Tank Chats  

Hi Tank Nuts, we hope you enjoyed David Willey's latest Tank Chat. Please do let us know what you think in the comments.

Little did the French know when they created the EBR, that they would be ruining the countless gamers lives 70 years later.

Our French allies are very ingenious and should be applauded for thinking out of the box with several of their designs. Great video, thank you for sharing.

served in the 9th Hussard , we had EBR it was forbidden to smoke next to them as it was petrol driven and there was a chance of it going up in flame this did not inspire a lot of confidence , but the drivers had a ball on the training ground ripping all over the place

LIghting, camera angle, shot composition, editing, color grading are all getting better and better. This episode especially is so nice to watch.

I absolutely love 8x8 armored cars but the EBR is among the best ever. You can't mistake it as anything other then a French design.

Such unique yet iconic looking vehicles.

Very well-made, insightful, and informative video! Thanks a lot! I came a bit late to the party and did my whole career on the AMX10RC, but the "old guys" always spoke very positively about the EBR.

There are so many praising The Tank Museum's media team in every video, but I want to add my voice to them. I was just watching a doc on cable and this video is so much better edited. Congrats to everyone involved.

There used to be one of these on the grenade practice range at Castelnaudary when I was a young trainee Légionnaire in the early 80’s. It had been altered so that when we lobbed practice grenades into the drivers hatches, they would hit a series of baffles and make their way out toward the “front” of the vehicle for reuse.

David Willey is the absolute master of the tank chat format. This is a superb video, well written, well edited and thoroughly compelling. I love it! The only way to improve this would be to have Finn in evidence.

French armoured cars always have an air of coolness about them

What a cool machine, definitely a unique look

Panhard Boxer engines came in aircooled, two strokes, watercooled strokes and 2 -12 cylinder. Panhard bars are still used today to modify the cog and roll center on rear axles. A very progressive company.

Always fascinating, it was great to see David in person at Tank Fest Sunday this summer. Keep up the great content.

The great thing about David is that he straddles the multiple roles he plays so well. He must interpret military procurement to a professional audience: industry who need to understand the design issues around AFV design, then the doctrine issues for military personnel who need to understand how and why vehicles are the way they are. Then he translates all of that for the general public; the "geeky" nerds like most of us watching this, then "war thunder" community who want to understand what tanks do, then the truly general public who just want to appreciate what tanks mean in the terrible reality of the wars fought by their dads, grandads etc. he is the consummate curator. David, we are all in your debt.

Brilliant video about a vehicle that has mythical status in the hands of the FFL. In the minds of it's enemies, the EBR had the alarming ability to pop up everywhere and anywhere. Causing mayhem when it was least expected! Légionnaire, tu es un volontaire, servant la France avec honneur et fidélité.

I have known of thie series for thirty years and now know thirty times more. Thankyou. The USA tried a similar turret in the 1950s which wasn't adopted.

Some really striking design ideas, especially for the time. The French are pretty good for unusual takes on otherwise mundane vehicle concepts. It's a curious thought to have what is basically a mini-EBR nearing completion during WW2. I wonder how the completed AM 40 P would have eventually looked and performed, had the situation been different.

Ohh great choice. Cheers for that tea break goodness.

Great coverage and explanation of these unique vehicles . Thank you .

Exceptionally good episode. I learned there was quite a bit of innovation and interesting engineering in these vehicles

Great Chat, thank you! Like many French designs, it's absolutely brilliant if a bit weird. But I do have to wonder about crew comfort....while placing the engine low in the center of the vehicle makes sense, I can't help but think how miserable it must have been with that heat radiating up through the turret floor in warm weather, especially in Algeria or any tropical country. An M3 Bradley turret is a miserable place to be in a Mississippi summer, and you're well removed from the engine....can't imagine what this would have been like.

Great coverage of an iconic French vehicle!

the historical moment in the Portuguese history was it's participation in the carnation revolution where some of these EBR's where in a "Mexican" stand of against American M60A3 TTS under the dictatorial regime in 1 of a major avenue in Lisbon...

Very informative exposé of yet another, unique, French AFV. Great work!

