Vehicle Interiors.

Inside a Panzer IV Turret.

 

Panzer V Panther

Florence, Italy 1944

 

Panzer VI Tiger Operation Zitadelle

 

Panzer VI Tiger.

 

There seems to be a sense of some kind of mechanical cosiness inside that Panzer IV turret - something which would last until it met a Cromwell, presumably!

I must say, I too find the interiors of tanks fascinating - it's an environment that you simply can't comprehend unless you've been part of it.

As far as images go, though, it's hard to gain an appreciation of how an interior looks without seeing it cut-away. Like this M4, for instance:

 

I had to point the camera 'blind' into the open drivers hatch. It looks horrifically basic in there, don't know if it had been partly stripped for spares.
(Sorry about the restricted view, an 18mm fisheye on a decent camera would've been handy!)

***One photo not visible in this post at present due to upload location no longer available***

 

Taken due to various turret hatches & hull viewing ports left open at Bovington.

From port RHS hull mg position looking up toward breech:

From same port looking towards gunner:

And straight across to drivers position:

From LHS port near drivers position:

From same port looking across more towards loader:

From LHS viewing port towards hull MG:

View of wireless from LHS port near driver:

***Thes images are all displayed as attachments instead of inline now due to upload location no longer available***

 

At Bovington again, taken through hole made by 37-40mm AP shot in right hull:

 

Inside a Panzer IV Turret.


Maybe it comes from being 6' 2" tall but my immediate reaction to most of these photos is a feeling of intense claustrophobia.

Were there any height restrictions imposed or preferred for tank crews or was it simply a matter of interest and aptitude?

 

Here some pictures T-34-85 tank which is surprisingly driving condition, More pictures with better resolution

 

They're kind of large, so I'm just posting links.

http://ibiblio.org/pha/Tiger%20cut-away.jpg

http://ibiblio.org/pha/Tiger%20cut-away%202.jpg

 

Some very interesting pics
The one thing that strikes me with these photos is the lack of padding inside the old Tanks. I served using modern Armoured vehicles which tended to have vinyl covered foam padding on the interiors to try to prevent injuries when driving cross country - which could still happen anyway. But I can imagine the crew having a lot more scrapes and bumps on these ones than we ever did.
Any ideas when the interior padding was introduced?

 

Canadian Ram interiors...

A good site in general... Is it me or does the RAM tank look a bit "shermonesque"?
Interior photos

I see VP beat me to it here.
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/weapons-technology-equipment/13128-ram-tank.html

 

M3 Lee
inside and out
TOADMAN'S TANK PICTURES M3 LEE

M4A3 Sherman
TOADMAN'S TANK PICTURES M4A3(75) WITH DIRECT VISION SLOTS

Restotation shots
TOADMAN'S TANK PICTURES M4A3E2 ASSAULT TANK JUMBO SHERMAN

and lots of other good reference photos


And here is a lovely M5A1 Stuart - scroll down for the internal shots
1943 WWII M5-A1 Stewart Light Tank SN 5094 RN 3048206
Ahhh blimey, he is flogging it for $267,000 so if you want to get the pics it might be worth downloading them soonish

 

Spider