"The Tiger Collection" - Bovington

[tony james]

They had a map on the wall that traced the route of the Elefant - well over 5000 miles to get it from the USA to the UK via ship and lowboy.

Don

Does anybody know what if any restoration was done to the interior or was it the usual exterior cosmetics ? Its a shame that once the armoured vehicles of Aberdeen were once inside a building. . i first saw the elefant there in the mid 1970's and later in 1993 . It was disgraceful how bad the the vehicles had rotted away .lets hope the future we be better for these historical artifacts. .

[DonC]

Tony, I think the Military Channel did a "Tank Overhaul" program on the Elefant, but I don't recall if anything other than general cosmetic work was done on the interior.

Don

[29THPZG]

It was basically just a paint job unfortunately still wouldn't mind seeing the interior in any shape!

[Mark C.]

That's the Elephant from APG.

Yes it was featured on Tank Ovethaul.

[Greg]

I'm going in May, cannot wait. What ever came of the U.S. museum tat was to be at Fort Benning in Georgia? Has it opened or will it be another decade!

The "National Armor and Cavalry Museum" that is hoped to open someday at Fort Benning does not have near enough funding; it's unknown whether a museum open to the public will ever exist.

[Greg]

Where the tanks are stored and displayed (if they are on display) in the US is a decision that's usually not centered around the wishes of the public, but the wishes of the US Army. Most of the museum tanks on Army posts (active Army posts anyway) are controlled (actually owned) by the US Army Center of Military History. The CMH designates commands to which the museum tanks are assigned; usually Army branch centers/schools. The reason why so many of the captured Axis tanks were originally at Aberdeen Proving Ground was because that was the location of the US Army Ordnance Center and School, and the Army units that recovered the captured tanks were elements of the Ordnance Center. Many of the captured tanks were initially used for study, then eventually released to the Ordnance Museum. The reason they're not at APG anymore was that in the Army's Base Realignment and Closure program several of the branch centers/schools were moved. The Ordnance Center and School moved to Ft Lee, VA, which is where the Elefant was before going to Bovington. Likewise, BRAC moved the Armor Center/School to Ft Benning, so most of the tanks of the Patton Museum moved to Benning. At least most of the tanks at Benning and many of the ones at Ft Lee are under cover, but unfortunately not accessible by the public.

Any ideas on what happens to the Elefant when the exhibition loan is concluded and it returns to the U.S.? Are we going to park it outside again to rot?

Yes, I too am embarrassed that the Aberdeen collection has not been better preserved . . . . heck, just take them off display and put them inside some otherwise unused shed or building. IMO, better to be parked under cover and not on public display than to sit out in the elements and rot. Surely somewhere at Aberdeen (or some other U.S. DOD facility) there is room to store these things under a roof?

[Ian Hulley]

I'm pleased you had a good time at Bovington Don

Cheers, Ian.

[DonC]

Ian, I rarely drop $20 on admission to anything and think I got a steal, but in this case, I would have paid double. I showed up when it opened and left about half an hour before close. It was amazing.

Don

[atcase]

all ready got me invite for Tank Fest in June.....

[nomis]

Tiger running in 2017

Unusually, 131 is running at two 'Tiger Days' this year [ April and September], probably as a result of not running at Tankfest 2017.
It will be a static display only for TF [ part of the Tiger Collection ] this year.

SF.

[DonC]

On the set where the "Fury" Easy 8 was displayed, they interviewed the crew that keeps 131 running. They said they thought it ran better during the filming of the movie than at any other time because they had to keep it running longer for the battle scene. I suspect it will handle two Tiger Days fine

Don

[leigh]

Looking forward to tank fest as well. Live very close. Can remember as a kid you could climb inside the tanks.

[kammo man]

I got to ride in the TIGER in top gear across the FURY battle field.

I was in the commanders position.

VERY cool experience.

owen.

[praubal]

On the set where the "Fury" Easy 8 was displayed, they interviewed the crew that keeps 131 running. They said they thought it ran better during the filming of the movie than at any other time because they had to keep it running longer for the battle scene. I suspect it will handle two Tiger Days fine

Don

131 has the wrong engine in it.....that's why it's always smoking

[praubal]

On the set where the "Fury" Easy 8 was displayed, they interviewed the crew that keeps 131 running. They said they thought it ran better during the filming of the movie than at any other time because they had to keep it running longer for the battle scene. I suspect it will handle two Tiger Days fine

Don

Dont be too hard on Aberdeen....Bovington also has major issues...The idiots at museum cut up the original engine to 131..sectioned it... and now 131 has the wrong engine in it.....from a Tiger 2...that's why it's always smoking...undue pressure on drivetrain etc.. and will soon be completely unusable