Wearing a long white mackintosh and boots, a headscarf, ear protectors and a pair of outsize goggles, Mrs Thatcher clambered aboard Britain's main battle tank, the Challenger. She slid into the command seat and laid the Challenger's one hundred and twenty millimetre gun on her target, the blackened hulk of an old burnt-out tank. It was a dead shot, a direct hit. Chancellor Kohl scored a hit too at the controls of a German Leopard tank. Mrs Thatcher admitted it would have been embarrassing as well as diplomatically tricky if one of them had missed. Asked if she herself wanted a second go, she replied, “no, with a one hundred percent record I'll quit while I'm ahead.” The two leaders saw an impressive demonstration of NATO firepower from the Challenger and Leopard tanks and Lynx helicopters using air to surface missiles. It was also useful propaganda for relations between the German people and the British forces there which lately have been rather strained. [end p1]
(2) ITN Archive: OUP transcript:Jon Snow
British children gathered together in a corner of Germany that seems destined to be forever England. And though they all knew who she was, few knew who he was. For the armed forces, it was a different matter. Seating the leaders in what appeared to be ceremonially trimmed privet hedges, they conducted war games which found both Britain and Germany on the same side. Despite the banging of the tanks, the roar of engines, and the swooping heleicopters, the climax came with the descent of both leaders into their respective tank turrets. Only here the slightest note of Anglo-German competition. Mrs Thatcher hit her button first and hit the target. Would the German leader match her? Fortunately, yes. Cutting a dash somewhere between Lawrence of Arabia and Isadora Duncan, there followed an almost certainly unique Prime Ministerial chase through German scrubland. Mrs Thatcher militarily and sartorially in the lead, Chancellor Kohl eventually clambering from his iron steed in what appeared to be a slightly under-sized boiler-suit.
MT
I was very relieved when we hit the target. It would have been terrible if we hadn't in front of all the people.
Jon Snow
Were you equally relieved that the Chancellor hit his target?
MT
I was very pleased we both hit the target. Both.
Jon Snow
It would have been diplomatically tricky if you hadn't.
MT
It would indeed, very tricky.
sound of machine-gun fireJon Snow
On the mock field of battle, dozens temporarily died in front of their leaders and not a little fuel was spent. For the rest, victory was declared on all sides. Jon Snow, News At Ten, in northern Germany.