[WalterBright]

I didn't mean a gas turbine engine, but a piston engine designed for aircraft. (Gas turbines don't run on avgas.)

With a quick look I can't find a cite for my claim, just that the British did use Merlin aviation engines in some of their tanks.

[newnewpdro]

I couldn't find mention of anything else aviation-related in the per-tank pages, and the Maybach WWII engines page [0] doesn't speak to it either.

Do you have any good references we can check out?

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WWII_Maybach_engines

[WalterBright]

I have a few hundred books on WW2, it's possible I'm mis-remembering it. I am ashamed :-(

[newnewpdro]

No worries, I was just curious to read about it.

[dredmorbius]

You'd made a possibly related claim a few months back, if that stirs any memories:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21953121

[WalterBright]

"I have seen desperate mechanics try to warm up their engines with a naked flame in the hope of inducing them to start."

  -- "Stuka Pilot" by Hans Rudel, pg. 50