hands of Trandoshan slave merchants. Apart from some differences in the rear hull and turret, the vehicle remained an unmodified Separatist AAT. Source: starwars.com

Camouflages

During its operational life, which continued without interruption from 32 BBY to 19 BBY, the Armored Assault Tank saw different camouflage schemes.

The early camouflage was the standard reddish-orange one used by the Trade Federation before the creation of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. It was a generic camouflage also applied to B1 Battle Droids and with darker shades even to Multi-Transport Troops, Single Trooper Aerial Platform (STAP), and landing crafts.

With the creation of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the various guilds customized many of the camouflages, usually using their usual guild coat of arms colors.

For the AAT, unfortunately, only the standard Confederacy of Independent Systems camouflage was used.

Example of camouflages adopted by the various Separatist guilds on the Droid Tri-Fighter. Source: deviantart.com @SheldonOswaldLee

The Armored Assault Tank deployed from 24 BBY onward were repainted with two-tone camouflage composed of silver-gray and blue, with the Confederacy of Independent Systems’ coat of arms on the lower rounded structure for aerial identification.

An early AAT version with the Confederacy of Independent Systems’ camouflage. Source: 3dexport.com

Conclusion

The Armored Assault Tank was the most iconic vehicle of the Droid Army during the whole duration of the Clone Wars. It had a production history that lasted for 13 years, from 32 BBY until the final fall of the Galactic Republic in 19 BBY.

While well designed and with only minor flaws, its crew composed of cheap droids usually failed in operating these tanks competently, causing high losses that could have been avoided with humanoid crews or more developed droid crews.

Although some new Republican vehicles were more powerful than the Armored Assault Tank, it remained the most produced and used Confederacy of Independent Systems vehicle and, most importantly, one of the best armed vehicles for the whole duration of the war.

An early production Armored Assault Tank of the Trade Federation during the Battle of Naboo on 32 BBY.

Late production Armored Assault Tank with standard Confederacy of Independent Systems’ camouflage during the Clone Wars. Illustrations by Oussama Mohamed ‘Godzilla’.

Specifications
Dimensions L-W-H	9.75 x ? x ? m
Crew	4 droids (driver, commander, 2 gunners)
Speed	55 km/h (34 mph)
Armament	1 Heavy Laser Gun, 2 Repeating Blaster Guns, 2 Light Blaster Guns, 2 Chain-fed Energized Shell and 6 Grenade Launchers
Armor	Thick

Sources

Lucasfilm Ltd, The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Studios
Star Wars Vehicles Collector Magazine – Number 49 – Lucas Book
Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections, David West Reynolds and Curtis Saxton – Dorling Kindersley Publishing, 18th March 2007
Starwars.com
starwars.fandom.com alias Wookieepedia
Star Wars, The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, W. Haden Blackman, Ballantine Books, New York, 2003

Fictional Tanks

Army Surplus Special (Fictional Tank)

Post author By Mark Nash
Post date April 1, 2024
3 Comments on Army Surplus Special (Fictional Tank)

United States of America (1968)
Wacky Racer

In 1968, Hanna-Barbera, the classic cartoon producer of The Flintstones, Topcat, and The Jetsons, – released Wacky Races, a Saturday morning cartoon centered around eleven unique cars with quirky drivers competing in road rallies across the United States to be named “World’s Wackiest Racer”. The cartoon ran for one season between September 1968 and January 1969, with a total of 17 episodes, each consisting of two separate stories.

The show is most well known for that terrible two-some, Dick Dastardly and his dog Muttly in the ‘00’ car ‘Mean Machine’. However, one of the more interesting vehicles – at least to the military-minded – is Number 6, ‘The Army Surplus Special’, manned by Private Meekly (Paul Winchell) and Sergeant Blast (Daws Butler). As is the theme of Wacky Races, this vehicle consists of a rather far-fetched design, being some kind of half-track/tank hybrid.

That being said, and as far-fetched as it sounds, there are some surprising real-world parallels that can be drawn to try and dissect this ‘Wacky Racer’.

Disclaimer: quite clearly, this vehicle and its premise are quite ridiculous. Needless to say, this subject should be treated with an element of tongue-in-cheek, especially when it comes to the absolutely bonkers abilities and equipment employed by this vehicle. One must remember this is a vehicle from a Cartoon, so ‘Cartoon Laws of Physics’ and ‘Rule of Cool’ apply.

Representing a true motor pool mash-up, the No. 6 racer, ‘Army Surplus Special‘ commanded by Sergeant Blast (voiced by Daws Butler) in the turret, driven by Private Meekly (voiced by Paul Winchel) in the Cab. Photo: Hanna-Barbera

Wacky Races

Directed and produced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Wacky Races has something of a cult following to this day. The show was based on the 1965 film The Great Race, and was initially produced to be part of a live television game show where contestants would bet on the outcome of the race. This concept fell through, and so it became a stand-alone venture.

The Wacky Races logo. Image: Hanna-Barbera

As well as the aforementioned characters, there was a whole slew of other ‘wacky’ characters and vehicles. These included:

Car 1: The Slag Brothers, Rock and Gravel in the Boulder Mobile.
Car 2: The Gruesome Twosome – Tiny “Big Gruesome” and Bela “Little Gruesome” in the Creepy Coupe
Car 3: Professor Pat Pending in his Convert-a-Car
Car 4: The Red Max in the Crimson Haybaler
Car 5: Penelope Pitstop in the Compact Pussycat
Car 7: The Ant Hill Mob – Clyde, Ring-A-Ding, Rug Bug Benny, Mac, Danny, Kirby and Willy, in the Bulletproof Bomb
Car 8: Lazy Luke and Blubber Bear in the Arkansas Chuggabug
Car 9: Peter Perfect in the Turbo Terrific

Despite being a highly successful show, it would only last that one season. Wacky Races was among a purge of cartoon shows that occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s due to parental protests over cartoon violence. Still, many of the characters introduced in Wacky Races would go on to star in their spin-off shows.

Promotional image showing some of the Wacky Racers. The Army Surplus Special is bringing up the rear. Image. Hanna-Barbera

Motor Pool Mash-Up

Trying to address this vehicle in any kind of realistic sense is difficult, to say the least. Nonetheless, maximum effort shall be applied.

Beholder of an unfortunate acronym, the ‘Army Surplus Special’ is a hybrid vehicle that is half tank, half jeep, forming a cut-and-shunt half-track. However, it is not a true half-track, as there are no front road wheels, only a large roller drum. There is a small set of track units at the rear end. The vehicle is driven by Private Meekly in the jeep-esque front end of the vehicle, while it is commanded by Sergeant Blast from the tank-derived turret at the rear, which sits atop a large armored box, atop the track units.

The Crew of ‘No. 6’, The Army Surplus Special, Private Meekly (Driver – right) and Sergeant Blast (Commander – left). Image: Hanna-Barbera

Being operated by military personnel, it is reasonable to suggest that this vehicle was assembled at a motor pool (the maintenance hub of military bases) with spare (surplus) parts. It certainly has the appearance of being roughly thrown together, as it seems to be held together by riveted metal brackets. This is at least true in the connection between the jeep front and tank rear. The turret is vaguely Sherman-esque, while the tracks could well be the type used on the M3-series half-tracks. It is not too much of a stretch to suggest that parts of these would have been plentiful in the late 1960s. The vehicle also features “bazooka-boosters’ attached to the flanks, providing added propulsion.

While this vehicle is absurd in a realistic sense and its components are only vaguely reminiscent of real-world examples, it is worth highlighting some of the individual parts.

Half-Tracks

Half-tracks originated in the USA in the late-19th century, evolving from log-haulers of the timber industry. The concept was soon adopted by the world’s militaries, including the US. Major powers, such as Germany and France, also developed the vehicle type. The thinking behind the half-track was that it would have the cross-country capabilities of a tank and the handling/steering and cost of a wheeled vehicle. With the weight spread over the track system, they could carry relatively heavy loads for their size.

The American M3 Half-Track. Photo: The National WWII Museum

In the US, the most iconic half-track was the Half-Track Car M3, which served in multiple capacities during World War Two, from troop transports to tank destroyers, to self-propelled anti-air guns and engineering vehicles. During the war, they would serve numerous countries, such as Great Britain, Canada, and the Soviet Union (USSR). Post-war, it was exported to even more countries, either sold off or as part of military aid. As a result, they ended up in Israel, Argentina, and India, among many others. In the service of smaller nations, such as Zaire, they were still in service in the 1980s. Amazingly, some are still in use in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

The suspension of the Surplus Special consists of two road wheels and two larger wheels. Which one of these is the drive wheel cannot be identified. If it is supposedly an M3 track system, the upper front wheel would be the drive wheel. The suspension has the rather ridiculous ability of being able to ‘tip-toe’ on its tracks. They effectively rotate down vertically so only a wheel-end is in contact with the ground. This can either be done with no extension or an absurdly long extension allowing to cross deep canyons. This is seen in Episode 2, Part 2: ‘Beat the Clock to Yellow Rock’, and Episode 8, Part 2: ‘The Wrong Lumber Race’.

Left, the Surplus Special in Ep. 2, Pt. 2. Right, in Ep. 8, Pt. 2. Both show the extents of the ‘tip-toe’ ability. Images: Hanna-Barbera

Also, when in need of a boost, the vehicle can employ ‘GI Power’, where Pvt. Meekly slots himself into the tracks and runs them like a hamster in a wheel. Not that it would need to be said, but there is no real-world comparison to this and it is quite ridiculous to suggest a single man could increase the tractive effort of a combustion engine (needless to say, survive the experience). Nonetheless, this appears in Episode 6, Part 2: ‘The Speedy Arkansas Traveler’.

Roller Drum

The large, red roller on the front of the Army Surplus Special fills the role of the front steering wheels. This presumably means that the tank relies on traditional tank ‘skid-steering’. While its size is excessive, the roller drum might also suggest M3 half-track lineage. Some models of M3 featured an ‘unditching roller’ attached to the front bumper, designed to allow the vehicle to push itself up the opposite bank of a ditch, rather than dig its bumper in and get stuck.

Another type of roller equipped on tanks was a ‘mine roller’. This concept dates back to pre-Second World War. It consists of a large heavy drum suspended from the front of an armored vehicle, usually a tank or dedicated engineering vehicle. Used in areas suspected of being mined, the heavy roller would apply pressure to the ground, setting off any pressure-triggered mines. This equipment is still used today.

Left, an M32B1 with the T1E1 “Earthworm” device. Right, M3 half-track with ‘unditching roller’. Photos: weaponsparade.com & Military Trader, respectively

Other than acting as a front wheel, the roller does not play a large role in the crew’s attempts at winning a race. In typical cartoon fashion, of course, it does have the ability to squash competitors into paper-thin sheets without killing them. This trope is seen several times throughout the season.

Turret

The turret of the Army Surplus Special is vaguely M4 Sherman-esque, but lacks enough detail to say what it is for sure. If anything, its shape is more reminiscent of a tea or coffee pot (in Ep. 6, Pt. 1, ‘Rollercoaster to Upsan Downs‘, the crew even resorts to ‘Perculator Power’ to gain speed), with a short gun at the front and a single central hatch in the roof. The turret is capable of a full 360° traverse, and the gun seems to have a decent vertical traverse arc. If the turret is meant to be Sherman-derived, the gun could be a 75 mm or 76 mm gun, or a 105 mm Howitzer. Given its length, it is more likely based on the 75 mm or 105 mm.

The Surplus Special uses ‘Perculator Power’ to gain speed in Ep. 6, Pt, 1 “Rollercoaster to Upsan Downs”. It is an exercise in futility to even try and explain how this is supposed to work. Photo: Hanna-Barbera

The gun is used numerous times during races, in both anger (firing at other racers) and for other means. Most notably, it is often used for a quick boost using Newton’s law – eg. the recoil provides some propulsion. It would also appear that Private Meekly has access to gunnery controls, as evidenced by Episode 1, Part 2: ‘Creepy Trip to Lemon Twist’, when he mistakes an order from Sgt. Blast to “shoot”.

For ammunition, the Surplus Special seems to be equipped with standard High-Explosive (HE) shells, but also has a ‘bubblegum shot’ that can be used to get opponents quite literally stuck in their tracks. This was seen in Episode 8, Part 1: ‘Hot Race at Chillicothe’, where Sgt. Blast fired it at a pursuing Professor Pat Pending. The Professor deflects it back at the Surplus Special, covering them in a giant, popped bubblegum bubble.

Left, the Surplus Special firing its gun at the ‘Arkansas Chuggabug’ after being overtaken. Right, Sgt. Blast fires a ‘bubblegum shot’ at Prof. Pat Pending. Photo: Hanna-Barbera

Bazooka Boosters

On each side of the tank-ish rear end are what appears to be a set of M1 Bazooka anti-tank weapons. In the cartoon, these are used as rocket boosters that use short burns to give the vehicle a speed boost. This simply would not work as the Bazooka, by design, is a recoilless weapon designed to propel a rocket projectile at a target.

While the use of Bazookas as boosters is pure fiction, the concept of ‘rocket-propelled’ tanks is not a complete fallacy.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union (USSR) experimented with rocket-propelled tanks as a means of quickly getting a tank moving should it become stuck on difficult terrain, allowing an advance of forces to carry on. There is surviving footage of a test of these rockets mounted on a T-54/55, but presumably, this would have a universal fitting for any tank or armored vehicle. The program never progressed to adoption, likely due to cost and difficulty controlling the rockets. There are reports that there was a similar test utilizing the BMP-1 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), where the personnel bay was filled with a couple of jet engines. Details of this experiment are scarce, unfortunately.

A clip from the footage of the Soviet T-54/55 being tested with rocket engines. Photo: Popular Mechanics

Race Standings

Unfortunately for the Number 6 team, they did not have the greatest racing career. Of 34 races, Pvt. Meekly and Sgt. Bash in their Surplus Special only won three races. These victories were seen in Episode 4, Part 2: ‘Real Gone Ape’, Episode 8, Part 1: ‘Hot Race at Chillicothe’, and Episode 16, Part 1: ‘The Ski Resort Road Race’.

To look at it in a realistic sense, it is quite remarkable that a half-tracked vehicle constructed from ex-military vehicle parts could come in any position other than last. The vehicle’s engine is never identified, it certainly would not be the 148 hp White 160AX of the M3 Half-Track or any of the litany of engines found on the M4 Sherman, be it the original 350 hp Continental Radial engine, 450 hp Ford GAA V8, or notorious 370 hp Chrysler ‘Multi-bank’.

The Surplus Special crosses the finish line in 1st place, Ep. 8, Pt. 1: ‘Hot Race at Chillicothe’. Image: Hanna-Barbera

Conclusion

Despite only running for one season, Wacky Races, like most classic Hanna-Barbera productions, is still loved by many and is considered a classic cartoon. In terms of the ‘Army Surplus Special’, it simply was not practical in a real-world sense. It would be a nightmare to steer, would be top-heavy, and an all-around danger to anyone involved in racing against it, not least because it still has a live cannon!

There is no real-world comparison to this vehicle, however there is a real-life replica of it. The show was extremely popular in Great Britain. So much so that at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed, life-size replicas of the entire Wacky Races roster are displayed. A new one was revealed annually for a time, with the last car being Number 7, ‘Ant Hill Mob’s Bulletproof Bomb’, unveiled in 2008.

The real-life replica of ‘The Army Surplus Special’ shown at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

In recent years, Wacky Races has had something of a resurgence. Between 1991 and 2008 there were a series of video games. Also, in 2016, DC Comics released a ‘Mad Max’ style reimagining of the cartoon. Running for just 6 issues, it brought back characters such as Sgt. Meekly and Pvt. Blast, but put them in far more realistic, brutalist vehicles.

Our own representation of the Wacky Races No. 6 car, The Army Surplus Special. Illustrated by Pavel Alexe, funded by our Patreon campaign

Specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	Big enough for two crew members
Total weight	Heavy enough to flatten someone
Crew	2: Pvt. Meekly (driver), Sgt. Blast (commander)
Propulsion	Unspecified engine Recoil ‘Bazooka Boosters’ ‘Perculator Power’ ‘G.I. Power’
Speed	Fast enough to race
Armament	Unspecified Cannon HE Shells ‘Bubblegum Shot’
Armor	Plot

Sources

‘Wacky Races’, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Hanna-Barbera Productions (1968 – 1969)
R.P. Hunnicutt, Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank, Presidio Press, 1978
Michael Mallory, Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, 1999
R. P. Hunnicutt, Half-Track: A History of American Semi-Tracked Vehicles, Presidio Press, 2001
wackyraces.fandom.com
www.popularmechanics.com

Fictional Tanks

Tanks from The Shape of Things to Come (Fictional Tank)

Post author By Andrew Hills
Post date May 15, 2023
1 Comment on Tanks from The Shape of Things to Come (Fictional Tank)

Tank from The Shape of Things to Come. Illustration by Pavel Alexe.

United Kingdom (1936)
Science Fiction Tank

The classic film Things to Come hit the big screen in 1936. Right at the outset of what would become WW2, this film, directed by William Menzies, predicted a devastating conflict in Europe which would last for years and destroy the very fabric of society. It was based on H. G. Wells’ science fiction book The Shape of Things to Come released in 1933.

