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Napolean tank ??
blaster76
Joined: September 15, 2002
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Posted: Monday, March 20, 2006 - 04:05 AM UTC
I saw this on an obscure model companies box of an AMX 30 tank. they called it a Napolean. I have only heard it called an AMX 30. Our "sister" battalion in Germany was a French unit that at the time had AMX 30's and I never ever heard this
Sabot
Joined: December 18, 2001
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KitMaker: 12,596 posts
Armorama: 9,071 posts
Posted: Monday, March 20, 2006 - 04:25 AM UTC
I wonder if it was some sort of made up name? I once saw an old motorized kit of an M103 heavy tank and it was called the "Kennedy".
bison126
Joined: June 10, 2004
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Posted: Monday, March 20, 2006 - 11:45 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I saw this on an obscure model companies box of an AMX 30 tank. they called it a Napolean. I have only heard it called an AMX 30. Our "sister" battalion in Germany was a French unit that at the time had AMX 30's and I never ever heard this
Interesting to read such a post ! I never heard of a Napoleon tank before. Have you a copy of the boxart. Maybe this is just the name given by the crew to their AMX30.
The only French I know with a real figure nam is our current one : Leclerc from the WW2 marshal.
Up to this one, the MBT's only bore the name of the manufacturer + their weight class, f.i. AMX30 stands for Ateliers d'Issy les MoulineauX ton class 30.
olivier
blaster76
Joined: September 15, 2002
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Posted: Monday, March 20, 2006 - 11:47 AM UTC
It wouldn't be the first time. I was helping a kid (best friend's little brother) back in "77 do a model of the M8 Greyhound 6 wheeled scout vehicle used by cav / recon during WW 2. His dad peeked in looked at the box and said "We just called them M-8s."
The rest of the story, he started talking about his war experiences with me. He was one of the first ones at Dachau and for a brief period started talking about what he had seen there. He then changed the subject went to the model kit and talked abit about it. Later on my best friend told me that was the first time his father had ever ever said anything about what he had done during the war.
I know that the bond that had been established was because he was Norwich and I was VMI and we were both Armor, but it was a model kit that was the catalyst.
Point is, the name was made up by the model company
The rest of the story, he started talking about his war experiences with me. He was one of the first ones at Dachau and for a brief period started talking about what he had seen there. He then changed the subject went to the model kit and talked abit about it. Later on my best friend told me that was the first time his father had ever ever said anything about what he had done during the war.
I know that the bond that had been established was because he was Norwich and I was VMI and we were both Armor, but it was a model kit that was the catalyst.
Point is, the name was made up by the model company
Kinggeorges
Joined: August 31, 2005
KitMaker: 1,380 posts
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Posted: Monday, March 20, 2006 - 04:05 PM UTC
Hello,
I never heard also of napoleon tank.
I think also it's the "nickname" of the tank.
We should call one of our tank our vehicle Napoleon as he was one of our great hero !
But Napoleon still provocs debate int french society. recently black people dishonor him because he was an esclavagist, forgetting all he did for military and society (our civil code, duplicated in several countries like Germany, Japan, Italy etc..and most of our public institution were created at this time, by him..).
We ought him that !
My 2 cents thoughts and hanger
Julien
I never heard also of napoleon tank.
I think also it's the "nickname" of the tank.
We should call one of our tank our vehicle Napoleon as he was one of our great hero !
But Napoleon still provocs debate int french society. recently black people dishonor him because he was an esclavagist, forgetting all he did for military and society (our civil code, duplicated in several countries like Germany, Japan, Italy etc..and most of our public institution were created at this time, by him..).
We ought him that !
My 2 cents thoughts and hanger
Julien
Kinggeorges
Joined: August 31, 2005
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Posted: Monday, March 20, 2006 - 04:08 PM UTC
Sorry, esclavagist is what we called "yoghourt", which is very bad translation from french to english. I wanted to say Napoleon was proslaver.
Best,
Julien
Best,
Julien
allycat
Joined: October 03, 2004
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Posted: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 12:15 AM UTC
Steve,
Wasn't the M8 called the Greyhound in British service?
Tom
Wasn't the M8 called the Greyhound in British service?
Tom
AJLaFleche
Joined: May 05, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 12:32 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Sorry, esclavagist is what we called "yoghourt", which is very bad translation from french to english. I wanted to say Napoleon was proslaver.
