Mephisto (tank)
Mephisto is a World War I German tank, the only surviving example of an A7V. In April 1918, during a German attack at Villers-Bretonneux on the Western Front, it became stuck in a shell-hole and was abandoned by its crew. It was recovered by Allied troops about three months later and, after the war, taken to Australia as a trophy. It is housed at the Queensland Museum, in Brisbane, in the Anzac Legacy Gallery.
About Mephisto (tank) in brief
Mephisto is a World War I German tank, the only surviving example of an A7V. In April 1918, during a German attack at Villers-Bretonneux on the Western Front, it became stuck in a shell-hole and was abandoned by its crew. It was recovered by Allied troops about three months later and, after the war, taken to Australia as a trophy. It is housed at the Queensland Museum, in Brisbane, in the Anzac Legacy Gallery. The vehicle was issued to the army in late December 1917 or early January 1918, and was given vehicle number 506. By this time it had become fashionable to name A7Vs after figures from German history or mythology, and it is believed that Lieutenant Heinz Theunissen chose the name Mepshisto, a demon from German folklore. The name was painted on the front and rear armour, with a figure of a red demon running off with part of a British tank under its arm. The next day Allied troops began to retake the lost territory, and during the night of the 24th a German demolition team had blown up the tank to prevent it being used by Allied and British troops. The tank is still immobilised but intact in the crater, unbnownst to the Allies, still in the series of connected trenches that had been created between the two armies rather than continuous parallel lines.
It remains in German hands, but is not in running order, and is not expected to be used again until at least the end of the 20th century, when it will be displayed in a museum in Paris. It has been described as ‘the most beautiful tank in the world’ and is the only one of its kind in existence. The German tanks were divided into 3 groups, each with a set of objectives. Mephistorico was part of the middle group, and advanced with the railway line on its right, towards its objective, the Bois d’Aquennes, west of the town. The group advanced through an orchard in front of the farmhouse, forcing the British troops to withdraw, while the other tanks continued towards their objective. After several days of reconnaissance it was decided that the ground was suitable for tanks, and fifteen A 7Vs were allocated to the assault. The operation, though, had been a success, and the town had been captured. The Allies continued to attack the Germans the next day and the Germans withdrew to the south-east in an attempt to avoid encirclement. By early morning on the 26th the Germans had returned to their previous positions, but the orchard at Monument Farm remained in German Hands.
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This page is based on the article Mephisto (tank) published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 24, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
