N?w Tι??ɾ 131 C?ρTᴜ??: ST?ɾ? O? TҺ? M?sT R?c??niz?? T?nк In TҺ? W?ɾl?
In th? ?nn?ls ?? milit??? hist???, ??w t?nks h?v? ???n???? ?s m?ch ??c??niti?n ?n? ??v???nc? ?s th? Ti??? 131. This ???mi???l? G??m?n t?nk, ?s?? ???in? W??l? W?? II, is ??n?wn?? n?t ?nl? ??? its ??ttl??i?l? ???w?ss ??t ?ls? ??? its ?ni??? st??? ?? c??t??? ?n? ??st???ti?n. L?t’s ??lv? int? th? ??scin?tin? n????tiv? ?? th? Ti??? 131, ??t?n h???l??? ?s th? m?st ??c??niz?? t?nk in th? w??l?.
A F??mi???l? F??: Th? Ti??? I T?nk
Th? Ti??? 131 is ? Ti??? I t?nk, ? h??v? t?nk th?t s??v?? in th? G??m?n A?m? ???in? W??l? W?? II. Int????c?? in 1942, th? Ti??? I w?s kn?wn ??? its thick ??m??, ??w????l 88mm ??n, ?n? ?xc??ti?n?l ??ttl??i?l? ??????m?nc?. It st??ck ???? int? th? h???ts ?? Alli?? t?nk c??ws ?n? w?s c?nsi????? ?n? ?? th? m?st ???mi???l? t?nks ?? its tim?.
B?ttl??i?l? C??t???: Th? T??nin? P?int
Th? ?ni??? st??? ?? th? Ti??? 131 ???ins in A??il 1943 ???in? th? S?c?n? B?ttl? ?? T?nis in N??th A??ic?. B?itish ???c?s, s??ci?ic?ll? th? 48th R???l T?nk R??im?nt, m?n???? t? c??t??? th? t?nk ???in? ? ?i??c? ?n????m?nt. This c??t??? w?s ? si?ni?ic?nt t??nin? ??int in th? w??, ?s it ???vi??? Alli?? ???c?s with ?n ?????t?nit? t? st??? th? Ti??? I’s ??si?n ?n? c????iliti?s, s??s????ntl? l???in? t? im???v?? t?ctics ?n? st??t??i?s ??? c??nt??in? it.
R?st???ti?n ?n? Dis?l??: A Livin? M?s??m Pi?c?
F?ll?win? its c??t???, th? Ti??? 131 w?s shi???? t? th? UK, wh??? it ?n???w?nt ??st???ti?n t? w??kin? ?????. T????, it is ? c?nt???i?c? ?? Th? T?nk M?s??m in B?vin?t?n, En?l?n?. Visit??s ???m ????n? th? w??l? ?l?ck t? s?? th? Ti??? 131 in ?ll its ?l???, m?kin? it ??????l? th? m?st ??m??s t?nk ?n ?is?l?? ?n?wh???. Its ?????ti?n?l st?t?s s?ts it ????t ???m m?n? ?th?? m?s??m ?i?c?s, ?ll?win? visit??s t? witn?ss th? t?nk’s ??w?? ?n? ?n?in???in? ?i?sth?n?.
E??c?ti?n?l Si?ni?ic?nc?: Unv?ilin? th? Ti???’s S?c??ts
Th? Ti??? 131’s c??t??? ?n? s??s????nt ??st???ti?n h?v? ???vi??? v?l???l? insi?hts int? th? t?nk’s c?nst??cti?n, ??m?m?nt, ?n? c????iliti?s. Th? ?????t?nit? t? ?x?min? ?n? ?????t? this ic?nic t?nk h?s ?nh?nc?? ??? ?n???st?n?in? ?? t?nk w?????? ???in? W??l? W?? II. It s??v?s ?s ?n ???c?ti?n?l t??l ??? hist??i?ns, milit??? ?nth?si?sts, ?n? th? ??n???l ???lic ?lik?.
Hist??ic?l Ic?n: Th? Ti??? 131’s L???c?
Th? Ti??? 131’s l???c? ?xt?n?s ??? ????n? its milit??? s??vic?. It s?m??liz?s ??sili?nc?, ??t??min?ti?n, ?n? th? t?i?m?h ?? Alli?? ???c?s ?v?? ??v??sit? ???in? W??l? W?? II. Its st??? s??v?s ?s ? t?st?m?nt t? th? c?ll?????tiv? ?????t ????i??? t? ?v??c?m? th? ch?ll?n??s ??s?? ?? ? ???mi???l? ?n?m? ?n th? ??ttl??i?l?.
Ti??? 131 in P???l?? C?lt???: A Film St??
Th? Ti??? 131’s ic?nic st?t?s ?xt?n?s t? ????l?? c?lt??? ?s w?ll. It h?s m??? ???????nc?s in v??i??s ?ilms ?n? ??c?m?nt??i?s, ???th?? c?m?ntin? its ????t?ti?n ?s ?n? ?? th? m?st ??c??niz?? t?nks in th? w??l?. Th? t?nk’s im??sin? ???s?nc? ?n th? silv?? sc???n h?s l??t ?n in??li?l? m??k ?n ???i?nc?s.
H?n??in? Hist???: A Livin? M?m??i?l
Th? Ti??? 131’s ???s??v?ti?n ?n? ?is?l?? ?t Th? T?nk M?s??m ?ns??? th?t th? m?m??? ?? th? t?nk, ?s w?ll ?s th? ???v??? ?? th? s?l?i??s wh? c??t???? it, will ?n???? ??? ??n???ti?ns t? c?m?. It st?n?s ?s ? livin? m?m??i?l t? th?s? wh? s??v?? ???in? W??l? W?? II, ??min?in? ?s ?? th? s?c?i?ic?s m??? ?n? th? inv?l???l? l?ss?ns l???n?? ???m th? ??st.
In c?ncl?si?n, th? Ti??? 131’s c??t??? st??? ?n? its s??s????nt ??st???ti?n h?v? t??ns???m?? it int? ?n ic?nic s?m??l ?? milit??? hist??? ?n? ??sili?nc?. Its si?ni?ic?nc? ?s th? m?st ??c??niz?? t?nk in th? w??l? ???s ????n? its ??ttl??i?l? ???w?ss, s??vin? ?s ? livin? ???c?ti?n?l t??l ?n? ? t?i??t? t? th? c?????? ?? th?s? wh? s??v?? ???in? W??l? W?? II. Th? Ti??? 131’s l???c? c?ntin??s t? ins?i?? ?n? ???c?t?, ?ns??in? th?t th? l?ss?ns ?? hist???