Best,
Julien
Given the context, it was easily understood.
tankmodeler
#417
Joined: March 01, 2004
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Posted: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 11:41 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Point is, the name was made up by the model company
As Tom said, the name Greyhound was official and initially applied by the British. Later it was used in US communiques, but the names were never used by the military operationally. Same as the Sherman. Official American name, first applied by the Brits, but you never see American documents with "Sherman" it's always M4.
Same, in fact with aircraft, but less so as some pilots will talk about their Fortresses or Mustangs, but all the official stuff had B-17 or P-51.
Paul
blaster76
Joined: September 15, 2002
KitMaker: 8,985 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 01:10 AM UTC
We're both right. We in the US military are not prone to calling things by a name but a number The closest thing I ever saw was calling our M60a1's Big Boys. I never heard them called Pattons until years later. The Brtis are the ones who named everything. The aircraft and armored vehicles Tomahawk, Mustang Sherman, Lee). But to clariy my original post. The type of vehicle was called a Napoleon it was not the nickname (like Bearded Clam on my tank). I am glad I got responses from Oliver and Georges as I figured they would know.
bison126
Joined: June 10, 2004
KitMaker: 5,329 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 03:02 PM UTC
Hi
I think I've got the final answer to this question thanks to the webmaster of Chars Francais site.
Tamiya and Nichimo have released kits of the AMX30 (or something pretending being a AMX30
) giving the vehicle this name.
It has never been named like this in the French army even while on the drawing boards. Should have been a good name though
In some ways, it is comparable to the Abrams M1A1HA label.
olivier
I think I've got the final answer to this question thanks to the webmaster of Chars Francais site.
Tamiya and Nichimo have released kits of the AMX30 (or something pretending being a AMX30
) giving the vehicle this name.It has never been named like this in the French army even while on the drawing boards. Should have been a good name though
In some ways, it is comparable to the Abrams M1A1HA label.
olivier
Drader
Joined: July 20, 2004
KitMaker: 3,791 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 03:23 PM UTC
I remember seeing an AMX-30 'Napoleon' in the very first Tamiya catalogue I bought in 1973. For some reason Tamiya (and other Japanese companies) seem to have thought all tanks should have names. Fujimi's Soviet tanks also got bogus names, like this:
Volga
Volga
blaster76
Joined: September 15, 2002
KitMaker: 8,985 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 03:46 PM UTC
I have to agree with David...the model companies like catchy litle names for the models. The Germans had the Tiger, and Panther in WW2 . When they finally got back to making their own tanks again they kept in this line of thinking with the Leopard. The Brits too have aways named their equipment. I wouldn't be surprised if they gave the names to the Pershing and Patton tanks as well, but I think we did that ourselves. I do know we are responsible for the Bradly and Abrams.
Drader
Joined: July 20, 2004
KitMaker: 3,791 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 05:17 PM UTC
Quoted Text
The Brits too have aways named their equipment.
We really only started during WW2 where all the parallel systems of nomenclature got thoroughly confused. Specially with the cruiser tanks, witness the craziness here
Even then the name and number system continued for a while. The Churchill was one of the first to get a name (though users could think of a better one beginning with B). Peter Brown's article on the A9 in the last MM suggested that were almost given reptile names which would have been different.
Sabot
Joined: December 18, 2001
KitMaker: 12,596 posts
Armorama: 9,071 posts
KitMaker: 12,596 posts
Armorama: 9,071 posts
Posted: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 05:28 PM UTC
Quoted Text
I have to agree with David...the model companies like catchy litle names for the models. The Germans had the Tiger, and Panther in WW2 . When they finally got back to making their own tanks again they kept in this line of thinking with the Leopard. The Brits too have aways named their equipment. I wouldn't be surprised if they gave the names to the Pershing and Patton tanks as well, but I think we did that ourselves. I do know we are responsible for the Bradly and Abrams.
We caught on to the British habit of naming vehicles. I believe the first vehicles we named were late in WW2. The M18 Hellcat, M24 Chaffee, M36 Jackson and M26 Pershing were named by the Army.
Model companies make up names like "Bigfoot" wheels on a 900-series truck or newer style M1 track. Or the whole "M1A1HA" thing.
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