June 28, 2024, that is, yesterday, is the day of the opening of the "TANKFEST", or "Festival of Tanks" event at the Tank Museum in Bovington, UK.
For military fans all over the world, Bovington's "Festival of Tanks" is undoubtedly a big one. During this event for military fans, everything from the World War I A7V tank (replica), the World War II T-34 and "Sherman", to the British Army's active "Challenger" 2 main battle tank and "Warrior" infantry fighting vehicle will be displayed and performed here. Looking at these rumbling steel behemoths, can that military fan not be moved? (This article is not an advertisement!) ）
World War I tanks at the scene of the previous "Tank Festival".
And at this year's TANKFEST 2024, a brand new special guest will also be present to the audience. To the average person, this unique and even ugly chariot may be very unfamiliar. But if you're a fan of games like World of Tanks, you'll be impressed with this tall and powerful turret – the only FV4005 tank destroyer in the world!
FV4005 arriving at the site of the "Festival of Tanks".
The FV4005 tank destroyer was born in the 50s of the 20th century. With the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Soviet Union, a former ally, and a mighty torrent of steel have become a lingering nightmare for Britain. At a victory parade on the streets of Berlin, the powerful IS-3 heavy tank left Western military experts on their backs – how can they withstand the attack of such a powerful tank?
IS-3 at the site of the previous "Tank Festival".
In this context, the FV4005 came into being.
The FV4005 tank destroyer is based on the chassis of the Centurion Mk3 tank and is equipped with a striking 183 mm L4A1 tank gun. Paired with 183 mm armor fragmentation shells, this giant cannon was able to achieve the terrifying power of "one hit" against all tanks at the time. In order to accommodate the huge gun and ammunition rack of 12 shells, the FV4005 was fitted with a huge turret and a staggering 3.6 meters in height. I believe that anyone who sees this vehicle will be impressed by this giant turret.
FV4005 in oil painting
During the experiment, the British army was impressed by the enormous power of the FV4005, and the advanced "Centurion" and "Conqueror" tanks, in front of 183-mm armor-shattering shells, were like papier-mâché toys. But with the birth of the famous L7 tank gun and anti-tank missile, the British army has lost interest in this specialized chemical weapon with large weight, weak protection and low rate of fire.
The removed FV4005 turret
In 1957, the British Army stopped the development of the FV4005, and the prototype was removed by the British, and the normal tank turret was installed and continued to serve, and the removed turret was sent to the Bovington Tank Museum. Bovington put the turret in a children's playground and served as a steel castle for the children, until in 2008, when the British finally found an idle "Centurion" Mk12 chassis and barely reinstalled the FV4005.
Rusty FV4005
Although this strange-looking vehicle has always been very eye-catching, it is the famous tank shooter World of Tanks that really makes her known to the world.
Ever since the launch of the FV4005 in World of Tanks, this powerful and unique British Tier X tank destroyer has attracted the attention of gamers around the world. Many people were surprised to find that this made the tank not only real, but also almost intact to this day. Since then, World of Tanks players have been approaching the Bovington Tank Museum with requests to restore this one-of-a-kind vehicle.
FV4005 in World of Tanks
In 2023, Joe Hughes, a well-known British tank collector and World of Tanks player, approached the Bovington Tank Museum and offered to provide a working FV4005 chassis to restore the vehicle to a run-safe state. But at this time, the FV4005 had been fighting at the gates of Bovington for more than ten years, and the turret had been in the open for nearly 50 years, and it would take a lot of money to repair the vehicle.
In order to repair the FV4005, which is unique in the world, Hughes and Bovington contacted World of Tanks to raise funds for the restoration of the vehicle and its public display at the Festival of Tanks 2024. It is estimated that it will cost £40,000 to repair the vehicle, of which World of Tanks is willing to pay for 20,000, while the other 20,000 will be raised through fan crowdfunding.
World of Tanks is a significant sponsor of the FV4005 restoration project
In November 2023, the Bovington Tank Museum opened a fundraising page for the FV4005 and listed a series of FV4005-related memorabilia. But unexpectedly, in less than 24 hours, supporters from all over the world raised the required £20,000. Soon, work began on the refurbishment of the FV4005.
FV4005 that was towed away for repair
According to the original design, the FV4005 used a chassis of the "Centurion" Mk3 chassis, so the first task was to remove the turret and main gun from the Mk12 chassis and refurbish it with a chassis that was in line with history. In addition to this, accessories such as gun mounts also need to be repaired or even remade.
