read somewhere about ferdinands being outfitted in the field with makeshift platforms for grenadiers to ride on for the purpose of close in support.so i thought the same could be practical for the elefant.my vision./[/img]
Ahhh, okay, I think I remember hearing that somewhere too…the only thing I’d have to wonder is whether or not it’d be closed on the back like that-ot’d be awfully hard to get out of there in a hurry!
Cool concept and tank, though! I always like to see wierd, one-off-type things![:D][tup]
Rings a bell too. I would like to know more about it myself.
Would you bother with Zimmerit if you had a squad of infantry in close formation on the back … also, would that platform be zimmed in factory or field?
They could’ve zimmed it. Don’t see why not, although there could be persuasive arguments either way.
Other than the zimm though, it reminds me of some of the HMMWV field modifications you’d see in the Iraq/Afghanistan theater right now. Weld up them plates, boys! I bet it wouldn’ve made for quite a shock to Russian troops, moving in on a seemingly defenseless Elefant, only to find it packing a squad of panzergrenadiers.
EDIT: Forgot to mention that’s a cool-looking dio!!
thanks for the comments /questions.read about this platform in the squadron/signal publication,tiger in action.never have seen a photo of one.as stated these platforms were used on some ferd…i only applied this to this elephant as say a concept.in my opinion there are probably hundreds if not thousands of unusual add-ons.say a shower,made with a pole and a pail.that should be familiar with some of you field grunts.its kind of obscure but there is a door and a ladderon the back.i thought it was kind of cool myself.
I like it. Shows good proof of concept. Who is to say that a crew in the field never did that during some down time? Or some field engineer who had a wild idea. As for the Zimm, coulda been, could not of been, who knows. As I said in another thread, orders shmorders, in the field, you do what you do to survive.
Good looking build as well.
i like it alot, and this is just me but i would imagine they added the zimmerit like you did
The Zimmerit was applied to all the Ferdinands when all of them were sent back for major overhauling, and conversion into the Elefant configuration.
The platform on the back would have been installed after they were converted and sent back to the front.
has anyone seen a picture of this platform?
I vaguely remember reading about such a thing, however I have a pretty extensive reference library on the Ferdinand/Elefant and could find no pictures of it.