Tag Picture Quiz (2019 edition)
- Thread starter Jakko
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That would have been armed with the 120 mm gun, as I recall.
These two tanks in the photo are the only ones of their type, and they were giften to Greece together with a bunch of other Leopard 1s transferred there under arms limitations treaty terms.
These two tanks in the photo are the only ones of their type, and they were giften to Greece together with a bunch of other Leopard 1s transferred there under arms limitations treaty terms.
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The 1 A3 had an angular, welded turret with a small viewer in front of the commander’s hatch (this is mainly what distinguishes it from the 1 A4, which had a much larger viewer).
These tanks look like 1 A5s, but aren’t. The main identification point here is the hull: what do these tanks have on their hulls that most Leopards don’t?
These tanks look like 1 A5s, but aren’t. The main identification point here is the hull: what do these tanks have on their hulls that most Leopards don’t?
Ok, I've had a 26 mile hike for Macmillan so I'm not all there at the mo but I've checked wiki and this is what I have
Greece, 501 Leopard 1A5GR and 19 Leopard 1A4GR in service
Lee
Greece, 501 Leopard 1A5GR and 19 Leopard 1A4GR in service
Lee
Jon Heptonstall
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Are these the 2 Leopard 1 Verbeterd vehicles (1V) fron the Royal Netherlands Army?
Jon.
Jon.
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That’s not what they were called, but I suspect we’re never going to get to the actual and correct designation, since I can’t find information online about them even with that … so with all the effort Lee put in, I suppose I’ll give this one to him 
These are Leopard 1-V2 tanks. The plan was to upgrade all the 460-odd 1-V tanks — as Jon says, V for Verbeterd, “Improved”, but crews instead expanded the abbreviation to Verpest (“Ruined”) or Verprutst (“Botched”) due to all kinds of small problems — to Leopard 1 A5 standard. The tanks in the photo have the A5 turret, with the big rangefinder housing on the front turret roof and no “ears” for the old stereoscopic one. However, they also have the hullside stowage boxes that mark them as Dutch tanks. Unfortunately the Dutch smoke grenade launchers aren’t on the turret, which would have made it more obvious.
Anyway, by the time two tanks had been upgraded, the Cold War had ended and the CFE arms limitations agreement meant the Netherlands donated 170 tanks to Greece, to replace even more obsolescent ones. The Minister of Defense at the time then basically said, “Oh, and you can have those 1-V2 tanks as well, for free.”
As a result, photos of these tanks are pretty rare, and information very difficult to come by. I got the photo (and the above) from a very good book about the Leopard 1 in Dutch service published about ten years ago by the Netherlands Institute for Military History.
These are Leopard 1-V2 tanks. The plan was to upgrade all the 460-odd 1-V tanks — as Jon says, V for Verbeterd, “Improved”, but crews instead expanded the abbreviation to Verpest (“Ruined”) or Verprutst (“Botched”) due to all kinds of small problems — to Leopard 1 A5 standard. The tanks in the photo have the A5 turret, with the big rangefinder housing on the front turret roof and no “ears” for the old stereoscopic one. However, they also have the hullside stowage boxes that mark them as Dutch tanks. Unfortunately the Dutch smoke grenade launchers aren’t on the turret, which would have made it more obvious.
Anyway, by the time two tanks had been upgraded, the Cold War had ended and the CFE arms limitations agreement meant the Netherlands donated 170 tanks to Greece, to replace even more obsolescent ones. The Minister of Defense at the time then basically said, “Oh, and you can have those 1-V2 tanks as well, for free.”
As a result, photos of these tanks are pretty rare, and information very difficult to come by. I got the photo (and the above) from a very good book about the Leopard 1 in Dutch service published about ten years ago by the Netherlands Institute for Military History.
Jon Heptonstall
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Good old Puckle gun.
Jon.
Jon.
Jon Heptonstall
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Nice and simple.What's stuck in the mud?
