Range Wrecks - Kirkudbright - The Search for Rare Tanks Continues

[@WulfCorbett]

The horseflies are locally known as Clegs. Usually in the form of a scream followed by 'Bloody CLEGS!'

[@jimtaylor294]

Perhaps related to a similarly loathsome creature: Nick Clegg XD

[@martinrose2833]

The Highland Tortoise breading program was fatally floored , they only released one into the wild

[@WozWozEre]

+1 for respecting the Tortoises machine spirit with a can of Irn Bru, truly the holiest of beverages.

[@tommeakin1732]

This is fantastic. Happy to hear you payed the due respects to her machine-spirit 🙏

[@johngreen-sk4yk]

Great series, I'm enjoying this one. Can't wait for you to tell us how you have found a lost a30 avenger in a clump of nettles ! Lol 😉👍

[@armouredarchives8867]

oh gods i wish

[@Donir100]

the tortoise one is really sad to see.

[@jimtaylor294]

Amen; especially as she's the only other example confirmed to still exist. (though it's still possible that one of the two sent to Germany somehow still exist, and the fate of all the incomplete hulls is also unconfirmed [perhaps used as range targets or some related fate])

[@echohunter4199]

Im a retired US Army Infantryman and specialized in all aspects of helicopter operations (Rappel Master, Sling Master, Pathfinder) and the CH-47 Chinook could lift those vehicle components with ease. Airlifting would negate the need for clearing a lane to maneuver a heavy vehicle for movement by ground. The tanks (minus the Tortoise) are at less than half their weight since the tracks, engine and most of the drive train has been removed deliberately or when blown the hell off by ordinance. The turrets appear to be completely disconnected by ordinance impacts so they should also easily lift off. Im sure there’s some sort of civilian owned/operated medium or heavy lift helicopter services within the UK proper or somewhere in nearby countries. Good luck, I hope to see this restored while I’m alive. SFC DeVos, K.

[@sIightIybored]

most of them look like you'd be sweeping them into a bucket if they got breathed on a bit hard. Challenging to air-lift without at least a pallet underneath and wrapped up.

[@paulflak2823]

Try going through the scrap piles, that is where I found a Churchill mk 6, the training beaches from WW2, where I recovered a massive number of shermans. All found there way into museums and parts for running models.

[@markbehr88]

Loved this video.

[@janwitts2688]

Whilst I have witnessed many being attacked by insects in my 50 years as a highlander I myself have never been bitten.. though they do annoy me by flying near my face... I do not know what special protection I am bestowed with but having seen the damage that these creatures can do to uncovered flesh I am very thankful...

[@armouredarchives8867]

i secretly suspect the scottish can summon them to repel the english :P

[@jimtaylor294]

The irony being that the locals are pretty repelled by them as well XD. (when BBC Scotland was filming *Monarch of the Glen* , they had to spend a fortune on Midge suppression, just so the native cast would surrvive the production process)

[@paulorchard7960]

Might have something to do with whiskey!😁

[@rainbowbunchie8237]

It's incredible looking at those comets and seeing how the welds still pop, incredible that they've not rusted into nothing. It would be quite a fun task to knock all of the rust off and paint whatever's left after!

[@kevkfz5226]

Driven past the ranges loads of times, nice to have a tour

[@trappenweisseguy27]

I always wondered why they made the case mate on the tortoise so wide. There wasn’t a 3 man sofa in there by any chance was there 😂 ?.

[@raikbarczynski6582]

look at the crew layout and the size of the gun. that explains it.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

There was, along with a tea table and cake stand. ;-)

[@zondazerda2230]

There is a rare Canadian Ram tank over there too, if I'm not mistaken. Now I know why Bovington didn't bother with salvaging it, it would be insanely expensive.

[@davidandrew1078]

There are, "Armour Museums", making genuine vehicles from a lot less.

[@armouredarchives8867]

different range, rams were up at otterburn

[@jimtaylor294]

Ironically on the physical labour aspect of trying to move them, I'd bet Bovington would get plenty of enthusiastic volenteers... albeit only in the less insectoid rich months.

[@simonmcowan6874]

That was super, love this kind of stuff.

