Most reference books I buy tend to come with a build in mind. This one is from the Queensland Museum and relates to a very special Tank. The only complete original German WW1 tank still in existence!
Not really the book I thought I'd start with here, but since I bought it today at The Museum (I was taking the kids to the brilliant NASA exhibition), I thought I'd add it.
Mephisto
Technology, War and Remembrance
Jeff Hopkins-Weiss and Gregory Czechura
The good news is that the actual beast 'Mephisto' an A7V Sturmpanzerwagen, now resides in the fairly recently opened ANZAC gallery in the museum.
The story goes that the only 20 A7V were made by Daimler Benz and 15 ended up on the Western Front during the German Spring offensive of March/ April 1918. This 30-tonner was part of the advance towards Amiens and was central to the capture of Villers-Bretonneux as Allied forces fell back. During the hostilities 'Mephisto' became bogged down in a shell crater and was abandoned by its crew. Months later as the 26th Battalion AIF - mostly Queenslanders - regained lost ground, it was retrieved, dragged behind Australian lines under cover of darkness, and ultimately shipped to Brisbane!
Anyway I am looking forward to reading the book, and getting to know 'Mephisto' a little better - meanwhile here is the eye-candy for the tankers out there!
And a couple of pictures from the exhibit for good measure.
.
And yes, Meng do the A7V in 1/35th, and aftermarket decals for 'Mephisto' are available. More on that later, I am sure...
David, thanks for the invite! It is a great idea. Looking at some of the threads so far however, I think various online sellers might be about to empty my pockets! You just can't beat a good book!
