My impressions were - how the heck does it move? where do people get in? How big is it? Why those silly little castor wheels at the back? Why no apparent method of looking out from inside? Ok, I did some googling, and the best I could find were: http://members.aol.com/kubinka/kubcat.htm called it a "rare German Japanese recce vehicle" On www.historyofwar.de/forum/viewtopic.php?TopicID=1307 A guy called ‘The Schut’ wrote this (auto-translated from German, so the English is bad!) “It point none for which the thing was meant. There are no documents and no statements. The Red Army found the part abandoned. There are none at the thing manufacturer-describes or fitting characters. Fact is only it exists, more not. Many experts the part examined, without result. The Russians do not permit to take (after my know) metal samples. A drive is missing. My beginning to the thing is that it due to the size and processing of a company for Stahlkonvertoren was manufactured. Of it there are not as many blos is from those those not failure is present no documents, since they were Ausgebombt. I try to come in toilsome detailed work with still living workers of such companies into contact over from them which to experience. Such a part must one remember. Tja that is my private one hunt for the secret of the ball tank, so far without success. If I in addition which point I it kunt to do. Achja I has my contacts in from Germany occupied orders play to let at companies in the situation was sowas to manufacture so far also without success.” Basically, it is a mystery with no apparent use or purpose. They then decide that is either an alien device or left by time-travellers! This site http://forum.skalman.nu/viewtopic.php?t=694 is in a language I cannot read, but contains this: “Hi Chaz, I have an aricle by Steve Zaloga with 3 pictures of it in the May 1995 issue of Museum Ordance magazine. He states that the origins of it are almost completely unknown and that it was intended as a 1 man scout tank. He further states that it stands about 6 feet high and is powered by a motorcycle engine. Some believe it was captured in the Baltic, others that it was a German/Japenese venture. Tony Ivey PS: I have already made my Kugelpanzer in Small Scale 1/72!” Overall - nobody knows . Possibly a scout vehicle made by the Germans for the Japanese, but there is no apparent evidence anywhere.
Not auto-translated, so the German is bad: "Nobody knows what the thing was meant for. There is no [other] evidence and there are no testimonies. The Red Army found it abandoned. The thing does not have any marks of manufacturers or armourers. The fact is that it does exist, that is all. Many experts have studied the piece without result. As far as I know the Russians won't allow the taking of metal samples. There is no propelling system. My guess about the thing is that, because of its size and finishing, it was made by a company manufacturing steel converters [?]. There are not many of those. Yet from those that did not go bankrupt there is no evidence since they were bombed. I'm trying, with meticulous work, to contact former employees of such companies to see what I can find out through them. One has to remember a piece like that. Well, that's my private hunt for the secret of the Ball Tank, as yet without result. When I know something I will have you know. I've had my contacts in the German occupied areas look for companies that may have been able to construct something like it, but so far without result." He seems serious, but hasn't found a thing, basically.
possibly this kugelkopfscharte was the name of a premade defensive structure. i got to looking at the pics and went to a book i have on german fortifications and defense structures and while it does not show this item exactly there are drawings that lead me to conclude that it is one of 2 or 3 things 1- it might be a retractable cloche or observation/ fighting position. the germans built thousands of them in different styles to mount on bunkers 2- it could be what was called a kock bunker. i have a drawing of one that look a lot like the item pictured. they were used on the east front and were a 1 man fighting position. they were steel and designed to be quickly emplaced by simply burying them in place 3- the germans used a emplacement called either a ringstande or tobruk. also produced in large numbers that were another 1 or 2 man emplacement and were often cast steel. without seeing all sides and the bottom i cannot be sure but if i was a betting man i would bet on #2. the wheels look to me like something designed to allow easy movement of the item for shipping and handling. they are way too small to work on soft ground and there is no sign of any drive. this is not a tank or anything else meant to move under its own power. i believe the domed end with the bolt head is the top and the ribs are there to interlock with poured concrete or packed earth. the top may or may not move upward to open but the bolt looks like it is perhaps the mounting point for a lift cylinder or screw jack to move the top up. if the earlier post is correct about the size it would fit all three possibilties. in any case there would be an opening in the side [#2], bottom [#1], or some means to open the lid from outside [#3]. but we cannot see those angles. the drawing i have of the kock bunker shows a shelter area that is almost a perfect match in size and shape so i think it may be the best guess.
