VI_XII (@VI_XII)

Jun 17, 2026 #WWII #MilitaryHistory #WorkshopWednesday A massive milestone on the Wespe restoration. Daz, Jess and Steve fit the track, lift it onto the sprockets, wrestle the last pin through, and then the moment everyone has been waiting for. The Wespe moves under its own power for the first time in decades. After months of fabrication, engine work, cooling systems, mudguards, electrics and drive sprockets, this WWII German self-propelled gun finally rolls. But stay until the end. Every restoration has its highs and its lows, and this episode has both. The Wespe (German for "Wasp") was a self-propelled artillery piece built on the Panzer II chassis and armed with a 105mm leFH 18 howitzer, serving on every major front of the Second World War. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - This Wespe hasn't moved in decades... 00:48 - Lift, Stands Out, Lower Down 02:25 - Joining Track 05:21 - Lifting Track Onto Sprocket 07:06 - Unlocking the Idler Wheel 07:54 - Trying to Get the Last Pin Through 09:35 - Fitting the Opposite Side 14:13 - First Ever Drive 19:15 - Whoops! 21:08 - AusArmour, We Have a Problem... 22:20 - Outro 22m55s The Australian Armour & Artillery Museum WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY: Track On, Wespe Rolling. First Drive After Years of Restoration - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uag1HyCWQLE