Yuri Pasholok, who is currently in France, visited the Normandy Tank Museum near Carentan and made a whole bunch of interesting pictures inside.
As can be imagined, most of the museum is dedicated to the Americans, although there are British, German and French items as well. This is logical because the museum is located on a former American P-38 and P-47 airstrip in an American landing (parachute drop) sector. Many of the vehicles in the museum are in running condition and they are marked historically correctly, based on existing photographs to a high degree of authenticity. Even the bags and tools and other equipment are very authentic and the manequins are correctly dressed. Overall the exhibition is very good.
M3A1 Light Tank
Willys Jeep and LVT-4 - the AT barrier ("hedgehog") is authentic, from Omaha beach
Harley Davidson WLA, Chaffee in the background
M3A1 Light tank again
GMC DUKW ("Duck")
USAF pilot uniforms
Dodge WC-51
M45 turret (quad .50 cals), this turret was also mounted on halftracks to create the famous M16 "Meat Chopper". Quad .50 cals could be used against ground targets (infantry) to a devastating effect.
M3A1 halftrack
M4 Medium ("Sherman"), this one was painted to resemble the personal tank of general Creighton Abrams, called "Thunderbolt"
M5A1 Light Tank
US infantry with a Chefrolet G-7117 truck. The uniform camouflage was used in Normandy but it was removed soon because it resembled Waffen SS too much
GMC CCKW-353 truck
M7B1 "Priest" SPG
German exposition - notice the Panzer IV Ausf.J, which actually fought in Normandy. It was located in the Falaise museum until recently. It is not in working condition, but there are plans to restore it.
Ambulance and crew
Staff vehicle (WC-56)
M26 Dragon Wagon transporter, hauling a LVT-4
M8 Greyhound, the most common American late-war armored car
M36 GMC "Jackson", the most powerful American wartime tank destroyer
Free French Citroen Traction Avant
M5 Halftrack of the Free French, towing a 2pdr (I think)
M3A1 Scout Car, also in Free French colours (Leclerc division)
US Army Piper L4 observation craft
British Daimler Dingo
nice post
ReplyDeleteDamn....that looks nice.....i smell a long road trip coming up in the next years.....going to England - Imperial War Museum and Bovignton, then going over to France Cherbourg to Normandie and then Home via Belgium and the Ardennes....Note to myself...buy lots and lots of Memorycards
ReplyDeleteI can also recommend you going to the Overloon museum in the Netherlands. It has a part about history and more than 300 vehicles.
Deletedat m36 jackson. sexy bitch.
ReplyDeleteman, you can see that the panzer 4 J took some beating. i hope they can restore it to working condition :)
ReplyDelete"Chefrolet G-7117 truck"
ReplyDelete;)
The truck was primarily used by kitchen staff :)
DeleteInteresting how the gun breach on the Jackson looks nothing like any of its guns in wot...
ReplyDeleteInteresting how the gun breach on the Jackson looks nothing like any of its guns in wot...
ReplyDeleteIts chevrolet instead of chevrolet
ReplyDeleteBut nice article
Instead of chefrolet i meant
ReplyDelete>>M5 Halftrack of the Free French, towing a 2pdr (I think)<<
ReplyDeleteIt is the US 37mm M3 anti tank gun ;)
>>M5 Halftrack of the Free French, towing a 2pdr (I think)<<
ReplyDeleteIt is the US 37mm M3 anti tank gun ;)
Way to dis Canada lol
ReplyDeleteFantastic collection but why would they have a LVT-4?
ReplyDeleteAs far as I can find out there were no LVTs of any type used at Normandy.