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back to article Bulgarians bag German pair for pinching panzer

A pair of Germans found guilty of stealing a World War II panzer were given jail sentences in a Bulgarian court yesterday. Thomas Gmeiner, 36, received four years while Matheus Mayer, 67, was given three years suspended for stealing the tank, and attempting to steal another. However, the pair were tried and convicted in …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Bulgarians bag German pair"

    You are such a tease. :)

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  2. Marcus Aurelius
    Joke

    It seems

    ..as though the Germans were trying to repatriate their tanks ready for the next German attempt to take over the continent....

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  3. LuMan
    Joke

    If this had been the UK

    The traffic cops would be left dumbfounded at how the tank managed to just roll right over the stinger.....

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    1. Marcus Aurelius
      Reply Icon
      Joke

      Re: Luman

      I normally avoid Police Camera Action shows, but would watch it for this; especially if they set up a road block and the Panzer "deployed" its 75mm cannon.....or rolled over the cars like an old episode of Kenny Everett,

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      1. ian 22
        Reply Icon
        FAIL

        Done and dusted

        I recall an incident in California a few years ago where something similar happened. Some yob made off with a tank, smashing a good few cars before he was stopped. It didn't end well for him. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vESIVemfG8.

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    One piece at a time - Johnny Cash

    Johnny Cash had the idea for sneaking vehicles out...One piece at a time

    Well I left Kentucky back in '49 and

    Went to Detroit workin' on the assembly line

    The first year they had me puttin' wheels on Cadillacs

    Every day I'd watch them beauties roll by

    And sometimes I'd hang my head and cry

    Cuz I always wanted me one that was long and black

    One day I devised myself a plan

    That should be the envy of most any man

    I'd sneak it outta there in a lunchbox in my hand

    Now gettin' caught meant gettin' fired

    But I figured I'd have it all by the time I retired

    I'd have me a car worth at least 100 grand

    I'd get it One Piece At A Time

    And it wouldn't cost me a dime

    You'll know it's me when I come through your town

    I'm gonna ride around in style

    I'm gonna drive everybody wild

    Cuz I'll have the only one there is around

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  5. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    A Mark IV?

    What Ausführung though? These came from in anything from A to H, with continuous improvements along the way.

    I would pay for it to be put in my garden with the main hose suitably pointed at the neighbor's window.

    A very stylish machine.

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    1. Paul Johnston
      Reply Icon
      Grenade

      Stylish?

      I have to disagree with you there!

      It's too box like missing the smooth lines of say the Mark V.

      These all pale besides the T34/76 which was seriously good!

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  6. Anonymous Coward
    Headmaster

    3,333 Bulgarian Panzers a year

    One bulgarian tank is $10,000 in scrap, the UK is losing £20,000,000 to copper theft alone or 3,333 scrapped tanks.

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  7. Neil Greatorex
    FAIL

    833,333 Bulgarian scrapped Panzer IV tanks

    Gordon B. Ruins gold sale..

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/4162054/Gordon-Browns-decision-to-sell-half-of-the-UKs-gold-reserves-cost-UK-5billion.html

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  8. King Edward I
    Go

    Despite your denials...

    ...I will continue to view in my mind them driving across the border, chased by a selection of police cars, waving a socialist banner above their head.

    Citizen Smith FTW.

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  9. Peter Simpson 1
    Coat

    Matheus Mayer, 67

    Probably wanted one which was made the same year he was born, 1943.

    //Ignition key for Panzer in the pocket

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  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I hope the Bulgarians had seen fit to retrofit this tank

    with some form of supplementary restraint system

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  11. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    Repomen

    Presumably the tanks remain property of the fatherland - these pair were just towing it away for being illegally parked in Eastern Europe.

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  12. Robert Hill

    Safety rating?

    Anyone know how many stars a Panzer gets in a front to front impact? I'm thinking that at only $75,000, this is just the thing to out do my neighbors Hummer...

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  13. jake Silver badge

    Dismantled it for transportation?

    Surely it'd be easier to move it under it's own power? Moving a stripped tank hull isn't exactly something to be taken lightly ...

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    1. George Nacht
      Reply Icon
      Headmaster

      Very good point...

      ...but Panzer IV was so popular partially by it´s easy field maintenance (the armor was, so to speak, assembled together from access hatches, so the crew could remove and replace anything right in the field without special equipment).

      So, maybe it is possible to strip the hull down to really small portion of the full weight.

      Still impressive feat though.

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  14. Pablo
    Pint

    Good times

    Reminds me of GTA. I bet they escaped by visiting a drive-through car repainting service.

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  15. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Maybe?

    Maybe observers thought it was a Wartburg or Lada?

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  16. Kar98
    Go

    Homeward bound

    Come home, Pantzy, come home!

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  17. Kar98
    Coat

    I'm assuming...

    ...that this has caused quite the führer?

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  18. Winkypop Silver badge
    Stop

    Wrong way lads!

    Poland is that way...

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  19. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    Armored Vehicle...

    You are doing it RIGHT!

    Do they ship it to South America?

    We lack proper roads and have loads of places where you are likely to be shot at, exactly what this vehicle is made for.

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