WW2 German Wehrmacht "HUMMEL" Self Propelled Gun Tour and Restoration

Assistant Manager, Jason Belgrave, takes us on a tour of the AusArmour WW2 Hummel Self Propelled Gun and Beau tells us all about its challenging restoration!
This unit was a successful Wehrmacht firepower asset and was restored in 2017 from many destroyed parts.
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[@davidbutterfield2949]

What you guys can do with a pile of scrap is absolutely amazing. Love your work 👍🏻🇦🇺

[@Martin-on2pp]

Work? Or a paid hobby?

[@desertmandan123]

@@Martin-on2pp I'd pay them to work there.....

[@wboquist]

@@desertmandan123 Same here!

[@clchan1953]

Beau is unbelievably humble just casually describing what he had to make from scratch to turn a pile of scrap metal into a recognizable vehicle

[@anemoia2661]

Every exhibit should also display the story of how they were brought back to their former glory by the world class team the Museum has in the workshop. What the boys did with this Hummel is honestly just as amazing as the vehicles War time history! Massive kudos to the Workshop, bloody incredible.

[@bolinfan1519]

World class! Epic work!

[@wrecks02]

That's what these videos are for...

[@markthompson8656]

It is just amazing that some one even kept those blown apart pieces for you to weld back together.

[@bolinfan1519]

Farmers in Eastern Europe kept the armor shards for tractor, trailer, and truck repairs. Good German steel.

[@DOUL80]

Bonjour Très intéressante comme toujours. Quel travail énorme et beaucoup de persévérance pour reconstruire cette machine à partir de bout de ferraille Un grand respect pour toute Équipe ( et surtout à BO) UN FRANÇAIS 😇 😇 😇 😇 😇 TIGRE2😊😊😊

[@americanpatriot2422]

Another Outstanding vehicle Tour video. Please keep making these.

[@ausarmour]

We will!

[@SaperPl1]

Ok, that moment when you see the pieces on the ground is mind blowing on how good the vehicle looks after restoration...

[@woody5109]

Note: The track tread is designed to grip the ice, tracked machines struggle on ice. It’s like being on skates, so we typically weld “corks” on every second or third track, they generally ware off over the winter.

[@lesgriffiths8523]

Jason Belgrave's knowledge is simply astonishing. What an amazing collection. Les Griffiths

[@b1laxson]

Happy Hummel Hugs! My battle cry in World of Tanks when I switch the Hummel from indirect to emergency close range brawler.

[@andrewsteele7663]

Thanks Jason, Beau & team, bloody spectacular exhibit, both of you deserve an OBE, brilliant work. Cheers

[@desertmandan123]

OBE Outstanding Brilliant Engineering.........?

[@snaigoraj]

Appreciate mentioning czech origin of word howitzer, in german haubitze, in czech houfnice (houf is old word for swarm/crowd). Amazing work restoring this vehicle from scrap.

[@TallDude73]

At 4:25, The English word howitzer comes from the Czech word houfnice, from houf, 'crowd' - the Czech Hussites used cannon against groups.

[@markstone5597]

That's just amazing to me you can actually put these completely blown to bits-tanks back together! And it is wonderful that you have the means and support to do so! Serious talent there. Bringing History back to life. and the First and Second World Wars are all but forgotten and the story lost, not even taught in many schools anymore, but this brings it all back home, everyone should have to take a walk through the museum, it needs to be remembered. I feel lucky, that my Grandfather, my Dads step-dad, had served in both wars as a Norwegian Merchant Marine, some stories there- hugely influenced my life he taught me how to splice lines, and knots used at sea, I later used regularly ...when I went to sea. Skills lost to time, and yet much of the world still use, your museum is a gift to the world to see, share, and learn from.

[@highlander147]

Mate! You’d be great at jigsaws! Really enjoying the clear explanations of why things were built a certain way. Keep them coming.

[@shallotman7580]

May I say how much this old POM enjoys your Wednesday programme.

[@craigtanner6916]

Your team of craftsman are absolutely amazing! What an awesome story! The craftsmanship is only rivalled by the depth of knowledge the narrator shares with us in these videos. As always, excellent content and thank you for bringing it to us!

