Leopard Tank - Esperance, Western Australia, Australia
S 33° 51.611 E 121° 53.586
51H E 397610 N 6252795
A Leopard Tank outside the headquarters of the Esperance Returned Services League Club.
Waymark Code: WMGARP
Location: Western Australia, Australia
Date Posted: 02/07/2013
Views: 6
The 42-tonne Leopard Tank is one of 29 battle tanks that were delivered to Returned Services League clubs around Australia during 2011.
The Leopards operated for almost 30 years and the closest they came to "action" was when several were loaded (and then quickly unloaded) onto a warship bound for East Timor during the 1999 conflict.
The German-made Leopards never fired a shot in anger and were replaced in 2007 by 59 second-hand US-built M1A1 Abrams tanks.
I was present in Darwin in the Northern Territory, Australia, in 2009 when a Welcome Home Parade was held for Australian Servicemen recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan was held in the city. Two M1A1 Abrams tanks, named (in accordance with Armoured Corps tradition) as 'ANZAC' and 'AXED', paraded and then were tasked to Hold Ground during the parade, and I was fortunate to capture photos of them arriving and leaving. I have included their photos here for comparison purposes.
I also took a photo of the traditional Riderless Horse which is in memory of those lost in battle.
Specifications
Crew
|
4
|
Main Armament
|
105mm L7A3 QF Gun
|
Weight
|
42,400 Kg
|
| Engine | Daimler Benz V10 Diesel
610 kW (830 HP) @ 2200 RPM
|
Maximum speed
|
62 km/hr
|
Range
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500 kms
|
Decommissioned
|
2007
|
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