[@dragoberghe5690]

wow what landscape and what a story, thx for that🤓

[@bear76009]

that pattern you spoke of , I think that is from small round impacts. Its either the round itself all smeared out something to do with it. I have seen that before on things we used to shoot .50 cals at and 7.62

[@AtheistOrphan]

No. There were no small arms used on this range. A/T live-firing only. It’s clearly just rust.

[@terrywarner8657]

About @6:50 there is musing that wooden ammunition racks had once been fitted because you spotted hinges and debris. In the next breath you answered your own question. If the tank had been set on fire for a thermal target, who is to say random empty ammunition crates, lumber, shipping dunnage, and salvaged combustibles from other range wrecks weren't thrown into the pyre?

[@rondunn4336]

My earliest childhood memories memories, sitting on my fathers knee, Col A C Dunn, having cotton wool in my ears, inside a firing tank., he was responsible for organizing the range in 1942 during WW2.

[@majorbloodnok6659]

Again, very enjoyable, I look forward to the next one.

[@mattp2557]

Great video as always in a perfect world I'd love to save and restore these tanks so they don't disappear because its always better to see things like this in person then in a book, I glad you got to do this and bring back some photos for us to see so at least if they are gone tomorrow we have something to look back to and remember what we did. 😀

[@depleteduraniumcowboy3516]

I always wanted to head down range and check out the old hulks. Now I know to be very careful of the dust inside. A fine black powder that floats into the air is to avoid being inhaled at all costs as it could be the dust residue from my namesake. I've heard not even filters can keep it out. One knows a filter isn't working if you can taste the dust.

[@jimtaylor294]

Aye. And that's just one of the potential CBRN hazards. Shame really, but not surprising.

[@captiannemo1587]

The high chrome welding is always a plus.

[@shaunbrennan5281]

Just started to write a comment when I saw yours. Very interesting

[@viperuscopperus]

Are you some kind of Brother Tech-Priest?

Interesting what you can learn from a range wreck. Also nice to see the effects of different ammunition types. At some point I will need to get up to speed on the effects and detailed workings of the different types.

[@dougc2568]

In case anyone is wondering, it's pronounced "kir koo Bree". Interesting stuff, I'd no idea those hulks were out there.

[@cra83]

Is the grey blistering magnetite? I’ve seen it on the inside of industrial boilers and maybe they used the same steel, possibly built in a boiler factory or similar at the height of the war?

[@alan-sk7ky]

6:35 just look at the spall scabs on the right from the lefthand penetrations 😐

[@jimtaylor294]

Shows how far munitions have advanced really... though it's not Torties frontal armour of course.

[@Alan316100]

Noticed (or imagined) some much smaller 'blemishes' above and around some of the main armament hits and wondered, if HESH was involved, whether they might have been from the ranging .50?

[@adrianrutterford762]

Wonderful video. Thanks

[@mpersad]

Fascinating video. Thank you.

[@Akm72]

I've got a question about the early Comet: Was there ever a transitional turret design between the Cromwell with the internal mantlet and the Comet with the external mantlet? To put that another way; did they ever consider adding an external mantlet to the Cromwell or using a suitably scaled-up version of a Cromwell-style turret on the Comet? In addition to that, is the external-mantlet on the Comet an example of parallel development with the similar mantlet on the Tiger or is it a conscious attempt at copying the German design? ps. I hope I haven't asked this before and forgotten, I wouldn't want to be boring! 🤓

[@armouredarchives8867]

ive never seen a cromwell with an external, lots of concepts drawings, and ideas buit none liek that in the archives

[@Akm72]

@@armouredarchives8867 Thanks for the reply.

[@genericpersonx333]

Thinking back on this series, it is notable how many Comets ended up on the range and remain, compared to the many other tanks that one might have thought would have ended up left to rust on the range after being shot to pieces.

