Now in possession of a thick slab of rifle-rated ballistic fibreglass. Not sure quite what I'm going to do with it yet and not looking forward to cutting it but the experimenting will be useful. It won't be getting cut anytime soon as it was -20 C outside yesterday. #Guns #armor

Edit: This is a Pz. III not a Pz.IV sorry. The original caption was incorrect.

5/5 If you want to read more on the PIAT and bust some of the misconceptions over this weapon please take a look at my article on it at Tanks Encyclopedia

4/5 A 102 mm thick armour slab of the nose plate from a Tiger tank was also used. The Tiger was the most heavily armoured tank in theatre at the time. The PIAT bomb, capable of defeating 100 mm of plate could bulge the back of the Tiger's front plate but not defeat it. IWM Images

3/5 Hits on the Pz. IV were also conclusive. Although the early PIAT fuze no.425 was a problem as it lacked a graze function. However, when it did get a good hit, the rounds defeated the armour, including the spaced armour on the driver's plate. #Tanks

2/5 PIAT hits on the Pz. II were dramatic. The PIAT bomb could defeat the armour everywhere and the blast pressure blew open locked hatches. The targets were filled with empty petrol cans to test for internal effects - the cans were heavily damaged as a result.

In Feb. 1943, the PIAT (Projector Infantry Anti-Tank) was trialled at Beja, N. Africa against captured German tanks. A Pz. II, Pz.IV, and slab from a Tiger tank were all shot and results of the 1.13 kg HEAT round recorded. 1/5 #WW2 #Tanks #History

2/2 You can read more on this project in an older article from tanks-encyclopedia. In hindsight - this would appear to have been a potential missed opportunity for Italy at the start of WW2. https://t.co/MTbXN329hc

In 1939/40 Italy was short of a tracked armoured vehicle able to throw a good sized HE shell for infantry support. One option considered was the chassis of the M.6 (later 'L.6') with a large turret in which a 75 mm L/18 gun could be mounted. 1/2 #tanks #WW2

As it was, the Duchy of Grand Fenwick got to the moon first in 1963.

3/3 Launch was to take place at an angle of 2 deg. at 9.8 m/sec2 of acceleration producing 3g on the pilot. 1947 could have seen Britain get the first man into space more than a decade before the Soviets. What a shame the project was not taken up by the Ministry.

2/3 Megaroc was to carry a man into space to an altitude of "one million feet" (304 km). One in space, various scientific measurements could be taken and the 586 kg capsule in the nose would jettison for return to Earth by parachute after 6 min. 16 secs.

Project Megaroc (Mega-Rocket) submitted by Mr. H. E. Ross of the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) to the Ministry of Supply (MoS), Dec. 1946. Megaroc was a converted and enlarged 21.2 tonne German V-2 rocket measuring 17.5 m long. #space #V2 #rocket #WW2 1/3

One of my favourite tank-related cartoons. #tanks #WW1 #history

Captioned as a Rolls Royce Condor diesel V8 550-A/X300-4B power pack, c.1980. This unit was designed for the MCV-80 (Warrior) from GKN Sankey. Not to be confused with the old Rolls-Royce Condor V-12 engine used in aircraft.

Wallop Industries (great name) of Stockbridge, Hampshire offered the Skysnare balloon in 1982 as a compliment to their Rampart air defence (decoy) system. This could be deployed rapidly to >300m in <60 secs. Cheap air defence via a modern approach to the barrage balloon.

Vickers 37-ton Tank, 1965. Aimed at the export market, its commonly known as the Vickers MBT Mk.I and as Vijayanta in India. The RO 105 mm gun is still a potent piece of equipment after all these years. Sadly no missiles fitted although the wiring was a standard feature. #tank

Mowag Panzerjäger Taifun https://t.co/KUEA9cXEzi Based in Kreuzlingen, in north-eastern Switzerland, Mowag (Mowag Motorwagenfabrik AG) developed their own platform, which could suit both the needs for a new APC and a tank destroyer for the Swiss Army using common parts.

I think of this when watching just about every Hollywood war movie.

'The Atomic Centurion' has been mentioned online before. This is a compilation of IWM clippings from Op. Buffalo, 1956 and along with other equipment, more than one Centurion is visibly used during the trials. #tanks #history #Nuclear https://t.co/zquIKY3NwM