Wells and Tanks

H. G. Wells was born in Victorian England in 1866 and went on to become one of the best known science fiction writers in history, with titles such as The First Men in the Moon (1901), The Time Machine (1895), The Invisible Man (1897), and the War of the Worlds (1898). Wells is also famous for his story ‘The Land Ironclads’, published in 1903 in The Strand Magazine. This fascinating piece of speculative fiction has often been seen as an influence on tank development, despite the fact the insect-like, pedrail-wheeled vehicles bore minimal resemblance to anything that saw actual production.

Wells’ Land Ironclad of 1903. Source: The Strand Magazine

Much of Wells’ work involves creative visions and ideas of what the future of warfare might look like from the perspective of a man born at the height of the industrial revolution. Much of his inspiration stems from the works of earlier writers, such as Albert Robida, as well as the innovative use of armored trains during the Boer Wars in South Africa.

His prescience has, however, been seemingly overblown for this relatively minor story in a science-fiction magazine relying in part on his connection to a man like Sir Ernest Swinton, who also wrote for the magazine. This is despite Swinton himself saying it was not the reason for the invention and that it had no influence on the work. Focussing therefore on this relatively minor aspect of a long writing career has also managed to detract from his vehicles in the 1933 book The Shape of Things to Come. In the book, he says relatively little about these war machines – perhaps to the surprise of people who choose to credit him with the ‘invention’ of the tank.

Wells’ real tanks are best seen not in this book, or even in his Strand Magazine story from 30 years prior, but instead, in the film based on the book. Wells was personally in attendance during parts of the shooting, he knew the director and producer, wrote the screenplay, and had a strong personal input into all elements of the film. This perhaps explains why it is often considered a little slow and rambling, interspersed with overly long and flowery speeches from the main protagonist. But these stylistic touches extend to the visuals as well, and it is certain that Wells both saw and approved of the futuristic tank designs depicted in the film. We can therefore infer that he saw these as a better reflection of his concepts for the future of armored warfare, especially in comparison to the fanciful, insectoid machines of his 1903 publication.

In the past, many films, and especially war films, have been made with an eye for drama and messaging over the practical realities of war. The emphasis has been on the ‘human experience’ of the troops involved, or on conveying the horrors of conflict. Regardless of the precise focus of these efforts, the results are often mixed, and many miss the mark completely. However, the short war sequences in Things to Come benefited greatly from having a cast, crew, and production team made up primarily from veterans of the Great War.

The director, William Menzies, certainly knew what war looked like, having served with the US expeditionary forces in Europe in WW1. He was not alone either; the star of the film Raymond Massey was wounded in WW1 in France whilst serving with the Canadian Field Artillery. Ralph (later Sir Ralph) Richardson was too young to take part in WW1, although he did enlist in WW2 in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and train as a pilot. Edward Chapman would end up taking a break from acting and join the Royal Air Force working as an Intelligence Officer in WW2.

The Book

Published in 1933, the story was a ‘future-history’ written in epilogue as a reminiscence by a fictional character called Dr. Phillip Raven. Raven was a diplomat writing a 5-volume history from his perspective in the year 2106.

The book initially depicts a European society irrevocably torn apart by a thirty-year economic depression followed by a prolonged war. Huge strides in aeronautical engineering results in cities being devastated by mass bomber formations, causing unthinkable casualties on all sides. With their infrastructure in ruins and plagues running rampant, nations fracture and crumble back into feudal city-states ruled by local despots and warlords. Yet Wells’ narrative also details how civilisation rebuilds after calamity and slowly but surely overcomes various issues of nationalism, fascism, and religion, replacing them with a utopian vision of a world that holds science and education among its highest values. The book went on to influence other writers and science fiction, yet remains a quiet ‘cousin’ to another futurist view of a new utopia published the year before by Aldous Huxley titled Brave New World.

Nonetheless, the book was significant enough that Alexander Korda decided to create Wells’ vision on the big screen. This could have been as some kind of antidote to the even earlier Metropolis (1927) from Fritz Lange and its view of a future society divided much akin to Huxley’s Upper and Lower class stratification.

Alexander Korda (left) sharing a conversation with H. G. Wells (right) on the set of Things to Come.

Regarding ‘tanks’ in the book, Wells makes surprisingly little mention and no description at all. There was a small reference to “the primitive tank” as a weapon in WW1 (Chapter 4), reinforcing the idea that Wells did not like the tanks the British Army was equipped with in WW1. This is reinforced by his comment (via Dr. Raven) about how “the British had first invented, and then made a great mess of, the tank in the World War, and they were a tenacious people. The authorities stuck to it belatedly but doggedly.” Though one might argue that this statement was made in-character and did not reflect Wells’ personal views, it aligned well with the British tank fleet in 1933, which consisted of an eclectic mixture of vehicles and numerous dead-end prototypes that would prove to have little military value.

“In Great Britain a group of these experts became exceedingly busy in what was called mechanical warfare. The British had first invented, and then made a great mess of, the tank in the World War, and they were a tenacious people. The authorities stuck to it belatedly but doggedly. In a time of deepening and ever bitterer parsimony their War Office spared no expense in this department. It was the last of all to feel the pinch. The funny land ironclads of all sizes these military ‘inventors’ produced, from a sort of armoured machine-gunner on caterpillar wheels up to very considerable mobile forts, are still among the queerest objects in the sheds of the vast war dumps which constitute the Aldershot Museum. They are fit peers for Admiral Fisher’s equally belated oil Dreadnoughts.”

— Chapter 4 ‘Changes in War Practice After the World War.
The Shape of Things to Come, H. G. Wells (1933)

Dr. Raven’s denunciation of the parlous state of post-war British preparation for the next war follows directly on from this brief review of armored warfare in WW1, saying:

“The British dream of the next definitive war seems to have involved a torrent of this ironmongery tearing triumphantly across Europe. In some magic way (too laborious to think out) these armoured Wurms were to escape traps, gas poison belts, mines and gunfire. There were even ‘tanks’ that were intended to go under water, and some that could float. Hansen even declared… that he had found (rejected) plans of tanks to fly and burrow. Most of these contrivances never went into action. That throws a flavour of genial absurdity over this particular collection that is sadly lacking from most war museums.”

— Chapter 4 ‘Changes in War Practice After the World War.
The Shape of Things to Come, H. G. Wells (1933)

Wells actually wrote rather inconsistently on tanks in his stories. In the Land Ironclads of 1903, they were the war winner, and in War and the Future written in 1917, he mused on gargantuan tanks, land leviathans literally the size of ships cruising across and crushing all before them. He built on this idea in part in The Work, Health and Happiness of Mankind, written in 1932, the year before The Shape of Things to Come. In that story, the power of the tanks was paramount, crushing helpless and hapless enemy soldiers into “….a sort of jam…” as they rolled across the land. Yet, these vehicles, the land leviathans, were now rendered helpless in The Shape of Things to Come, with the advent of poison gas and enemy minefields.

The Plot

Starring Raymond Massey as John and Oswald Cabal, Ralph Richardon as ‘The Boss’, and Edward Chapman as Pippa and Raymond Passworthy, the film was the production of Alexander Korda. Set in pre-war ‘Everytown’ (although it is meant to be London), the streets were full of gaiety and citizens enjoying their routine, from shopping at Sandersons department store for Christmas 1940. Food is plentiful, the people are well dressed and content, from the working man in his tweed flat cap to the toff in his top hat and tails leaving the Burleigh Cinema. In the background to this gaiety is the looming aspect of war, headlines about a nondescript enemy and the prospect of war with Europe rearming.

‘Everytown’ (a stylised London) , Christmas 1940. Source: Things to Come.

It is after Christmas that John Cabal (Raymond Massey) and Pippa Passworthy (Edward Chapman) and others are shocked by the unexpected news on the wireless; war has broken out, and the first bombs had already started falling on the city’s water works.

There follows a general mobilization and the passing of a national Defence Act. Meanwhile, the mood on the street becomes somber and gloomy as the war gets closer and closer to ‘Everytown’. Then, abruptly, the hustle and bustle of the streets is suddenly overwhelmed with a fleet of soldiers on motorbikes and the arrival of anti-aircraft guns in the square, followed soon by the shriek of loudhailers.

Here the film provides a short taste of what an air-raid by modern planes might look like – the sort of thing no Londoner would need to be reminded of in just a few years’ time. Warned to seek shelter and go home or use the underground, panic grips the streets as and our top-hatted toff shakes an impotent fist at the enemy above. Cabal is next seen in a uniform of the RAF, and in short order the first bombs start to fall. Soon the city is plunged into darkness as a blackout begins, eerily foreshadowing the darkness that would grip Britain’s own cities in just a few years. Nonetheless, the bombs still drop, obliterating first the cinemas and then the department store owned by the Sandersons.

The bombs have started falling and the panicked citizens flee for cover. Too late, the toff realizes his top hat is no protection from poison gas. Source: The Criterion Collection.

The aftermath of the bombing of Everytown. Lives, buildings, and vehicles lie shattered. This sort of scene would have been jarring for an audience of 1936. Source: The Criterion Collection.

This was a terrifying image to portray to audiences in 1936, as citizens were blown apart, vehicles and buildings were shattered by bombs, and finally poison gas started to fill the streets. Certainly, this was no light hearted or campy vision of a future being shown to audiences, but an all-too realistic look ahead to what a new war might bring them on the Home Front.

The viewer was then treated to a montage of combat made from stock footage of troops and machines, the Royal Navy at sea and excerpts of Vickers Medium Mark I tanks filmed during maneuvers. It is during this sequence and prior to the mass-bombing scenes (featuring what appear to be Lysanders) that the ‘future’ tanks are seen. These new tanks, not of a design which existed at the time, were designed to show the audience the progression of technology as the war developed.

Vickers Medium Tank Mk. I tank shown in the montage of the war. Source: Things to Come.

One of the future tanks used on the film, in a sequence which would date it to the period 1940-1966. Notably, the film does not make clear the identity of the force using this tank, whether it is British or someone else. Source: Things to Come.

As far as filimography goes, the air to air combat sequence which followed was certainly as good or better than some of the rather dreary contemporary films. The audience even gets to see John Cabal in action in a shiny silver open-topped Hawker Fury fighter, downing some as yet unnamed dastardly enemy who had just dropped poison gas from his Percival Mew Gull.

The time scale of the film shifts next to 21st September 1966 (also the 100th birthday of H. G. Wells). The war is dragging on and clearly things have not gone well, with rampant inflation, a shattered landscape, and the emergence of an epidemic known as the ‘wandering sickness’.

Headline of the National Bulletin 21st September 1966 showing not only rampant inflation, but also the hopeful end to the war. Source: Things to Come.

It is this wandering sickness which propels the new chapter, with Ralph Richardson as ‘The Boss’. He portrays a vicious and pompous warlord who rises to power by ruthlessly executing those unlucky enough to be struck with the wandering sickness.

By 1966, the only functional parts of society are the military and, amusingly, the fashion industry, as citizens walk dressed in rags or stereotypical Romani costumes, while still sporting immaculate hairstyles carefully slicked back by the generous application of Brylcreem. The people at this time are also half-starved – a stark contrast to the halcyon pre-war days of a well-fed populus. The wandering sickness meanwhile continues to ravage society, taking until 1970 to finally peter out.

All this time, the people remain at war, although maybe not the same war they started, for the enemy is now as much rival towns over resources, such as ‘the hill people’ and the nearby coal mines, as much as any ‘foreign’ foe. Here, ‘The Boss’ brings his army to the fore to seize the coal mines so he can make petrol and get his planes into the air.

Ralph Richardson as ‘The Boss’ channels his inner Mussolini to address a rag tag airforce on an obvious suicide mission. At his side is Rowena, played by Margaret Scott. As a curiosity more than anything else, in the scene where ‘The Boss’ is wearing his helmet (Bedeckedt with Pheasant feathers), at the front, he can be seen to be using a Cruise Visor – a type of spring-loaded chain mail visor attachment which had been invented in WW1 to protect the eyes of the wearer.
Source: Things to Come.

The Boss’ plans are thrown off by the arrival of the ludicrously-large helmeted and now gray-haired John Cabal in a modern aircraft, bringing news of a new organization. This harkens back to the idea of the League of Nations, but perhaps is closer to the post-war concept of the United Nations, albeit known by the unusual and not very intimidating name of ‘Wings Over the World’ (W.O.T.W.).

The enormously-helmeted ‘John Cabal’ returns to the people of ‘Everytown’ with a message from Wings Over the World. Source: Things to Come.

Cabal brings this news to ‘The Boss’, who imprisons him until a message of his capture can be taken to W.O.T.W. W.O.T.W.’s reply is succinct yet definitive, coming as it does in the form of a fleet of giant bombers, who proceed to drop bombs full of sleeping gas on the uncivilized masses thronging the ruins of Everytown. The people are saved from starvation, poverty, and the untidily dressed, at the cost of a single human life, as the Boss expires helplessly on the steps of the city hall. The arrival of the W.O.T.W. heralds an end to the new dark ages, promising an end to disorder and chaos.

One of the bombers from W.O.T.W. dropping the sleeping gas bombs over Everytown. Source: Things to Come.

Ralph Richardson as ‘The Boss’, ringing the bell in his final act as Warlord of Everytown, as the sleeping gas falls. Source: Things to Come

In the aftermath of the end of this barbarous time, Cabal makes one of those ‘trying-a-bit-too-hard-to-be-inspiring’ speeches followed by another montage. This time, it is the progress of science as the Earth is mined ruthlessly for its hidden resources, leading to the bright new future and featuring giant tracked machines blasting away at the rock.

Two views of the giant tracked mining machines harvesting the wealth of the Earth. Note the use of 6 double-wheel bogies on each side. Source: The Criterion Collection

This future of 2036 is decidedly whiter, cleaner and less Romani-esque than the age before. Cloaks, short shorts, and the same slicked back hairstyles dominate as progress reaches the point where man is to travel to the stars. This journey to the stars is courtesy of a giant gun hundreds of stories high used to launch one man and woman into the future.

The gleaming new underground Everytown of the future. Source: Things to Come

The rather elephantine helicopter in which Oswald Cabal and others reach the Space Gun from the city. Source: Things to Come

Those two characters are the children of Oswald Cabal and Raymond Passworthy and the launching has to be rushed to avoid destruction by the modern anti-science, anti-progress, populist luddites led by an artist called Theotocopulos (played by Cedric (later Sir Cedric) Hardwicke – also a veteran of WW1).

The film ends with the firing of the gun as the angry luddite-mod led by Theotocopulos storms the gun and are presumably killed or otherwise rendered even more senseless by the great concussion of it propelling the new Adam and Eve to the stars to conquer the Moon.

The Space Gun, hundreds of stories high, being loaded via a crane lowering the space capsule into the muzzle. Source: Things to Come

Yet another great speech from Cabal brings the movie to a close and, as sentimental as some of it may seem, the motives expressed were clearly real – a drive for science and progress to never stop, for man to never quit dreaming of the future and greatness, and that humans, as small, feeble, and fragile as they are, can conquer any adversity. Certainly very noble attributes with lofty goals for the film and inspiration for the struggle to come in just a couple of years.

The film itself was well funded, costing over GB£300,000 to produce – this was the equivalent of US$1m in 1933 and in 2021 would be the equivalent of GB£22.8m (US$28.5 m) accounting for inflation. It ‘predicted’ a few things that, in 2021, we take for granted, from helicopters to holographic projection and the flat screen television. It did not, however, predict a good showing at the box office.

Charles Carson (later to serve with ENSA [Entertainment National Service Organisation] in WW2) as ‘The Grandfather’, talking to ‘The Child’ played by Anna McLaren (later a notable biologist). Together, they watch how primitive humans used to live in great vertical cities on the surface on a large flat screen televisual device.
Source: The Criterion Collection

The film was not a commercial success and has lapsed in copyright. It is now in the public domain and can be watched online on a variety of platforms for free, although some versions are of a second rate quality copied from old videos or discs. The Criterion Collection offers a version of DVD with added extras, such as another montage showing the construction of the great underground city, which is not found on other releases.

The ‘Future Tank’

Appearing for just a few seconds during the film, the ‘future tank’ is little more than a model. In other instances, some random ‘tank’ model from a film would garner little interest, more so if it was science fiction. The tank presented in Things to Come, however, stands out. This was not the random thought of a model maker, but a film based on a book written and filmography approved by H. G. Wells. If Wells occupies any position in ideas of armored warfare before WW1, then his interwar idea of a tank must be taken into account in no less detail.

Sadly, with just a few seconds of footage and no substantive description from the book on which the vehicles were based, all that can be gathered as information is from the model as presented (and approved by Wells) in the film.

The Future Tank crushes obstacles in a combat sequence. Source: Things to Come.

From the brief screen appearance, a sleek and rounded vehicle is apparent. Running on a pair of tracks made from what appears to be rubber, the rounded track runs flush to the body, extending out over the sides. The track shape is roughly that of a long obtuse triangle, with the top of the track run as the long side tapering down to ground level to meet the second-longest side which is in contact with the ground. The third side of this triangle is the shortest and creates the attack angle at the front, allowing the vehicle to climb obstacles.

