Kubelpanzer Kubinka

Kugelpanzer Poste observation blindé
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Capturé comme un trophée sur le site de Kummersdorfskom à la fin de la guerre. Cet engin serait un poste d'observation mobile et le réglage des tirs d'artillerie.
Le Kugelpanzer dont la traduction littérale est "Ball Tank" est l’engin blindé le plus rare et le plus étrange jamais construit.
Un seul exemple isolé de ce Rollzeug reconnaissance a été capturé par les Russes et il est conservé aujourd'hui à Kubinka
Le Kugelpanzer a été repeint en blanc brillant suite aux recherches et aux informations fragmentaires
Son histoire est inconnue car aucun document n'a été trouvé et que l’engin ne possédait pas de marquage clair.
Seuls points peuvent être retenus
1) Un Kugelpanzer a été expédié au Japon
2) Le Kugelpanzer serait un engin de reconnaissance blindé
3) Un Kugelpanzer a été capturé par l'Armée Rouge en 1945 en Mandchourie
4) Le Kugelpanzer est blindé a hauteur de 5mm
5) Le Kugelpanzer est propulsé par un moteur à deux temps deux cylindres
6) Le Kugelpanzer est mis en œuvre que par une seule personne
On entre dans cet engin par une trappe arrière, A l'avant nous trouvons une fente de vision occulté par du verre Entre les deux disque qui servent de roues se trouve le siège du pilote et le moteur
Il est donc très difficile d’expliquer le maniement de cette machine qui possède à l’arrière une petite roue directionnelle qui sert à l’orientation des deux grandes roues hémisphérique
A l’arrêt le Kugelpanzer deviendrait un abri blindé ou peut-être une casemate de tir mais nous n avons aucune preuve photographique sur cet emploi Son armement aurait peu être soit une MG-34 ou MG machine-42
cala serait un modèle expérimental qui n’a jamais pris part aux combats
 

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Kugelpanzer ArmouredMachine observer

Captured as a trophy on Kummersdorfskom landfill at the end of the war. as a mobile observation post and artillery fire adjustment. To log into the machine installed in the aft hatch, the front has a peephole for viewing, closed glass blocks. Housing is based on two wheel drive and rear wheel. Is an experimental model. Part in the battles did not take.
The Kugelpanzer literally translates as “Ball Tank” and is the most rare and strange armored fighting vehicle ever built. Only one lone example of this Reconnaissance Rollzeug (Rolling Vehicle) has been captured by the Russians and it survives today as part of the Kubinka Museum’s collection of German armored vehicles. The Kugelpanzer is simply listed as Item #37 and has been painted over gloss white. From fragmentary information sources, the drive has been removed from the vehicle and no metal samples are allowed taken from it. The history of the vehicle is literally unknown, as no documents were found with it and the vehicle had no clear markings. Only six firm facts are available:
1) The Kugelpanzer was a German-made vehicle shipped to Japan via technology transfer
2) The Kugelpanzer was a light Reconnaissance AFV
3) The Kugelpanzer was captured by the Russian Army in 1945 in Manchuria
4) The Kugelpanzer was plated with only 5mm of armor on its hull
5) The Kugelpanzer was powered by a single cylinder two-stroke engine
6) The Kugelpanzer was operated by one person
It is hard to speculate on how this machine functioned, but from observation it appears to be a one man reconnaissance tank with an armored shell and view port. Perhaps under or behind the operator an engine was mounted and for stability a small directional wheel was located at the rear to steer the two large hemispherical disc tracks at the sides. When not on the move, the Kugelpanzer would become an armored shelter or perhaps a pillbox “if” any weapon could be fired from it. It is not clear from photographic evidence if a firing port was located under the view port. Since this vehicle had come from Germany, then the primary armament of this vehicle would have probably been a German 7.92mm MG-34 or MG-42 machine gun. Japanese machine guns were poorly manufactured and functioned badly in the field along with their single type of submachine gun in production. From photographic evidence it appears that this single machine was captured fully intact, having seen no combat at all.
It is also widely speculated that only Krupp could have built this machine.