Fortunately, the Centurion tank is in stock, and Hughes's team has a lot of experience in restoring the tank, which can also be used in the refurbishment of the FV4005. After half a year of refurbishment and maintenance, the FV4005 has finally been given a new lease of life: the paint is peeling, the rusty body and turret are repainted, and the new chassis is in good working order and fully ready to run.
休斯与焕然一新的FV4005
It is worth mentioning that World of Tanks has been the main sponsor of the Bovington Tank Museum, the "Tank Festival" and the "Tiger Tank Day", and the cooperation between the two parties has lasted for more than ten years. It's fair to say that every penny players recharge in World of Tanks is used to refurbish, repair and maintain these precious heritage tanks. Although when recharging, the military mushroom is also as expensive as many players, but seeing the whole process of such a chariot being reborn, the military mushroom still feels: It's worth it!
In fact, not only World of Tanks, but also World of Warships next door is organizing the refurbishment and maintenance of the existing ships - the restoration of the second turret of the battleship Wisconsin!
Museum of the battleship "Wisconsin".
The battleship Wisconsin was the 4th ship of the Iowa-class battleships, commissioned in 1944 and participated in the final stages of the Pacific War, receiving 5 Battle Stars. In 1948, the battleship Wisconsin was decommissioned, but returned to service 3 years later, taking part in the Korean War. In 1958, the USS Wisconsin was decommissioned again and mothballed at the Philadelphia Shipyard.
Battleship "Wisconsin" in 1944
In 1988, the Wisconsin returned to service and was modernized, removing useless old weapons and adding advanced radars, Tomahawk missiles and Phalanx close-in guns. In 1991, the USS Wisconsin and its sister ship USS Missouri were the first to launch Tomahawk missiles at the Iraqi army, firing the first shot of the Gulf War. In the Gulf War, the USS Wisconsin fired 319 406-mm shells and 24 Tomahawk missiles, making it the last battleship in the world to participate in actual combat.
Wisconsin, the first to launch Tomahawk missiles in Desert Storm
In September 1991, the USS Wisconsin was again decommissioned and mothballed, docked at the National Maritime Center in Norfolk, and opened as a museum in 2006. At the time, the USS Wisconsin was still a reserve ship of the U.S. Navy, and all maintenance costs were provided by the U.S. Navy, and it was required to be able to convert to a combat ship at any time. It was not until 2009 that the US Navy finally abandoned the "Wisconsin" and "Missouri" and no longer provided any maintenance costs for the two ships. Since then, the cost of ownership and maintenance of the Wisconsin has fallen to the City of Norfolk.
The Wisconsin handed over to the museum
The cost of maintaining such a huge ship is undoubtedly astronomical. In order to raise funds, the city of Norfolk formed a special foundation, all of which was used for the maintenance of the battleship Wisconsin. And the game "World of Warships" is also one of the funders.
The Wisconsin in the game World of Warships international server
In April 2024, World of Warships introduces the new Tier X battleship USS Wisconsin, which players will need to complete in a series of missions to acquire this legendary ship. Around the same time, the game officially launched a donation package, and all proceeds from the package will be donated to the National Maritime Center Foundation for the restoration of the second turret of the battleship Wisconsin, which is estimated to cost $50,000. Once the restoration is complete, the turret will be open to all visitors to the Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Restoration Pack for the game World of Warships international server
In fact, for the vast majority of countries around the world, maintaining these decommissioned weapons and equipment is a thankless task. Even if it is sent to a museum, it is difficult to recover the cost of the entrance fee. Not every country, like Russia, a "fighting nation", is willing to spend a lot of money on repairing weapons and equipment that are worthless in the eyes of outsiders but incomparably precious in the eyes of military fans.
Dismantled and discarded MBT-70 tank turret
In 2019, the U.S. Army Tank Vehicle and Armaments Command (TACOM) carried out a shocking plan: to destroy more than a dozen tanks previously stored in museums, including an extremely valuable prototype MBT-70 main battle tank, and an equally prized XM803 main battle tank. The artifacts were cut into pieces and sold to scrap recycling stations. This astonishing bureaucracy and short-sightedness is simply appalling.
The precious prototype of the MBT-70 tank has been destroyed
Against this backdrop, it is truly remarkable that the World of Tanks and World of Warships operations teams are willing to fund the restoration of these precious historical artifacts. Even if the game props are more expensive, seeing the results of the money they pay, military fans are willing to pay.
Of course, it would be better if it could be sold cheaper!