Damn good theory. Only one or two possible flaws. If it is designed as a mini-pillbox to be placed on it's side (relative to the photographs), then a) why is there what appears to be an observation slit in the middle bit, apparently configured for use in the axis it is currently in? (I admit, I did not see this earlier!) b) why is there absolutely no form of vision from the proposed top? c) why are the 'top' & 'bottom' (as they would be when deployed) not at right angles to the 'sides'? It is all very slanty, and would be uncomfortable to serve in. The British developed a number of similar mini-pillboxes during the invasion-phobia time of 1941-42, and I have seen the drawings, and in some cases actual examples, of most of them, and each one, without exception, had some way of seeing out, even when the thing was 'buttoned down'. http://www.jagdtiger.de/index2.htm for the full range of pictures. I do have to agree that the little wheels to seem to be entirely for ease of handlind - they even have what appear to be attachment points for a towing/steering bar.
not enough to see i don't see the slit you refer to so no idea there as to the other points you bring up- B- if it is a kock bunker [ more accuractly the shelter section of one] there should be an openong in the side for access and the top would be buried. if it is a cloche or tobruk it has a retractable top that would lift to allow vision or weapons use. the bolt in the center seems too small and in the wrong place to secure the lid but is about right to attach it for lifting. C- in any of the 3 possibilties i noted it would be for only 1 man at a time and given the otherwhere noted size of 6' by 6' there is room. it was never meant as living quarters but rather as a place to take cover or fight from.
First up - thanks Roel for your translation skills! Second - lynn1212, I like your reasoning, I just see a few problems and hope they can be resolved! Can you post the pictures of the defensive structures you mentioned? Now, the basic shape (as in the pictures) is a 'V' with a broad base. This would make for an uneven floor & roof if it was used on its side as a pillbox. As to vision, surely they would put a vision block in so you did not need to lift the lid simply to see out? Surely? (I'm sure that this was not always true, but it seems nonsensical to me) And the slit is here (ringed in red):
sorry my scanner died and right now i have no way to scan in the drawings. i can quote the source however. its fortress third reich by kaufmann & kaufmann. published by da capo press 2003. to describe a koch bunker as a poor subtistute for a pic- it is made in 3 major sections. the first is the entrance and fighting position. it is an opentopped cylinder that is buried up to the rim. if effect a spider hole with no lid. the second section [and the part i believe to be the item under question] is somewhat larger in diameter and a bit shorter. it is buried and covered and is meant as a short term shelter. the third section is a sort of crawlspace connection between tthe 2 larger sections. if you turn the "tank" so the domed end with the bolt is up it bears an uncanny likeness to the shelter section of the koch bunker. the proof would be to find the opening for the crawlspace conection but we cannot see the whole thing. the next best guess is that of a retractable cloche for a larger bunker. this would explain the bolt in the center of the dome as part of the lift system. for this use the opening would be in the other end. these devices were built without any openings when closed and were lifted for vision or weapons use. the cloche would be mounted on the roof of the bunker and might be found at either the ground level in a buried bunker or above grade in an above ground emplacement. there may be an inner skirt that has slits in it to provide extra cover to the used when open or it might be open all around. a fixed cloche looks like a hemisphercial lump with slits in the sides and were a fixture of most bunkers. usually concrete but steel was used as well. the third guess of a ringstande or tobruk is to me the least likely but still possible. these were simple 1 or 2 man spiderholes that were entered either from the top or through a snail shaped side enterance depending on the location and local soil conditions. a covered one would be fairly rare and would most likely be entered from the side since they were meant as a cheap quickly installed emplacement so any lift system would have to allow for outside operation to be entered from the top and would add to the cost. again both steel and concrete were used with wood being used as a local expedant. both koch bunkers and tobruks were often moved in response to threats since it was only a matter of digging them up and reburying them elsewhere. looking at the pics again a few things come to mind- the domed end has a better finish that the rest, is it because it will show perhaps. the sides show a rougher casting finish than the dome. the ribs on the sides that could be there to insure a good grip when installed in poured concrete. the center bolt might be just filling a threaded hole meant to accept an eye bolt for lifting. it is common practice to install a standard bolt to protect such a hole between uses. whatever it is it weighs at least a ton and perhaps more with my guess being about twice that. the eyes by the wheels look like tiedown points for shipping rather that steering. i see no provision for swiveling the wheels. i see something in the circled area but cannot decide what it is . it might just be a rough spot on the casting. the top may be machined steel but the body is cast and could be either steel or iron. i tend to think cast steel since the caster legs seem to be welded on and cast iron is hard to weld. it is possible that the thing is a machine part and has nothing at all to do with either tanks or fortifications. without better pictures that give us all sides i think we've gone about as fair as we can go unless somebody with personal knowledge shows up.