There are no features within the triangle made by these tracks other than the rounded projection of what can be assumed to be armor covering the suspension or drive components which would have been underneath. Between the horns of the tracks, the hull is noticeably heavily rounded and curves down between them without connecting to the front horns of the track. On the front of this rounded front hull is a semi-spherical projection, the prospective function of which is unclear.

With the track horns projecting forwards in a manner reminiscent of the later A.22 Churchill tank, this would indicate that, if this were to be a functional vehicle, then it would have to have the drive components, like sprockets at the back rather than at the front.

The hull, above the tracks, is likewise tapering to the back and is a simple doorstep-wedge shape, albeit heavily rounded and surmounted at the apex of the ‘wedge’ by what appears to be a small round cupola.

On the well-angled right hand side of the upper hull (and presumably duplicated on the left hand side as well) is a large semicircular vent running the full height, from the top of the track to the top of the wedge. It is unclear if this vent is meant to be something for the crew or engine, but the size would indicate that it is more likely intended to convey an air intake for a combustion engine, presumably located within the tapered back half of the tank.

In terms of size, there is little from which to judge the proposed size of this tank other than the landscape scene, where they are driving across fields and the view of it crushing a building. Assuming the model brick building being deployed in the sequence was meant to indicate a normal two story dwelling or shop, this would make the vehicle not much bigger than a ‘normal’ tank of the era, at approximately 4 m high. Assuming the vehicle to be 4 m high, the tank would be around the same width and somewhere around 8 m long.

The dominant feature at the front of the hull is the gun. Like other features, there is nothing to go on other than the model. The primary tank gun for the British Army in 1933, when this film was made, was the 2 pdr. gun. This was an excellent gun for knocking holes in armor and was still in frontline service on some armored vehicles through 1945. It is not, however, the gun on this tank. As shown in the model, the gun is long – projecting maybe a quarter of the height of the vehicle forwards, which would mean a projection of around a meter. It is also substantially larger in terms of bore and barrel thickness and is perhaps meant to convey some kind of heavy howitzer rather than a high-velocity anti-armor gun.

A fleet of Future Tanks sweep across a battered landscape as explosions go off in the background. Source: Things to Come.

A tank takes a hit from an unseen weapon. Source: Things to Come.

Conclusion

Whilst the film itself was not a commercial success, it is a classic pre-war science fiction film in the truest sense of the word, alongside Metropolis (1927). The ‘prediction’ elements of the film are perhaps a little overblown, in the sense that many people in the 1930s could see another war, especially after the rise of Hitler in Germany. Wells perhaps is the most notable of these and, in terms of tanks, the vehicles shown in the film are clearly indicative that, whether or not he felt they were limited (by gas and mines), or some unstoppable leviathans, they would have a place in the forthcoming war. In this, he was undoubtedly correct and, dying in 1946, he got the chance to see this new war run to fruition, not with the collapse of society during a never ending war, but with Victory over Germany and its allies. Further, he got to see the development of tanks as well, and may have taken some satisfaction that the pre-war vehicles (such as the Vickers Medium Mark I) featured in the film, which were unsuitable, were quickly eclipsed and replaced.

Wells (left), seated on the set of Things to Come talking to Pearl Argyle (as Catherine Cabal) and Raymond Massey (as Oswald Cabal) in the future clean, stylish, and well coiffed world of 2036. Source: The Criterion Collection.

Tank from The Shape of Things to Come. Illustration by Pavel Alexe.

Sources

Arosteguy, S. (2013). 10 Things I learned: Things to Come, The Criterion Collection https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2811-10-things-i-learned-things-to-come
British Film Institute biography of Charles Carson http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/14382 archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20090113202151/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/14382
O’Brien, G. (2013). Things to Come: Whither Mankind?, The Criterian Collection https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2812-things-to-come-whither-mankind
Stearn, R. (1983). Wells and War. H. G. Wells’s writings on military subjects, before the Great War. The Wellsian New Series No.6, UK.
Stearn, R. (1985). The Temper of an Age. H. G. Wells’ message on war, 1914 to 1936. The Wellsian, Volume 8, UK.
Things to Come at IMDB https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028358/
Wells, H. (1933) The Shape of Things to Come. Delphi Classics reprint (2015)., UK.

Fictional Tanks WW1 British Fake Tanks

Vickers’ Snail (Fictional Tank)

Post author By Andrew Hills
Post date November 7, 2022
1 Comment on Vickers’ Snail (Fictional Tank)

United Kingdom (1907)
Trench-Cutting Machine – Fictional

Introduction

There are numerous characters who are notable in the history of the development of tanks. Some of the names involved which stand out are well known even if their role was a secondary or tertiary one, but such people include Sir Winston Churchill, H. G. Wells, Sir Ernest Swinton, Sir William Tritton, Colonel Rookes Crompton, Walter Wilson, etcetera. One person who has been virtually erased from the origin story of the tank in WW1 is Captain Charles Vickers. Vickers had a successful military career and was on the cusp of a successful writing career when he was tragically struck down with illness and died in early 1908. The result was that his writings and ideas have become lost or distorted by the chaos of WW1 and the myriad of claimants who wanted their share of fame and fortune for the invention of the tank. Captain Vickers, however, has a valid claim, certainly more so than many to his share of credit and his work can be seen as an inspirational factor for Swinton as well. Vickers’ ‘Snail’ might not have the fame of Wells’ Ironclad, but it is more valid as an idea of future armored warfare coming from a professional soldier rather than ‘just’ a writer of popular fiction.

The Man behind the Snail

Charles Ernest* Vickers was born on 23rd February 1873 in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, the youngest son of a notable local barrister Henry Thomas Vickers. He also had military heritage in his blood as his uncle was Major General John William Playfair R.E. (Royal Engineers). Educated in Dublin from 1885 to 1887, Vickers then went to Clifton College, in Bristol that September and then switched his interests from classics to military and engineering aspects.

(* His middle initial is mistakenly given as ‘C’ in the Irish Times of 12th February 1908)

Gifted as a mathematician and artist, he left Clifton College in 1890 to attend the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. Vickers excelled at the academy finishing top of his class and winning the Pollock Medal (July 1892) as well as numerous prizes for his work on fortifications and artillery amongst others.

He was commissioned from the cadet company as a 19 year old 2nd Lieutenant on 22nd July 1892, to the School of Mechanical Engineering at Chatham finishing there in September 1894. He then went to the Midland Railway for Instruction in rail traffic management in October 1894. He would finish there in November 1895 during which time, in July 1895 he was promoted to lieutenant.

He then spent nearly two and a half years working on the railways at Woolwich with 10th Company Royal Engineers before a posting to Malta in April 1898 and then South Africa in October 1899. He was in South Africa for just 75 days working with 42nd Fortress Company before moving on 1st January 1900 to South Africa taking a position as a railway’s staff captain with responsibility as a Traffic Officer.

He remained in South Africa in this role and according to his service record took part in operations in the Orange Free State between March and May 1900, followed by operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria from July to November that year. During this service in the Transvaal, Vickers saw combat in Belfast in August. Between May and July 1901, he took part in operations in Orange River Colony followed by operations in Cape Colony, south of Orange River. He saw combat once more at Colesberg, and for his service was awarded the Queen’s Medal with 3 clasps and then the King’s medal with 3 clasps.

With the end of the Second Boer War in July 1902, Vickers was still in railway work having become the Deputy-Assistant Director of Railways (in October 1901). During his time in South Africa, he would have been familiar with mobile armored warfare in terms of armored trains. These were used extensively during the war and he would know at least the rudimentary elements of what to protect and how on a machine. Given he remained in South Africa through to the end of the war, he may also have seen Fowlers Armoured Road Train and gain some additional insight into armored warfare – this time on land.

Two views of Fowlers Armoured Road Train the engine clad in armor showing the awkward position of the armored cab at the rear, but also the hold in the rear (bottom left below the door) where the winching cable would be spooled out.
Source: The Engineer

He returned to the UK in November 1902. After a period of leave, he was posted to Salisbury Plain in March 1903 and then promoted to the rank of captain on 20th April. His posting at Salisbury Plain ended in May 1903 with a move to the Inspector General of Fortifications’ office. He stayed there until March 1905, and on 1st April 1905, Vickers was appointed to Headquarters as a staff captain. His next deployment was to be Gibraltar, but the recently engaged Captain and distinguished veteran of the South African wars fell ill. He passed away on 6th February 1908 aged 34 in London having served for nearly 16 years including nearly 5 years of overseas service. His cause of death listed on his death certificate was “Pleuro Pneumonia Meningitis” (Pneumococcal Meningitis), having passed away during surgery to treat it. He was buried with full military honors in Dublin on 11th February 1908.

His obituary, published in the Journal Of the Royal Engineers in June 1908, and penned by Ernest Swinton himself was a touching and friendly list of Vickers’ life and accomplishments including:
“…many articles from his pen appeared in different periodicals. His last finished effort in this direction – a story of war – appeared in Blackwood’s Magazine only a month before his death under the pseudonym of ‘105’.”
The story to which Ernest Swinton was referring in this part of Vickers’ obituary was a short story titled ‘The Trenches’, and it is in ‘The Trenches’ that Vickers describes ‘The Snail’.

Stories

Shortly after coming to Staff Headquarters in 1905, Vickers began writing more stories and articles just as he had done during his service in Malta. His writing and illustration skills were notable and he would start working collaboratively with Swinton on several occasions with the results published in Blackwood’s Magazine (known by its readership as ‘Maga’).

‘The Trenches’ story is set in a fictional War Office department with a pair of officers, Major Swann and Captain Marshall, looking over designs.
In the tale, a “keen-faced restless-looking citizen of the United States” called Mr. Sandpaper, interrupts these two officers and while approaching Major Swann says “You will be interested in this here machine, Major. It’s just about the latest and cutest idea in trenching machines – trench along through any darned thing: just set the depth, and it’ll go along any distance you please, and you can follow up with the pipes as fast as your men can lay them”.

“For the moment things seem to be at a deadlock; the armies have been at grips; but have had to draw off without any advantage gained on either side. It almost seems as if the conflict were like to resolve itself into pseudo-siege operations. And yet how suddenly may the kaleidoscope of war be shaken and the picture by changed”

Vickers, C., ‘The Trenches’ 1908

In the next scene, at the General’s office, staff officers are reviewing a map of the war showing a static set of lines. There is the sound of gunfire in the distance but the enemy lines remain unbroken. In order to get to the enemy lines, assault trenches have to be dug as without them, they are suffering heavy casualties. At this time, Chief Engineer Colonel Spofforth came in and was briefed on the situation. Here, Col. Spofforth proposed a new solution, the use of the freshly prepared “trenching machines” to lead the assault. This is agreed to, leading to the third and final scene, the attack of the ‘Snails’.

In this scene the reader is provided with a description of the night before the battle as these machines are brought up to the front and get to work and the soldiers who are resting are disturbed by a strange sound “…Resting! No; there is a new sound. Somewhere down below something has begun to be busy. Something is at work amid the mists of the plan. It is as if a little reaping-machine had set to cut some ghostly corn. No, not quite a reaping-machine – more like a mammoth deathwatch. It must be some strange animal: something endowed with life, for is not that another calling to its mate?”

Here, Vickers provided some critical information for his idea. A mechanically propelled machine making strange mechanical noises and seemingly alive as it goes about its business cutting an attack trench for the soldiers to use the next day. Further, the shape of the vehicle clearly delineated it as no agricultural device but more like a ‘deathwatch’.

This reference can be two fold, firstly in terms of shape with a dark-coloured rounded body and secondly as an omen. In 1907, there was effectively no stopping the Deathwatch (Xestobium refovillosum) beetle’s progress if it happened to infest your home as it devoured the timbers (mainly oak), but more importantly that it was seen as an omen of foreboding. In folklore, the clicking noises it makes was associated with death (hence the name). The Deathwatch beetle has been the subject of stories by such notable authors as Edgar Allen Poe in 1843 and Beatrix Potter (1903). In a modern understanding of the beetle, the tapping noise it makes is not only audible but may also be being used as an allegory in the story for bursts of machine gun fire.

The adult Deathwatch Beetle (Xestobium refovillosum).
Source: Wiki via Gilles San Martin

Sound of the Deathwatch Beetle. Source: wiki via Gilles San Martin (2012).

As the attack goes in, the narrative shifts to one presented almost in a Wellsian fashion from the point of view of a reporter. Here, the reporter struggles to describe what he is seeing saying: “The machine!… But it seems such a simple, almost obvious notion to evolve a machine that shall dig trenches, that shall be able to move unconcernedly across open ground where no man can show himself scatheless, secure under its turtleback of steel, inconspicuous, minding all the hail of lead as little as rain … They have nicknamed it The Snail but it can burrow forward like a mole!”.

Adding the smooth rounded type of carapace as found on the insect shaped description before the journalist, via Vickers writing, is clarifying that it is indeed a large rounded outer shell and that it was to be made of steel. Given that in the account, the machine can travel “unconcernedly across open ground” it indicates sufficient armor to be proof against fire as well

“fighting in the trenches is veritably a bloody affair”

Vickers, C., ‘The Trenches’ 1908.

With the Snails moving forwards purposefully and carving out avenues for the soldiers to follow behind it, the attack then goes in. With these ‘Snails’ on hand, the soldiers did not have to dig attack trenches and instead could follow the trail of the machine, covered from enemy fire right up to the point of attack. At one point, the correspondent reporting on the scene describes seeing one of the ‘Snails’ come out of a trench “half concealed in a cloud of dust” and having cut far enough forwards it halts. The men bring up a mortar to bombard enemy positions from the shelter of the trench dug behind the machine and thereafter assault the enemy lines on the hill. The final outcome is a positive one to validate the utility of the machines, the enemy forces are driven from their defensive positions despite the loss of a few Snails to enemy artillery fire.

Method of Attack

In considering The Snail in Vickers’ story, the first obvious comparison is to what is considered as a tank. A more apt comparison however, might be to a more unusual machine known commonly as ‘Nellie’. In 1940, ‘Nellie’ (Cultivator No. 6) was a project by the Naval Land Equipment (N.L.E.) to create a tracked assault machine.

Cultivator No. 6 ‘Nellie’ during trials in 1941, showing off the enormous plough on the front and behind it, the side-discharge tracks to throw spoil. The white line down the side was the ground level when in use.
Source: Wiki.

‘Nellie’, like Vickers’ Snail, was to advance forwards creating a trench and discarding spoil to the sides as it went. Whereas Nellie simply used a giant plough and the power from its engines to drive that forwards, the Snail was described as using actual cutting equipment instead. Indeed, the closest machine to the Snail in both operation and date might be that of William Norfolk in 1916. That vehicle operated on wheels and used a large cutting face along with a means to discharge spoil to the sides. It too would cut a trench as it went, albeit for slightly different purposes.

William Norfolk’s ‘Trench Artillery’ machine of 1916. Source: Canadian Patent CA174919.

Design

Armor

Just as H. G. Wells had described a cockroach like machine in his 1903 story, the Land Ironclads, Vickers also used an insect analogy. His choice was described as Deathwatch Beetle-like and also as a rounded steel body. Both designs, therefore, adopted a low rounded armored shell to protect their respective machines.

No specific thickness of armor is mentioned by Vickers but he does say the vehicle could cross no-mans’ land area without harm, so at least, protection from machine gun and rifle fire is implied. He also clarifies within the story that during their cutting of zig-zag-shaped assault trenches, some were wrecked by enemy artillery, so the armor was by no means impervious to all enemy fire.

Armament

No specific offensive weaponry is mentioned in Vickers’ story. Nonetheless, that is not to say that his vehicles would be unarmed. First and most obviously is the trenching, cutting, nature of the vehicle. Driving itself ahead, half submerged in the ground as it advanced, it would destroy anything in its way, whether trench, parapet, or enemy soldiers.

The next point from Vickers’ story was that tapping Deathwatch Beetle noise. It could be taken as implicitly referring to machine gun fire either incoming or outgoing, in which case the vehicles would be armed. Using men inside with rifles to fire would not really fit with the experience of a military man who would know that firing from a moving vehicle would produce very poor results. He had seen combat and understood the value of well-placed fire. Any vehicle with no guns would provide substantially less value in combat than a vehicle with even the most modest of armament and it is difficult therefore to contemplate Vickers’ machine without at least one machine gun located in the area above the digging line. Nonetheless, the omission of any direct mention and that at one point the crew is implied to consist of just one man as a ‘driver’ suggests that they may have been armed only with their cutting equipment.

As a side reference, Vickers’ comments on the use of a mortar directly behind the ‘Snail’ in the assault is almost eerily similar to an idea trialed in 1917 to bring heavy fire support along with a tank. The 1917 experiment involved a 6” (152 mm) Stokes mortar on a platform between the rear horn of a Mk.IV tank fitted with the tadpole track extensions, whereas Vickers had considered a mortar being brought up behind the machine separately. In effect, the idea of a mortar behind the tank is identical, except that by attaching it, the effort for the men was much reduced. Either way, it demonstrates once more the difference that the experience, and specifically, the combat experience of Captain Vickers made in his story. He was able to apply his experiences to consideration of a whole new type of warfare and did so rather well.

