Leopard 1A4

Type: Main Battle Tank
Nation: Germany
Period: Cold War
Location: Veitshöchheim, Germany

1955 was the year of West Germany’s “Wiederbewaffnung” (= re-armament). Ten years after the end of World War 2, Germany was permitted to have an army again. The new Bundeswehr initially received American M47s and M48s, but development of an indigenous tank programme already started in the following year.

Following numerous prototypes and extensive testing, the Porsche-designed Leopard was finally put into service in 1965. It was powered by an 830 hp 10-cylinder MTU diesel engine which could accelerate the tank to 60 km/h on the road. Agility and speed were considered more important than armour protection (which was only built thick enough to withstand 20 mm gunfire), since tanks were thought to be highly vulnerable to modern HEAT rounds, no matter how heavily armoured they were. Better not to be hit in the first place.

This particular vehicle is a later A4 version which can be identified by its angular welded turret with composite armour and the stabilised Zeiss PERI R12 commander’s periscope with optional night vision. The previous A3 had the same turret, but a simpler periscope which looked like the one on a submarine. I stumbled upon this tank by accident when I was cycling in the vineyards and ended up in a field – which turned out to be the training area of a nearby army base.