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

I feel like Mr Hewes would give a good go at getting that Tortoise out, it'd be such a shame for it to just sit there and rot forever. As for the midges, there's a reason everyone smokes in Scotland 🤣

[@bigblue6917]

I managed to catch up to your post but I had to pause it at the beginning. Why you ask? Well you don't think I am watching your video without a good coffee do you. It is a shame so much of our history has ended up in the hands of the scrapman. Many tanks and locomotives. Cars, trucks, busses, trams, trolley busses and other road vehicles. If ever a ship had a claim to preservation it had to be HMS Warspite. Having fought at Jutland in WW1 and throughout WW2 but even she could not escape the scrapmans clutches. The Scottish midge is, of course an infamous blight on Scotland. but there are worse flying pests out there. Apparently the reason the Canadian moose migrates all them hundred of miles every year is to get away from the bite of the mosquito. If you are wondered how bad that bite is you could try standing naked in the middle of the herd of moose. At that point you have 15 minutes to live before blood lose from the mosquito bites would result in your death. So with that in mind I suggest you should avoid looking for tanks in Canada.

[@armouredarchives8867]

indeed everywhere at that latitude seem cursed, Siberia is really bad with mosquito tornados

[@jimtaylor294]

As good a motive for a suit of W40K style power armour, as any ~_^ . "Try biting me now, ye wee flighty bastards!"

[@johndaut2838]

Living near the Gulf Coast of Texas, it looks like the rust pattern is typical of salt water corrosion.

[@tomtexas4897]

Man, the results of HESH is fucking scary! just a circle of steel sperdated and sent spiraling round turning your own armor in to a deadly blender

[@stevehill4615]

In some of the scenes of the Comet wrecks were the engines/transmissions still present?

[@armouredarchives8867]

yes mostly smashed into fragments, one is somewhat intact but only for small parts

[@andrewcomerford264]

Never mind the clegs, did you meet the wee centipede and see her dance ?

[@steve1315]

Another good video sad to see them as wrecks

[@kevkfz5226]

thanks ed even better than normal

[@DEATH-THE-GOAT]

I just wanna cry when I see the neglect these once proud servants of the Realm has been doomed to!

[@g33keh76]

dont cry that they are gone, rejoice in that they existed! 🙂

[@DEATH-THE-GOAT]

@@g33keh76 thank you, that helped 🙂

[@jimtaylor294]

Plus... I'd suspect there are a few ways to preserve them in situ. (albeit still a bit of a red tape headache)

[@christophercripps7639]

Protected flora and fauna: generally wildlife & plants do well in places people avoid due to various dangers - unexploded ordnance or APDS flying about or radiation. Just witness this range, Pripyat (Chernobyl) Ukraine, and Hanford Nuclear Reservation USA.

[@jasontrauger8515]

I'm curious, have you given thought to possibly diversifying your KZbin channel to include a partial career in wildlife? I can see you becoming the English version, of Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin (RIP).

[@armouredarchives8867]

i want to go back next year and do a full docu with film on both wildlife and tanks

[@Absaalookemensch]

Tortoise in it's natural habitat.

[@kevinhale9400]

That weird-looking rust pattern looks as if it is the result of machine gun splatter damage,

[@CthulhuInc]

still an imposing hunk of iron, that! the end of the line...

[@chriskortan1530]

Seems typical that they hired a private firm to clear ordnance and move tanks. It's not like that would be perfect training for engineers and recovery crews.

[@WozWozEre]

He said a recovery vehicle came up from Tidworth to move them, so yes the Engineers, likely Reccy Mechs, did get some training in, and I can guarantee they'd rather have stayed at home than be dragged all the way up there to move some scrap 150 metres.

[@chriskortan1530]

@@WozWozEre I didn't know what Tidworth was. I made the assumption it was also a private vehicle. And of course soldiers would rather not do anything in the field, lol. At least it didn't seem to be in a bog like the Centurion. Although he does make the horse-flies sound "difficult".

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

@@WozWozEre Royal Engineers clear unexploded ordnance. Reccy mechs belong to the REME…

[@jimtaylor294]

Rather typical too that the Army never had the thought of "Wait... what if we want to *move* these target vehicles at a later date?" "NAhh It'll be foine~" instead seems to have been the idea.

[@deece1482]

RIP tutel

[@jarihaukilahti]

your scottish horseflys and the lesser amount of flying bastards are not the real thing. Horseflies comes in 3 differnt races and your a dussin flies are nothing to what you would experience in a nordic country. The grey horde fly likes your head and hear much like kamikaze . The bee sized are like a bombplane buzzing around waiting for your to surrender and make hole in you . the flysized blackwhite are like and attackplane coming up close- fast as the first one , The grey one makes big blobs where it has bitten due to an allergic reaction