[@10947792]

Hummel and the Wespe are two of my favorite German WW2 vehicles. The level of effort, craftsmanship and attention to detail are beyond compare. Looking at the finished vehicle and the jigsaw puzzle piece side plate blows my mind. I could only hope there was a series like the Jagdpanth er and Stug iii on this project. Your website is like Nirvana to a tank nerd like me.

[@jb6668]

"its still cool though." Thats an understatement if Ive ever heard one. Especially given what you guys had to work with.

[@xXxL3W15xXx]

These videos are absolutely brilliant, please keep doing them for the rest of your superb collection. The videos complement Bovington Tank Museums output so those who cannot visit will be able to appreciate the rare vehicles you have so brilliantly preserved. Thank you!

[@robertsmart4628]

Amazing that you could put that back together.

[@russwoodward8251]

This piece is in excellent condition for such a rare vehicle. Excellent work. Thank you for the video!

[@jethrox827]

I had a couple of these when I played war games 30 yrs ago

[@ChristopheJOUAN-qd3xu]

Another stunning result of long hours of dedicated work! Wonderful! Congratulations from France for the quality of your work! 😮🤩👍

[@harpomarx7777]

Once I got into the video and saw the patchwork "quilt" sides, I was gobsmacked!

[@wrecks02]

Brilliant work... Showing the skilled and dedicated work of whole the restoration team to a wider audience than just those who can visit the display. I live an hour away from the museum, and count myself very, very fortunate to be able to wander in at my pleasure... Beau, stop 'downplaying' your abilities - the job you did recreating that brake dust vent is nothing short of phenomenal.

[@Reezour_Waargh]

такие скромные ребята. из осколков собрали Хумель и говорят что несколько деталей не оригинальные, пришлось сделать в ручную. Да это вообще чудо что хоть так сохранитсяся этот хлам.

[@ryszardkoprowski1414]

These tracks were called correctly "Ostketten" due to Russian winters. Ost is east in German. As always -great job&team!

[@ryszardkoprowski1414]

@@ryann3903 thanks, good to know! 💪

[@dnbeckmann]

Good night! Piecing that thing together!!! I had no idea. Amazing.

[@polticalme1677]

I've got the Tamiya Nashorn (Nas-horn, NOT Nash-orn!) on my bench and I bought four Eduard PE sets, an Aber gun barrel and 3D printed resin tracks. That means I'm taking it bloody seriously with this build, hahaha! Apart from the gun this is the same vehicle, so this video comes in handy. I like your pronunciation of almost all German words. Only "Hummel" (bumble bee) was wrong. Phonetically it's pronounced "Hoommel". The way you pronounced it would be a different animal ("Hammel" = mutton). Thanks a lot for the upload!

[@kiwifruit27]

That’s incredible, a pity that you weren’t making videos back then. Awesome restoration and very interesting information. Thanks

[@James_T_Quirk]

My Favorite Surprise, on a War-game Battlefield, doubt I would find them so much fun in real life, on receiving end, being Pummeled by a Hummel .. Another Fantastic Video !!

[@MGB-learning]

Another outstanding video and presentation.

[@OneLeatherBoot]

Panzer Tracts 17, of which I'm sure you guys have a copy of. Info and internal photos start at page 40. Carries 48 main rounds, but let's be honest, they likely stacked up as many rounds as they could carry.

[@MrLotrecht]

18 rounds on board and from the transporter which transported 180 rounds but was shared between 6 Hummels so you came on the 48 round-just 18 om board!

[@OneLeatherBoot]

@MrLotrecht the question they asked was about the munitions carrier and to provide sources. There were two munitions carriers per battery of 6 Hummels. Each Hummel carried 18 rounds officially, plus the powder charges. Each muntions carrier carried 48 rounds + powder charges, which was in the same internal configuration as a gun Hummel, just without the gun. (they had a bolted steel plate over the gap from a lack of gun, so a gun could be swapped in if needed).