British Mk.IV tank with ‘tadpole’ track extensions seen at Dollis Hill in 1917. The vehicle has been experimentally fitted with a fixed platform on the back on which is mounted a 6” (152 mm) Stokes mortar.
Source: wiki

Automotive Elements

The most complex part of Vickers’ tale to unravel is the means of propulsion envisaged for the device. On the face of it, the vehicle might be surmised to be a simple wheeled vehicle with this new carapace fitted. It was, afterall, described as a trench cutting machine at the start of the story and at the time of writing in 1907, there were not many tracked vehicles around. That is not to say that there were none, and Vickers’ colleague Ernest Swinton would even end up reviewing tracked vehicle trials in 1908 for the Ruston-Hornsby design.

Short clipping of the Ruston Hornsby tractor during trials in Lincolnshire, 1908.
Source: Lincolnshire Film Archives.

Ignatius Clark, in his book Voices Prophetizing War (1993), suggests that the vehicle was meant to be tracked, based, it seems, on the ‘Snail’ like description. A hard shell and a slow steady creeping form of motion like a real Snail would certainly allow for this interpretation. However, perhaps Vickers did not wish to commit himself to a specific form of traction, as afterall, such a thing was not necessary for the plot of the story. The only hint he provides in fact is the mention of the use of petrol as fuel meaning that a steam traction engine can at least be excluded.

Forgetfulness or Betrayal?

As a prelude to a conclusion about the actual machine in Vickers’ story there is an important element to consider in terms of ‘invention’. Specifically, the old question of who invented the tank. Ignoring the too-often cited wooden cart of Da Vinci, the reality was that until the advent of mechanical propulsion, a self-propelled fighting machine was effectively out of reach. Likewise, until the use of tracks became viable with the Hornsby-Ackroyd being the first notable example in 1908, the passage of those vehicles over soft ground was so problematic as to preclude the widespread use of armored vehicles.

The writings of H. G. Wells in 1903 with The Land Ironclads is also often cited as an important factor and the result of the 1919 Royal Enquiry into the invention of tanks made reference to it as well. The man most directly responsible for the invention of tanks according to that enquiry was none other than Major General Sir Ernest Dunlop Swinton. Swinton was sure to make a good account of himself in the inquiry. This was followed by numerous speeches, public engagements, and publications including his autobiography Ole Luk-Oie published in 1951. Swinton did well for himself as the recipient of a substantial financial award by the Royal Enquiry, as well as in his later ventures, yet nowhere in any print or speech did he mention Vickers. He did mention Wells, but not Vickers… but why?

When Vickers was working as a staff officer from 1906 until his death in 1908, his direct supervisor was Ernest Swinton, so he definitely knew him. Further, they worked closely together on stories, having penned An Eddy of War together which was published in April 1907. The story was a somewhat rambling tale of soldiery during an invasion of England, although it did at least put some focus on Germany as a future adversary. Nonetheless, neither this German adversary nor the invaded English of the tale use any kind of armed or armored vehicle.

Proof of their friendship comes directly from Swinton, who wrote to the editor of Blackwood’s Magazine (Mr. Blackwood also a friend) of Blackwood’s Magazine (known to its readers simply as ‘Maga’) on 29th December 1906 saying “I return proof of ‘An Eddy of War; corrected. I need hardly say that both my pal (Capt. Vickers R.E.) and I am delighted at your taking [of the story] for [publication in] Maga”. Several other times Swinton also referred to Vickers directly in his correspondence with Blackwood’s Magazine.

On 10th October 1907, Vickers wrote to Blackwood saying “It is hardly necessary to say that I feel very pleased you think ‘The Trenches’ worthy of a place in ‘Maga’. It is the first writing of my own you have accepted, though ‘An Eddy of War’ was partly mine (with Swinton)”. Swinton even remarked directly on The Trenches to Blackwood on 12th December 1907, writing “I was pleased to hear from Vickers (Capt. R.E.) that he had had a story accepted by you and I am keen to see it. It sounds like a good one”.

He then proves he has read it in a letter to Blackwood of 8th January 1908 saying “I like Vickers’s yarn… Why will our powers at home not consult the people who know, a little more?”
The Trenches was the only story of Vickers which had to that point been published (and would be the only one published in his lifetime) so the reference to “the yarn” can only be The Trenches.

Last but not least connecting these two men is a singular obituary. This was Vickers’ obituary which was published in the June 1908 edition of the Royal Engineers Journal and was written by Swinton himself. Swinton did not attend Vickers’ funeral in Dublin but he assuredly knew him and his work very well.

In his book Histories of the Future: Studies in Fact, Fantasy and Science Fiction (2000), the author, Alan Sandison contends that not only did Swinton know Vickers, was friends with Vickers and read his work, but that he was also careful not to mention his name at any point. This was, he asserts, a deliberate and intentional act to exclude Vickers’ name from the record of the inquiry into tank development or any of Swinton’s later writings. Not only this, but Sandison goes on to say that “Swinton’s exclusion of Vickers is so complete that it suggests both purposefulness and premeditation, which, if true, indicates that he feared Vickers’s vision would be seen as so informing his own that it would be taken as the true ‘source’ of the invention of the tank”. Had Swinton mentioned Vickers during the inquiry it is likely that not only would Vickers’ name be better known, but also that his family might have shared in some of the rewards, both financially and in fame. Swinton’s omission at best therefore, can be seen with a view to a motive for profit from a man he formerly regarded as a close friend and colleague.

“Had Vickers survived, it is quite possible that Swinton might not be the name associated with the invention of the tank”

I.F. Clarke (1993).

Conclusion

In contrast to Wells’ rather naive descriptions of use, with the Snail, Vickers is right on the money and maybe a little too prescient in seeing a divide between trench lines as being a land “where no man can show himself scatheless” (literally a ‘no mans’ land’). This type of static war had been considered by Ian Stanislavovich Bloch which had been published in English for the first time in 1899 under the title Is War Now Impossible. In it, he theorized that the growth in range, speed, and penetration of modern ammunition meant that weapons were so deadly, armies could no longer face each other and that the next war would “be a great war of entrenchments”.

Both Bloch and Vickers predicted a static type of war, a war where opposing forces had to dig defensive works to protect from the fire of the other and through which neither side could progress very well. This too is well beyond Wells’ more limited vision of crossing enemy wire to pursue an enemy, and predicts all too well exactly the sort of warfare which would take place a few years later in WW1.

Sources:

Clark, I. (1993). Voices Prophesying War: Future Wars 1763-3749. Oxford University Press, UK.
Borthwick, F. (1912). Clifton College Annals and Register 1862-1912. Bristol, UK.
Canadian Patent CA174919 Trench Artillery, filed 21st September 1916, granted 6th February 1917
Irish Times (Newspaper). ‘Military Funeral in Dublin’, 12th February 1908.
Oakley, E. (1890). Clifton College Register 1862-1889 (Supplement). Entrances in September 1887.
Quarter 1, 1908 Death Certificates Volume 1a, No.315 Chelsea.
Sandison, A. & Dingley, R. (2000). Histories of the Future: Studies in Fact, Fantasy and Science Fiction. Palgrave Macmillan, USA.
The Royal Engineers Journal, Vol. VII, No.6, June 1908.
Vickers, C. (1905). The Siberian railway in war. Royal Engineers Journal, Vol.2, August 1905.
Vickers, C. (1905). Transport and Railroad Gazette – Progress in yard design, The Royal Engineers Journal, 26th May 1905.
Vickers, C. (1905). Engineering News – Double-tracking of Railways, The Royal Engineers Journal, 14th September 1905.
Vickers, C. (1905). Bulletin of the International Railway Congress, The Royal Engineers Journal, September 1905.
Vickers, C. (1905). Electrical Review – High Speed Traction, The Royal Engineers Journal, June 10th 1905.
Vickers, C. (1905). Railway and Locomotive Engineering – Single Line Working, The Royal Engineers Journal, Vol. 1, February 1905.
Vickers, C. (1905). Engineering News – Impure Sand in Concrete, The Royal Engineers Journal, Vol. 1, 2nd February 1905.
Vickers, C. (1905). Railways and Locomotive Engineer. The Royal Engineers Journal, Vol. 1, 2nd February 1905.
Vickers, C. (1907). The Trenches. Published January 1908 in Blackwood’s Magazine Vol. CLXXXIII, (January-June 1908). Edition, William Blackwood and Sons, London, UK.
War Office File WO25/3917, Page 268/418, Service Record of Charles Ernest Vickers, Royal Engineers.

And a thank you to Hilary Doyle for his assistance in validating some information in Dublin.

Fictional Tanks Has Own Video

Macharius Heavy Tank (Fictional Tank)

Post author By MarkoPantelic
Post date April 1, 2022
10 Comments on Macharius Heavy Tank (Fictional Tank)

Macharius Heavy Tank. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Imperium of Man (41st and 42nd Millennium)
Heavy Tank

“In the grim darkness of the 41st Millennium, there is only war.” This is the starting slogan of Game Workshop’s Warhammer 40K Sci-Fi universe, where mankind is besieged by many threats in the form of alien and traitor attacks. In order to defend its vast domain, the Imperium of Man employs armies equipped with highly advanced and slightly less so (but present in almost unlimited numbers) vehicles. One of these is the huge Macharius heavy tank.

The Macharius heavy tank. Source: wh40k.lexicanum.com

The Warhammer 40K universe

The Warhammer 40K universe is set at the end of the 41st and the start of the 42nd millennia in the future. While many different factions (T’au, Necrons, Eldar, Orks, to name some) are part of the large universe, the main protagonist is the Imperium of Man. This is a vast galaxy-spanning human civilization besieged by many external and internal threats (aliens, heretics, demons, to name a few). The Imperium of Man is led by the immortal God-Emperor, who has remained immobile for over 10,000 years on the golden throne on Terra (Earth). The Emperor is worshiped as a God who protects his people from many threats.

The Imperium is a totalitarian regime in which untold billions of Imperium citizens live under harsh conditions, surrounded by oppression from their planetary lords, technology stagnation, fear of the Xenos (aliens), with only the faith in the God-Emperor that keeps them going forward. In order to defend Humanity, the Imperium calls to service fast armies of supersoldiers (Adeptus Astartes/Space Marines), Armies of the Tech Priesthood of Mars, and from its many Forge Worlds (controlled by the Adeptus Mechanicus), the ever-vigilant Inquisition, and many other military organizations. Lastly, but probably the most important and the one that always responds first, are the countless billions of soldiers of the Imperial Guard (Astra Militarum). These ordinary humans have to fight the horrors of the Universe with nothing more than a Lasgun (basically an AK 47 of the future) and faith in the God-Emperor. They are supported by countless armored vehicles, including tanks, such as the immense Macharius Heavy tank.

The Imperial Aquila is the main symbol of the Imperium of Man. Source: wh40k.lexicanum.com

Warhammer 40K is the property of Games Workshop company (also its sister company, the Forge World, which sells the Macharius scale models), together with other franchises like Warhammer Fantasy or the Age of Sigmar. Games Workshop is well known for selling their Warhammer 40K models, along with different types of accessories necessary for painting and assembly of these models. It also possessed a vast library (Black Library) that includes a series of rules and storybooks that describe many different stories of this – to some – fascinating science fiction universe. This company traces its origins back to 1975 in London when a small workshop for building and selling wooden game boards was opened. During the early 1980s, the first series of board games, that would eventually evolve into the Warhammer (both fantasy and Sci-fi universes), appeared. Over the years, these would evolve into one of the largest and best-known board games in the world.

Games Workshop company logo. Source: www.escapistmagazine.com

History of the Macharius Heavy Tank

Given the nature of the Warhammer 40K setting, spanning a history of over 40 millennia old, things are often described as being lost or forgotten. Such is the case of the Macharius tank, which is described as having been used in the distant human past, but due to huge cataclysmic events, simply forgotten. Its design and construction methods were understandably lost in the vast and sometimes abandoned archives of many distant forge worlds (worlds involved in the production of various types of equipment, spaceships, military vehicles, and weapons) spread across the known Universe. On one such forge world, named Lucius, in search of old technologies long since lost, Magos (basically meaning engineer) Nalax came across fragments of a heavy tank. After years and years of painstaking research, he finally gathered all available information, which allowed him to finally reconstruct the long-forgotten heavy tank. He then went to the main forge world of Mars to petition the High Fabricator-General (essentially the highest authority of all forge worlds) for this new design to be formally accepted. Unfortunately for Magos Nalax, he never lived to see the final verdict of his petition, as the whole acceptance process took over 200 years. After years of testing and tedious discussions, this tank was finally approved for production and received the name Macharius in honor of one of the greatest generals of the Imperial Guard, Lord Commander Solar Macharius.

Lord Commander Solar Macharius, a man under whose leadership over 1,000 worlds were brought under Imperium control. Source: wh40k.lexicanum.com

At the same time when the production of the Macharius was approved, forge world Lucius received the STC (Standard Template Construct, which refers to a computer possessing the necessary schematics on how to build certain technologies, ranging from simple tools to spaceships) for the production of the massive Baneblade super-heavy tank. It appears that the work of the Magos Nalax would be forgotten. But due to the huge demand for weapons of war and the slow production of the Baneblade, it was decided that the Macharius would be put into service. The Macharius was initially supplied to the newly created Death Korps of Krieg regiments, which specialized in siege and attrition warfare. It was later supplied to various units spread across the Galaxy as well.

Specification

The real-life design inspiration of the Macharius (and most other Imperial Guard vehicles) mostly consists of World War One and World War Two vehicles. With the hull and suspension units being taken from the First and the armament and turret design from the Second World War.

The hull

The Macharius hull can be divided into several different components. These are the rear positioned engine compartment, central fighting compartment with the turret placed on top, front driver compartment, and the two large suspension compartments. The Macharius tank is constructed using a combination of welding and bolted armor plates.

Front view of the Macharius. Source: wh40k.lexicanum.com

The superstructure

The superstructure of the Macharius occupies a large portion of the tank’s center and rear, partly extending over the rear parts of the tracks. While most parts of the Macharius’ armor plates are flat, a portion of the front superstructure armor plate (above the driver’s compartment) is placed at a 45° angle. While the flat armor provided relatively less protection than angled armor of the same thickness, it would be necessary in order to increase the internal space needed for the large crew, ammunition, and other equipment. Two protected observation ports and what could be some sort of camera or other sighting device are placed on this plate.

The Macharius side view. Source: www.forgeworld.co.uk

The driver’s compartment is placed on the vehicle’s right front side. This compartment has a simple box shape with a small cupola, which has five observation ports, placed on top of it. In front of it, another single-piece hatch with an observation port is located. On its left side, a firing point armed with heavy stubbers is placed. The weapon mount has a small gun sight and a larger armored periscope on top of it. While the driver’s side view is partially blocked by the suspension and track frame, the top observation ports provide a limited field of vision to the sides.

The driver’s compartment is located on the right side of the vehicle, with a weapon mount next to it. While the direct front and side visibility is somewhat restricted, the top-mounted ports somewhat help with this issue. Source: Author’s ow

Engine and suspension

The Macharius is powered by an LC400 V18 P2 engine that can run on any type of fuel. The fuel is stored in two large tanks placed on both sides of the engine. Additional fuel can be carried in two horizontally placed fuel drums at the rear of the vehicle. The overall driving performance for a tank built so far in the future is quite poor, with the maximum speed being 26 km/h and the off-road speed being even less at 18 km/h. There is no information about its operational range. The engine itself is positioned in the rear of the vehicle. It can be reached either through a two-part hatch or a larger single-piece metal plate with a ventilation grill located on top of the engine compartment. The engine is equipped with two large exhaust pipes.

Close-up view of the rear of the engine compartment. The engine can be easily accessed through a two-part hatch. Note the two large external fuel tanks. The two bottom hatches possibly serve to provide the crew with easy access to the vehicle’s transmission unit. Source: Author’s

Top view of the engine compartment. The single-piece metal plate with a ventilation grill could be removed if needed. The two side hatches (placed on both sides of the engine) lead to the internal fuel tanks. The two smaller round-shaped hatches serve as refueling points. Source: Author’s own

The Macharius’ suspension and track frame are completely enclosed by armored shields. This overall design is heavily inspired by the British tanks from the First World War. The suspension consists of 9 road wheels and an unknown number of return rollers. The drive sprockets are likely located to the rear, while on the front, an idler with a track tension screw is placed. The tracks are mostly completely exposed to enemy fire, and given their large size, can be easily destroyed, leading to immediate immobilization.

Close-up view of the large and fully enclosed suspension and track frame. Source: Author’s own

While not the same, the British tanks from the First World War are the obvious inspiration for Macharius’ overall chassis construction. Source: Wikipedia

Turret

The inspiration for the Macharius turret comes more or less from the German Panzer II tank. It has the same overall basic shape, being slightly enlarged and with some other differences. The Macharius turret has a hexagonal shape with the round commander’s cupola placed on the right side. The rear armor plate is slightly angled. The side armor consists of two plates. The rear smaller one narrows toward the back armor plate. The longer front side plates also narrow toward the gun mantlet. The gun mantlet is surrounded by two highly curved plates on both sides. Above the gun mantlet, a movable armor plate serves to provide additional protection when the guns are in a level position. The turret’s top armor is mostly flat and slightly curves toward the gun.