Another interesting French entry. There's something about an armoured vehicle that I find fascinating; an armoured car with a punch could raise some eyebrows.

great chat on an out of the kind vehicule. For me, its most iconic pictiureof it is when it served as a hearse for the General De Gaulle

Great presentation. Thank you Dave Willey.

At last a little knowledge on the Panhard EBR. I got a little Dinkey one for my sixth birthday and I've always been intrigued.

Great to see you break away from the more common post war tanks/philosophies. Look forward to hearing about Dutch reconnaissance next, given my dad nation service driving then new AMX, M1113 and Centurion tanks in a mixed battalion

I love David Fletcher for his unique use of language, but I also love David Willey for his incredible knowledge. The Tank Museum video quality is worthy of full-length documentaries. Another fantastic video. Cheers from Down Under.

I was reminded of the French ERA turntable (as in record player) when you mention the odd turret and ball bearings. Unlike conventional tone-arms pivoting on needle bearings ERA had a frictionless (so the claim was made) pivot formed by X blades on either side. Well worth looking out for one.

Wait, how did I miss this one? Great stuff!!! Mr. Wiley is great.

I have it in good authority that even if you shoot off 5 tires it still wont loose speed ;)

Really enjoy the longer format deeper dive into history of the designs and theory behind the subject in this chat and Somua 35 chat earlier.

Heck yes. Love these long ones.

Interesting video about the history of this machine , very well documented thank you

My favourite armoured car. These looked impressive in the early 80s Germany.

Really interesting vehicle and very well presented, as usual. Never heard of the Panhard EBR before, so very revealing. The French were skillful and innovative designers of armored vehicles. It's a tragedy they were not better deployed and coordinated in May-June 1940.

Thank you for this excellent vidéo a concise yet comprehensive coverage of the EBR…and yes Panhard had a taste for lightweight wheeled plateforms packing a big gun … Think of the AML with its 90 mm and more recently the Sagaie…

The last segment is the best IMO - every word is super important and exciting even connecting to today's war in Ukraine. More of that please :)

"French Engineers copy no one and no one copies French Engineers"

One of my favorite armored cars, such an iconic and mean looking vehicle.

fascinating, as ever. At the risk or sounding like a broken record, DW presents brilliantly with detail and a proper undertsanding fo the vehicle's context.

Excellent detail video on limited production vehicle. I especially enjoyed the Portugal purchase side. i have very little info there are enjoyed you adding to it.

Possibly my favourite video yet

Great video, I've always like the Panhards.

Merci Beaucoup !

Amazing video and awesome tank! Can’t wait for Tankfest!

I've been waiting for a long time for someone to cover the EBR.

The legendary Panhard 178 shall have a video on its own.

Original, practical, elegant. French.

It's interesting that some modern lorries can raise pairs of wheels to save fuel when not carrying cargo.

Great job 👏

One of my favorites when playing tank quartet.

Another great video, well done

Man... that commentator poured out all that information and history in a clear, coherent and comprehensive way... apparently off the top of his head without a script or teleprompter!!

Wheelieeesss, weeeee! Awesome history breakdown. 🏎👍

Great Prof, Enjoyed that. One would think the time for a similar vehicle may be approaching. Many advantages over conventional vehicles!

Thank you so much for the visual reference and engineering background for EBR series! I love using EBR 54 and 63 in War Thunder.This video will be a great reference for me to understand the vehicle even more now. edit:It saw service in Philippines and Malaya? Wow,didn't know that.

Keep at it! your friend from Seattle

Great stuff as always

Great video again. Well done.

12:50 The rumble of a CR going by...brings back memories.

The tank museum should start calling territorial army bases, there's a lot of older vehicles parked up in them.

Good program.

Thank you!

And the advantage of reversing out of trouble is that your thickest armour is still facing the enemy.

A bold and innovative design. That made it complicated, yet they seemed to have mastered the engineering. That makes me think of the GD Ajax.....

Many years ago, I saw one of these slide through an intersection in Eastern France during their annual war games.

Great video of a superb subject.

Great in depth video!

Well that was cool vid and I didn't no there was an APC version which Portugal had in service. Learn something new everyday.

The Bundeswehr's Luchs reconnaissance vehicle had a rear-driver too.

