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THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY TANK MUSEUM: Commemorating the Australian Light Horse and the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, the Museum is located in the grounds of the Puckapunyal Army Base, Victoria.
THE AUSTRALIAN LIGHT HORSE: Australia's Light Horse Regiment served in the Second Boer War and the First World War with distinction.
THE AUSTRALIAN LIGHT HORSE MEMORIAL: The Museum has dedicated a Memorial to the Light Horse, including a Victorian Railways Horse Box, (Carriage), Horse and Water Wagon display. The Memorial Stone, shown below left, includes a quotation from General Sir Edmund Allenby, (Commander, British Army, Palestine 1919), the wording is as follows: "The Australian Light Horseman combines with a splendid physique a restless activity of mind...on every variety of ground - mountain, plain, desert, swamp or jungle the Australian Light Horseman has proven himself equal to the best. He has earned the gratitude of the Empire and the admiration of the world".
THE AUSTRALIAN LIGHT HORSE MEMORIAL - HORSE BOX: The Horse Box is a restored Victorian Railways Horse Box as manufactured in the 1890's. The Carriage is typical of the type used before and during World War 1, it was capable of transporting 12 horses and their riders.
SECOND WORLD WAR - AUSTRALIAN ARMOURED MEMORIAL: A display of Armoured Vehicles campaigned from 1939 to 1945. The collection includes various configurations of Matilda Tanks and a Stuart Light Tank. These Tanks are typical of the types used by the Australian Armoured Corps in the South West Pacific theatre of war. MATILDA - FROG FLAMETHROWER: Conflict with the Japanese in New Guinea, critically overcoming Japanese Turret and Bunker systems, dictated the use of Flamethrowers. Manpack Flamethrowers were limited in both their range and duration, to overcome this problem the Australian Army followed the lead of the US and British Armies, fitting Flamethrowers to Armoured Vehicles. The Matilda Frog had a crew of three, a weight of 25 tonnes, a Twin AEC or Leyland six cylinder 180hp diesel engine and a maximum speed of 24kph. Armament included a Frog Flamethrower, 7.92mm BESA co-axial and 78mm thick armour.
MATILDA - HEDGEHOG: The Matilda Hedgehog incorporated six or seven Naval Anti Submarine weapons in an armoured enclosure over the Matilda's engine bay. Each tube could fire a 63 pound bomb up to 400 metres, the Hedgehogs were intended to clear heavy jungle, attack troops in the open and to destroy enemy bunkers. Developed in 1944 the Matilda Hedgehog did not enter operational service. The Matilda Hedgehog had a crew of four, a weight of 25 tonnes, a Twin AEC or Leyland six cylinder 180hp diesel engine and a maximum speed of 24kph. Armament included a 2 Pounder QF gun, Hedgehog Mortar 7.92mm BESA co-axial and 78mm thick armour.
MATILDA - DOZER: Early Tank operations in New Guinea required Bulldozers to reinstate bomb craters and river banks, however the Bulldozer Operators were extremely vulnerable to enemy fire. The Australian Army developed various types of Matilda Dozers, fitting a D7 Dozer Blade to Matildas. Early models used a Willy's Jeep engine mounted on the rear of the blade for raising and lowering, subsequent versions used hydraulics for raising and lowering. The Matilda Dozer had a crew of four, a weight of 25 tonnes, a Twin AEC or Leyland six cylinder 180hp diesel engine and a maximum speed of 24kph. Armament included a 2 Pounder QF gun, 7.92mm BESA co-axial and 78mm thick armour.
MATILDA - CLOSE SUPPORT TANK: The standard Matilda firepower was deemed inadequate due to the limited destructive power of the 2 Pounder HE round. The Australian Army retrofitted a low velocity 3 Inch Howitzer which fired a heavy HE round. The weapon proved very effective against troops in the open, Japanese Bunkers and fortifications throughout the South West Pacific theatre of war. The Matilda Close Support Tank had a crew of four, a weight of 25 tonnes, a Twin AEC or Leyland six cylinder 180hp diesel engine and a maximum speed of 24kph. Armament included a 3 Inch Howitzer, 7.92mm BESA co-axial and 78mm thick armour.
STUART - M3A1 LIGHT TANK: Developed from the US pre-war Combat Car, the Stuart was a fast, reliable Tank. The Tanks were initially used by the 1st Australian Armoured Division, they were obtained on a lend-lease arrangement from Britain, ex US stock. The Stuart - M3A1 Light Tank had a crew of five, a weight of 13 tonnes, a Continental W670 seven cylinder radial petrol engine rated at 250bhp and a maximum speed of 63kph. Armament included one 37mm Gun and 3 x 0.03 Machine Guns.
VIETNAM WAR - AUSTRALIAN ARMOURED MEMORIAL: The following image is a view of the overall Vietnam War - Australian Armoured Memorial. The Memorial Plaques include the names of the RAAC Soldiers killed in South Vietnam. The wall is from the old Robertson Barracks, 1st Armoured Division and immediately behind the wall is the Flag Station, also from the Robertson Barracks.
LEOPARD AS1 MAIN BATTLE TANK - FITTED WITH A TRACK WIDTH MINE PLOUGH: This Leopard Tank is displayed with the 'Track Width Mine Plough (TWMP), the Tank Driver operated the Plough to clear the Tank's path of Anti-Personnel and Anti-Tank mines. The Leopard was manufactured by Israeli Aircraft Industries and weighed 3,000kg.
MAIN ARTILLERY PIECE:
TROOP CARRIER:
BATTLE TANK:
MORE AUSTRALIAN ARMY TANK MUSEUM COVERAGE: Please continue viewing my records of the Australian Army Tank Museum by selecting from the following...
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