The enlarged Macharius turret compared to a Panzer II turret, showing a number of similarities in the overall design shape. The most obvious similarity is the front rounded armor. The main armament is obviously different. Sources: weaponsandwarfare.com and Siege Studios facebook group

On top of the turret, there is what appears to be a round-shaped ventilation port protected with an armored cover. Next to it is a protected telescope sight. What possibly is a targeting acquisition sight is located on the left side. Behind it, a small hatch is added to the rear of the side armor. Given its size, it seems unlikely that it is used for removing spent cartridges. On the back of the turret, a large three-part storage bin is installed.

On the right side of the turret top, a large round-shaped commander’s cupola protrudes out. A two-part hatch is placed on top. In order for the commander to have a good overall view of the surroundings, he is provided with 16 small vision ports.

To the rear of the turret, a large three-part storage bin is placed. Also, note the top positioned round ventilation port cover. Source: Author’s own

The Armament

The main armament of the Macharius consists of twin-linked large battle cannons placed in the turret. These are 120 mm smoothbore cannons that fire armor-piercing high-explosive rounds (APHE). With this armament, the Macharius is ideal for dealing with enemy armor but also large concentrations of infantry thanks to its large explosive blast radius. The total ammunition load for these two guns is 40 rounds. The turret can rotate 360o, while the elevation of the main armament ranges from -2° to +28°.

The Macharius’ main armament consists of two 120 mm smoothbore cannons. The hull twin-linked heavy stubbers are also visible here. Source: warhammer40k.fandom.com

Secondary weapons consist of two hull-positioned heavy stubbers, with two more placed on the sponson mounts in the hull sides. The heavy stubbers are basically equivalent to modern-day heavy machine guns and operate the same way. The weapon mount is protected with a round shield that rotates as the stubbers move. The firing arc of the side sponson mounts is 20° to 130° and the traverse appears to be around -10° to +10°. This unusual firing arc essentially prevents these guns from firing directly forward. The gunners observe their target through small vision ports. To the rear of the sponson mounts, a large square-shaped hatch is placed.

The sponson weapons can be replaced with either two heavy flamers or two heavy bolters. Heavy bolters are enlarged machine guns that are specially designed to fire rocket-propelled and mass-reactive 2.5 cm shells simply known as bolts. The hardened tip is capable of penetrating most infantry armor (and light vehicles), obliterating the target with its explosive charge from within. The heavy flamer is basically an enlarged flamethrower with extended range and potency for destruction. The ammunition for the heavy stubbers consists of 1000 rounds and 600 rounds for the heavy bolters. One more heavy stubber can be added on the commanded cupola, which has to be operated by him. The Macharius can also be outfitted with a one-shot Hunter-Killer anti-armor missile launcher.

Side view of the Macharius left sponson mount armed with a heavy bolter. Source: Author’s own

The Imperial Guard uses heavy machine guns that are known simply as heavy stubbers. These fire large-caliber shells that could easily deal with most lightly armored targets. Due to the sheer size of Imperium production centers, there are many patterns of these weapons, but otherwise, they operate on the same principle. Source: wh40k.lexicanum.comr

The more complicated and far more deadly heavy Bolter fires rocket-propelled and mass-reactive shells. Source:wh40k.lexicanum.co

The Armor

The overall turret armor was 220 mm thick, while the gun mantlet was 150 mm thick. The superstructure is 200 mm thick and the hull 150 mm thick. This overall armor thickness, together with the bolted armor, does not look very impressive for a vehicle produced in the far future. Its strength probably relies on the materials used in the construction of its armor plates. They are probably made using futuristics materials that are extremely resistant to heat, ballistic impacts, and other weapons. For additional protection and tactical use, smoke launchers can be installed on the tank.

Crew

Given its immense size, the Macharius needs a large crew in order to work properly. In the turret, the commander, gunner, and two loaders are positioned. In the hull are the driver, comms-operator, (radio operator), and two more gunners. The comms-operator is tasked with operating the two hull positioned stubbers. The hull gunners each operate a sponson weapon on the hull sides. It is highly likely that the Macharius was provided with a number of targeting, communication and other cogitators (computers in Warhammer 40K) to help the crew better operate the vehicle.

In Combat

The Macharius tank’s first major combat use was during the 17 year-long sieges of Vraks, the capital city of the planet Vraks Prime. The Imperial authorities were overrun by insurgents who then proceeded to plunder the enormous war material storage depots present on the planet, including tanks, artillery, and other weapons needed to prepare for the Imperial retaliation. The capital Vraks was reinforced with many trenches, minefields, bunkers, and other defensive systems. The Imperium responded by sending in the 88th Siege Army to retake the planet, composed of units taken from the Planet of Krieg which were specialized in siege warfare. The subsequent battle lasted 17 years, leading to some dozen or so millions of dead and the complete destruction of Vraks Prime. The Macharius was used in this operation by the 88th Siege Army, providing the Imperials with strong fire support. Thanks to its long tracks, it was capable of crossing the many trenches that covered the killing fields of Vraks. Following the end of this campaign, the Macharius was slowly distributed to various other Imperial armored formations.

Macharius tank during the Siege of Vraks. Source: warhammer40k.fandom.com

Sub-version based on the Macharius

The Macharius tank had two versions with a different main armament, along with several other variants based on the chassis.

Macharius Vanquisher

A specialized anti-tank sub-version of the Macharius is the so-called Macharius Vanquisher. It is named after its improved main armament, the twin-linked Vanquisher cannons. These cannons fire special anti-tank ammunition at high velocity. Besides the change in the main armament, the secondary weapons are unchanged.

The Macharius Vanquisher is easily identified by its longer guns. Source: warhammer40k.fandom.com

Macharius Vulcan

Another variant of the standard Macharius tank is the Macharius Vulcan. Like the previously mentioned Vanquisher, its name derives from its new main armament, the five-barrelled Vulcan Mega-Bolter. Two of these are mounted in the turret instead of the battle cannons. They are able to fire over a thousand rounds per minute and are excellent at destroying enemy infantry formations and lightly armed targets. In order to accommodate the extra ammunition needed, the crew had to be reduced to six crew members.

The Macharius Vulcan is specialized in the destruction of enemy infantry and lightly armored vehicle formations. Source: warhammer40k.fandom.com

Macharius Omega

This version of the Macharius, unlike the previously mentioned vehicles, received a number of overall design modifications in order to accommodate the massive and extremely potent Omega-pattern Plasma Blastgun. This weapon (while prone to malfunctions or even explosions) creates extensive heat that then melts any armor without any trouble. In order to house the massive weapon, it was placed inside a new rear open-top fighting compartment on top of the Macharius hull. Additional changes include the removal of the two superstructure positioned stubbers. The inspiration for the vehicle was probably taken from German World War II self-propelled vehicles (like the Wespe or Marder series) that usually featured a powerful gun but only limited armor protection.

A more specialized version of the Macharius chassis is equipped with the more advanced Omega-pattern Plasma Blastgun. Source: warhammer40k.fandom.com

Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher

The Praetor is basically equivalent to a modern-day MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System). It uses the chassis of the Macharius tank with a front-mounted fighting compartment with two front weapon mounts. To the rear, a large rocket launcher can be raised or lowered under armor. Depending on the need, this vehicle can be equipped with different types of missiles, including anti-vehicle, anti-air, etc.

The Praetor Armored Assault Launcher. Source: wh40k.lexicanum.com

Gorgon Heavy Assault Transport

The Gorgon was designed to fulfill the role of a transport vehicle on the front lines, mainly for short distances. It is capable of transporting a whole platoon of some 50 men. While heavily armored, it is completely open-topped, exposing the men inside to enemy projectiles that come from above. Another noticeable feature is the large forward-mounted armored ramp.

The Gorgon Heavy Assault Transport. Source: wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki

Crassus Armored Transport

The Crassus is another type of transporter. In comparison to the Gorgon, it is fully enclosed. It is armed with four weapon mounts. There is a large hatch on the rear of the vehicle that acts as the entry point for the infantry that is being transported.

Another transport version of the Macharius is fully enclosed. Source: wh40k.lexicanum.com

Conclusion

While the Macharius looks intimidating, the creators of this vehicle took inspiration from historical tanks and kitbashed them without much consideration of how its overall design would function. For example, while it is heavily armored, its tracks are completely exposed and present a huge target. The maximum speed is described as being less than 30 km/h. On the other hand, it fits perfectly into the Imperial Guard’s overall aesthetics and logic. For the Imperial Guard, more advanced weapons are rare while less advanced vehicles are used in such huge numbers. The Guard often employs simple tactics, counting on an overwhelming force of men, armor, and artillery which is enough to bring down any kind of resistance but not without huge cost in life and war materials.

Macharius Heavy Tank. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Specification
Dimensions (L-W-H)	10.9 x 7 x 4.8 m
Crew	8 (Commander, Gunner, Driver, Two Loaders, Radio Operator and two sponson weapon Gun Operators)
Propulsion	LC400 v18 p2 Multi-Fuel
Weight	175 tonnes
Speed	26 km/h on-road, 18 km/h off-road
Armament	Battle cannons
Armor	150 to 220 mm

Sources

W. Kinrade (2007) Armour Volume FIve The Siege Of Vraks – Part One, Forge world
https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Macharius_Heavy_Tank
https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Macharius_(Heavy_Tank)
https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-NZ/Macharius-Heavy-Tank-2018

Fictional Tanks Has Own Video

David-class Mobile Combat Suit (Fictional Tank)

Post author By Toby Gray
Post date October 5, 2021
9 Comments on David-class Mobile Combat Suit (Fictional Tank)

A David-class Mobile Combat Suit depicted in low-light camouflage, alongside the default loadout of 75mm cannon and flamethrower. Illustrated by Andrei 'Octo10' Kirushkin.

By the mid-21st Century, the Earth has been overrun by demons. Governments and armies have collapsed, the survivors forced to hide in the rubble of a dead world. The lucky ones have banded together into large bastions, the final refuges of humanity.

So goes the plot of Mortal Steel (the sponsor of this article and the video), an audio drama by Steven Schrembeck, following the exploits of cybernetically-enhanced Pastor Ethan Cutter as he journeys through the remains of Los Angeles.

In this brave new world, new weapons are needed if this war is to be won. The David-class mobile combat suit (MCS) is but one of these new inventions. Multiplying the strength and firepower of a single soldier, they have the potential to hold the line against the demon hordes, and perhaps even begin to turn the tide.

A New Weapon for the End of the World

David-class Mobile Combat Suit with conceptual winter camouflage. Illustrated by Andrei ‘Octo10’ Kirushkin.

Despite its name, the original design for the ‘David’ originated not in the US, but rather Japan. The Fukuoka Bastion was in regular communication with the stronghold of Last Respite, one of the few safe zones in the former city of Los Angeles. Among the survivors at Fukuoka was Professor Jiro Saitama, perhaps the world’s foremost surviving expert in robotics and engineering. While much of Professor Saitama’s work was dedicated to Project Hail Mary, Last Respite’s own plan to enhance human soldiers with cybernetic implants, the Japanese team spent some time developing their own war-winning weapon: a combat suit operable by a single soldier which could multiply the combat capabilities of one man many times over. Plans and design schematics, as well as some artistic drawings, had been near-complete when the Fukuoka Bastion was overrun and destroyed by a demon attack. Professor Saitama and his team did not survive, but one of the Professor’s final acts was to send Last Respite all the information and projects they had worked on: not only work related to Project Hail Mary but designs, pet projects and concepts that might tip the scale in favor of humanity if they could be realized. In the interest of expediency, much of the information sent to Last Respite was identified as either of interest for use in Project Hail Mary, or surplus to requirements. Documents in the latter category were filed away and, for the most part, forgotten about.

As the demonic incursion grew in size and severity, it became impossible for emergency services and military forces to cope. Metropolitan areas had to be abandoned to their fate; desolation for them, and damnation for their inhabitants.

It was only six months later, with the Hail Mary entering its first field deployment, that these old documents were re-examined. Sister Fran is credited with the rediscovery of these schematics, and it was she who brought them to the attention of Archbishop Gabriel Cline. Perhaps seeing the potential of such a weapon, or just humouring Sister Fran, the Archbishop granted permission for the design and construction of a prototype mechanical combat suit.

Although the Japanese design team had completed some schematics of the design, they had based the design upon what materials could be scavenged or manufactured in or around Fukuoka Bastion. This meant a great deal of time was spent in the first few months simply reconfiguring the design to make use of available materials.

Once the design had been revised and refined, the next step was the construction of the prototype. This task was entrusted to the best engineers in Last Respite, Sisters Ursula and Gretchen. This proved a difficult endeavor, as the material costs spiralled rapidly and more and more people began inquiring why so much material was being requisitioned and, more importantly, where it was going.

It is said that, with the veil of secrecy falling and the project seemingly destined for failure and disassembly, Archbishop Cline proceeded to the church and prayed for a miracle.

He was not expecting an answer but apparently, he got one.

Two days later, while out with a scavenger party, Sister Gretchen uncovered the remains of a major industrial site. Within the rubble, she uncovered a cache of industry-grade batteries, precisely the type Last Respite would need to power their prototype. Further within the ruins an even greater discovery was found: a dozen F4M “Foreman” heavy industry suits. Designed for the efficient movement of heavy materials and machines rather than combat, the Foreman was still a godsend, and possibly quite literally. It would provide a useful chassis for the initial vehicles and it would require fewer resources to repurpose these suits than to build them from the ground up.

The Foreman suits were recovered and conversion began. It took several months but, eventually, the first prototype was completed. Basic mobility and weapon tests were completed a few days later, and the Experimental Combat Suit was declared ready for field tests. Reports hold that it was here that Archbishop Cline bestowed the suit with the name David, for, like its Biblical namesake, it would stand against the giant, and it would win.

Design

Standing 9 m (29 ft) tall, the David MCS is a bipedal combat suit built to enhance the combat capabilities of a single soldier. The suit is naturally humanoid in form, with two arms supporting the suit’s primary weapon systems, and two legs providing locomotion for the vehicle. The torso holds the command center and pilot, while upon its back rests the power pack, auxiliary systems and weapon magazines for the armaments. To keep weight at a minimum, the ‘skeleton’ of the suit is composed of titanium, while a ‘skin’ of aluminium protects against the elements.

The command center is the most important aspect of the combat suit. From here, the pilot is linked to the vehicle by a neural interface, allowing the pilot to move the suit with but a few thoughts. By reducing the amount of attention the pilot requires to coordinate movement, the pilot is able to focus upon more pressing concerns, such as searching and engaging targets. Holographic displays located around the cockpit keep the pilot informed of vital information about the suit, while a Virtual Intelligence (VI) assistant is on-hand to respond to verbal requests. Above the cockpit sits the Mark 12A gunner’s sight, providing the pilot with thermal and infrared views of the battlefield. Whatever the battlefield conditions, the gunner’s sight, coupled with an Erwin-Argus sensor suite, ensures that a suit pilot retains a near perfect overview of the terrain and enemy locations. The gunner’s sight provides vision in x1, x5 and x10 magnifications, allowing the pilot to track targets and deliver aimed fire at up to 2,000 m.

Two Mazani-series Solid State batteries provide enough power for the suit’s movement and weapon systems. These provide enough electrical power for up to 24 hours of continuous operation. These batteries are kept in a power pack mounted on the “back” of the suit, giving the suit an almost hunchbacked appearance. The limited combat time afforded by the power source has been a key criticism of the suit, and efforts are underway to refine the battery design to allow increased battery life. Another proposal put forward has been the design and implementation of a miniaturized fusion reactor, theoretically affording the suit a near infinite operating time. However, such a project would be as resource intensive as the project for David itself, although rumours abound that Archbishop Cline may have siphoned some materials destined for the mech project to other locations. His detractors cite corruption, but there are those who suspect greater plans at play.

In the rubble and ruins of old L.A., threats lurk in the shadows and danger abounds round every corner. It was for this sort of environment the David was designed for.

Armor

Armor has been kept to a relative minimum in order to maximise the mobility of the suit. Vital components, such as the command center, joints and power pack are protected by up to 50 mm of composite armor, while the weakest sections may be protected by as little as 10 mm. This is typically enough to protect the suit and pilot from small arms fire at typical combat ranges. Against demonic weapons, conventional armor has proven near useless, and so a combat suit pilot must rely on his suit’s speed, and luck, to avoid such attacks.

Against dedicated anti-vehicle weapons, such as rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank guided missiles, the David relies upon the CZMK “Dart” Active Protection System to intercept and destroy these projectiles short of the suit. The suit’s shoulders provide an excellent mounting point for both radar and launcher, affording the David excellent defensive coverage against such weapon systems. Smoke launchers provide the suit with additional defensive options when faced with inopportune situations.

Armament

A David-class Mobile Combat Suit depicted in low-light camouflage, alongside the default loadout of 75mm cannon and flamethrower. Illustrated by Andrei ‘Octo10’ Kirushkin

When it comes to weapon systems, modularity is the name of the game for the David MCS. With enemies ranging from human raiders and the possessed to demons comparable in size to the mech and possibly greater, the David chassis is able to mount a variety of weapon systems depending on the mission profile in question. In its ‘default’ weapons loadout, the David focuses primarily on short to mid-range combat, alongside special emphasis on fighting in urban environments.