A 12 cylinder boxer air cooled engine...😍

Thank you again for these fantastic displays and sharing of your knowledge. There is a Panhard currently being restored at the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum. Wednesday Workshops on RU-vid are compelling viewing. It’s an incredible Museum to visit, if you ever get a chance.

thank you

In France as a child, I bought a metal model of this and also Panther. The Panhard model was 10 franc less than the Panther (46F [Grasse], 1964)

Love the way you pronounce Panhard

That pic of the Panther and the AMX13. I know which one I want in the Normandy Bocage or the Vosgues Mountains!! p.s. The little one!!

Awesome nostalgia on Tanks

With this video and your recent other videos on French designs pre WW2 which are very detailed. You point out that the French were at odds at all quarters over their tank requirements, this included; the cavalry wanted at least three different designs, the legislature of the French Constitution complicated who could have what, and not least the, French trade unions and the adoption of a minimal fixed working week, which all conspired to ensure that what could be made available by the beginning of WW2 was much less than it could gave been. As you point out of course this was actually a blessing in disguise as the Germans simply captured all the best French machines and remployed them to wreck havoc for the remainder of the war. At the time of this incredible period of indecision, their German neighbours were building a huge war machine right on their doorstep - but this didn't seem to worry the French, who in the face of another conflict with the Germans (see previous altercations, including the Franco Prussian War and WW1) who it must be said in the light of all these internal issues and a pending disaster, persisted with farcical attempts at innovation. So when war did come, the French had little to show for their efforts. Ironically I note the French design(s) shown here, featured a driver at both ends .. rather like their attitude to defend themselves in the face of a clear Nazi threat. The French did invest in serious fixed fortifications - which of course proved an abject failure and considerable French fleet was crippled by similar issues to the tanks- politics, the constitution and apathy .. which was the real killer punch. Love your work- thank You!

What a great Tank Chat by Mr. David. Do you have that armoured car with the 105mm gun?

Australian armour and artillery museum in cairns ,australia are restoring one of these.

There was until very recently one of the Panahrd EBR's with I think a 75mm gun, sitting out in front of the Artillery barracks in Draguignan, Var (it might be a 90mm - I did not go up and put a pair of calipers on it). I was interested as we used to use a 1904 15HP Panhard et Levassor car for the Brighton Veteran Car run .

good episode

Just watched this again... Now is it me or, can anyone else hear a Lancaster's multiple Merlins overhead at 25:00 to 25:35...??? 🤔 BTW. Thanks to all concerned for a magnificent series. 👍👍

Oh reminds me of the Citroen I grew up in with pneumatic sussy suspension,up down worked I suppose, more of a gimmick to usage ,good idea,but to the annuals of dust,lol,

I love these tank chats though they would be far more informative and educational if we were able to see the vehicle in more detail rather than a fixed backdrop veiw. Simple shots of perhaps the interior and bits of interest around the vehicle would be spectacular.

This vehicle was just brilliant

Cool thanks 👍

very innovative design , French engineers certainly weren't afraid to try new things were they ?

"The French copy no one, and no one copies the French."

I don't know much about tanks but if one major issue, with this vehicle, was getting the engine out why didn't they make the engine removable from the bottom of the vehicle. I assume the drive shaft would cause some problems but they could have moved the vehicle over a service pit, remove an access panel from the bottom of the vehicle and lower the engine into the pit. This would mean no removal of the turrat and internals. Just open the panel, disconnect the drive shaft, (if that was even necessary), and drop the engine. The floor of a tank or armored car is rarely overly armored anyway and the engine, itself, would add armor protection, from below, anyway. Just a crazy thought. Many of the German, armored vehicles had a similar problem with engine or transmission service as well. Is there a reason why this couldn't have worked?

Panhards were on the Falkland and they were not used by the Argentines. That inaction of these tanks against the British troops baffled me.Anyone can answer me why these tanks were not used to overrun the British attacks?

Cant wait for the Australian Armour Museum to restore theirs

Yes the FL10 it is used in Africa and the ETT are only used by Portuguese cavalry. The Saumur ETT it is a Portuguese one. There are many in Portugal as museum pieces.

Hello! Thank you for the video and public service. I would be nice if you show the vehicle from inside.

Sorry for correction:No French Panhard iused in the Philippines( We are a US based Military) .. Indochina most possibly