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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Robert Macfie's Aug. 1915 Experimental Armoured Caterpillar. Part of the revamp of my 2018 book on his work. Colour added to highlight areas although the transmission isn't shown in this view. The adoption of rear wheels for steering is particularly notable. #tanks #afv #ww1

Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

This is a good illustration of why thorough testing of vehicles is essential. Here the US T113 Pilot vehicle no.2 is identified to potentially trap men in the back thanks to the open commander's hatch. In an emergency this could have proven fatal for them. #afv #tank

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Prior to WW1 there were interesting concepts for specialised AFVs like Maj. Palliser's AFV based on the Ivel tractor of 1903 proposed as a mobile fort, ammo carrier, or armoured ambulance. tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww1/uk/ivel-... #Tanks #AFV #History #WW1

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The original caption had the incident in Korea but I am informed Comets did not serve in Korea so may simply have been miscaptioned as an incident which took place during the period of the Korean war.

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

There must be more to this story somewhere. A British Comet tank hit by a train in Korea 1950-1953. Damage appears light compared to another incident, this time in 1955 in Hong Kong (image and text via Reddit) which wrecked the tank and derailed the train. #tanks #afv #history

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

A British Lanchester Armoured car, knocked out in Romania c.1917. Images show touches like the grappling hook, tools (a spade and an axe), and chains over the different tyres on the rear axle. I do not know why there is cord around the machine gun's water jacket. #WW1, #afv

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Looking more like something you see from the Roger Moore bond era chasing him across the snow - this is actually a WW2 German vehicle from legendary designer Hans Trippel. Known as the Kabinschlitten this was a 1943 prototype of a propellor-driven snow mobile. #ww2 #history

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

This has to be one of the best looking firearms ever designed. Almost a shame it never went into production. Intended for use by tank crews the Ribeyrolles machine pistol of 1918 was quite a handful.

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Experimenting to try and make a rotating 3D view of parts of the TOG, in this case - the driver's plate which is such a complex and critical piece of the tank's development.

Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I don't but I also don't play either anymore. They ruined their own game with fantasy rubbish and removing all the odd little low tier fun which made it engaging. I do like just how wrong the models used are though and how underappreciated the TOG work really is.

Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

2/2 For fans of WoT this should be good news as the game incorrectly shows this section as a uniform 76.2 mm thick. I think Warthunder has it as just 101 mm so it too is quite wrong.

Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Front armour of TOG-II*. A 40 mm plate (purple) backs a 12 mm (brown) MS plate and a front 95 mm (green) plate. 147 mm at its thickest down to 107 mm & 113 mm counting the framing (blue) at thinnest. I added the purple area on the front to show its coverage. 1/2 #tanks #history #ww2

Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I've used colourised photos for book covers but I make sure the image isn't altered to make it 'action-orientated' and that it's done by hand with no AI tools and that I disclose such inside. AI is destroying historic images with 'upscaling and colourisation' one image at a time sadly.

Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Not this one as far as I know. There were some used in WW2 but as far as I know they bascially died out post-war as a concept. Think DEfence has a good summary on some www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2022/07/the-...

thinkdefence.co.uk

The Infantry Handcart - Think Defence

The wheel is one of man's oldest inventions, with wheelbarrows and handcarts almost as old. Simply put, they enable a person to transport loads over a greater

Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

1957 Demonstration of the British 80 lb. ‘1st Division Trolley’ handcart. Shows it crossing walls, ditches & water, haul mortars/ammo or radios, and even serve as a defensive shelter or small boat. Full video: youtu.be/U1t9LGMSszY

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Not a surprise but you have to start somewhere - results from a dozen shots from a 12-gauge at 10 m with 8-shot game load c.370 m/s does only the most superficial damage to Class 5 Ballistic Fibreglass at 0 deg. and bounces off even at very modest angles. #ballistics

Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

The Perrinelle-Dumay amphibious heavy tank was an ungainly idea from 1918-1933 for a colossal 20m-long machine. Designed to cross rivers and crush obstacles, it pushed ambitious ideas over engineering and military practicalities. #tanks #ww1 #history tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww1/france/p...

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Notwithstanding there are original photos and video of troops holding it by the mag well. Behold the proper Sten holding and firing technique from the waist for targets at up to 25 yards. 1/2

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Editted clips of Medium Mark C 'Hornet' T.1804? seen during exercises in c.1925. Notably this tank is fitted with a 360 gall. (1,637 l) oil emulsion tank for injecting into the exhaust to produce a smoke screen. 1/2 Posted for educational and historic purposes only. #Tanks #History

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

More footage of the rotating petrol 'Cow'. This is dated to about 1960 and the men are from the Royal Army Service Corps (R.A.S.C.) again. Giant rubber fuel bladders provide fuel to the Cow, which, in turn fills the jerry cans for use in equipment including tanks. #tanks #history

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Certainly sounds like it and the 'Cow' is a great name for something that does look a lot like a milking machine. Great find - thank you.

Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

I dislike seeing spillage and it seems a little awkward to use from that half-bent over position constantly moving heavy fuel cans. It is, at least, a rather neat solution to bulk filling of jerry cans.

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

British soldiers from the Royal Army Service Corps (R.A.S.C.) demonstrating a rubber 9,000 gall. (49,900 l) fuel tank and jerry can filling point. c.1956. What's this rotating filler called? #tanks #history

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

I'm still pleased with this graphic illustrating one of my favourite TOG discoveries - the SVDC Amphibian (14 Ton Special Tank). We could speculate on what could have been if it had been approved for production. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FMFQZLR9/ #tanks #history #ww2 #dday

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Experimental French St. Chamond tank in c.1917 fitted with a hook and plough system to cut ditches and drag out obstacles - a type of Armoured Engineering Vehicle suited for warfare often based around static defensive positions needing cleared or broken up. #tanks #history #ww1

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Demonstration of the utility of an amphibious landing craft for delivering supplies. In this case, an LVT delivers a landrover to the beach (no location but probably south coast of England) c.1955. 30 secs. No sound. #tanks #history

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

I've managed to ID the junction location as the junction of the B386 Chertsey Road and Updown Hill, Windlesham.

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Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

3/4 Close up of some casting numbers.

Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

2/4 More photos - track track is welded onto the sprocket as part of the display only.

Andrew Hills @fwdpublishing.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

From a recent trip to the Nebraska National Guard Museum, Seward, Nebraska. The M60 looks better now the landscaping is finished since I last saw her in 2019. #tanks #history 1/4