The most common weapon seen mounted on the David is the 20 mm VN4 ‘Ares’ autocannon. This is mounted centrally upon the David’s shoulders and is the primary weapon for use against soft targets. Two types of ammunition are often carried; a High-Explosive, Fragmentation round for use against personnel, and a depleted uranium ‘silver bullet’ round for use against Class-A demons. These latter rounds are domestically manufactured within Last Respite, and thus only a handful are provided for use in the field. The Ares can maintain a steady 100 rounds per minute under default settings, but at the pilot’s whim, this can be increased to between 150-200 rounds per minute. Combat Suit pilots are advised against changing the rate of fire, as the increase in stress can lead to the weapon jamming and becoming non-functional. It is recommended that pilots only escalate the rate of fire of the Ares in extreme circumstances.

David Combat Suits may also carry the XM12 High-Pressure Flamethrower. Adapted from a handheld pre-Apocalypse flamethrower and scaled up, the XM12 quickly garnered the name ‘Infernus’ for the inferno-like effects it could inflict upon target areas. Firing a napalm-like substance, the Infernus can reach targets up to 200 m away and fire in bursts of up to 15 seconds at a time. This power comes at a cost, however. The fuel tank for the flamethrower is mounted at the rear of the suit and is theoretically vulnerable to fire aimed at the suit’s rear arc. To counteract this, a second, larger tank has been built around the fuel tank and filled with high-pressure antifreeze and water. The concept is similar to that used to protect ammunition on some tanks: if the external tank is penetrated, the antifreeze will quickly douse any flames and seal the breech. This is coupled with an emergency eject system, allowing the pilot to quickly release the tank and flamethrower from the suit in the event of an emergency. All told, the Infernus is quite possibly the most devastating weapon in the David’s arsenal, for both the targets and the pilot.

For use against larger, more heavily armored targets, the David can be equipped with a 75 mm GL10 cannon. The GL10 is another pre-Apocalypse design, originally intended for use with the US Army as the main armament of a new, air-mobile light tank not dissimilar to those trialed in the 1970s and 80s. Like the Ares, in the interest of ammunition conservation, the rate of fire has been toned down to a more moderate 60 rounds a minute, from an original rate of fire of 120 rounds. The GL10 is capable of firing a variety of ammunition, but is most commonly loaded with a mix of high-explosive (HE) and armor-piercing, fin-stabilized, discarding sabot (APFSDS) rounds. A typical ratio of these rounds is approximately 10 HE rounds per 1 APFSDS round, although this can be altered depending on mission parameters and expected resistance.

Should the situation require it, the arm-carried weapon systems can be holstered, freeing the hands of the David for use in close-quarter combat.

Alongside these weapon systems are several others still in development, including missiles both guided and not, and arrays of smaller-calibre machine guns. Research continues on more esoteric weaponry, such as kinetic weapons like coil and rail guns, alongside a directed-energy weapon system using lasers.

Mobility

At top speed, the David is able to reach and maintain a modest 30 kilometers per hour, although it is expected that, within urban environments, practical speeds will be perhaps half to a third this, to ensure the environment is properly scanned for potential threats and so that supporting forces can keep up. Electric motors ensure that power is properly distributed throughout the suit, while an auxiliary generator provides a backup in case the primary batteries are drained or disabled.

Service

Although cleared for field tests, at present, there are no confirmed sightings of the David in combat. This is expected to change in the near future.

Conclusion

From simulations and statistics, the David is poised to change the face of warfare in the post-Apocalyptic world. The David may be the first step forward in Humanity’s war for survival, the hunted becoming the hunter. It is hoped that this new wonder-weapon will buy time for newer, more refined combat suit designs, time for more powerful weapons to be built.

But as ever, only time will tell.

A David-class Mobile Combat Suit in “daytime” camouflage. Illustrated by Andrei ‘Octo10’ Kirushkin.

A David-class Mobile Combat Suit in “daytime” camouflage, displaying a common loadout for the mech. Illustrated by Andrei ‘Octo10’ Kirushkin.

Fictional Tanks Has Own Video

Tanks in Fullmetal Alchemist (Fictional Tank)

Post author By Darren Hazes
Post date September 11, 2021
15 Comments on Tanks in Fullmetal Alchemist (Fictional Tank)

The FMA: Brotherhood Briggs tank. Illustration by Cut_22.

Amestris (1914-1915)
Tank – Fictional

In Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist, the fictional country of Amestris, based on early 20th-century European countries, with Prussia and the German Empire being the most noticeable influences, is beset by enemies from almost all sides. Amestris is in constant and intentional war with neighbouring countries. To be able to fight these wars, Amestris is developing new technologies and war machines. One of these war machines is the tank.

As the Fullmetal Alchemist story has been adapted in three different series, these tanks and their origins differ as well. In the Manga and the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Anime, the tanks were developed to help defend the country against its northern rival, where every technological edge is of vital importance to Amestris. These tanks are still prototypes and produced in very small numbers, but their first combat experience has shown promising results. The design of the tanks of these two adaptations are quite different: where the Manga tank resembles a fusion of the British WWI Tank Mark 1 and the Ferdinand, the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood tank resembles a fusion of a Panzer IV, Tiger 1, and VK 30.01 (H).

The third adaptation is from the Fullmetal Alchemist Anime. The origin of this tank is unknown, but it is likely to be a technological culmination resulting from decades of war. These tanks seem to be more common than the tanks of the previously mentioned adaptations, as it is suggested in the Anime that Amestris has experience in tank warfare. The tank from this Anime adaptation resembles a Renault FT tank.

The Amestrian need for tanks is clear, and their first steps in designing tanks seem to be very promising, albeit unrealistic in technology, the time frame of the setting, experience, and potential specifications. By using real tanks, the illustrators managed to come up with some viable tank designs for Amestris.

The Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood tank.
https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lir3zaNl4n1qccm57o1_500.gif

Fullmetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Alchemist is a manga series written and illustrated by Mangaka Hiromu Arakawa (the male pseudonym of Hiromi Arakawa), of which two animated adaptations were made by studio Bones. The story of Fullmetal Alchemist, abbreviated to FMA, takes place in the fictional country of Amestris. Amestris is in a state of constant and total war with almost all of its neighbouring countries. In the north, the mighty Drachma (similar to Russia) always threatens Amestris, waiting for its opportunity to break its shaky non-aggression pact with Amestris by besieging the fortress of Briggs and invading. In the east, the Amestrians are embroiled in centuries-long and multiple very bloody border conflicts with Creta, a highly diverse federation consisting of various tribes which were unified by the leader of the most influential tribe around the year 900. The Principality of Aerugo (similar to Italy) lies on the south side of Amestris. Aerugo and Amestris are, like Amestris and Creta, entrenched in a bloody border conflict after Amestris invaded Aerugo by taking the town of Fotset and some territory as well. A desert on the east side of Amestris splits Amestris apart from Xing (similar to China, with some Japanese inspirations as well), with the countries having had no conflicts.

A map of Amestris and its neighboring countries.
Source: https://ginnodangan.wordpress.com/2009/07/13/fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood-episode-15/

The reason why Amestris can fight these three countries and still remain in a status quo (the status quo is intentional from the Amestrian side) is because of the highly militaristic and authoritarian regime of Amestris. The State Military of Amestris effectively controls the entire state of Amestris under the command of Führer King Bradley (Generalissimo King Bradley if translated directly from Japanese).

The series mostly takes place between 1911 and 1915 and the technology available to Amestris is comparable to that of the European powers during World War 1, albeit with some stark differences. Weapons shown in the series seem to be based on real-world weapons, such as the Mauser C96, Mosin-Nagant rifle and the 7.5 cm Pak 40. Another comparison that can be made is the development of the first tank in the region and possibly the entire FMA world at that time. An important difference between the technology of our world in between 1911 and 1915 compared to that of FMA is that Amestris does not seem to have any airfaring capabilities at its disposal. Another difference is the widespread use of so-called automails, short for automotive armored prostheses. These highly advanced prostheses are linked to the nervous system and function almost identically as a human limb.

An automail prosthetic.
Source: FMA: Brotherhood Anime

In this universe, Alchemy is one of the most important sciences of the country. Alchemy uses transmutation circles with which an alchemist can create an object or change the structure of an object by presenting a material of equal value according to the Law of Equivalent Exchange. Skilled Alchemists can undergo an examination to become State Alchemists. When an Alchemist becomes a State Alchemist, he or she is employed by the Amestrian State Military and can be called upon to fight as human weapons in times of war. A State Alchemist is also employed to do research in Alchemy for the Amestrian Army for various purposes or perform other tasks involving state matters.

A very basic transmutation circle
Source: https://fma.fandom.com/wiki/Alchemy

Amestris is a parliamentary republic, although the parliament is a facade of a stratocracy which rules Amestris. It is led by Führer King Bradley together with an advisory staff consisting of the highest-ranking officials in the country. The government is almost completely centralized by the military and the military is present in all forms of public life. From regional governors to mine owners and from scientists to detectives, the State Military of Amestris holds a relatively strong grip on its country and inhabitants, except for some more or less intended conflicts and civil wars.

Amestris put down a very bloody revolt between 1901 and 1908 in the province of Ishval, in the Eastern sector of the country. The revolt eventually spread across the Eastern sector, but was violently crushed in 1908 when the State Military called upon the State Alchemists. The Ishvallan people were massacred and the area was devastated. Border conflicts with Aerugo and Creta intensified after the Ishval Civil War. In 1914, the State military crushed a religious revolt in Liore and defeated a large Drachman Army, which attempted to breach the Northern Fortress of Briggs. It is important to note that these conflicts were all intentionally caused by forces within the upper echelons of the Amestrian State Military in order to provide enough bloodshed for their masterplan. All these years of warfare eventually led to the first tank of the Amestrian Army.

Designation of the Tanks

There are three different takes on the tank in the FMA universe. These can be divided into FMA manga, FMA Anime (2003), and FMA: Brotherhood Anime (2009). The FMA: Brotherhood anime adaptation follows the story of the manga as faithfully as possible, while the FMA anime adaptation follows the first seven volumes of the manga, but on the request of Hiromu Arakawa, the 2003 adaptation would have its own original ending.

As such, the FMA manga and the FMA: Brotherhood vehicles are, by place of origin, the same. The Tank never got an official designation in either the manga or its Brotherhood anime adaptation. For this reason, the tank will be designated after the location it was designed and built, and receive the designation Briggs Tank. Additionally, this designation is the most widely known and accepted designation for the vehicle other than Tank by the FMA community.

The designation and development location of the tank from the 2003 FMA anime are both unknown. In the Fullmetal Alchemist Collectible Card Game, in the Seven Deadly Sins set, the tank is designated as Battle Tank. This also seems to be the designation used by some members in the FMA community, although it is good to mention that the Battle Tank from the 2003 anime is more obscure than its Briggs Tank counterpart.

Briggs Tank FMA Manga

The first appearance of tanks in the FMA Manga is in Chapter 65, which shows the construction facility, including a few tanks under construction. The first encounter and usage of the Briggs tank is in Chapter 66.

Development

The development of the Briggs tank started at an unknown date at the research and development level of Fort Briggs. Fort Briggs is a military base situated at the Northern border, between Amestris and Drachma. The base is a massive wall that closes off the supposedly only passageway through the mountains. Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong, the commander of Fort Briggs, wanted as many techniques in her arsenal as possible to combat Drachma, possibly the only bordering country which can rival the military power of Amestris. As such, Major General Armstrong has a great interest in the development of the tank.

Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong.
Source: FMA: Brotherhood Anime

Additionally, because Fort Briggs is located in the most northern part of Amestris, the researchers and engineers are probably some of the most knowledgeable experts in Amestris, likely second to only the State Alchemists, when it comes to mechanics of materials. In order to keep automails running and to prevent their users from dying from frostbite, the materials used for the automails had to comply with various specifications. Through trial and error, the engineers at Briggs have managed to create a material consisting of duralumin, carbon fiber, and nickel-copper alloys. It can be expected that the engineers at Briggs have developed various materials which could be used for tanks in their effort to find usable materials for automails. It can also be expected that the specifications of the Briggs tanks demand for a vehicle which can be used in extremely cold and snowy mountain environments. The soldiers of Fort Briggs use special oil for their automails and they also have a special composite fuel at their disposal.

Fort Briggs.
Source: FMA: Brotherhood Anime

The Briggs Tank in Detail

The actual specifications of the Briggs Tank are unknown. The following specifications are based on estimations, speculations, and assumptions. By comparing the Briggs Tanks’ dimensions to those of characters, the Briggs Tank is about 5 meters (16.4 Feet) long, 4 meters (13.1 feet) wide, and 2 meters (6.6 feet) tall. The tank is operated by 4 or 5 crew members, consisting of the Commander (left turret rear), Gunner (in front of the commander in the turret), Loader (right of the gunner in the turret), Driver (left front hull) and Co-driver/Hull Machinegunner (right front hull). The Briggs tank has been operated without a commander in one instance, where the gunner acted as the commander, but this was most likely a single occurrence. The tank has a rear turret configuration.

Hull

The hull of the Briggs Tank seems to be inspired from the British World War 1 Mark I to Mark IV tanks. Interestingly, the rear part of the suspension is shaped differently from the Mark I. The Briggs tank’s suspension has a trapezoidal shape as seen from the side, as opposed to the iconic rhomboid shape of World War I British heavy tanks. The sides of the hull, which cover the suspension, are riveted in a very similar way to the Mark I tanks. Additionally, the driver’s sight and hull machine gun port are also riveted to the hull. The upper hull is loosely based on the Ferdinand’s upper hull.

The Manga Briggs Tank, in combat with King Bradley.
Source: FMA Manga

How the armor plates of the front hull are connected to each other is unclear, as there is no sign of welding or riveting. Rivets can be seen on the top hull plate parallel to the upper front hull plate and the side hull plates. Most likely, the frontal hull plates are welded together. The upper front plate would then be riveted to the top plate of the hull. Drawings from the inside of the front hull support this theory, as the top hull plate seems to rest on an additional bend in the upper front hull armor, but no rivets are shown to connect this supposed connection plate to the upper hull. The side armor is likely to be riveted in the same way as the front hull. A single drawing shows that the rear armor plate might also be a single plate that was welded or riveted to form an upper and flat rear armor plate. The flat rear plate shows a hatch, but it is unknown where the hatch leads.

The bottom of the flat rear armor plate seems to be riveted to a connecting profile, which connects the rear hull plate to the floor hull plate. Since there is no similar type of connection profile between the lower front plate and the floor hull plate, it can be suggested that the floor plate is welded to the front plate.

The rear of the Briggs Tank
Source: FMA Manga

The armor angling and armor values of the Briggs tank are unknown but based on drawing, the armor does not seem to be exceptionally thick, but not very thin either. Based on the usage of the tank during Colonel Roy Mustangs’ coup d’etat and the subsequent defense of the captured Central Command, it can be expected that the tank is at least impervious to small arms fire from the front.

The Briggs tank has a bow-mounted machine gun operated by the co-driver. The way the machine gun is mounted might severely limit the angles at which it can fire. Additionally, the co-driver seems to have no means of vision of his own. The driver has access to a direct sight vision port. The vision port is made of glass which can be covered by a metal plate. If this plate can be opened or closed from the inside, is not clear. The Tank has a towing hook on the front and provides space for pioneering tools on the fenders. On the left fender, the Briggs tank has a box. If this box is meant for storage or served another purpose is unclear. Interestingly, the Briggs tank has some sort of exhausts on the front top plate of the hull, but no engine is shown and it is not positioned in between the driver’s compartment and the turret, as the drawings show both the driver and the turret basket behind him.

Interior of the Briggs tank, showing the Driver’s position, in combat with King Bradley.
Source: FMA Manga

Two doors have been placed on both sides of the hull. The purpose of these doors is unclear. Since the location of the engine is unclear, the doors could function as access points to the engine. The doors could also be used as entrances and escape hatches for the driver and co-driver, as they do not have any other hatches near their seats. The doors could also serve as a way to reach and close off side sponsons which could be mounted on the side of the tank, like the Mark I tanks (although this is quite unlikely and far-fetched, it is still good to mention the possibility). The side sponson system on the Briggs tank would then bear some similarity in function with the TOG 2. The doors could be remnants of an early stage of the Briggs Tank which might not have had a turret and used side sponsons instead. The turret might later have been added and the side sponsons removed. The engineers would then probably have closed the holes in the armor with these doors, as to not have to build entirely new hulls, but still keep the option for mounting side sponsons.

A door on the side hull.
Source: FMA Manga

The driver uses two traditional tiller bars to steer the vehicle and most likely a gear stick on the driver’s right side. The driver is shown to have two pedals, which can be assumed to either be an accelerator and brake pedal combination, or brake and clutch pedal combination. The latter would be the most logical. This suggests that the speed of the tank is controlled by the tiller bars. The clutch is released with one of the pedals, the tank is halted with the other pedal, and the possible gear stick on the right side of the driver for shifting gears.

Driver controls.
Source: FMA Manga

Mobility

The engine of the Briggs Tank is unknown and its location within the vehicle is also unknown. The problem with the Briggs Tank is that its layout and interior do not line up with a realistic engine placement. A rear-turreted vehicle normally has the engine either at the front of the vehicle, possibly at either the right or left front of the vehicle, or between the driver’s compartment and the turret fighting compartment. The Briggs Tank has neither of these possibilities. The Briggs Tank has both a driver and a co-driver/machine-gunner. This configuration makes the front engine placement impossible. Additionally, drawings showing the inside of the vehicle depict a compartment where nothing is in between the driver and the turret.

