Week 37 Tanks a Lot

 

Tanks

In 2011, the Netherlands got rid of all their tanks. The Defense Department has just announced that they will be purchasing 50 new tanks due to the present "Russian threat".

The Dutch army is to reconstitute its tank battalion, 13 years after it was abolished during a round of spending cuts, sources have told Dutch media.

Defence minister Ruben Brekelmans will include plans for a 50-strong tank division in the departmental budget later this week..

Brekelmans’ predecessor, Kajsa Ollongren, estimated earlier this year that it would cost between €260 million and €315 million a year to buy, maintain and operate a fleet of new tanks, including personnel costs for 350 military staff.

The "Water Line" defences of the Netherlands.

I have written about this before...the "waterline" was thought to be a means of defence for hundreds of years - a system of rivers and areas that could be flooded to hinder an invasion.

The Germans just flew over it in WWII

An interesting history of "our first cute little tank" can be found here...(right click translate to English)

https://historiek.net/ons-eerste-schattige-tankje/167434/

The starting point was that the Dutch terrain of water obstacles, rivers, peat, polders, ditches and marshes was unsuitable for tanks. The purchase of one test example would suffice, according to Minister of War Johan Lambooy in 1925. In addition, the purchase of expensive tanks at a time when the previous world war was long gone, and a next one almost unthinkable, seemed an out-of-place expense. The choice fell on a second-hand French Renault FT tank. This light model from 1917 is seen as the first modern tank. It was also the first tank to be mass-produced, intended for a devastating allied final offensive in 1919.

Around the farm...

Tjeerd and I spent a few days renovating our log fires - the smallest one will be going back in the house (Ha, it might be needed before the heat pump is installed).

It was surprisingly easy to do - the old bricks out - then off to the manufacturer to get replacements and some new cord and glue for the door - and some original heat resistant paint.

It went so well that we decided to do the 2nd, larger model in the Day Activity Workshop

The small model needed 6 new bricks, the larger needed 10 - both of them after 16 years service! They really are as good as new now.

The Day Activity people have been busy...

...making these for one of the church groups... there still has to be a small stick (staff) with a star on it.

and these for another group

The weather is changing...

Next doors cows....