[@krmould]

Great video. Hummels were relatively rare during the war (only 700 built), and now days only six remain in museums. It is great to see it even if it is incomplete without an engine. Kudos to Beau and the boys for putting it back together from so many small pieces. I hope to be able to visit there one day.

[@garand999]

Hummel means translated Bumblebee ! 🐝

[@AdamMann3D]

These are the best tank tours on youtube

[@koningbolo4700]

9:10 No need to apologize mate, you did a final exam grade job of it... I say WUNDERBAR !!!

[@adamgilbert4318]

That was restoration was truly amazing

[@anthonydibiase3373]

Because the basic Hummel could carry only a limited amount of ammunition, the Munitionsträger Hummel ("ammunition carrier Hummel") was developed. This was basically a standard production Hummel without the howitzer (a 10 mm armour plate covering the gun mount) and with racks fitted to hold the ammunition.[2] When necessary, these could still be fitted with the 15 cm howitzer of the normal Hummel; this could even be done as a field conversion. By the end of the war, more than 700 Hummel had been built together with 157 ammunition carriers using the same design.

[@Eisen_Jaeger]

coolest jigsaw puzzle ever

[@moistmike4150]

The amount of love, care and attention to detail that goes into rebuilding these weapons of war is breathtaking. God bless you guys!

[@scottcrawford7310]

Well done Love these

[@USM247]

No apologies necessary. When you have scrap to work with you must use your expertise and GO FOR IT!! Well Done!!

[@DavidCulshawmer-r]

blows your mind what these lads can do , just unbelievable 👌, and their knowledge they have gained on these vehicles is incredible too 👍, keep at it lads , just loving these vids 😉

[@patchmack4469]

great hearing how humble Beau is - let him know, no matter how poor he thinks his early work might be, it does the job, and the same as i have done with aircraft, if you can't get it, make it, replicate it, and should one come about, ever, than you can always replace when one becomes available, great informative video

[@10947792]

It would be awesome if you could do episodes on the back stories of how you acquired the piece /parts of this vehicle and others like it…..it was scraps of steel……who raided the scrap yard before smelting day to save these hunks of scrap metal??

[@coendave5020]

You guys got the greatest job in the world …I wish we had something even close to it back here . Greetings from the Netherlands ❤ Never miss an episode

[@user-wf2lm3vi7o]

I visited Overloon when it was a park with knocked out vehicles scattered throughout. I was in Primary School. From there I got bit by the military bug. Don’t discount the power of any collection, particularly yours with a Panther!

[@coendave5020]

@@user-wf2lm3vi7o Back in those days I visited Overloon also as a kid ....nowadays its all a `history centre` with woke managers but it still has a great collection , I wont discard it 😇

[@doughudgens9275]

You guys are the perfect group to do a video on how to “lay a battery” and aim the gun on target. It should impress the tankers on how hard indirect fire is!

[@moistmike4150]

As a kid in high school, I remember playing "Panzer Blitz", and whenever I had a unit of Hummels in support of my attack & defense, I would almost never lose a fight against the Soviets.

[@Ekatjam]

My grandfather was on the Eastern Front from the first days of the invasion until the very end when he went MIA. He was in a vehicle recovery unit and wrote home of a trick they discovered to start cold vehicles in the brutal cold... Place hot coals under the engine. Probably not the safest method, but very effective. He also said how they warmed their hands, but I rather not say how.

[@CarLos-yi7ne]

Making fires under cold engines is quite common. Mostly done with some dry gras and small sticks of wood. Having glowing coals at hand is quite interesting, maybe a stove on board of the recovery vehicle?

[@Ekatjam]

@@CarLos-yi7ne Not being a front line unit, I would think gave them much more access to coals. I think also unlike a fire you could control the amount of heat without the flame.

[@CarLos-yi7ne]

@@Ekatjam Yes, that makes sence! 👍

[@Anonymous_Anonyme]

In the Munitionsträger Hummel ("Ammunition Carrier Hummel") their was 15 cubic meters (530 cubic feet) of cargo space where the ammunition would of been stored.

[@andyk1635]

It's really sad, that you didn't make Videos yet, when you restored that Hummel. Is it possible to show some more pictures of the process?

