The Great Valentine Archer Mystery ....

If the Archer only appeared in late 1944 - taking part in fighting in Italy and Western Europe, how do you explain these pics of one being manned by Germans in North Africa ?

 

Are these stills from a film?

 

The Big Red 1 or something?
Can't be other than a movie!

 

looks like a movie from there poses. never seen the big red one tho.

 

The Archer was also used post-war (WW2) in the Near-East
HTH

 

Not by the Afrika Korps, though.

 

Those are from a post-war movie, I know because I have seen them before. I can't remember from which movie though.

But as we're talking about mysteries, can someone tell what kind of contraption the Germans drove around in in the ''Dirty Dozen''?

 

OK - so maybe it was too easy.

Nobody would get the film though as it's an obscure French one -

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0474531/

... and, by all accounts a pretty bad one.

Slightly ironically though - these are about the best pictures I've yet seen of an Archer - the first one shows the slightly confusing forward/backward travel movement of it very well. The Archer looks like it drives backwards but it's only an illusion - it shoots backwards.

Will one of you brave souls check out that film and let me know what you think (IMDB reckon it's public domain).

 

Archer Question 2

Next question -

If the Archer was open topped and slow and, therefore, vulnerable; why were few, if any, tankers killed or injured in it ?

 

Bloodsucking Nazi Zombies :lol:

Incredible name for a movie

I think i must get that movie and Zombie Lake as well

 

Re: Archer Question 2

Probably because of the way it was used
"The rear mounting at first seemed like a liability, but it was soon made into an advantage. Combined with its low silhouette, the Archer made an excellent ambush weapon, allowing its crew to fire off a few shots, then drive away without wasting time turning around."

By the time the enemy realised they were being shot at, the Archer would be off before they could return fire.

The fact that the gun faced backwards means that it wouldn't be used for assaulting the enemy (and the fact that the driver had to leave his seat if you wnted to fire the gun).

 

... all good points but that's not what I'm after ...

 

... What ! Question too difficult ? ..

 

A number of reasons - most of them covered by wozwasnt...

How about because not many were made?

 

OK - let's put this one to bed.

It was operated by artillery units not tank units.

 

Oooh, trick question!