A possibility is that the engine is located under the turret. The turret has a turret basket which is suspended into the hull up to the heads of the driver. This means that there is about 0.8 m (2.6 feet) of height left for an engine. This is quite small, as a Ford GAA engine, used in the M4 Sherman, is about 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) tall. A boxer or flat engine could be used instead to solve this problem. The location of the door on the rear would support a possible engine in the rear of the vehicle, as it could be used for maintenance of the engine. The doors on the sides of the vehicle could provide an easy way to maintain the engine as well.

The Briggs Tank uses a running gear similar to that of the Mark I tank. The Mark 1 running gear had a drive sprocket in the lower rear and an idler wheel at the upper front. The lower rear drive sprocket on the Mark 1 was a complicated drive system. The driveshaft had a sprocket which drove a larger sprocket with a chain, which was connected to the central pivoting axle. The larger sprocket would turn the central pivoting axle, which would drive another sprocket connected to the central pivoting axle, inside the rhomboid-shaped suspension. This sprocket would, in turn, drive a lantern pinion through a chain, and the lantern pinion drove the drive sprocket of the tracks. The advantage of this complicated chain system is that the chains would not transfer external shocks to the differential components.

Mark 1 running gear.
Source: https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/lincoln-no-1-machine/

The top part has no wheels whatsoever and the lower part consists of unsprung rollers. The Briggs Tank has an estimated 16 rollers on each side of the vehicle. This is quite a bit less compared to the Mark I, which had 26 rollers on each side. This can be explained through the shape of the suspensions. The Mark I has a rhomboid-shaped suspension, while the Briggs Tanks’ suspension is shaped like a trapezium. This effectively means that the Briggs Tank misses 8 rollers. If a Mark I tank would have a similar shape as the Briggs Tank, it would have had 18 rollers. Like the Mark I, the Briggs Tank has a track tension adjuster at the front of the suspension, located at the idler wheel.

A drawing of the Briggs tank Suspension.
Source: FMA Manga

The Briggs Tank has proven itself to be able to drive up quite a steep slope, but the angle of the slope is unknown. It is estimated between 30 and 45 degrees although it varies per drawing. Based on the preferred design angle of stairs in the real world, the slope is estimated between 30 and 37 degrees.

Turret

The turret of the Briggs Tank is very heavily inspired by the casemate of the Ferdinand tank destroyer. Although the front and the upper parts of the turret armor are either rounded or angled, the hatches and their locations are identical. Also identical is the gunner’s periscopic sight and its semicircular slot in the top of the turret. On the Ferdinand, this allowed the sight to follow the gun as it traversed in the superstructure. It is useless on the turreted Briggs tank.

The turret top of the Briggs Tank.
Source: FMA Manga

The gunner is located on the front left of the turret and has access to his own hatch. The gunners’ hatch is the same as on the Ferdinand, a sliding hatch for the aiming telescope, combined with an escape hatch. The loader is located on the front right of the turret and has his own escape hatch. The commander is located on the bottom left, as demonstrated by Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong. Interestingly, these positions are swapped when compared to the Ferdinand. On the Ferdinand, the commander is located on the front right, while the gunner is located on the left rear. The two small hatches on both sides of the rear turret are periscopes for the loader. It could be argued that these would still be loader periscopes on the Briggs Tank, but during its usage, the left rear position is clearly used by the tank commander.

The rear hatch is both an escape hatch and used to eject shell cases. It consists of a large hatch and a smaller hatch in the middle. The middle hatch is used to eject shell cases during, for example, combat conditions. As the turret is based on the Ferdinand, it can be suggested that the ammunition of the vehicle is stored in the back and the middle of the turret.

Armament

The armament of the Briggs Tank is unknown. In the drawings, the armament seems to be of a very high calibre. Two types of armaments can be suggested based on the equipment of the Amestrian State Military and the inspiration of the Briggs Tank. The first armament is the artillery gun used to defend Fort Briggs. It seems to have a caliber that could be high enough for the Briggs Tank. Additionally, the gun is used in Fort Briggs, and thus is a proven and familiar weapon to the engineers of Fort Briggs.
The only reason why this gun could be used in the Briggs Tank is because of the similarity in the turret design between the Ferdinand and the Briggs Tank.

The first possibility is most likely the gun which was used on the Briggs Tank, although, most likely, converted into a tank gun. The gun of the Briggs Tank is a rifled gun and an estimated 3 to 4 meters (9.8 to 13.1 feet) long from the outside of the turret, the barrel length would be larger in total, as a decent part of the barrel would be located in the turret itself. Based on the drawing of the artillery piece stationed on the Briggs wall, the total barrel length is estimated to be in between 5 to 6 meters (16.4 to 19.7 feet), of which 1 to 2 meters would be located in the turret. The diameter of the gun is very hard to give a reasonable estimation to, as the size differs in every drawing and as such, no reliable estimation can be made.

Artillery piece stationed on the Briggs Wall.
Source: FMA Manga

The Briggs Tank has two to three different types of ammunition at its disposal. It has a solid shot armor-piercing round, which was used during its first test drive. When the ammunition was fired, the projectile did not detonate on impact, meaning it was not an armor-piercing high explosive round. The rounds used during the first test drive could also have been training rounds, but with the situation surrounding the first test run, this seems highly unlikely. The second or third round is a high explosive round, which was used during Colonel Mustangs’ coup d’etat of central command. The projectile was fired at the wall of central command.

In addition to the main gun, the tank uses a machine gun as secondary armament, located at the hull’s front.

The Briggs Tank firing at Central Command.
Source: FMA Manga

Service

The Briggs Tank was first used and tested during the winter of 1914 when the homunculus named Sloth accidentally breached Fort Briggs from the underground. The soldiers had never encountered a homunculus before and had no idea what a homunculus even was. Sloth is sometimes referred to as the unknown intruder. The homunculus was thought to be a spy from the neighbouring country of Drachma.

Homunculi are artificial humans made with the help of philosopher stones, in essence they can not be classified as humans, as their life is bound to their philosopher stone. When a homunculus ‘dies’ enough times, the energy of the stone will be depleted and the homunculus will die indefinitely. Because the homunculi’s life is bound to their philosopher’s stone, they are essentially superhumans which can have special abilities like shape-shifting or superhuman strength. In addition, the stone will regenerate damaged body parts of the homunculus until the stone is depleted of energy. Sloth was a massive homunculus, with near-impenetrable skin, extreme strength and could be extremely fast.

The homunculus Sloth.
Source: FMA Manga

When Sloth breached Fort Briggs, he was almost immediately shot by soldiers of Fort Briggs. The soldiers quickly discovered that their weapons could not penetrate the skin of the homunculus. The alarm was raised and the military base was put on high alert. The Homunculus accidentally activated an elevator which brought him to the production floor of the Briggs Tank. Upon his arrival, the homunculus was shot by Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong with a large caliber recoilless rifle, but this had no effect. Major General Armstrong took command and the defenders of Briggs decided to use their newly built tanks to defeat the homunculus as fast as possible, in an attempt to not alert the army of Drachma of their situation.

Briggs Tanks during their first usage, in combat against the Homunculus Sloth.
Source: FMA Manga

The Major General assumed command of one of the three available tanks. These vehicles were not yet tested and the encounter with the homunculus was their first test run. The guns were loaded and promptly fired at the homunculus. They managed to hit the homunculus and wound him, but the homunculus simply healed his wound with the help of his philosopher stone. In response, the Briggs defenders continuously fired rounds at the homunculus to no avail. Thinking quickly, the Major General decided that they could not defeat the creature with firepower and decided to defeat the homunculus by freezing him. She used her tank to ram the homunculus into an elevator. One tank was not enough and she ordered the other two Briggs Tanks to help push the homunculus in the elevator. Once in the elevator, the homunculus was sent to one of the openings in the wall. Major General Armstrongs’ tank soon entered the elevator as well and upon arriving at the same floor, they shot the homunculus with the main gun over the edge of the wall. The homunculus, doused with fuel, froze almost immediately in a blizzard.

Briggs Tanks pushing Sloth in an elevator.
Source: FMA Manga

The first test run can be hailed as a success. Even though the Briggs Tank was not able to reliably penetrate the thick skin of the homunculus, the tank did not break down and managed to perform its mission by defeating the unknown intruder.

The second usage is during Colonel Mustang’s coup d’etat during the spring of 1915 in Central City, the capital of Amestris. The soldiers of Briggs and the soldiers of the Eastern sector of Amestris supported Colonel Roy Mustang in his endeavor to take control of the country and overthrow Führer King Bradley. The armies of the Northern and Eastern Sector were conducting joint exercises on the day of the coup, overseen by King Bradley himself. King Bradley was convinced by his general staff to return to Central, due to suspicions of a potential coup by the Eastern sector led by their commander, General Grumman. The train carriage that took King Bradley to Central was bombed by soldiers of the Eastern Sector.

Colonel Mustang started his coup around the same time in central itself, with the aid of the Briggs soldiers and their tank.

The tank was transported in pieces to the large family estate of Major General Armstrong. The tank was assembled on the estate and then used to spearhead the advance to Central Command, the headquarters of the Central Army of Amestris and the seat of Führer King Bradley. The Central Command did know about the existence of the Briggs Tank, as did the Central Commandos tasked with stopping the Briggs advance on Central Command, but they did not expect the Briggs Soldier to have a tank at their disposal during the coup. As such, the central soldiers, already taken by surprise by the Briggsian revolt, were now also taken by surprise by the appearance of the Briggs Tank. The Tank reached Central Command and fired an HE projectile on its walls. Not long after, the Briggsian soldiers took over Central Command.

The Briggs Tank was positioned on top of the stairway to the Central Command main gate, in order to hold back the Central Soldiers who might try to recapture Central Command. Not long after the Briggsian soldiers celebrated the success of their coup, they were abruptly interrupted by Führer King Bradley over the radio, announcing his survival of the bombing and his return to Central to personally assume command and to squash the coup. King Bradley arrived at the main gate of Central Command stating:

‘Why should I enter my own palace from the back entrance’.

King Bradley charging the Briggs soldiers and the Briggs tank.
Source: FMA Manga

King Bradley was the homunculus Wrath, an extremely skilled leader and a one-man army, raised from birth to lead the country. Realising the danger of King Bradley, Captain Buccaneer ordered his tank squad to pull back, but King Bradley, being a very powerful homunculus, charged immediately at the tank squad on his own.

The Briggs Tank tried to gun down King Bradley on his approach, but missed all their machine gun fire. One main gun round was fired but missed as well. At this point, King Bradley reached the tank, and stabbed the driver by breaking the glass of the vision port with his sword. The Co-driver tried to run King Bradley over, but King Bradley cut the tracks apart and subsequently, threw a grenade through the broken vision port of the driver. The grenade detonated and the Briggs Tank was taken out by the homunculus.

No further usage is known of the Briggs Tank.

Briggs Tank destroyed by a grenade.
Source: FMA Manga

Realism

The Briggs Tank is, for the time period it was developed and used (around 1914), not a realistic vehicle. The hull stays true to its era and is based on the British Mark I tank. The turret is mostly based on a Ferdinand casemate, a vehicle that was built almost 30 years later. Its turret and armament are too large and heavy for its time, especially when considering this is seemingly the very first tank of the Amestrian State Army and possibly the world. At the same time, Amestris was a very advanced country technology and productionwise. It would not be impossible for them to actually pull this design off. So compared to the development of tanks in our timeline, it would be unrealistic, considering the potential of Amestris, it might be possible.

The Briggs Tank of the FMA Manga might be unrealistic when considering the era it was built in, but, overall, it is not a bad design for a fantasy tank. By basing it on actual vehicles, the author managed to draw a reasonable design. The main issues with the tank are the gun, and the bow machine gun. The gun seems to be a very high calibre when looking at the drawing, but the actual calibre is unknown. Lastly, the bow machine gun can easily be fixed by not mounting it in a tube but by using a ball mount for example.

Other Tanks

In the FMA manga, another drawing is seen when the protagonists get a tour around Fort Briggs. The drawing is a bit confusing, as it suggests that the casemate is mounted more towards the front of the hull. But considering the size of the humans, compared with the suspension in the front of the drawing, the casemate/turret and the hull are presumed to be separated.

An illustration of a suspension located in Fort Briggs.
Source: FMA Manga

Minenräumpanzer 3.
Source: https://en.topwar.ru/93911-minnyy-tralschik-minenrumpanzer-iii-germaniya.html

The hull and suspension at the front of the drawing are identical to the German Minenräumpanzer 3. The hull in the manga is nearly identical to the actual vehicle, except for a few very minor details at the front hull.

Maus Turret.
Source: https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/panzer_maus.php

The casemate/turret has a very Maus-like gunshield, but the rest of the turret bears more resemblance to the Maus II turret. The Maus II turret came into existence after concerns about the curved Maus turret, which might deflect projectiles into the hull top. As such, the frontal turret would be an angled plate instead of a curved plate, and the gun mount was altered as well among other things. The FMA Manga turret seems to have incorporated the main features of the Maus II turret regarding the armor profile and the gun mount. The gun shield seems to have more resemblance to the original Maus turret.

Maus II Turret.
Source: https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/maus-ii/

Briggs Tank FMA: Brotherhood (2009)

The first appearance of the Briggs Tank in the FMA: Brotherhood anime is in episode 34, which shows the construction facility, including a few Briggs tanks under construction. No other type of tank is shown in the anime.

The development of the Briggs Tank in FMA: Brotherhood is the same as the development of the Briggs Tank in the Manga.

The Briggs Tank in Detail

Like the manga, the actual specifications of the Briggs Tank are unknown, and are analysed in the same way. The Briggs Tank is about 7 meters (23 feet) long, 4 meters (13.1 feet) wide, and 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) tall. As the Briggs tank is very reminiscent of the Panzer IV, it is estimated to weigh in between 18 to 25 tonnes (18.8 to 27.5 US-tons) combat-ready. The tank is operated by 5 crew members, consisting of the Commander (left turret rear), Gunner (in front of the commander in the turret), Loader (right of the gunner in the turret), Driver (left front hull), Co-driver/Hull Machinegunner (right front hull).

Hull

The hull of the Briggs Tank seems to have multiple inspirations. The most obvious inspiration is the Panzer IV, but the VK 30.01 (H) might also have been an inspiration. For the hull, the Panzer IV seems to be more likely, as the frontal hull angling, the driver’s vision slit and the hull machine gun, the engine bay, and the vision slits on the side of the hull for the co-driver and driver correspond to it. The KV-1 is also recognised in the Briggs tank, mainly because of the frontal armor profile. The exhausts on the rear sides of the hull are somewhat reminiscent of the exhaust on the Centurion. The sides of the hull are protected with side skirts, just like the Panzer IV.

The Briggs Tank in the FMA: Brotherhood Anime.
Source: FMA: Brotherhood Anime

The armor is most likely, just like the Panzer IV, welded together from multiple large steel plates. No riveting is shown at all, which supports this theory. As with the Manga Briggs tank, the armor and the exact angling are unknown. Since this is the first armored vehicle of Amestris, the armor values might be close to the very first Panzer IV version, the Panzer IV Ausf. A. This would mean that the Briggs Tank has a frontal hull armor of 10 to 14.5 mm (0.4 to 0.57 inch), 10 to 14.5 mm (0.4 to 0.57 inch) on the sides, 14.5 mm (0.57 inch) on the rear, and 8 to 10 mm (0.3 to 0.4 inch) armor on the top and bottom of the hull. The frontal armor thickness is somewhat supported by a shot close up on the hull machine gun. In this close-up, the armor does not look too thick. By measuring the length of the hull machine gun of the Panzer 4 and the Briggs Tank, and through the use of ratios, the frontal hull thickness is very roughly estimated to be around 20 mm (0.8 inch) thick.

Hull machine gun.
Source: FMA: Brotherhood Anime

The Briggs tank has a bow machine gun on the front right of the vehicle, fired by the co-driver. The driver is located on the front left side of the vehicle. The Briggs tank has towing hooks on the front side of the vehicle and two headlights.

The engine is located in the rear of the hull and two exhausts are located on both sides of the rear hull. Interestingly, another muffler is located on the rear of the vehicle, very much reminiscent of the Panzer IV muffler.

Rear view of the Briggs Tank.
Source: FMA: Brotherhood Anime

Mobility

The engine of the Briggs Tank is unknown, but since the vehicle seems to be based on the Panzer IV, an estimation can be made on the specifications. The Panzer IV Ausf. A had a Maybach HL 108TR 230 hp engine, while the Panzer IV Ausf. J had a Maybach HL 120 TRM 320 hp engine. It is more likely for the Briggs Tank to have an engine of around 230 hp, as this is Amestris’ first tank but it potentially has an engine with around 230 to 320 hp. The engine is mounted in the rear of the vehicle, and the transmission is located in the front of the vehicle.

The suspension of the Briggs Tank does not bear resemblance to either the Panzer IV’s suspension or the interleaved roadwheel suspension found on other German tanks. It seems to resemble a torsion bar suspension instead. The road wheels do seem to bear some overal resemblance with KV-1 road wheels. It has 5 road wheels on each side and the drive sprocket is located in the front of the vehicle.

