FV4005: The Tank That Shook Itself Apart

The Berlin Victory Parade was a chance for the Allies to come together and celebrate the end of World War 2, but as it played out, it would lead to the West becoming increasingly paranoid towards the Soviets.

The revelation of the new Soviet IS-3 heavy tank was a cause for concern amongst the West with it being more powerful than anything they had to show. And if this is what they had in 1946, what would they have in the near future?

Different Western nations then looked for ways to defeat such heavily armoured tanks, and it was the British that would develop a gun so powerful that the vehicle it was mounted to literally shook itself apart when firing.

In this Tank Chat Reloaded, Paul Famojuro (FamTheTankMan) has a detailed look at the L4 183mm gun developed to counter the potential future threat of Soviet heavy armour, as well as the proposed vehicles which would mount the biggest tank gun in history.

00:00 | Introduction
01:25 | The Problem
03:16 | The Solution
08:56 | The Trials
12:47 | Why was it Cancelled?
14:34 | Where is it Now?

This video features archive footage courtesy of British Pathé.

#tankmuseum

[AndyM_YYY]

According to the London Naval Treaty, if you mount that gun on a light cruiser (a ship of around 10, 000 tons displacement) its not a light cruiser any more, its a heavy cruiser.

[bryansammis]

This tank makes the KV-2 look like a pillar of efficiency

[wraithcadmus]

> You think: "Should we leave it alone, should we back off, should we play it safe?" NAH, you think: "Let's make it BIGGER!"

[thetankmuseum]

Hey Tank Nuts! We hope you enjoyed our latest video. Did you see FV4005 at Tankfest 2024? We'd love to hear your thoughts below!

[StealthCloudchaser]

MrHewes is a true legend, It's amazing to see him and his team get the attention they deserve.

[kewlwarez]

Whatever you can say about World of Tanks, they're doing the lord's work sponsoring tank restorations like this. Excellent to not just get a quick history overview of this beast in this video, but also a look at how it has been restored and the compromises needed to be made to do so. Love to see more of this!

[derekowens]

Gun calibre is 7.2 inches, a standard British Army heavy artillery calibre, presumably the existence of tooling to manufacture 7.2 inch barrels helped determine the final calibre of the weapon. D

[markedwards]

And to think it’s all down to Ted’s excellent project management.

[Spitfiresammons]

It’s too bad the IS-3 wasn’t at the TankFest 2024 if it did both IS-3 and FV4005 this could be the first time both came face to face.

[evanc.]

Please give us more information on: Labrador, Canine, Black, Self propelled, 4 Leg. as seen at 6:43

[Tcuel]

Best shot at 6:43, well hello there Ted!

[shawn]

6:43 Title didnt mention a celeb appearance?! Its bloody Ted himself!

[cyanoix]

the tank, the legend, the CHONKER, THE FV4005

[Falloutrip]

British dudes building incredible war machines in their back yard shed with nothing more than a box of spanners, cup of tea and a canine supervisor. A tale as old as time.

[lewisshipway]

Its was TED who made this tank done on time

[danielcombs]

It’s fantastic that these young men are rebuilding and maintaining these historic machines. Job well done! 👍🏻

[FrontSideBus]

I like the fact that the bits filmed at MrHewes' place could be mistaken for being at Tank Museum due to the number of armoured vehicles scattered around the background... 😂😂😂

[danielflack]

Jack worked his little butt off on that tank, exceptional work by Jack and Joe.

[glockspsmd]

I watch Mr hewes and he made it to tank fest and drove it around. Amazing to see that history and thing driving again. Thanks

[TheNobleBrit]

This was by far one of the best experiences of my life, not only knowing my absolute favourite tank was being restored, but seeing it running and driving for the first time at Tankfest was an absolutely amazing experience and it brought a smile to my face that is still here a week later.

The only thing that would've topped it off was to get inside it myself as that would literally be the best thing to ever happen in my life.

Again I've said this before, but thank you and everyone that brought this big boi back to working order. It brings a tear to my eye knowing it will be looked after for years to come, and I will be a repeat attendant of Tankfest in the future if it decides to stretch it's tracks again!