Life Inside a WWI A7V Tank (Cross Section)

One of the most iconic visual elements of the Second World War are German panzers blitzing their way across enemy territory, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake.
During the First World War, German tanks had a less than auspicious start. Their first attempt at a tank design was the A7V, a clunky metal box on tracks, a far cry from the formidable vehicles of a quarter century later.

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Credit:
Show Created by Daniel Turner (B.A. (Hons) in History, University College London)
Script: Robert de Graaf
Narrator:

Chris Kane

[TrueMobster]

How many crew members do you want in your tank?
: Yes

[lucianoosorio]

“The tank was originally invented to clear the way for the infantry in the teeth of machine gun fire. Now it is the infantry who will have to clear a way for the tanks.” Winston Churchill

[microwavegommmm]

BF1 is still massively popular, please make more WW1 videos, such an interesting period

[TheStapleGunKid]

Good lord every single crewman must have suffered some kind of permanent hearing loss. Can you imagine how insanely loud those 6 machine guns would be firing inside such a small confined space.

[Yashuop]

Raise your hand if you've been watching Simple History for a long time🤚

[Storiann]

I found out Mephisto, the sole surviving A7V is on display about 5 minutes from where I live (in Brisbane, Australia of all places). After watching, I went and visited it. So cool seeing it in person after such an in-depth analysis. Thank you Simple History!

[chesspiece]

Can you imagine how loud, how hot, how strong the smell of all that gun powder was from all those Maxims was for the crew? When you said they painted Skull and Crossbones I couldn't help but think, "Are we the baddies?"

[sevensprings]

There is a A7V called “Mephisto” in Brisbane, Australia. It was recovered by the Australian Army, not the British.

[AwareThriving]

Only 20 were ever made. (Which is why in Battlefield 1 the entire front is filled with them, obviously.)

[quintessenceoflife]

Who here remembers that one WW1 flash game where you would periodically send out troops with cooldowns and could launch artillery and gas aswell as move troops between trenches and it was a side scroller battler? This tank being one that the enemy could send out if you play british or one you could send out as german later on during the campaign?

[familyrics]

I have missed this kind of artwork. It feels like I am watching Simple History in 2017 - 18. Nostalgic

[DiscoBallGaming]

Even in WW1 the German Army couldn't help fiddling with things and changing the tank. It's not even surprising that the same thing happened in WW2, 2 completely different governments and eras and yet they make the exact same mistake

[insovietrussiavodka]

What you have to remember about the A7V is, it's basically just a sample serie of prototypes compared to the Mk's which have fixed some of the more immediate issues by the end of the war.
The A7V is rather innovative for the era in it's own ways compared to the FT-17, these are best explained by Military History Visualized when he visits a replica in a museum.
The chasse of the A7V would also see other uses as a trench excavator, munitions carrier and SPAAG.

A minor error however.
A7V - is powered by a 4cyl engine
Simple History - Draws it as a 6cyl engine from a british tank.

[brianpalaganas]

It was cool to actually see the voice behind these Simple History videos. Kudos!

[SirDaffyD]

Great History video about the A7V.

I've seen Mephisto. At the time it was on loan to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia in around 2013. I saw it while I was there as a parent helper on my daughters grade 6 school camp to Canberra. An impressive piece of equipment indeed.

[DerTrenchAuthor]

You forgot to mention about one time the A7V captured a British trench and even the Brits gave the thing the nickname the "Moving Fortress". Don't believe me look it up with the Great war YouTube channel talking about the German Panzer and the tank museum in Germany.

[Irnyc]

This is one of the coolest videos you've ever done, reminds me of the cross sections of the encyclopedias of my childhood, so awesome

[andrewrobinson]

Having seen Mephisto when it was at the AWM, I was amazed at how small it was for such a large crew.

[jackholmesdiscovereranglos]

I Think Mephisto the German A7V is what we of Australians had captured during WWI
In April 1918, during a German attack at Villers-Bretonneux on the Western Front, A7V Mephisto 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.

[benstrong]

I just imagine all of the soldiers inside holding onto the ropes like a German military subway car.