tankfest 26 Archives - Felix's Gaming Pages

FV101 Scorpion CVRT at Tankfest

The Scorpion Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (tracked) FV101 was at Bovington. Though most people would call it a light tank.

The FV101 Scorpion is a British armoured reconnaissance vehicle. It was the lead vehicle and the fire support type in the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked), CVR(T), family of seven armoured vehicles. Manufactured by Alvis, it was introduced into service with the British Army in 1973 and served until 1994.

Scorpion became the first of a whole family of fighting vehicles including Scimitar, Striker and Samaritan. It served in the Falklands and the Gulf as well as being a success on the export market. Changes in British policy, and the international situation meant that surviving Scorpions were fitted with a new weapon, the 30mm Rarden Cannon, and renamed Sabre.

It has been supplied to Belgium, the Irish Republic, Malaya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman and Venezuela.

I have some Team Yankee Scorpions, they are currently in the process of being painted as BAOR versions.

Some thoughts on the RAF Regiment Scorpion I saw at RAF Cosford.

BRDM 2 Scout Car

This BRDM 2 Scout Car was at Tankfest 26. The BRDM-2 is a Cold War-era Soviet amphibious armoured scout car designed to replace the earlier BRDM-1. Introduced in the early 1960s, the 4×4 vehicle was specifically engineered for high mobility and stealthy reconnaissance. Unlike its predecessor, which featured open-top or flush-mounted weapons, the BRDM-2 was equipped with a fully enclosed, manually operated turret housing a potent 14.5mm KPVT heavy machine gun and a coaxial 7.62mm PKT general-purpose machine gun.

Powered by a rear-mounted 140-horsepower GAZ-41 V8 gasoline engine, the 7-ton vehicle can hit speeds of up to 100 km/h on paved roads. One of its most distinctive engineering traits is its off-road capability: in addition to a centralised tire-pressure regulation system, it features two pairs of auxiliary, chain-driven belly wheels that can be lowered hydraulically by the driver to help the vehicle crawl over wide trenches, ditches, and steep obstacles. With its fully amphibious hull propelled by a single rear water-jet, an overpressure collective NBC (nuclear, biological, and chemical) protection system, and infrared night-driving equipment, the BRDM-2 became a ubiquitous scouting asset produced in the thousands and exported to dozens of nations worldwide.

Citroën U23 Light Truck

This Citroën U23 Light Truck in German camouflage was part of Tankfest 26.

The Citroën U23 (or Type 23) successfully bridged the gap between passenger car elegance and workhorse utility. By marrying the distinctive, swept-back front grille and wings of the revolutionary Traction Avant with a conventional, rugged rear-wheel-drive chassis, Citroën created an instantly recognisable aesthetic that defined French roads for decades. Originally powered by the same dependable 1.9-litre four-cylinder engine found in the Traction Avant, the 2-ton truck proved to be incredibly versatile, serving as everything from open flatbeds and enclosed vans to city buses. Its durability became a vital asset during World War II, during which it was heavily utilised by the French military and subsequently requisitioned in large numbers by German forces. Remaining in production for over thirty years until 1969 the U23 cemented its legacy as one of the most enduring and beloved backbones of mid-century European transport.

British Vickers Light Tank Mk IV

T1344 is a surviving British Vickers Light Tank Mk IV, currently housed in the reserve collection at The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, UK. Built in March 1935 at the Elswick Works in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, it features the original War Department registration number T1344 painted on its left hull side alongside the military census number. The tank was running at Tankfest 26.

M24 Chaffee Tanks

There were two M24 Chaffee tanks on display at the Bovington Tank Museum for Tankfest 26 and both were part of the displays in the arena.

The Light Tank M24 was an American light tank used during World War II and in postwar conflicts including the Korean War and with the French in the First Indochina War and war in Algeria.

In British service it was given the service name Chaffee, after the United States Army General Chaffee, Jr, who helped develop the use of tanks in the United States armed forces.

Kettenkrad SdKfz 2

This Kettenkrad was on display at the Bovington Tank Museum for Tankfest 26 and did make it to the arena.

The Kettenkrad SdKfz 2 started its life as a light tractor for airborne troops. The vehicle was designed to be delivered by Junkers Ju 52 aircraft, though not by parachute. The vehicle had the advantage of being the only gun tractor small enough to fit inside the hold of the Ju 52, and was the lightest mass-produced German military vehicle to use the complex Schachtellaufwerk overlapped and interleaved road wheels used on almost all German military half-tracked vehicles of World War II.

