Friday, May 3, 2013

Littlefield Tank Collection Part Four

Hi Kids, Here we are with another building from the collection.  First off is a Hetzer, this example was brought over from Finland, where apparently Hitler sent some equipment late in the war.  Just goes to show the Czech 38T chassis never went out of style!

 A couple shots of a halftrack.  Looks like a Sdkfz 251 to me, but all these things look alike.

 Could be an arty tractor, maybe the olde reliable  #7.
 Bits and pieces, let's see; 251, Kettenkrad, 20mm flak, #7, a big halftrack which Lee Marvin drove at the end of the movie "The Dirty Dozen," a 2S7 Russian 203mm SPG, Big Fred mobile radar....
 Hetzer again.
 A nebelwurfer and a Brit Armoured Car.
 The Dreaded 88, I think this one is a flak 36 model.  Ya know, I've read in two books that once the Sherman 75mm showed up in the desert the Brits would just fall back over the nearest rise and shell these things to pieces no sweat.  One rarely hears about that.
 

 Another view of a halftrack.
A StuG 3.  I think this one could have been from Finland as well.

 Close up of the Kettenkrad.
 Another shot of Lee Marvin's halftrack.  It was in the movie while some one else owned it, the Littlefield collectors don't let Hollywood borrow anything.  It seems Hollywood doesn't take care of their loaners.
Another biggie.
 
 Hidden behind all the German stuff is a SU-100 Assault Gun.  Too much German clutter to get a clear shot.
 A 120mm mortar.
 Big Fred Radar.  Better raise the roof.
 Another Scud launcher, this one on an 8 wheel truck chassis.  The guide said they got a call from an aerospace company to take this one out driving, they wanted to test out a drone.  Sure enough, when they looked up there was a drone following them around the property.
 Front view of a 2S7 203mm arty, the only one in Western hands!  I got some QRF 15mm models of this Bad Boy, it's just too cool not to!
Don't remember what this thing is, might be a Stingray or an AVG.  It was a nifty design that the army decided not to get.  We have Stryker AGS now instead.  I think this looks cooler.
 
 A sweet little ride, the Ferret Armoured Car.  An AFV that'll actually fit in a normal garage. Affordable too.  I've seen these things drive around on the streets of the UK a few times, usually near the Beltring War & Peace show.  Which if you haven't been to that one, I highly recommend it. Huge amounts of soft skin there, and a good amount of armor.
 A close up of the T-54 for sale, US$45K and its yours!  And that ended the official tour. The rest of the pix I took on the way out. 
 Another view of the tanks out in a field north of the hangers.  That's the Valentine under the tarp.
 A Saracen.  Nah, it's not one of the reversed flow cooling, but this is Cali.  It never gets hot here.
 Looks like a BTR-152.
A few engineering vehicles sit outside the shed.  That green one looks like a Brit CET, the yellow one is a Sherman recovery.  Don't know about the second row.
If I didn't know better I'd say that was a Jagdpanzer Kanone on the left!
 This is the first tank you see on the way in, I have no idea what it might be. Italian, Japanese, Swedish?......
 And here's my own private tank, rented from Alamo for $28/day!  Can I get a "Hell Yeah!"?!?!?!

 And a final departing shot from the property, I saw four of these little guys at the side of the road as I left.  That's how out-o-the-way the Littlefield tanks hide.

 All the vehicles housed in the buildings are in restored running condition.  Remember Mr. Littlefield passed away back in 2009, and right now the Collection is held together by a group of enthusiasts, none of whom is wealthy.  It's future is uncertain, and no new restorations are planned.  The 250+ vehicles might end up anywhere, so if you want to see these things all in one spot, I'd do it sooner rather than later. They have already sold some extra vehicles. That's why I went here instead of going looking for Bigfoot in Northern Cali.  Bigfoot just gotta wait his turn.
 
 

No comments: