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Post Info TOPIC: A7V Gretchen female tank
Ned


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A7V Gretchen female tank
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I was under the impression that all the A7Vs were male tanks. That the Gretchen tank was converted into the male version.

This pictures shows Gretchen as a female tank. The first one on the left is Baden, middle one Cyklops and then Gretchen on the right.



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Brigadier

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Hello Ned!
There were more female tanks at the start but they were soon converted to male.... so I have read in a book.
I have the Tankograd book Sturmpanzer A7V and found it very helpful in understanding the different types and manufacturers.
There is explained how the Germans planned more female tanks than male tanks (1 male to 4 female) but soon found out that they needed more firepower and so converted the female tanks to male tanks. Only number 501 (Gretchen) was to see combat as a female tank.
One of those things you can read in the book is that due to distortion of the armourplates that came from Krupp that there were A7V's with the sides in five plates in stead of one big side-armourplate for the Röchling tanks.

So if you can get one of the books ...... buy it
Tankograd world war one, Sturmpanzer A7V No. 1001.

Best regards,
Willem



-- Edited by Willem Visser on Sunday 25th of June 2017 08:49:59 PM

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Ned


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Thank you Willem, The Meng A7V model is of the Krupp version, the Sparta A7V is of the Röchling (single side version)

When I finish my Mk IV, the A7V is next on my list to build.



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Sergeant

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IMG_0235.JPG

 

501 Gretchen in demonstrate



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Ned


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That definitely is a female-MG tank. Thanks.

on a side note, what colour would it be ? gray ? or green ?



-- Edited by Ned on Monday 26th of June 2017 04:27:32 AM

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Brigadier

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"Gretchen" was a female tank during first two actions (St. Quentin 21st March 1918, Villers-Bretonneux 24th April 1918), later it was converted to male.

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Sergeant

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501 Gretchen hasn't any color or camouflage untill changed its gender

so its Gray



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Lieutenant-Colonel

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Why grey, but not feldgrau for example or another colour?

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Regards

Denis



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In the book „KOMITEE NACHBAU STURMPANZERWAGEN A7V: Sturmpanzerwagen A7V – Vom Urpanzer zum Leopard 2. 1. Auflage Herford und Bonn : Verlag E. S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH, 1990“ Page: 66, there is even a photo of the A7V Gretchen with a flamethrower instead of MG!



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I know this is an old thread but I have seen a better picture and it shows the rounded escape hatch that was located at the rear so that is the rear that we see of Gretchen.
No way to tell if there is a gun or MG's in the front.


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Björn

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I would say: what we see is the front!

Why? Because if you look at the door, then you can see what is front and what is rear. As far as I know, all doors show the outer side to the front and the inner side to the rear when it they are open.

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Captain

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Never thought about the placements of the door hinges so I had a look at pictures and as far as i can tell they are always at the front.
Now I have the doors on my Gretchen pointing the wrong way. Well. I just have to remove the sides and swap them smile



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Björn

https://baecklund.eu/scalemodels/home.html

 



Commander in Chief

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No, the doors are not allways to the front! On the left side (in direction to the front) you find the door near the front; on the right side you find the door near the rear.

But you always can see the doors Opening to the front direction.

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elbavaro wrote:


But you always can see the doors Opening to the front direction.


Exactly. That is why I think you see the rear of Gretchen and the front of the other two. 

Perhaps we are talking of different pictures? I am referring to the first picture in the thread.

But as a book has it dated April 28 it probably still is a female but as one can't see the front one can't tell by looking at the picture.



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Björn

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Commander in Chief

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On said picture, one looks at 501's rear end. Here is one that shows the front end:



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MZ


Commander in Chief

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@Orso: OK, now I got you. Sorry.

@mad Zeppelin: thank you.

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Lieutenant

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and it appears that Gretchen is camouflaged, not just gray or green. Or am I seeing things here?



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In this view of 501, it appears to have some camo, or is this just mud and shadows on the lower hull?

 

-Tony 



-- Edited by Tony I on Wednesday 16th of June 2021 02:27:08 AM

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Commander in Chief

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Yes, this is camouflage, but...

Both, 501 and 506, were handed in to BAKP 20 for overhaul at the same time. 506 received a neat new coat of regular BAKP 20 camouflage (green, red brown, clay yellow), while 501 did not. What you see is the camouflage - or rather its remnants - applied by Abt.1 for the action on March 21st, 1918. So, one may wonder what hues one is looking at. - As 501 was due to receive a gun it seems reasonable that it wasn't newly painted before said gun had been installed. The action of April 24th occurred during this period of waiting, it seems.



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MZ


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Thanks, this makes sense now and gives us an opportunity to do something else with one of the females if we choose to camo her up.

Tony



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