[@thurin84]

you guys did an amazing job putting all those pieces back together. it looks great! bravo!

[@vr66luke]

Phenomenal work gentleman!

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

6:24 That is freaking amazing that you put that vehicle together from that pile of mangled parts!

[@theitchysailor2929]

Looks like your missing a couple bins in the back that stowed the ammo but usually they had a support half track carrier ammo too

[@michaelguerin56]

Good video. Excellent result from such a daunting jigsaw puzzle.

[@TheSlugstoppa]

SOOO this is basically a Jigsaw rebuild. This is OUTSTANDING work guys - Truly impressive. Well done.

[@markbehr88]

What a tremendous job you guys and girls do.

[@frankgaletzka8477]

You all did a great work Thank you very much Take Care yours Frank Galetzka

[@CarLos-yi7ne]

Beautiful!! 👌 The Nashorn project in the Netherlands is also very interesting! It is almost tge same as this vehicle but equiped with 75mm anti tank gun. Just 3 servivors and this one is made running with Deutz V12 Diesel engine. So.. not original engine but still German V12.

[@scottburton509]

6:20 If IKEA made tanks and didn't ship the instructions. That is one awesome rebuild!

[@bolinfan1519]

I can hardly believe what was done to reconstruct this self-propelled gun! A miracle, it was!

[@alsatful]

You guys can rebuild a Panzer oil stain into a running Panzer

[@fernandoi3389]

I cant believe they restored the vehicle from those broken parts. Amazing !

[@johnoneill5661]

Too look at that pile of little bits and pieces and then to see the finished vehicle is amazing. You guys are so dedicated to your work and the results are beautiful.

[@hawks667]

Brilliant work!!

[@ulfwilhelmsson3253]

Awesome job 👏👏👏

[@wboquist]

Outstanding work, explanation of work, and videography!

[@Nick-rr5cy]

Great job love it

[@Jamiehello1]

Love your work

[@zoltronr6]

Amazing work.

[@davidbarnsley8486]

What an amazing result from just junk I would like to know how you even find the pieces 👍👍

[@bobkohl6779]

Those track add one are called browsers. WOW! Great job

[@nachtsumhalbzwei]

Amazing Job you done there!

[@darrentuer5378]

outstanding! Amazing restoration

[@rrl4245]

Unbelievable restoration puzzle! Brilliant work!

[@ptonpc]

Amazing work putting it all back together.

[@cmck472]

I can't believe the rebuild! Amazing!

[@Tellyfive]

Incredible work. This channel deserves way more subs.

[@danbusey]

Very nice presentation. Great to hear from the restorer.

[@lappin6482]

Amazing workmanship.....👏👏👏 well done guys

[@ChauncyFatsack]

Great job

[@grahampartridge9335]

Cracking Restoration job

[@Socrates21stCentury]

Nice job!

[@fredfarnackle5455]

Brilliant work!👍

[@nickraschke4737]

Awesome work.

[@peppermill7163]

The combination of historical context and restoration info works great

[@ivoferin8176]

This is one of the most impressive jobs you guys did! GSUS!!

[@robertmorey4104]

Thats an amazing vehicle considering the shards it was in. Fantastic collection. Love your vids.

[@tommytaylor4458]

Awesome guys!!!!

[@tbrown7662]

What a great job you all did with it!!! Definitely something to be proud of!! Well done!!!

[@KaitlynnUK]

The work you guys do it amazing, I'd love to come to work there.

[@jessicabuckman9675]

You gentlemen do such a fantastic job of re-building these rusty machines.

[@HK94]

Man that is one amazing repair job.. at 1st I didn't even thought this vehical was used that much.

[@usmcchet]

The work you guys did with the stuff you had is just crazy

[@sealove79able]

A great video.

[@wernervanderwalt8541]

Great job guys! It's peculiar how the Germans sometimes just upcycled and recycled vehicles and for some roles they just developed completely new vehicles.

[@timothywood4402]

Unbelievable and damn amazing that you guys made that awesome machine from a pile of scraps.

[@mattintx]

Worlds toughest jigsaw puzzle! Great restoration job, guys - and a really interesting lecture. Thanks!