Light Tank M5A1 Stuart

The “Cisco Kid” is a famous, fully restored M5A1 Stuart light tank. It was used by the U.S. Army during World War II.

It took part in Tankfest 26 at The Tank Museum.

The M3 Stuart, officially Light Tank, M3, was an American light tank of World War II. An improved version entered service as M5. It was supplied to British and other Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. into the war.

Fury at Tankfest 26

This Sherman tank is the star of the film Fury and was one of the stars of the Tank Museum’s Talkfest 26.

A M4A3E8 Sherman was used by the film makers and Bovington have kept the Sherman tank as it was in the film, complete with weathering, props and the name Fury painted on the barrel of the main weapon. TheM4A3E8 Sherman has much wider tracks than other Shermans and this makes the tank look much taller and bigger than other Sherman tanks.

Most of the film was shot in Oxfordshire (and not Germany). The German town used in the film was built completely from scratch, which isn’t too surprising considering what happens there.

I really enjoyed the film and thought a powerful interpretation of the last few months of the war and the defiant last stand by the Germans despite knowing they faced eventual defeat, with the Americans wanting to finish quickly so they can go home. It has to be said that the end of the film leaves something to be desired, but remember this is Hollywood.

Get Fury on 4K Blu Ray from Amazon.

Soviet T-34-85

The T-34-85 was a Soviet WW2 medium tank, crew of 5, powered by 12-cylinder diesel engine, armed with 85mm gun and two machine guns. It went on to be used well beyond the second world war in major conflicts across the world, and is still in service today.

This T-34-85 was on display at Tankfest 26 at The Tank Museum.

The T-34, a Soviet medium tank, had a profound and lasting effect on the field of tank design. At its introduction in 1940, the T-34 possessed an unprecedented combination of firepower, mobility, protection and ruggedness. Its 76.2 mm (3 in) high-velocity tank gun provided a substantial increase in firepower over any of its contemporaries while its well-sloped armour was difficult to penetrate by most contemporary anti-tank weapons. A project to develop a new tank following the introduction of improved German Panzer IVs with the high-velocity 75 mm gun, was started by the Soviet Union. The T-43 was designed to have improved armour, better suspension and a bigger gun. However it was decided that manufacturing a new tank would cause a significant slow-down in production so it was cancelled. However the T-43 turret was then modified to fit the T-34 and was armed with a new 85mm gun. The T-34-85 was a compromise between those in the Soviet Union who wanted to build as many 76mm armed T34s and those who wanted to build the new T-43 tank.

The T-34-85 gave the Red Army a tank with better armour and mobility than the German Panzer IV tank and StuG III assault gun. While it could not match the armour or weapons of the heavier Panther and Tiger tanks, its improved firepower made it much more effective than earlier models.

The development of the T-34-85 led directly to the T-54 and T-55 series of tanks, which in turn evolved into the later T-62, T-72, and T-90 that form the armoured core of many modern armies.

Reading the Hot War books from Harry Turtledove inspired me to think about gaming some scenarios from the books. British Comets and Centurions versus T34-85 and T54 Soviet tanks, along with American M26 Pershing and M48 Patton tanks. In the book there are also Sherman tanks manned by (West) German forces.

Alongside this idea I have been working on some tanks from the Operational Unthinkable game.

Mowag Piranha 8×8

The Mowag Piranha 8×8 stands as one of the most successful and influential families of armoured fighting vehicles ever designed. This Mowag was on display at Tankfest 26.

Developed by the Swiss company Mowag (now part of General Dynamics European Land Systems), this highly adaptable eight-wheeled platform has served as the baseline design for numerous major military vehicles globally, including the US Army’s Stryker and the US Marine Corps’ Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV). Engineered for maximum versatility, its modular design allows it to be configured for a vast range of roles—from standard infantry trundling and command posts to specialised ambulance, mortar carrier, and heavy direct-fire reconnaissance variants. Driven by an independent suspension system and an all-wheel-drive configuration, the Piranha combines excellent off-road mobility and high road speeds with robust protection against small arms fire, shrapnel, and mines, making it a cornerstone of modern mechanised infantry units worldwide.