The vehicle is shown to be very mobile, being able to climb a slope of in between 30 and 37 degrees at high speeds.

Turret

The turret of the Briggs tank seems to share multiple inspirations. Its main inspiration seems to be the VK 30.01(H) and Panzer IV turrets. This is mainly because of the general shape of the turret, and the vision ports located on the sides of the vehicle. The vision ports of the VK30.01 (H) seem to be integrated with the side turret hatches of the Panzer IV. Its turret hatch configuration resembles the layout of a Tiger 1. The commander’s cupola looks more or less like a generic cupola, but with the Tiger 1 layout, could be identified as a late Tiger 1 cupola. Another hatch is located on the rear of the turret, which might be used to load and eject shells.

Top view of the Briggs Tank Turret, while in combat with Sloth.
Source: FMA: Brotherhood Anime

The Briggs Tank during Colonel Mustang’s coup d’etat.
Source: FMA: Brotherhood Anime

Armament

Like the rest of the specific components, the armament of the Briggs Tank is unknown, but a reasonable origin of the Briggs Tank’s main gun can be found in the anime. The 7.5 cm Pak 40 anti-tank gun is shown at multiple points throughout the series. They are used during the Ishvalan War of Extermination, but also in the defence of Fort Briggs. As such, it can be speculated that the armament of the Briggs Tank is a 7.5 cm which was converted from the 7.5 cm Pak 40, just like the Panzer IV’s main gun. The gun is about 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) long excluding the barrel length in the turret, which is about the same length as the Panzer IV’s 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/48 gun.

7.5 cm Pak 40 located on top of Fort Briggs.
Source: FMA: Brotherhood Anime

The available ammunition of the cannon is unclear. In a scene, the commander of Fort Briggs orders her soldiers to remove the fuses from the shells. This could suggest that the only type of ammunition is APHE, as the explosions during the coup détat of Colonel Mustang are relatively small.

The hull machine gun is most likely an M1919 Browning HMG. This is because the soldiers of Fort Briggs are shown to use this type of machine gun during the coup d’état. It would be logical for the Briggs Tank to use this machine gun as well.

Service

The service of the FMA: Brotherhood Briggs Tank is nearly identical to the service of the Manga Briggs Tank. The only real difference is how the events occur during the battle between King Bradley and the Briggs Tank. While the Briggs Tank is on top of a large staircase in the manga, the Briggs tank in the anime is stationed right in front of the stairs and the lift to the top of Central Headquarters.

King Bradley right before his assault on the Briggs position.
Source: FMA: Brotherhood Anime

When King Bradley engages the tank in battle, he manages to cut a tank shell in half with his sword after it was fired upon him (an obviously impossible feat in the real world) and proceeds to advance on the tank, while deflecting hull machine gun fire with his sword. As a panic reaction, the crew of the tank starts reversing at high speed to the staircase, nearly driving over two fellow Briggs soldiers. Still reversing on the ramp to Central Headquarters, King Bradley still manages to evade the tank fire upon him. By using the blast of a shell, King Bradley launches himself to the tank and stabs the driver through the driver’s vision port. While the co-driver is ordered to take over, King Bradley cuts through both tracks of the Briggs tank. The tank slides to the side as a result, smashing the main gun into a wall. The commander of the tank opens his hatch in an attempt to shoot King Bradley with his pistol but is killed in the attempt by King Bradley. King Bradley subsequently throws a grenade in the tank and destroys it.

Briggs Tank reversing on the staircase, trying to distance itself from King Bradley.
Source: FMA: Brotherhood Anime

Realism

As with the manga Briggs Tank, this version is also unrealistic for its time period, around 1914. The vehicle is almost completely based on a tank developed in 1935, and some specific features, like the main gun and side skirts, appeared a lot later as well. Considering this is seemingly the first tank of Amestris, and possibly the world, the advancements in this tank are too great. From utilising a torsion bar suspension, its weight, its main gun, and side skirts, the Briggs Tank in the anime is overal too modern. But this is when one compares the tank to our time and development. Amestris in the Brotherhood anime is shown to have technologies like panzershrecks and 7.5 cm Pak 40 guns, eventhough their enemies don’t seem to own any tanks. At the same time, some of the manufacturing processes which would have been used for the guns of Amestris are well into 1940s to 1950s technology. Overal, when one takes the technology of Amestris into account, it would definately be possible, allthough some design steps maybe a bit too much for a first attempt. Compared to the progression of tank development in our timeline, it would not be realistic.

Apart from its era, the anime Briggs tank is a realistic vehicle. This is not surprising since it is practically a redesigned copy of a Panzer IV, but integrates various other German tank features. The Anime Briggs Tank is a good fantasy tank, maybe not very original, but also not residing in the realms of absurdity. The artists can be commended for their research and integration of German vehicles, which helps to further strengthen the link between Amestris and Nazi Germany, which is a much more important theme in the Anime than in the original Manga.

Battle Tank FMA (2003)

The first appearance of the Battle Tank in the FMA anime is in episode 39. In a brief moment, a crew is seen performing maintenance on a Battle Tank. No other type of tank is shown in the anime.

Nothing is known about the development of the Battle Tank.

The Battle Tank in Detail

The specifications of the battle Tank are unknown and are analyzed in the same manner as the previous vehicles. The Battle Tank is around 3.6 meters (11.8 feet) long, 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) wide, and 2.5 (8.2 feet) meters tall. The Battle Tank is almost identical to the Renault FT, as such, it is estimated to weigh 6.7 tonnes (7.4 US-tons) combat-ready. The tank is most likely crewed by 2 crew members, like the Renault FT, consisting of a Commander/Gunner (turret) and Driver (front hull).

The Battle Tank in the FMA 2003 Anime.
Source: FMA 2003 Anime

Hull

The hull of the Battle Tank is pretty much a copy of the Renault FT. For this reason, it is estimated to have the same armor as the Renault FT. As such, it is estimated to have 16 mm (0.6 inch) on the front, sides, and rear of the hull, and between 6 to 8 mm (0.2 to 0.3 inch) on the top and bottom of the hull. The armor is most likely riveted together, like on the Renault FT. Some scenes show a few rivets on several places on the hull to support this theory.

Front shot of the Battle Tank.
Source: FMA 2003 Anime

The driver is located in the front of the vehicle. In contrast to the Renault FT, it looks like the driver cannot enter the vehicle through a front hull hatch, but only through the turret. An exhaust is located on both sides of the tank, and the engine is located in the rear of the vehicle.

Side shot of the Battle Tank.
Source: FMA 2003 Anime

Mobility

The engine of the Battle Tank is unknown, but based on the Renault FT, it probably has a 4 cylinder 35 hp engine. In the Anime, the vehicle is seen to move roughly at the same pace as infantry, but if this is its maximum speed is unclear.

The suspension is similar to the Renault FT’s coil and leaf spring combination suspension. The tank uses multiple road wheels on the bottom.

Suspension of the Battle Tank.
Source: FMA 2003 Anime

Turret

The turret is, together with the armament, the only part that differs more from the Renault FT. The turret is quite tall, an estimated 1 meter tall, but retains the overall shape of the Renault. It seems to have a small hatch on the rear, potentially for ejecting shell cases. It has a single pericope in some depictions, located at the front of the commander’s cupola. The Battle Tank’s turret also seems to have a plate on the side of the turret in some depictions. Its purpose is unknown. The armor is estimated, based on the Renault FT, to be 22 mm (0.9 inch) all-round, and 8 mm (0.3 inch) on the top of the turret.

Turret of the Battle Tank.
Source: FMA 2003 Anime

Armament

The armament of the Battle tank is unknown. Based on different measurements and ratios, it seems to mount a 100 mm cannon. This cannon would probably be a howitzer-type cannon. The ammunition could potentially consist of HE and Canister rounds.

Alternatively, it could be armed with the Puteaux 37 mm cannon of the Renault FT. This would be a more realistic gun. The Battle Tank could then have APHE, HE, and Canister rounds at its disposal.

No other armaments are shown in the anime to give any leads on possible sources for the Battle Tank’s gun.

Service

As the Battle Tank is available in reasonable numbers and the Amestrian Army operates it as a separate division, it can be concluded that the Battle Tank is already in service for an extended period of time and that the Amestrian Army has gained some experience in using tanks. Furthermore, the Battle Tank is shown to be used with motorized infantry support, which suggests that at least early steps are taken in combined arms warfare.

In the Anime, the Battle Tank is first shown in the preparations to assault the city of Lior (Liore in the FMA: Brotherhood Mange, originally Reole). The assault had multiple reasons. The Amestrian Army had gained intelligence that a large transmutation circle was being made, and they sent the State Alchemist, and protagonist, Edward Elric to investigate the circle.

In addition, a murderer named Scar (because of a cross-shaped scar on his forehead) was sighted in the city. Scar was a serial killer who specifically murdered State Alchemists to exact revenge for his deceased brother and near-exterminated race called the Ishbalans (Ishval in FMA: Brotherhood), and was one of the most wanted criminals in Amestris.

A third reason was a brief conflict incited by Lior under control of a theocratic government ruled by Father Cornello. It was a brief but bloody civil war which resulted in the defeat of Lior and its rebelling allies. There was still unrest in Lior as the civil war ended quite recently, and as a result, the commander of the assault, Colonel Frank Archer, was planning to invade Lior with the hope of Lior retaliation, so that he had a justification to exterminate the Lior people and race.

Around 7000 troops were gathered near Lior, which were supported by at least 18 Battle Tanks. At the arrival of Lior, the Amestrian Army spots Scar, and Colonel Archer subsequently orders his Battle Tank Division to surround Lior, and his troops to enter the city. This could mean that the Amestrian Army has experience with tanks in urban warfare, and have concluded that their Battle Tanks are not suited to fight in urban terrain.

Battle Tanks and Amestrian Soldiers gathered near Lior.
Source: FMA 2003 Anime

Not long after the assault of Lior has begun, State Alchemist Edward Elric reaches the Amestrian Army near Lior and has a brief argument with Colonel Archer about not accepting Lior’s surrender. Edward Elric identified the large transmutation circle to be one to create a philosopher’s stone. The activation of such a transmutation circle would result in the death of all persons within the circle and the creation of a philosopher’s stone consisting of human souls. This stone is an all-powerful Alchemy enhancing stone, giving the Alchemist the ability to ‘’circumvent’’ the laws of Alchemy and giving him immense power.

When the troops entered Lior, the Lior inhabitants had already fled the city as part of Scar’s plan. Not long after, Scar activates the transmutation circle, and, as a result, it is suggested that almost all of the 7000 soldiers participating in the assault were killed and turned into a philosopher’s stone. If any tank crews were killed in the assault is unknown, but highly unlikely, as they were ordered to surround the city, and thus were not within the transmutation circle.

Later, in the Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa movie, set immediately after the events of the Anime, tanks are used in the defence of Central City from Thule forces.

The FMA Thule Society is based on the real-life Thule Society, which operated during and after World War 1 until around the late 1920’s. They were a society who supported the DAP (Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, German Workers’ Party), which would later become the Nazi party.

In the 2003 FMA universe, our reality is a counter reality to the FMA reality. Where our main science is physics, FMA’s main science is Alchemy. Due to certain events in the Anime, the story starts to overlap both realities. The Thule Society, led by Dietliende Eckhart, wanted to return power to Germany after the defeat of World War 1. They hoped to conquer the FMA reality and, as a result, gain valuable resources and heighten the political power of Germany.

Dietlinde Eckhart invaded the FMA Reality and wreaked havoc on the Amestrian soldiers stationed in Central City. With the help of her airship and her soldiers, they try to take Central Command. The Thule forces are met by soldiers under command of Colonel Mustang, and they manage to defeat the Thule Forces. In a very brief scene, 5 Battle Tanks are seen firing at the Thule Soldiers.

Not long after, Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, and Colonel Mustang defeat Dietline Eckhart and her soldiers with the help of the Amestrian soldiers guarding Central Command.

No further usage of the Battle Tank is known.

Battle Tanks firing at Thule soldiers.
Source: FMA 2003 Anime

Realism

The Battle Tank is the most realistic vehicle of the three adaptations. It is more or less identical to the Renault FT, and as such, is realistic in the setting of FMA. The only questionable components are the tall turret, and its potentially high caliber gun. Apart from those two somewhat minor issues, the Battle Tank is a realistic vehicle that fits the time and the setting of the FMA Universe.

Although not particularly original, the artists made a good decision by using the Renault FT as a base template for the vehicle. For the viewers who know more about tanks, and as a result recognise the Renault FT design, it added more immersion to the overall FMA setting. In this aspect, it is a very well done tank in an Anime. Where the Briggs Tank of the FMA: Brotherhood Anime strengthens the linkage between Germany and Amestris, the Battle tank strengthens the linkage with the setting.

Conclusion

Of the three adaptations, the FMA Anime 2003 is the most realistic. By using a more or less identical Renault FT, the artists of the Anime have used a realistic tank that fits in the setting of FMA, and for the tank enthusiasts, adds to the overall immersion.

The FMA: Brotherhood Briggs Tank is the next most realistic tank in terms of practicality. Certain design aspects would be unrealistic, since it is suggested to be the first tank of the FMA: Brotherhood universe. By combining multiple aspects of German tanks and staying with these designs, the artists have managed to design a tank that looks realistic and serves to intensify the connection between Amestris and Germany.

The Manga tank is the least realistic, with its huge cannon, turret, and questionable lay-out. Aside from its realism, Hiromu Arakawa, the artist and writer of the manga, did a good job in incorporating real designs into a tank.

Overall, all the adaptations artists can be commended for their usage of design aspects of real vehicles. This shows that they put thought in how a tank is supposed to look, instead of just drawing something that resembles a tank, but is completely ridiculous. The attention in something like a tank for the adaptations adds to the quality of the series. It adds to the immersion, and in the instances of the animes, it helps strengthen certain aspects of the overall setting. As such, the tanks have a real contribution to the adaptations, albeit only for tank enthusiasts.

Illustrations

The Fullmetal Alchemist Manga Briggs Tank. Illustration done by Cut_22.

The FMA: Brotherhood Briggs tank. Illustration by Cut_22.

The Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 Battle Tank. Illustration done by Cut_22.

Sources

Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 Anime
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist Manga
https://fma.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page

References for the comparisons:
Operation Priority: The Data by Jaycee Davis
Ferdinand Elefant Vol. 1 and 2 by Tadeusz Melleman
http://catainium.blogspot.com/2016/04/vk-3001-hpanzer-vi-h-heavy-tank.html
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/panzer_iv.php
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/panzer-vi_tiger.php
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/germany/AT-guns/7-5-cm-pak-40
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/lincoln-no-1-machine/
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/panzer_maus.php
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/maus-ii/

Torumekian Empire – 1,000 years after the Seven Days of Fire Fictional tank (self-propelled gun) – at least 7 prototypes built

Raised By a Real Pirate

Studio Ghibli

History of the ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ idea

Fallout Falls Out

Description of the design

Hull

Casemate

Armament

Similar Real Designs

Conclusion

Torumekian Empire Fictional Tank specifications table

Sources

German Empire (1900-1918) Superheavy Tank – Fictional

German Empire Vehicles of the WWI Period

History of the ‘Calambur’ Show

Predecessor of the ‘Iron Kaputt’: a ‘Steep Dive’

‘Iron Kaputt’ Series

German WWI African Campaign – Source of Inspiration

Description of the ‘Design’

Hull

Armament

Crew

The Unruly Zusu Tribe – Enemies of the Iron Kaputt

Second Life of the ‘Iron Kaputt’

Conclusion

‘Iron Kaputt’ fictional tank specifications table

Sources

Loveless Alliance (1865-1869) Steam Tank – Fictional

Name

Steam Tanks in History

Film Representation

Overview

Steam Power

Armored Train Mode

Weaponry

Interior

From Betrayal to Destruction

Conclusion

Specifications

Sources

Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) (32 BBY-19 BBY) Repulsor Tank

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy far far Away…

Trade Federation

Confederacy of Independent Systems

Development

Design

Armor and Hull

Propulsion

Turret

Armament

Crew

Differences Between Models

Operational Use

Versions

Heavier Armored Assault Tank

Heavy Artillery Gun

Defoliator Deployment Tank

Imperial Armored Assault Tank

Camouflages

Conclusion

Specifications

Sources

United States of America (1968) Wacky Racer

Wacky Races

Motor Pool Mash-Up

Half-Tracks

Roller Drum

Turret

Bazooka Boosters

Race Standings

Conclusion

Specifications

Sources

United Kingdom (1936) Science Fiction Tank

Wells and Tanks

The Book

The Plot

The ‘Future Tank’

Conclusion

Torumekian Empire – 1,000 years after the Seven Days of Fire
Fictional tank (self-propelled gun) – at least 7 prototypes built

German Empire (1900-1918)
Superheavy Tank – Fictional

Loveless Alliance (1865-1869)
Steam Tank – Fictional

Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) (32 BBY-19 BBY)
Repulsor Tank

United States of America (1968)
Wacky Racer

United Kingdom (1936)
Science Fiction Tank

United Kingdom (1907)
Trench-Cutting Machine – Fictional

Imperium of Man (41st and 42nd Millennium)
Heavy Tank

Amestris (1914-1915)
Tank – Fictional